The journey from Samui to Penang was as hideous as we expected!...It went kind off like this....taxi....boat.....bus....sleeper train....ferry...taxi, and took more than 24hrs....delicious! Main problem is getting to the mainland at surat thanni, and then waiting on the train to Butterworth. No first class sleeper on this route, so you get the second class bunks in the corridor affair...with some delightful sounds and fragrances during the night. Met a really nice girl (Jo), on the ferry, wished we had met her earlier on saamui
While we were waiting for the ferry in nathon on samui, we slipped into a net cafe and to our delight found a really cheap flight from penang to kuala lumpar (only 15 quid each one way by asiaair whoever they are), we snapped that up instantly to avoid another overnight journey when we travel to KL.
Another nigtmare is the thai malasian border crossing...you get wakened up about 6 in the morning, and you arrive at the border just before 8am feeling like shit. You have to get off taking all your luggage and then queue to go through immigration etc, your bags dont get xrayed, so dont quite understand why they insist that you take them off the train!...bizarree!, then you all board the train again and travel on to butterworth, where the train terminates and mysteriousy doesn't quite connect very well with the malaysian trains, so its another long wait at butterworth or do as we did, have a stop over at Penang.
Penang
We stayed in a cracking hotel on the outskirts of Georgetown(hotel 1926), very reasonably priced and great standard of rooms in a row of renovated old colonial houses, lots of character and style, about 20 quid per night for the room.
Not many tourists in Georgetown to be honest, so we got gawked at quite a lot.
Its quite an interesting little town, a mix of old colonial archtecture and new modern high rises...drains still completely rank though, no change there then for all of s.e asia!..............mmeeeoww... Most tourists stay up along the north coast at batu ferrengui where the best beaches are.
Weather was quite rank , very hot and humid and lots of rain! Managed one good sunny day on the beach, Kris went parasailing which was quite cheap for a short 5 min tow.

Beach was nice and wide and sandy but water a bit murky, not in the league of what were used to on our travels! specially after koh tao etc.
Unfortunately the funicular railway to the top of penang hill is currently out of action, so we couldnt get up there....gutted!
Took a wonder along to the botantical gardens which were really nice.
Went up the Komtar which is the tallest building aabout 70 stories I think, great views!....the building itself is a bit of a seventies nightmare, really run down inside, with a horrible shopping mall on the lower levels. Couldnt resist a wee trip to the cinema(we cant get all behind with our media now can we?), quite enjoyed the last samuri despite the malaysian subtitles.
Took a trip over to Fort Cornwallis which is quite interesting The historic site where Captain Francis Light first landed on this island in 1786. Its been partially rebuilt as a historic site and the cannons still point out to sea but I dont think they were ever fired. Shame they havent quite managed proper pavements as its a nice place to wander about, but very difficult because of the lack of sidewalk and open drains, so that pisses you off. The taxis on the island never manage to switch their meters on so its always a case of doing the old barter routine yet again....
An interesting place but a bit dispapointing after the thai islands, good for shopping if you are into that, the best mall is the Gurney Plaza. Loads of starbucks so Kris was happy!
Off to KL next by asiaair......