[£1 = RM 4.9 (Malaysian Ringgit)]

The five of us (including the driver) made the 90 minute journey to the border town of Kanger which was the first place on our trip to have a border at one end of what appeared a busy main street. Just how I imagined it - markets right up until the border post!

It was busy both in the market and, as normal, chaotic at the border crossing. The van stopped and the four of us disembarked to get our Thailand exit stamp at passport control before getting back in and driving to Malaysia immigration.

At the Malaysia side we repeated the trick, this time with our big packs through the scanner receiving a Malaysia entry stamp for our troubles.

While at the X-ray scanners a Western couple (some of the few Western faces we saw at the border) were trying to explain their reasoning for bringing furry handcuffs into Malaysia to a rather stern-looking female border guard. Certainly entertained us as we slid by. They were all smiles at that point but I've no idea if they made it into the country! And so fairly painlessly into Malaysia.

Back in the van 3 hours passed by quite uneventfully as we headed towards Georgetown. Malaysia's roads appear to be better maintained than Thailand's, probably because there are many more toll roads. The driving is also more disciplined. The scenery remains beautiful.

Not far north of our intended destination the other two passengers got out leaving us and the driver. We were nervous initially as we had heard stories and weren't sure how motivated he would be to drive us an hour further on and onto an island to boot. Fortunately there was no reason to worry as he continued on carrying out his job very professionally.

We crossed over to Penang via the Penang Bridge (toll) and were dropped in Georgetown not at the bus station, not even at the office of the tour operator but directly in the backpackers' area. We thanked our driver most sincerely before starting our hunt for a room.

We settled at the third place we looked at, a little surprised with the low standard of room. We were so used to being spoon-fed on the backpackers' havens in the past few countries and this together with our image of Malaysia as a more progressive and well-developed country led to this surprise. But it didn't last long and after all we've experienced it was no way the worst we've put up with.

It was nice to ditch our bags and go and explore the local streets having been cooped up in various minibuses all day. We're living in Chinatown which we explored mostly salivating at the hawker stalls. We also visited Little India which is loud, colourful and smells delicious! It smelled so good that we had to have a few samosas to keep us going. Delicious!

Returning to the hostel via the ATM, we paid for the room (swapping to a smaller room as it was a bit more homely) before taking our books and various brochures to a local restaurant for a leisurely lazy dinner and chat with the staff to find out more about what Penang has to offer.

Determined to get back into an earlier routine, the alarm sounded at 8am. Having finally got myself up I trudged to the bathroom block down the corridor to wake myself up some more. The showers have no ceiling for some reason and I got the shock of my life mid-shower when opening my eyes I saw a cat scooch along the top of the walls and out the building!

Apart from this the shower was lovely and once we were both ready we paid for another night and then left the hostel. Being early it was relatively cool and certainly quieter than usual. Our first destination was a local market, Chowrasta market.

Markets are the real heartbeat of the community and despite it being early morning (or maybe because it was early) on a Sunday, it was chocker. In common with all local markets there were fruit and veg stalls, clothes stalls, fish and meat stalls and hardware stalls.

We even found a little food area where we sat down for a spot of breakfast. Kirsty had some strawberries she had bought from a stall earlier and I tried a wok dish that was being cooked up. I thought it was potato and noodles with egg but I think the "potato" part was actually tofu. Good nonetheless and a good strong cheap coffee to follow.

A local (we were the only Westerners here) at another table asked where and for how much Kirsty had got her strawberries agreeing that the price was very good value. Nice to be part of the community like that! And this being Malaysia, many more people speak fluent English which makes it easier to be involved.

Eating time over, we strolled through the rest of the market before heading to the bus station. Here we bought our (minivan) ticket to Tanah Rata in the Cameron Highlands, our next stop.

We then pressed on with our home-made walking tour. It was incredibly hot and sunny but it was good to wander around the narrow streets of Georgetown. The whole town is a UNESCO Heritage Site and much of the architecture has remained from colonial times. In contrast to the colonial buildings we also passed many Islamic mosques and Chinese kongsis. A kongsi is a building used partly as a meeting hall for Chinese people of the same clan or surname and partly as a temple. We then headed down to Clan Jetty where we were afforded a great view of the South Channel and the Penang Bridge in the background.

After passing some Indian temples and walking through Little India we came upon Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower built to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee. This reminded me of home where Queen Elizabeth II is currently celebrating her Diamond Jubilee. Next was Fort Cornwallis built on the cape to commemorate the historic landing of the city's founder Captain Francis Light in 1786. Adjacent to this is the lighthouse which is more of a tower and less of a house.

Walking along the seafront and around the park area we stopped and reflected for a moment at the War Memorial before turning and passing food carts on one side (with the biggest containers of iced juice I've seen - including some bright pink juice!) and the City Hall and Town Hall on the other side.

At this point we spied a little greenery and took the opportunity to sit in the shade for a bit. The sun was relentless and the sweat was pouring off us, not really a day to be wandering around. We also noticed another Western couple unused to the heat taking a break here.

Onwards we went passing a beautiful church called St Georges and a less attractive one on the same street called Church of The Assumption. Our aim was to go and visit Little Penang Street Market to find out what that was about but all we found was a bar and nightclub street which was understandably dead during the day, the bar mats drying outside in the sun the only sign of life. We found out subsequently the market only takes place on the last Sunday of every month so we've still no idea what it's about!

Our next stop was a Protestant cemetery where everyone who's anyone to do with the founding (and early days) of the city is buried including co-founders Captain Light and James Scott. I found it fascinating to read a little history about the different people buried and also to see a map indicating whereabouts they were buried. I wanted to visit Captain Light's grave as he was obviously the main man and someone very important to the place but his grave was in the middle of many others. Instead I settled on visiting James Scott's.

This was our last stop and tired and hot we returned to the hostel. Here we spent a little time before going out again towards Little India after dropping off some laundry. Neither of us was particularly hungry but we ended up having a set menu served up on a banana leaf. Many of the other customers were eating using only their right hands, something I'd not seen before. We, as Westerners, were given a fork and spoon. The meal consisted of rice, spinach, dhal, cucumber and onion, a poppadom and chicken curry. Really delicious! Little India is a vibrant area and the atmosphere can't help put a smile on your face - I'm really hoping when we visit India it will be similar!

As we wandered back, I bought a samosa and pakora for RM 1, just because they're so tasty even though I wasn't hungry!

Heading back to the hostel, we stopped at a shop to get some ice-cream for Kirsty. At the shop - which is situated round the corner from the backpackers' area - the shopkeeper was determined to sell me three cans of lager for RM 10. I told him I wasn't interested but it's a sad indictment on what most backpackers are interested in. In a strict Muslim country I was a little embarrassed.

From here we took a stroll down Love Lane, the backpackers' area and finding nothing of great note returned to the hostel. With weary feet and full bellies we took the chance to rest for a couple of hours.

A little rested but bored of our room we ventured out once again. This time we went to Chowrasta bazaar, the indoor companion to the market we visited this morning. We also visited Pangin mall and the surrounding area. On 6 June in a couple of days' time Mrs Hanes celebrates a birthday and the plan is a day of retail therapy so we wanted to see if (a) the quality of the shops available was suitable (they have been hit and miss on the trip so far) and (b) the quantity of the shops was good enough. We're also planning a trip to the cinema so we wanted to check out the listings for this.

Satisfied with our reconnaissance mission we headed to an outside food court for some dinner. There are many of these places in Georgetown alone. A high corrugated roof with fans, garden furniture seating centrally and various vendors selling cheap food dotted along the edge.

The idea (although we didn't know initially) is to find a table, remember your table number, order at whichever stall, sit back down and wait for the food to arrive. Drinks are ordered while sitting at the table from the various waiters and waitresses floating between them. All different food abounds from Malaysian satay through barbecued meat and fish grills, Chinese pork and duck, Indian tandoori and pizza and pasta. We opted for chicken skewers with peanut sauce, char kway teow (a Penang dish of fried noodles, egg, shrimp, vegetables and Chinese sausage) and crispy pork with fried noodles.

The food court was packed with Malay families, groups of friends, Western couples and Western groups and this chatter together with the background music made for a great atmosphere. Oh and needless to say the food was fantastic!

A sweaty, restless night ensued not helped by Kirsty's poorly tummy. When the alarm rang we showered and dressed before repeating the trick of visiting the local market for breakfast. In order to stabilise her dicky tummy Kirsty opted for eggy bread and I went for Java mie (fried noodles, beansprouts, prawns and caramelised onions in a fiery sauce). When finished we walked to the bus stop and waited for our bus.

Bus number 204 was to take us to Penang Hill for RM 2 each. We were fortunate to get seats for the 30 minute journey which took us through Georgetown and its environs including along a street full of educational institutes with slogans such as 'English - your route to worldwide learning'. We also passed through something akin to council housing back in the UK just on the outskirts of Air Itam, the town at the bottom of Penang Hill. It was here that there was a morning market taking place on the main street and we had to smile because it's very much the Asian way. Never mind that it's a busy thoroughfare the market stalls encroach to reduce a two lane road effectively into just one line of traffic.

The terminus for the bus route is at the bottom of the hill just outside Air Itam. Here we jumped off and joined the already lengthy queue for the funicular railway. It is currently school holidays here in Malaysia (the children are off from 27 May - 10 June) and this was evidently a good place to go for local families.

The railway had recently been upgraded in 2011 which meant the original half hour journey can now be done in 5 minutes in ultra-modern sleek carriages. A bit of a disappointment as it loses a bit of the charm in my opinion. Added to this, as foreigners, we seem to have to foot the bill.

A return ticket costs (a very reasonable) RM 30 whereas for Malaysian citizens it's less than half of this. We've seen this a lot on our travels and I would love it if the British government or whoever introduced a similar system in the UK. Firstly reduce the price of the British tourist attractions in general (let's be honest they're a complete rip-off) and secondly introduce a two-tier pricing policy so that British citizens pay a reduced entry fee. I'm not xenophobic, it just seems to be the way other countries operate and if we don't adopt this method then we seem to get penalised both at home and away.

As it happens the ride was worth the money and the views from the top of Penang Hill were fully panoramic and glorious for it. Other than the views though there didn't seem a great deal to see or do although what there was reflected the multicultural heritage of the area. There was a beautifully ornate if a little run-down Hindu temple, an Islamic Mosque closed for renovation, a couple of Mehndi artists which was fascinating to see, a few wild monkeys prowling around and the obligatory chance to hold a snake. (err…still no thanks!)

The popular wisdom that being 833m above sea level would mean it would be cooler didn't hold true. It was still as hot as ever! The only cool respite being caused by a threatening black cloud which fortunately didn't progress past the threatening stage.

After returning down the way we came up we jumped in a waiting 204 bus for the journey back to Georgetown. Unfortunately we got a bit lost and instead of getting off at the shopping centre as we planned we ended up staying on until the bus terminated at the jetty. As it was still baking hot we didn't fancy the mile-long walk (we were tired and hungry which didn't help) so instead hopped on the free shuttle bus around Georgetown.

The driver wasn't present and we had to wait an age for him to appear. Normally this wouldn't be a problem as the bus was nice and cool but we were very hungry by now (it being nearly 3) and were in danger of flaking out. Eventually we got going but traffic in Georgetown is of the gridlocked variety so it was a very frustrating journey.

Finally we got off and being hungry dived into McDonalds, it was all I could do to stop myself from jumping over the counter and helping myself! We've noticed a lot of the cars here have McDonalds' stickers with "VIP Drive-Thru" on them. If I wasn't so consumed by my hunger I would've asked how we go about getting one!

I think it happens to everyone but being hungry we had eyes bigger than our bellies and ordered far too much, spending the rest of the afternoon bloated. With a ban on shopping until the big day (2 days to go...) the rest of the shopping centre was off-limits and, with traffic as it was, we walked back to the hostel.

At the hostel we rested for a couple of hours before collecting our laundry and spending some more time in Little India. Coming from Leicester, it really is a home from home. Kirsty was interested in finding someone who could do her some mehndi as a birthday treat and, before leaving the area, we had to try a few foody treats: some Bombay mix, samosa, bhaji, a sweet banana fritter and a savoury green banana fritter given free by the lovely stall holder. All tasty and delicious!

A distinctly average night's sleep followed. We lazed around in the morning and, as the rains had finally arrived in no uncertain terms, were in no rush to leave the hostel. We had a leisurely breakfast in the downstairs café before venturing out to catch the bus, the rains thankfully having stopped.

We paid RM 2.70 each to travel the 15km or so to Batu Ferenghi, Penang's premier beach resort. Here we anticipated spending the afternoon before enjoying the night market later. We were to be disappointed.

Although the journey along the twisty coastal road was a really good experience, the destination itself left a lot to be desired in our opinion. A one-street town full of souvenir shops selling inflatable rubber rings. Access to the public beach severely limited and, perhaps because it was high tide, no sandy beach to speak off. Not to mention the polluted sea.

After stopping for a quick drink and then a thorough walk around trying to find evidence of life, we gave up and returned via the bus to Georgetown. So frustrated and annoyed.

We knew it was going to be bad so dropped our expectations but even so, a ghost town with a dirty beach and sea was not what we expected. Where is everyone during the day in Malaysia? Only half the shops and business are open at any one time and the streets are always dead. The only sign of life is on the roads which are full of cars but where is everyone going??

We got off at the bus station and headed to Chinatown for a change which once again had very little signs of life. So we returned to the far more lively and loud Little India where we stopped at a restaurant for lunch. Here we had some delicious chicken tandoori kebabs which put a different complexion on the day.

In a better frame of mind we then went to a beauty shop where Kirsty got her eyebrows threaded (in about three seconds flat!) - She was such a brave girl. And then she had some mehndi applied on her arm. All for a bargain RM 18. Unfortunately just as we left the rains returned and with still-wet henna on her arm the walk home proved to be a dicey one.

Safely back we spent some time chilling and updating the blog before stepping out to the Red Garden Night Food Court for some noodles and rice.

The next day was to be no ordinary day. It was my gorgeous wife and travel companion Kirsty's 29th birthday! We had decided for obvious reasons to have a day outside of the normal constraints. Whatever Kirsty wanted to do, we would do.

The plan was therefore as follows: McDonalds for breakfast, retail therapy in the shopping centre, cinema, then more shopping and finally evening dinner with a glass of wine or two. Sounds good to us!

So after waking her with a rendition of 'Happy Birthday' we got ready and left for our breakfast date with McDonalds. The McDonalds branch in question is located in one of the three mall complexes in downtown Georgetown and as we arrived at 9.45 we discovered the mall and therefore the shops within did not open until 10am.

We kicked our heels for 15 minutes before getting the chance to head in. The other thing we forgot is that time is a loose concept in Asia, even Malaysia so the first thing we noticed was that many shops still had their shutters down including McDonalds. Clearly back in the UK we're spoiled with near-24-hours access to shops and services.

Eventually after browsing the shops that were open we returned to have what I guess you'd term a brunch at McDonalds. The rest of the morning was spent mooching through numerous stores mostly of the clothes and shoes variety, I'm sure the men reading will understand if I say it was all just a blur to me!

We had a little diversion to buy our tickets for the cinema later that afternoon. It was amazing how slowly the shops opened up, many of them lazily opening their shutters at 11ish, many more not until afternoon. Once again this lethargy enforces the impression that Georgetown is a bit of a ghost-town. Why open at 10am when nobody is around until 2pm?

We had a similarly frustrating experience at the cinema where after buying two tickets to see Men In Black 3 for a total of RM 16, we wanted to buy some snacks to accompany the film. Despite an extensive list of snacks and sweets on the board behind the server, the two or three things we asked for (hotdog, nachos, chocolate) were "not available". I was not having Birthday Girl go without so, against the rules, I dashed to the lift and went down to the supermarket four floors below to buy and then smuggle in to the cinema enough chocolate to sink a battleship. Made the film (which we would definitely recommend) that bit more enjoyable!

Not to go without I managed to get a hotdog (of the chicken variety this being a Muslim country) from another food emporium after the film was done. And it was worth the wait!

A few more hours of shopping followed interspersed with a coffee break to rest the weary feet (where are the seats Malaysia for those of us waiting outside the fitting rooms?!?) before we walked back to the room, one happy girl and one relieved boy.

On the walk back Kirsty also bought a pair of colourful trousers with an elephant design from a market stall for only RM 10. The catch being that they couldn't be tried on before purchasing.

Once home Kirsty did a mini show-and-tell of what she'd bought just for me (in case I'd forgotten!). The final tally was three T-shirts, one pair of trousers and a new notebook. Please take a look at the photos.

After chilling out in the room for a while, we popped out again for some dinner, back at the Italian restaurant from our first night in Georgetown. As we're both huge pasta fans it seemed the logical choice, the only downside being that it didn't sell any wine, only beer.

As soon as we walked in the restaurant we were recognised so we let them know it was a special occasion hoping to get some small token in return (a sneaky glass of wine, a free starter, a birthday candle on the dessert) but to no avail. It was a thoroughly enjoyable meal nonetheless. We then went down the road to another café to have that much-desired glass of wine and coffee to finish the meal.

A great day and I hope Birthday Girl enjoyed it too. Happy Birthday Kirsty! Xxx

Happy Birthday to Mr Mann, my father-in-law and to Corrina - hope you both enjoyed your special day too, I know Kirsty missed you both even more than usual today.

Too much coffee meant it took some effort to fall asleep. Not great when the minivan was scheduled to pick us up at 7.30. While we were still packing we received a knock on the room door to be told our lift had arrived. Fifteen minutes early!

We hurried and jumped in the waiting minivan which had only one other passenger. At the long-distance bus station we picked up more passengers and with our 8-seater full of holidaying locals and us we set off towards our destination of Tanah Rata in the Cameron Highlands.