somewheredownthecrazyriver

here is a link to a map of Pulau Penang (and all of Malaysia).  http://www.malaysia-maps.com/penang-map.htm  

lots of rain the last few days has left the air crystal clear – and the sun blindng in its brilliance.  it is hot!  have seen more ‘sights’ – Botanical Gardens, Penang Hill and Spice Gardens.  these are tourist attractions but interesting.  Botanical Gardens not too exciting but you will see monkeys there for sure.  no bus to the gate so get off bus #101 near the Indonesian Consulate and walk that last kilometer (ask someone the way).  as always – it is best to go in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the heat.  yesterday i met a fellow traveller at the bus stop and we toured together for the day.  first the Penang Hill air tram (bus #204 and again, you have to walk the last bit).  for 2MR you can take the tram up to the half way point lookout.  the second tram which goes from there to the top is ‘broken’ right now.  but there are still great views from the half way point.  after coming down we had lunch in one of the local hawker stalls – i had fried noodles with won ton and a freshly made ice lemon drink.  about 4MR all up.  then bus back to the Komtar Tower bus exchange – and bus #101 to the Spice Garden at Batu Ferringhi. 

the garden is fairly small (13MR entrance fee) but we enjoyed it.  got some nice photos of blossoms – and learned what a difference the ‘flash’ makes, on my camera.  then as we waited by the roadside in the rain for the bus back to town – a car stopped – 2 local ladies inside – and they offered us a ride.  ok.  then they offered to drive us around the island to see more than just the local tourist areas.  so we drove from Batu Ferringhi through Georgetown and along the coast to the airport.  soon the downpour came, and the sun went down.  it was very dark, the traffic jammed and the roads flooded, so we did not really ‘see’ too much.  but being four women – close in age and in good spirits – we had a great time –  lots of laughs and much to talk about.  friendly people! 

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 25th, 2008 at 5:26 am and is filed under Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.