Penang Wars, or how I learned to love d'bomb
The most wonderful toy museum just outside of my hotel!!!
Well after the last bit of pretension I have been brought down a little...
Not that I didn't appreciate Penang but it all seemed a little gruesome at times. The ride up on the train from KL was an example of fine gymnastic figuring as I tried to keep my ever increasing suitcase in the bed space with me- mistake -all that achieved was an incredibly bad nights sleep and a cranky Grimstar cranking around Penang, also it was about eight in the morning when I finally arrived at my Hotel. The Copthorne Orchid deserves much praise for its wonderful staff and its generosity in letting me into my room about four hours or so early. Five hours later I emerged much refreshed and set about arranging to have a look at the night Market at Batu Ferringhi. I found a place serving arabian fare and then travelled my way back marvelling at the number of knock-off DVD - some of which have not even been released in the states yet- and souvenirs by the truckload. there always seems to be some poor foreigner bleating on about which are the originals at these places.
Other than that I wandered the streets, looked through the shopping complexes- more foer the food and the AC than anything else and took in a couple of movies.
Penang is a place where the old and new are constantly at war. There is still much of the old heritage holding forth against the skyscrapers and developments- Some of the old colonial building are beautiful and deserve restoring.
However it was not all well in Penang- for me it started with following a piece of advice- take care where you put your feet cause some of the drains are just waiting for a poor fool to fall into them. Trouble is, that if you are watching your feet you miss the signpost at head level till you walk into it, knock your glasses off and raise a bruise that three days later is still painful- still the glasses remain unharmed.
These unfortunate things come in threes it seems- so it was for me as on my last day at breakfast I managed to have the tooth my dentist repaired just before I left break apart- luckily no pain but I will have to deal with it.
And then as I finally reached the ferry back to the mainland I find out that the train to Bangkok has been cancelled for the day. Damn! So what to do now- KTM apologised and suggested the travel agency across the road. The travel agency across the road said "very expensive to fly from Penang to Bangkok- better to go by Minivan to Hat Yai and then catch plane."
Not that I didn't appreciate Penang but it all seemed a little gruesome at times. The ride up on the train from KL was an example of fine gymnastic figuring as I tried to keep my ever increasing suitcase in the bed space with me- mistake -all that achieved was an incredibly bad nights sleep and a cranky Grimstar cranking around Penang, also it was about eight in the morning when I finally arrived at my Hotel. The Copthorne Orchid deserves much praise for its wonderful staff and its generosity in letting me into my room about four hours or so early. Five hours later I emerged much refreshed and set about arranging to have a look at the night Market at Batu Ferringhi. I found a place serving arabian fare and then travelled my way back marvelling at the number of knock-off DVD - some of which have not even been released in the states yet- and souvenirs by the truckload. there always seems to be some poor foreigner bleating on about which are the originals at these places.
Other than that I wandered the streets, looked through the shopping complexes- more foer the food and the AC than anything else and took in a couple of movies.
Penang is a place where the old and new are constantly at war. There is still much of the old heritage holding forth against the skyscrapers and developments- Some of the old colonial building are beautiful and deserve restoring.
However it was not all well in Penang- for me it started with following a piece of advice- take care where you put your feet cause some of the drains are just waiting for a poor fool to fall into them. Trouble is, that if you are watching your feet you miss the signpost at head level till you walk into it, knock your glasses off and raise a bruise that three days later is still painful- still the glasses remain unharmed.
These unfortunate things come in threes it seems- so it was for me as on my last day at breakfast I managed to have the tooth my dentist repaired just before I left break apart- luckily no pain but I will have to deal with it.
And then as I finally reached the ferry back to the mainland I find out that the train to Bangkok has been cancelled for the day. Damn! So what to do now- KTM apologised and suggested the travel agency across the road. The travel agency across the road said "very expensive to fly from Penang to Bangkok- better to go by Minivan to Hat Yai and then catch plane."
Well KTM are apparently going to give me my money back "in a couple of months" so theres RM112 I may see again but the minivan to Hat Yai was RM25 so I thought -say Yes- and gave it a try. Well you get what you pay for and I will never forget that trip. Of course arriving in Hat Yai meant a stay over but at least I was in Thailand. Luckily I fell in with a couple of ex-pats, poms who live in Thailand and they saw me right ( actually there was also a Frenchman who apoliged for the rugby)But I am really grateful to Dave who took me out to dinner and to a couple of bars before I realised just what the Pinklady Hotel was- no, S, no ladyboys.
Suffice to say that a good time was enjoyed by all even if we didn't partake (a fishbowl is an amazingly sad place) and now I had a wonderful flight on Air Asia and are savely in my Bangkok hotel.
Just shows what happens when you get complacent and take your eye off the ball.....
Comments
pink ladies... um... this is definitely code for malpractice of some kind... I want pictures!
Miss you friend,
Sean
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