Immediate Attraction

Day 270

I heard some girls get up the same time that I did, but just rolled over and went to sleep. I had been up way too late and needed to keep sleeping. After another hour I got up and got my act together. I had to pack in the dark though, this wasn't much fun. At checkout I thanked the super nice hostel people before heading out.

Getting to the bus station was easy. The ticketing area was a mad house though. It took me some time to find a booth that had a bus to Panang, most of them seem to have left even though it was only 8:15 am! I really should have shopped the day before. I did manage to find an 8:30 am bus though, but I might have paid more than necessary. I also didn't get a window seat. I really like being able see how many miles are left to go. The people at all the windows closed the curtains. I also hardly had enough light to read by. In the end I just gave up and went to sleep.

When I woke up some hours later I saw that my seat mate was looking out the window20but had the curtains wrapped around her head. The person across for m me was doing the same. It must be a conspiracy, I ended up giving my book another try.

I had thought that the extra expen sive bus took me all the way to Georgetown, on Penang island, but it only went to Butterworth. I had to take the ferry across. It was less than fifty cents though and so smooth that I hadn't realized we were moving until we were just about there.

In KL I had been given a map to Georgetown and had no problems finding a place to stay. The walk there was actually quite nice. My guidebook was quite right in saying that despite the garbage and a lack of sidewalks there is something endearing about the town. Once I had dumped my things I went off in search of lunch. When that was done I headed back to shower and figure out what I was going to do with myself for the next several days. By the time I had it all together it was almost dinner time. Before heading out though, I checked my email and let everyone at home know that I was alive.

For dinner I went to a stalls market and had some chicken and rice. I had wanted to try to be sociable, but there didn't seem to be anyone in the town. I ended up back at my hotel for an early night.