I remembered setting off on a sunday night right after my usual sunday family dinner with my family. It was really quite impromptu that I decided to pack and leave for malaysia on that day, at 730pm to catch a overnight bus to Penang. Quickly packed everything i thought i needed- guide book, money ($200 plus sin) , passport, jacket, some clothes, washing powder. And off i went, crossing the causeway toward larkin bus station, starting my first backpacking trip alone.
(JB) to Penang- overnight bus of 10hours on a VIP bus. RM65. It was a comfortable ride there, i wouldn't say i slept well (hello, i was on a super budget-what's comfort?).
Day 1- pinang island- uncle wong- big buddha
Arrived at sungai nibong bus terminal on penang island at 645am. Two teksi uncles tried to nudge me to take their cab, calling for RM25 to bring me to Georgetown, lebuh chulia (street). I was like what! Wikitravel said it's only RM2.50 to take the bus! I rejected them and he directed me to the wrong busstop and made me wait like an idoit for 15min, missing two buses.
Anyways, my hostel is located at love lane (how sweet) which is off the big main street called lebuh chulia. Ate breakfast the old school way, seated jus off the road, kopi old uncle playing chinese FM from his old radio. I love that nostalgic feeling of eating lo-tii jus off the road side.
Wondering for awhile, i finally found my old penang guest house on love lane:) it is so beautiful! For those who know me, i'm damn buay paiseh. I actually kind of pestered the nice uncle (uncle wong) telling me where to go, how to go, where to eat etc. To the point that he actually offered to send me to the laksa place after his work. Oh wells, i really didnt force him ok. he was really nice.
Met a korean guy at the goddes of mercy temple and ended up spending the day with him. We went on trishaw for 1+hour. We went fort cowallis, khoo kongsi, fisherman house (clan jetty). In the afternoon, uncle wong brought us toward ji le shi temple, where he stays nearby. At the temple, i found that the korean can read chinese words! and pronounces just alittle off. We then went to perankan manion where they filmed little nonya and penang hill. And continued to macallistor street for makan at night:) Buses end at either jetty(near my hostel) or komstar (near macalistor st).
oh well, that nice korean guy whom i thought was friendly, cool and harmless, actually became alittle harassing! I thought he was a nice traveller but he turned to be wanting more from me. eeeks. i told myself that i'm so not gg to travel with him the next day! So i told him to meet me at 930 when i planned to leave at 830... i had a hard time trying to shake him off man! is this what happens when a girls travels alone? cos i don't think this happens to guys... so unfair!
Day 2- to teluk bahang and balik pulau
Anyway, the transport system in penang island is fantastic! so convenient and easy to navigate around! The buses runs from ALL over the island from the town to the more ulu places like balik pulau. There's this national park at teluk bahang that has a tree top walk! for free! worth a try:)
i totally loved balik pulau. I wanted to go there becos i wanted to see some bomoh, since i studied about them in SE modules. Then this chinese woman told me all sorts of scary stories about murders and deaths in that village and refuses to loan me her bicycle. She said the bomohs cast spells on chinese becos we eat meat and they will refuse to heal chinese people. She even mentioned about the chi-malay zone in the village. This part of the island is so drastically different! so kampong compared to georgetown. more malays too. penang island is such a chi-na place that i hardly see any malays back at the city-like place. The disparity and the marginality is so obvious.
Alright, then i went on to just walk walk around. Since the place is famous for durians, i went to the buy durian from this uncle just along the road. I spent 1 hr eating there and talking to him about his life. The first durian i bought was bitter and kinda tasteless, i thot he cheated me of my money. he treated me a super good 2nd durian for free:)
MORE PHOTOS AT http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=95088&id=585331916&l=fdaf92161c
Day 3- ate super nice breakfast with uncle wong and off to ipoh
(JB) to Penang- overnight bus of 10hours on a VIP bus. RM65. It was a comfortable ride there, i wouldn't say i slept well (hello, i was on a super budget-what's comfort?).
Day 1- pinang island- uncle wong- big buddha
Arrived at sungai nibong bus terminal on penang island at 645am. Two teksi uncles tried to nudge me to take their cab, calling for RM25 to bring me to Georgetown, lebuh chulia (street). I was like what! Wikitravel said it's only RM2.50 to take the bus! I rejected them and he directed me to the wrong busstop and made me wait like an idoit for 15min, missing two buses.
Wondering for awhile, i finally found my old penang guest house on love lane:) it is so beautiful! For those who know me, i'm damn buay paiseh. I actually kind of pestered the nice uncle (uncle wong) telling me where to go, how to go, where to eat etc. To the point that he actually offered to send me to the laksa place after his work. Oh wells, i really didnt force him ok. he was really nice.
Met a korean guy at the goddes of mercy temple and ended up spending the day with him. We went on trishaw for 1+hour. We went fort cowallis, khoo kongsi, fisherman house (clan jetty). In the afternoon, uncle wong brought us toward ji le shi temple, where he stays nearby. At the temple, i found that the korean can read chinese words! and pronounces just alittle off. We then went to perankan manion where they filmed little nonya and penang hill. And continued to macallistor street for makan at night:) Buses end at either jetty(near my hostel) or komstar (near macalistor st).
oh well, that nice korean guy whom i thought was friendly, cool and harmless, actually became alittle harassing! I thought he was a nice traveller but he turned to be wanting more from me. eeeks. i told myself that i'm so not gg to travel with him the next day! So i told him to meet me at 930 when i planned to leave at 830... i had a hard time trying to shake him off man! is this what happens when a girls travels alone? cos i don't think this happens to guys... so unfair!
Day 2- to teluk bahang and balik pulau
Anyway, the transport system in penang island is fantastic! so convenient and easy to navigate around! The buses runs from ALL over the island from the town to the more ulu places like balik pulau. There's this national park at teluk bahang that has a tree top walk! for free! worth a try:)
i totally loved balik pulau. I wanted to go there becos i wanted to see some bomoh, since i studied about them in SE modules. Then this chinese woman told me all sorts of scary stories about murders and deaths in that village and refuses to loan me her bicycle. She said the bomohs cast spells on chinese becos we eat meat and they will refuse to heal chinese people. She even mentioned about the chi-malay zone in the village. This part of the island is so drastically different! so kampong compared to georgetown. more malays too. penang island is such a chi-na place that i hardly see any malays back at the city-like place. The disparity and the marginality is so obvious.
Alright, then i went on to just walk walk around. Since the place is famous for durians, i went to the buy durian from this uncle just along the road. I spent 1 hr eating there and talking to him about his life. The first durian i bought was bitter and kinda tasteless, i thot he cheated me of my money. he treated me a super good 2nd durian for free:)
MORE PHOTOS AT http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=95088&id=585331916&l=fdaf92161c
Day 3- ate super nice breakfast with uncle wong and off to ipoh
Indonesia trekking- Mt Agung @bali, Mt Tambora @Sumbawa
Sichuan, China ice climbing and backpacking (21dec- 7jan)
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