So it is my second time in Malaysia (maybe I ll make myself to write a story of my first time in Kuala Lumpur)and it is definately a tresure. This time destinations were Langkawi and Penang, both islands. Even though Penang has another part apart from the island I couldnt make it there.
Basically Malaysia is the most vividly diversed countries I have ever visited so far. (not counting the USA tho, but it is still defferent diversity. The slogan "Malaysia truly Asia" can be easily approved, because it is so many different Asians in the same place: South Asia as India, East Asia as China, Malay as SE Asia. Particulary in Penang, which makes it different from KL the most, there is one more important addition to diversity. It is colonial period and "British Asia". So this diversity can be found everywhere: in architecture - gorgeous Georgetown area, Taosism temples, Hindu temples, Christian churches, Clan getties etc., in food- Penang is called the capital of street food of Asia, even tho in ranking it is third after Bangkok and Singapore, I dont think it loses any points. Huge food courts of 100 or more stalls are truly amazing. So much spicy food haha. They even have "Penang food guide" brochure which I definatey picked up and tried to try as many dishes as I could. Indian food, Chinese food, Malay,European and more...I told my friend from Penang that it is so vividly diverse, dinamic and awesome in many ways so I might even want to live there for some time. But there is one big obstacle for this- constant heat. When on the second day after arrival we wanted to go all around Georgetown, after 30 minute we had to rent one of those bicycles riksaws to take us around. This tour was not very informative apart from "China Temple", "art", "big cat", "me" (for a big street painting of a rikshaw man) and so on. Not informative but truly saving. After we kept finding ourselves in small cafe-bars, very cosy and tiny, sipping ice-cold Tiger beers to bear the heat. But those were very good moments. To tell about how we actually arrived: the ferry from Langkawi took too much time so we arrived arounf 10pm and couldnt meet the guy from CS. Not having phone number, proper Internet is always bad to meet people. So after getting attacked by 50 taxi drivers we found a cafe with wifi and had dinner BUT still couldnt meet that guy. With all the lagguge we went to search for a place to sleep. Walked much of a George town at night, meeting drunk foreigners who were quarelling in the road, spotting some clubs and cute malay guys, checking out scary looking Chinese motel but getting a map from there, we ended up at the Chulia street, which later as we found out was one of the most happening places in George town. Hostel we stayed in was called Seok and it was amazingly cool, maybe one of the best hostels I stayed.
Next day we managed to meet the CS guy Stanley, Chinese Malaysian who was extremely nice but had to work all the time. While waiting for him to pick us up, we walked in Little India which brought me all the memories of me travelling in India, listening of all that super load Bollywood songs from every corner, having a huge set of India food and then passing a huge Chinese temple, we ended up on the main squre for a last day of Lunar New Year celebration with many more travellers and locals. This is truly amazing feeling after just "being" and eating in India, you find yourself after 100 meters in the middle of the Chinese celebration.
Next day we took a long bus ride to Batu Ferringhi beach, spent half of the day sleeping there in the shadow, interrupted by a crowd of Indian guys who were too excited to take a banana boat. I might mix the days and events now, but also we met Stanley for having the best nasi lemak in town and some other dishes, cheking out Gurney Drive mall to get refreshed and then we were getting ready for the night out. Night life of Penang might be not the best in the world, but it exist and its quite vibrant, even though clubs close at 3am. After having the rest of Jagermeister in the litttle dazzle between the colums of a colonial building, we had enough fun and drinks and darts game in a bar in Upper Penang Street, we moved to a club Cameo where we continued all of that. Then my memory is becoming not clear and not because it was several months ago, it was unclear even on the next day. We finished the night in karaoke where I lost my voice and woke up in a nice Chinese owned hotel in a huge room with two king-sized beds for a competitive price. (Thanks to a Stanley`s friend who was driving everywhere arounf to find a free room, all hotels were packed). Soooo, as you can imagine, the morning was not a happy time. Spending much time in bed, doing some shopping in a mall near KOMTAR (a huge tower which in known to be a first Penang modern shopping centre)where our hotel was close to. We decided not to go back to Stanley`s place but stay again in the Chinese hotel, making the owner give us discount again, because we wanted to go out again. Apparently our poor condition didnt let us do it and we stayed in the hotel having Indian take away of roti and curry and watching Japanese TV shows with Malay subtitles (very informative haha). Before going to airport we managed to see three very nice temples: Kek Lok Si, Sleeping Buddha Thai temple and Burmese temple. All of them were stunning, super colorful and unreal. The most unreal thing was that actually three traditions of Buddhism were gathered in Penang. More to say, Thai temple and Burmese temple are just in front of each other.
Flight to KL was 1 hour long and was quick and nice, but flight from KL to Seoul was delayed for more than three hours, we had free Macdonalds dinner, watched Koreans, complained about AirAsia and do something not important before we finally got on a plane and arrive to Seoul, back to winter.
