making up syllables: 1m2tm: penang, malaysia

as explained in my last post, when i left krabi by mini-bus it took around 15 hours to get to my next destination. but nothing makes you feel like you're really traveling than piling into a tiny little van with a bunch of locals and hopping across the border.

i arrived in georgetown, the capital city of penang, around 5pm malay time. penang is a highly diverse state with a mix of dutch colonialism, chinese straits (peranakan) influence, a large indian population, and native malay culture. with such a varied background it has become known as a culinary hotspot and the food capital of malaysia. i had no spendable currency as i had yet to exchange any so that became priority numero uno. perhaps investigating currency exchange on penang should have been number one instead as i got massively ripped off on the rate (about $100). ouch. i guess that's island rates for ya? i was feeling pretty down so i went to a food mall near by and got some cheap food and a lot of cheap beer and all of the sudden, asian magic, i was feeling better. afterward i took a quick walk around the neighborhood, with its wonderful mix of dutch and asian architecture, before heading back to the hostel (red inn ★★★★, i was on the fence about this place because some reviews claimed bedbugs and when i checked out the sheets there were some of the tiny bloodstains indicative of bed bug infestation, but i also noticed that the mattresses were all new and covered in plastic so i felt confident they had taken steps to correct the problem. everything else about the place was very clean, they had a good free breakfast, very helpful staff and was located in a cool part of town. this was the first time i paid for a double bed at a 2 person rate just for the sake of comfort. it would not be the last. recommended) to grab a beer and a book and settle in for the evening. it was an early night.

the next day was a full load. early on i rented a scooter from this spacey dude who parked out in front of the hostels. with my printout map and newly acquired south east asia guide book i headed out to see the in-town sights. most of these were peranakan buddhist temples tucked here and there throughout the city. these traditional chinese shrines were severely different than the dutch style city and town halls, but thats what made the city so compelling. after another cheap meal i decided to test the limits of my scooter and head to some of the out-of-the-way attractions. the first of these was kek lok si, the largest buddhist temple in south east asia and the home of the largest bronze kuan yin statue (its huge, like 30 meters tall), all built on a hillside overlooking georgetown proper. had i gone at night apparently i would have seen a light spectacle that rivals that of even vegas. after kek lok si i continued up the hillside to the air itam dam, a nice little spot with an even more impressive overlook. i was hungry again and with food as cheap as it was, you know, why not? so i found a food stall and installed myself for a mid-afternoon break.

after eating i grew confident, perhaps overly so, and decided to explore the entire island (it only takes about 4 hours to cruise around the whole thing). i got lost several times and at one point found myself in an industrial complex. but eventually i found my way to a mountain road surrounded by jungle that would promise a beautiful trip around the island. and it was. incredibly. beautiful. the road curved around and on the other, less populated side there was barely a car between me and everything. i was thrilled. it was exactly what this trip was supposed to be about. everything was perfect.

and then tragedy happened. the first of several toe related injustices that would occur on my trip. i had noticed a group of scooters around a little path that veered off the main road so i decided to stop and check it out. walking back i found a small waterfall with a pool that was being enjoyed by a small group of local teens. i felt like i was intruding so i made my way back out. now the little road wasn't really big enough to turn around - on one side was a wall and the other a dip into a stream - so i assumed my best option was to pick up the bike and turn it around on my own. it was heavier than i thought but luckily the group of teenagers were leaving just then and one of them helped me out. we rotated it around but when letting it down the guy helping me just let go and well that was about it. the bike fell right on my toe. i tilted the bike so i could remove my foot and blood was already starting to pour from around the nail. my jungle ride was not so fun all of the sudden and i had a long way back to the hostel.

eventually i did make my way back, past the resorts of batu ferringhi beach, and got my foot cleaned up. i would be more or less immobile the rest of the day. after a little bit of research i decided that my next stop would be the cameron highlands so i booked a ride with another mini-bus and emailed a hostel to set myself up for the following day. the pain from my toe was pretty intense at that point so my only recourse, obviously, was to get drunk enough that i could fall asleep easy. and so i did.