Escape to Penang

On check in the night before, I had asked the reception to ring the ferry company to confirm my intention to travel. She told me that the ferry didn’t leave at eight o’clock like I thought it did; instead I had to be at the office for eight thirty ready to get the bus for a departure of eleven o’clock. I was up early anyway so I had enough time to get ready and prepare for my long crossing. I’d only had lunch the day before so filled up on a delicious breakfast of stir fried noodles, chicken curry and fresh pineapple. I got a few perplexed looks, as I ate, from older Indonesian businessmen that filled the restaurant.

I asked the receptionist to book me a taxi but she then told me I was late. I must have misheard her the night before and I was already half an hour late. I ran upstairs then back down with my things to collect the waiting taxi that had to stop twice to ask for directions on the way to the ferry office. I walked into the office three quarters of an hour late but that didn’t seem to bother the lady at the desk who issued my boarding pass. I was charged a final time, to apparently cover my departure tax which I tried, unsuccessfully, to challenge. I made sure that the bus from the office to the ferry was guaranteed to be free, which she agreed to, so I left with a lady from Los Angeles to get on the bus. As we waited for the bus to leave I spoke with the lady that lived in LA who was originally from Korea. We talked about our travels all the way to the ferry terminal and shared a similar view of Indonesia and the people.

Check in went well but we boarded the same ferry as before which, this time, had the cargo area off limits. I was instructed to sit in the front portion of the ferry, which thankfully had air-conditioning and even a small desk with a man behind selling water, crisps and instant noodles. The journey was just as bad as I remembered and I was very pleased to see small islands start to appear as we approached Penang. The west side of the island, that blindly faced Indonesia, looked almost untouched with clusters of uninhabited islands covered in green foliage and mist. I spied a flying fish that jumped out of the water and aquaplaned across its surface for about ten metres but it looked more like a thirty centimetre ruler, being long and flat, than a fish. We passed under the World’s third longest bridge, which my new friend told me was made by Koreans, for a second time before docking and disembarking.

I collected my goods and walked to the terminal building to present my passport to Immigration and receive my third Malaysian stamp.

“Good afternoon sir, may I have your passport please? Is this your first time in Malaysia?”

“Actually, it’s technically my third time. I love it so much I just keep coming back.” I said laughing, happy to be back on Malaysian soil and even happier to be among the friendly Malaysian people.

I got a taxi back to Hotel Mingood then got showered and changed to meet Amelia and her family in their hotel, it was great to see a familiar face. We then proceeded to the waterfront where I was able to sample lots of local food.

The day after we caught the funicular railway up Penang Hill to get a wonderful view all over the eastern side of the island. In the evening we celebrated Mia’s birthday with a banquet of Malaysian food.