1st - 4th May 2007
From Toba we made our way back to Medan to catch a ferry to Malaysia
from the local port, on the way to the port Danielle ensured that we
looked out for any MSC containers for her Mum, sure enough we found one or two!
The fast ferry was advertised as a 4 hour crossing, but turned into a all day affair, catching the coach to the port at 0900 hrs and finally
arriving in Penang some 8hrs later after a very arduous and rough ferry
crossing (with Indonesians being sick all around us)..
Think this is where travelling really started for Danielle, as although
Indonesia was dirty etc, the accommodiation was always good, relatively
clean and with private bathroom, Penang wasn't! During our first day we
stayed in a rubbish hostel things with shared bathrooms (still could
have been worse - wasn't dorms....yet!), ate at a local Chinese hawker
resturant and Danielle had to drink beer instead of her normal wine at
night, WHAT A DAY!
The next day we did the normal tourist bits taking in the fort,
climbing to the top of the lighthouse (danielle wasn't happy - see pictures!) and travelling to the top of Penang Hill. The view of Penang from the top of the hill was almost breathtaking, and on this high Danielle (Aka James, Danielle would never suggest such a stupid thing) decided that we should try to walk down on a trail that leads to the botanical gardens, bad idea. Walking down proved to be harder than you would imagine...the hill was very steep and for some unknown biological reason James' feet are normally the only part of him that sweats, therefore together with the steep hill, sweaty feet and flip flops (we couldn't/wouldn't be organised to go in proper shoes)
there was alot of sliding, falling over and cursing from James (he's
sure the ff's are now broken) and lots and lots of laughter from
Danielle.
The following day we hired a moped to explorer the rest of the Island,
not too much to talk about expect that the Malaysians pass off a water
pump on the top of a big hill as a water fall, bit of a cheek really!
The normal sort of fun was endured on the moped, but seeing us struggling to fill it up with petrol at the station must have pleased the locals
the most!
Anyway, thats about all Penang has to offer, we're off to cameron
Highlands, for it tea, strawberries and cream, it'll be just like being at home but without the tennis!!
xx
