And so back to our beloved buses for another journey - this time hopefully not so long. So off we set from our hostel to Pudu bus station- now Pudu bus station is something other than simple. Everywhere you turn there are people yelling at you to buy a bus ticket to everywhere execpt where you want to go. So having found said bus ticket we head off to our platform, only to discover that like everywhere else in Asia buses don't run on time but when there are enough people on board to make the trip cost effective. So our bus leaves 1 hour late!! Great, so we are now going to arrive in George Town 1 hour later, that's as long we don't have to stop to pick up any goats or other miscellaneous things along the way. Now Malaysian buses are great, they are only 3 seats wide, so every seat is like a business class seat on an aeroplane absolutely huge, but unfortunately like all good things there is a down side and the down side is the air-con.......it's set to freezing. So you get on the bus in shorts, t-shirt and flip flops and get off wishing you had ski wear!!!!

The bus journey was nice and easy except for when the bus suddenly stops, on the side of the motorway and yells "PENANG OFF,NOW......GO,GO,GO". And thats it within the blink of an eye we're thrown off the bus and left. Then another bus pulls up and yells "PENANG, ON, ON,ON", sorry didn't know we had signed up for the army!! So off we trundle again. Over the longest bridge in Malaysia and into George Town. If only life was that simple, no not George Town. But a bus station 30min away, which isn't on our map. Off we set to find a taxi, and away we go off to George Town.

We pull up in what is supposed to be the main street for guest houses but what turns out to be the main street for hookers (apparently, introduced by the British and still in strong pratice!!). So off we head to look for our trusty chosen guest house........which surprise surprise.....doesn't exist!!!! Dont you just love it when a plan comes together! So off to plan B - I stand in the porch of 7/11 hiding from the rain, and Hayley goes looking for the best deal around. When she returns we have a nice new guest house called Crystal, which shows constant James Bond films (apparently it's James Bond month on the movie channel, next month is Star Wars).

Day one-- Up and at em.......We head off to Penang Hill, the highest hill on Penang. Well it's really the only one and considering it's an island it's not particularly hard to be number one is it?!?!? We take the local Bus, A: because it's cheap, and B: because taxi drivers only want your money and tend not to know where they are going!. We ascend Penang hill by funicular train, at nice slow, slow yes still slow speed. To the mid station where we change trains, and sit around watching long tail macaques running at people with food and raiding the bins.....how monkey like!!!! Unfortunately for humans the macaques have adapted to gang street life of racateering and intimidation pretty damn well. Ever seen a 2ft monkey show it's teeth to you when they're angry?.....all you see in front of you is that rabies leaflet you didn't look at in the gp center.......so yes you cave and give the damn monkey your mars bar. The slow (did i mention how slow) funicular sets off again. After another epic journey we arrive at the top, with fantastic views of the island and the bay over to mainland Malaysia. There is little else to do apart from visit a Mosque and a Hindu Temple (very pretty too). So we enquire about going to the botanical gardens. Now Asians don't like walking, thats why they invented the moped. Cheap, easy to get around on and you don't have to walk!!! So when two stupid white westerners ask them about walking the 5.5km to the botanical gardens they almost have a heart attack. We got told: dont do it, you crazy?, and of course not forgetting their favourite just being point blank laughed at. So off we went. It's a fairly straight forward walk, down a long windy steep road. It all goes swimmingly until we hit a troop of about 55 monkeys parked along the side of the road. As if they knew we were coming, they have spys I tell you! So with a brisk (not scared, but brisk) pace we pass them and a few Japanese people coming up the hill. 2min later the Japanese are running down the hill with monkeys screaming behind them!!! After arriving at the botanical Gardens we wander around only to find more monkeys, only these ones don't like us, and start showing large amounts of shiny white teeth, so we turn and choose a different path. Monkey free!!! The gardens are very nice and a break from the outside world.

After the gardens we head off to the largest buddhist temple in Malaysia-Kek Lok Si- sitting high up on a hill it has a majestic appearance to it (great until you see how many steps there to get to it!). Up we go, for 25 min up we go. To finally arrive and it's just as nice up close as from afar. Just above the temple is a huge 30.2m bronze statue of the buddhist goddess of Mercy. (sorry can't remember her name, send your answers on a post card to.....) She is surrounded by a Chinese water garden with all the animals of the Chinese New Year in stone around too.

So after all that running and walking we look for dinner. Off to little India for a curry. Only this curry is served on a banana leaf (we thought it was the place mat), apparently to aid digestion and flavour. I just think it's a cop out for washing up!!! All very nice though and a novel idea for a plate. Now this is tradition in India and the way you fold it dictates whether you liked your meal or not - away from you means good, and to you means bad - or vice-versa!

Day two-- was spent exploring the Colonial history of George Town. With a visit to Queen Victoria's clock tower. A gift from a wealthy Chinese man to her on her 60th anniversary on the throne. Stands 60ft tall to commemorate every year she had spent on the throne. Then next door to Fort Cornwalis, the point of the first landing of British in Malaysia. It's still the original fort with chapel and canons!!! Then off to the E&O hotel for a tiffin lunch......but they don't do it anymore so not today (or tommorrow for that matter).  In the afternoon we headed to a local bar for a quick drink only to be approached by the manager and entrusted with a new friend - apparently from England, so we should all get along fine!!!  As it happens we did and we continued into the evening collecting more and more backpackers as we went.

Next stop Cameron Highlands...........for tea, strawberries and rain - a little classic England away from home.