So here is the final training based travelogue before we set off for our honeymoon. Yet again we had to resort to route plan B as I’d hurt my wrist in school shifting heavy boxes and the train to Butterworth was over an hour late. The train being late wouldn’t have been so much of a problem but the path we’d pencilled in involved lots of hauling yourself up vertical slopes using ropes. It seemed daft to risk hurting the wrist more when we know they are not skills we will need to use on Kilimanjaro. So we set off on another path we’d done previously knowing that it wasn’t going to as long or as tough.
The walk started in Air Hitam near a big Chinese Temple where the road goes almost straight up to a small dam. Most people walk around the reservoir and go back down but we knew the path carried on up through the forest and veggie plantations to Penang Hill summit road. The walk itself was uneventful and the weather stayed good but the highlight was spotting loads of pitcher plants. The walk along the summit road was even quieter than usual due to the funuicular being shut for repairs. While having a juice at the top we checked our trek book to see how we could extend the walk. Although to be honest the walk up there had been longer and more of a work out than we’d anticipated. We stuck to a tried and tested path to get us back down to the Botanical Gardens. On the way we were lucky enough to see the two types of monkeys (Macaques and Dusky leaf-monkeys) resident in the area.
The revised plan was to do a kind of figure of 8 route to get us part way back up the hill and end up where we had started that morning. We’d expected to be in the gardens having our picnic lunch by 1pm at the latest. Yet again the path was longer than we thought so was lunch was consumed on the way down. Unfortunately by this time it was raining a little so we had to shelter under a rock to eat. Not quite the pleasant mealtime we’d had pencilled in!! By the time we got to the gardens it was already 2.30pm and the rain was showing no signs of stopping. To be honest I’d had enough and didn’t really fancy turning around to do another 10kms or so. We worked out that we’d walked about 18kms and of course had climbed a steep hill in the process too. We felt like we were in danger of getting training fatigue and would feel thoroughly fed up of walking if we pushed ourselves. It was too close to the real event for us to take that risk so we jumped in a taxi and headed back to the guesthouse.
The only bus we could get back from Butterworth left at 9am so we were up early to catch the ferry over. The good thing was it gave us plenty of time to sort out our stuff, as we hadn’t even thought of packing at this stage. We knew it was going to be complicated because we needed to sort out what was going in the bags we would be carrying up the mountain, what the porters would be taking in our behalf and what we would need to leave behind in the guesthouse in Arusha for the rest of the holiday. It took hours, like all afternoon, but we’re almost organised. I reckon we’ve got even more to carry than we did for the wedding!
See you after Africa!
Travel Tips
There are loads of cheap backpacker places in Georgetown but most are pretty awful. One of the best is Star Lodge.
Star Lodge, 39 Jalan Muntri, Phone: +60 4 2626378, Email: 75lodge@gmail.com. All rooms with Windows, Fan, Sink, Toilet and Hot Shower. Single Rooms RM 28-32, Double/Twin Rooms RM 35-40, Triple Rooms RM 45-60. For AirCon add on RM 10 per day. Free 1 hour internet included in the room rate plus free 24 hour WiFi. We have not stayed at the Eastern and Oriental but we have taken advantage of the saturday night buffet. All you can eat plus free flow wine and beer, an amazing deal for RM115 nett especially if you sit on the terrace.
http://www.e-o-hotel.com/eoh/index.htm
