I found myself wandering around my neighboring countries again, savoring its magic&charm. W/ MJ, we strolled the streets of Singapore, KL, Penang, Bangkok, Lopburi and Ayutthaya, while I’ve gone solo in Vientiane. At the end of it all, I got sensory overload w/ new&exotic flavors, old&distinct scents, stunning architecture&historical landmarks, loud&quiet sounds, busy&serene air – but still I want MORE. I simply can’t get enough of Asia.
Our bus arrived in Penang at around 3 in the morning.Still drowsy & with nowhere to go, we
decided to sleep in the bus until the break of dawn.
When the sun was up, we got out of the bus and asked around how
to go to the pier for Butterworth, as well as to GeorgeTown and its World Heritage Sites.The first guy that came to us eventually
became our tourist guide.With his
friend’s car, he drove us around and showed us what Penang has to offer.Initially, the deal was just to bring us to FortCornwallis and show us where the port was
because it would be cheaper if we do the touring on our own.I guess he got fond of entertaining us or,
simply with us, that he eventually drove us around.We went to various temples - Chinese,
Buddhist and Burmese – and mosques as well.He even would have brought us to Penang Hill if only the cable cars were
working, which, on that day, were not operational.
I love Georgetown and its relaxed vibe!It was Saturday when we got there.The streets were quiet.No traffic!
Aside from the charming shophouses dating back colonial
years, there’s an abundance of places of worship of various faiths – a
Thai-style Buddhist temple in front of a Burmese Buddhist temple, a mosque just
a block away from a Chinese temple that was just a few steps away from an
Indian temple, and a church a few blocks away.
loving Roti Canai
If the sights won me over, I’ve gone crazy with their
food!Roti Canai and its variations plus
its various curry dips were just delicious!Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside Roti Canai & fish
curry’s my fave.I better stop talking
about this as I’m starting to crave for it.Thanks to our friendly tourist guide for introducing this to me.:)
So after having lunch at some hawker food stall, it’s time
to bid goodbye to this piece of paradise & say hello to Butterworth (or
just Butterworth train station) to keep with our IT!
To get to Butterworth from GeorgeTown, we took a ferry, a free
ferry.Yehey!The ride was just about 15 minutes, and from
the port of Butterworth, the railway station was conveniently located just
next to the ferry, just a few minute walk on a covered walkway.With that, it gave as ample time to fix
ourselves and rest for about an hour to prepare ourselves for the 20-hour train
ride for Bangkok!
