15/04/09

We rise at 5.30am to get the train for 6.30am, unfortunately the train is delayed and we don't actually end up leaving until 8.30! We get on the train and read a little and then we arrive at the border of Malaysia everyone gets off the Train, I get off the train before Karen and she gives me a shout should we bring the smaller bags with the valuables, 'yeah good idea', so she does. Then we're waiting at passport control and there are a few people with their entire luggage. We um and ah, but realise we probably need all our luggage for customs so i go back to get the bigger bags that were under the seats. Oh dear they're now on top of the seats and mine has had the waterproof cover taken off, thanks to A.J's trusty lock which has deterred whoever it was. How silly and lucky we are, neither of us can believe it though as everyone is meant to get of the train and there is alot of security???? Anyway all's well that ends well................

Until passport control man spots we're one day over our visa requirement, that's ok though our trusty travel book said you get one days allowance................not ok though. They want 1000 baht (20 pound) for the days we're over which isn't that much accept that we spent all our thai money. We tell them a very fitting and very white lie, 'well with all the rioting in Bangkok we were advised not to fly, but to cross the border by train and were informed it would be fine as you get one day allowance' this goes on for 15 minutes or so and we just think they're after some money. Then they threaten that the train will leave, which we quickly follow with do you take maestro or visa?! but of course they don't, only cash. With my bag on they say they can take me to a cash point, I go up some stairs walk a little and the guard then points about a kilometre over the border, but I better be quick or the train will leave. I run like a mad wobbling tourist, with my backpack and in flip flops, I'm an illegal immigrant in Malaysia!!! Wahoo! I find the cash point but can't figure out the exchange rate but just get some and leg it back again! Mean while Karens trying to convince them not to let the train leave! I get back and argue an exchange rate, we don't even know what it is but don't want to get stitched. We'eventually agree and they do as passport control do - take their bloody time. We run through to Malaysian passport control who were very quick and laugh at the Thai's holding us up for being one day over and thank god we're back on the train, panic over.

We eventually arrive into Butterworth and get the Ferry across to Penang. We get the free CAT bus tour around George town and look around some more, it has a similar initial feel to Hongkong. We go to a shopping centre and grab some food and because we've had enough excitement for the day we just chill out in the evening. The next day we get the bus to Batu Ferringhi, the beach side of Penang island. We don't really know what to expect, but there are loads of resorts along the way there so it doesn't look good for price. We fluke the drop off and find a hostel just a stone's throw away from the beach. We explore the area, eat some bad food in the afternoon and then the most amazing curry in the evening for a total of 5 pounds. We relax on our balcony in the evening and listen to the waves roll in. The next day we wake up in a sweat because our rooms so hot, we go into town to try and get a guide book for Malaysia, we get the book at a cracking little book market. We get the a stupidly packed bus back, you would find more room in a sardine can and they just seem to keep pushing more people on. When we make it back we beach it for a couple of hours eat some more amazing curry - vindaloo and masala. Then sit on the balcony listening to the wave's role in.

Maggie doesn't sleep very well tonight because of some guys next door talking, 'I'm the dealer not the boss my friend', okay?!............we'll pretend we're asleep then. Then some routine speakered Islamic singing wakes us both up about 5am. We have a easy day today, we chill and bathe a little, swim a little and get freaked out a little by something touching our leg a little, scream a little, leave and eat a lot of curry in the evening. We relax on the balcony but it rains, which is crazy loud on the metal roofing.