George Town
Fri 19th Sept
Although the alarm was set for 07:30, I was up well before then. I showered, shaved and packed and retrieved my 50RM deposit from reception. It was no more than a 15 minute walk to the station/ferry terminal.
The ticket machine is so sophisticated that it confused me a little; but always someone on hand to help out. Only 2RM for the 15 minutes crossing. Having arrived early at 09:15, I could take my time.
I first stopped for teh at a streetside restaurant. It only cost 1.50RM which was good. A lot of hotels seemed to be on or off Chulia St. The first one I actually entered was Quee Htl…just off Chulia. I was convinced by the Myanmar receptionist that I was getting a favourable rate, and we made each laugh, so I decided to go for it. The room was big and offered the usual a/c, TV, wifi, fan.etc.
I paid the 290RM for 3 days in cash. So 97RM per night, over a weeked wasn’t too bad…£17. Maybe I could’ve found a cheaper one a bit further out, but Quee is only a month old and in the thick of things. I settled in…changed into shorts…and went walkabout.
George Town is not what I was expecting. Modern, bustling, tourists, bicycle rickshaws. I decided to go to the Courtyard to look at an exhibition called Stars and Seas that Mark had informed me about. All in the space of one big room, but definitely thought provoking.
I went on to one of those covered markets that only have food stalls. I ate an EE Foo noodle; noodles, prawns, pork, vegs, egg in a thick soup/gravy. Absolutely superb. I know I go on about it, but the quality of food is so high. Compared to the chips and ugali and chapatis in E Africa.
Slowly back to Quee, just taking in the variety of shops along the way. I found a shop selling Tiger beers at a price much less than the bar up the road. I bought 2 of them. I spoke to Aan at the Quee about taking me to another shop to buy beers. We went together to a shop literally around the corner where I bought 2 big …640ml bottles.
I showered and thought to have an expensive Tiger at the bar anyway, for a bit of atmosphere. Anyway, dinner had only cost me 8RM. The bar was playing good 80s music..!! I had a good chat with one of the staff who was from Lahore. I could cope with the 22RM ..£4…for a draught pint of beer, but the bill came with an additional 10% tax added to it which was annoying.
I bought a packet of Indian nibbles nearby, to have with a bottle of beer on the Quee rooftop. It’s 3 floors up, so has a bit of a view, but somewhere to relax. Still very hot at about 6pm.
Back in my room I posted my day’s travel and George Town’s experience. A successful and interesting day.
Sat 20th Sept
Had a good sleep; I love my room. Showered, tidied, washed my green shirt. Failed to get the TV to work !! Went down stairs for a water top up. No sign of Aan. I wanted to tell him not to bother cleaning my room.
I went to the bus stop just over a minutes walk away. Only waited 10 minutes for a bus which got me underway at 09:30. It took a while to get through the George T metropolis area.
It was 45 minutes to Tanjung Bungah, where Mark and Jane used to live. And that was the start of the slightly hilly section with views overlooking the sea and hills for a backdrop. Then 15 minutes to Batu Ferringhi.
I first stopped for a couple of teas and got talking to a guy on R&R from Singapore. Then the beach was only 5 minutes walk away. Very hot, which meant the sand ( the fine little pebbley kind) was burning underfoot. Not very exciting, but it made a nice change from being surrounded by huge amounts of concrete.
The hills came down close to the sea. There were some tourist boats. There were jet skis whizzing around. Quite a few people, so there was a good atmosphere. I was there for a couple of hours…phew, bloody hot.
I only had to wait about 10 mins for the 101 going back to George T. It was a newer bus so all the stops were announced. There was an extra 20 minutes on the journey because of snarl ups at a couple of road junctions.
The Little India stop is only a few minutes walk from Quee. I showered; I figured out the TV…I was using the wrong remote !!! I was looking forward to dinner at the same place as yesterday but didn’t get there until 16:00, so of course it was closed !!
I walked back to Churia Rd looking for options re some food and a drink. The couple of pubs I found were more expensive than yesterday.
I stopped at a street vendor to try something different. I picked out 3 different colour coded skewers…not sure what was on them…to have with some satay sauce. Very tasty, and total cost 5.40RM, so. Under a £1..!!
Just down the road was the pub from the previous day, and the best value. Unfortunately they were all out of draught Tiger so I went for the more expensive Guinness. I like the bar with its 80s music so was okay about paying 35RM…just over £6 for each of the pints.
That was it basically for the day. I bought some Indian nibbles and a big bottle of Tiger from shops nearby, to enjoy on Quee’s terrace as the sun was setting. I took a little interest in what one guy was cooking in the little kitchen area up there.
And now that I’ve figured out the TV, I can watch some Intl news and highlights of the World athletics championship which I didn’t realise was taking place. Anyway, a good travel day to the beach.
Sun 21st Sept
Day 3 in George Town. I watched highlights of the track and field events…the Finals…so this meant the World athletics was just about finished.
I went looking for a nice morning tea. The place I stopped at when I arrived was closed, but there are lots to choose from. I really like the teh tarik…pulled tea…as it’s described. A bit irritating that the waiter preempted the payment side. I asked how much, and was told 3RM. But, I said that’s too much. He was anticipating I would pay 3, and he had the 90cents change because it actually cost 2.10RM. But I was going to pay the exact amount. Some confusion.
Nearby was Chew Jetty which I thought deserved a visit. In fact it was very interesting. Boarded walkways between houses on stilts in the water. Motorcycles seem to manage to make their way through the pedestrians. People lived in those wooden houses, and certainly tourist related activities were prevalent.
There were lots of tourists, particularly the local ones. Many groups of girls taking photos; I’ve noticed that they all carry a phone and pose for each other. Outside one house a half drum was being used to burn rubbish; I don’t know if it was souvenir wrapping. Fire hazard ??!!
I went back to Quee and saw Aan and told him I wanted to extend my stay, and could he get me a good price. Then on my walkabout I bumped into Michelle originally from Brittany but who had lived in Hastings then moved to Australia but now living in Malaysia. Interesting little chat. She said that Rick Stein, the chef, had opened the first gourmet restaurant…in Malaysia ( not sure), but it was in George Town and called Armedia very close by. I must see if I can find it.
I was getting hungry and decided on an early lunch…about 13:30…even if it meant having a snack later. The fried noodles with prawns an chicken were very tasty. The hotel doesn’t have a card machine so I headed in the direction of the Banks on Beach St to find an ATM. I drew out 1,000RM…£187.
I kept going towards an area I hadn’t visited yet. As I was passing the Courtyard I popped in to see the Stars and Seas exhibition again. Further on was the Queen Victoria Memorial Clocktower built to mark her Jubilee reign in 1897. Near that is Fort Cornwallis, a partly preserved 18th Century English fortress. I didn’t go in.
Again, just a bit further on was a little park area looking out to the water/sea, with a number of people fishing. I sat on a bench for a little while, just observing whole families playing.
I walked back to Quee, stopping to buy a bottle opener. The guy where I’ve bought bottles from before thought he had a spare one and searched all his drawers, but to no avail. I bought a bottle for my room then went for the 5pm opening time at Antarabangsa.
Confusing…I was expecting a pub with seating…but no. I was standing outside drinking from my bottle, when Ozzie Colin came along and explained that on Sundays they are only open for a couple of hours and don’t put any chairs out. However, they did bring out 2 chairs and I managed to drink my 2 beers in comfort. No explanation from the guy in the shop which was annoying. Anyway, I had a good chat with Colin.
As the shop/bar closed at 6, I wasn’t late getting back to the hotel. I drank one beer on the terrace then I blogged and watched TV in my room.
Mon 22nd Sept
I had a restless sleep; I’m thinking too much. Aan commented that I woke up early…but it was nearly 09:30.!! I settled up regarding my room for the week. 80 per day Mon – Fri, and 90 per day for Sat & Sun…so a total of 580RM..or £102. Averaging out at under £15 per day…I was pleased with that. I asked that a receipt could be sent to me.
Next task was to find the Western Union about 20 minutes walk away so that I could send a bit of money to Afnan in Nyali. After asking a couple of times, I found their office at an entrance to a big shopping centre.
I got off to a bad start with the counter lady when I accused her of being rude, but apparently she was saying ‘yes’ in Malay..!! After that I gave her all the information that she and the process only took about 15 minutes. By not having a Malaysian bank accout, I had to pay the 435RM (10,000Ksh) in cash.
On my way back to my area of town I stopped for a teh tarik. Very nice but it cost 3.50RM compared to about 2.40 for the most expensive one to date. I don’t know if I was in a touristy part of the city; it didn’t seem like it.
Back at Quee, Aan was pleased to say my room had been cleaned. Yes, the bed linen had been changed and the carpet vacuumed but the used towel hadn’t been removed…minor thing.
After cooling down a bit I did my usual walkabout. I ended up on Love St where I found a café to have a cappuccino. From there I went to the covered food stalls market and had a nice fried noodles with pork and prawns 8RM. The lady jokingly said she thought I was going to say..’keep the change’. Me? Never. !!!
It’s nice to have the a/c and fan in my room to take refuge in from the incredible heat. I reached Antarabangsa after 4pm, after observing what looked like a sort of meals on wheels distributing small food parcels to whomsoever arrived first.
I grabbed a chair and sat outside Antarabangsa to relax with my beer.
I was joined by Ozzie Colin and German Olly. It’s a pleasant, shaded place to sit and enjoy the cheapest drinks around. Olly bought a round of little Porter/Stout cans, and I followed suit. We disbanded after nearly 2 hours. I bought my usual crunchy nibbles and a big Tiger and retired to the terrace at Quee.
George Town was such fun. You didn’t know what to expect around each corner. Very interesting are all the murals on walls around the city. At certain times of the day people are queueing to take pictures. Not only painted murals, but wrought iron artwork stuck to walls.
A full day again. I thought that by having an early lunch I would need to eat again, but that wasn’t the case…apart from the nibbles. It’s nice to have a decent TV as a distraction…and then to sleep.
Tues 23rd Sept
Nearly a 10:00 start. I walked down toward the jettys and had a teh tarik. I visited Chew jetty again; it’s nearly all little souvenir shops, but fun to walk along. Then I went a couple of hundred meters to Lim jetty which was totally different…no shops, just workers’ little homes.
Near the start of Chulia St I stopped for a cappuccino in quite a quirky little café. Had a nice chat with a couple of Dutch ladies. Back to my room. Feeling hungry, so I walked in the direction of the jettys and found a restaurant to have a noodle dish for 8RM.
The third jetty in that area…they are all very close to each other…is Tan jetty. It just has a restaurant towards the end with a few knick knacks being sold. I was only there a couple of minutes, I must go again.
Back to my room…taking pics along the way…and just beating the heavy rainfall. It gave me the opportunity to see some Intl news. I grabbed my umbrella just in case and headed to Antarabangsa. They had a fire in the street to burn paper goods and ‘money’ to honour ancestors and appease wandering spirits…all part of the symbolism that is plentiful here.
I talked to two groups of people…great fun. I bought a beer for 17RM to take back to Quee, which would’ve cost 21.50RM just around the corner. I’m learning to play the system. Actually, if the guys serves me I get charged 17RM, but fairly sure if the lady serves me I get charged 16RM…anyway, I keep my mouth shut !!
Back the hotel, buying nibbles along the way. I asked Aan to top my body soap dispenser. I stayed a short time on the terrace, then back to my room.
Wed 24th Sept
A good sleep; I seem to have the a/c set at just the right temperature. My t-shirt was totally dry.
Much walking about the streets was about to take place. Firstly down to the jetty area for a tea. I walked across to the more open area facing the sea. I didn’t stay long as it threatened with rain. At least it felt a bit more fresh outside.
I went to the area at the top of Chulia St and just looked at the bigger and more expensive hotels, before stopping for a tea which wasn’t the best. I wandered down Chulia looking into cafés, but their coffees were too expensive. I went for a cappuccino at the quirky little café at the bottom of Chulia.
I went looking for some lunch. The first covered food market didn’t appeal and I ended up where I’d eaten a couple of times before. This time I went for the Clay pot meal…a biryani…which was basically rice with some veg and pork. I forgot to ask what the sliced red thing was, that added a sweetness that contrasted nicely with the chillies. The pot itself was piping/burning hot and had to be held with a tea towel. A separate plate was provided to spoon the food onto, but I wanted the food to stay hot and ate it straight from the clay pot.
I checked a shop for flip flops as mine are on the verge of being see-through. Not ideal, but a possibility, and at least I’ve started the process of looking. I’d only been in my room for about half an hour when there was a torrential downpour.
By 16:30 the rain had stopped and I made my way to Antarabangsa. Someone to talk to as I drank my Tigers; I was persuaded to have a third one. I was offered a chicken samosa…it was so delicious that, en route to Quee I went looking for a stall selling them, but it was passed 19:00 and too late.
Mark quickly phoned to ask that I contact Bernard at Amani Nature reserve.
Another busy day. I read a long message from Bernard requesting that I provide him with a house address in Taveta so that he could register a Starlink Receiver (bought in the UK) in Nairobi because Tz didn’t have Starlink.
Thurs 25th Sept
I woke up late, having had a good sleep.
I had 2 teas at one of my favourite places.
I walked over to the Top tower area in the hope of finding shops that sold flip flops. Well, I found a couple but not offering the selection that I wanted. I had a cappuccino then walked back to Little India.
I refreshed in my room then went looking for food. I left it too late again and everywhere was closed. I found a place on Chulia and hurriedly ordered a chicken curry. At 11RM it was the most expensive lunch and the worst; totally lacking in flavour. Oh well, I was in a hurry…
Back to my room and out again by 16:30 to go to Antarabangsa. I bought my beer and was joined by Kyle from Liverpool…a fellow Brit…and we spent about 3 hours chatting. We were also joined by Xavi the Spaniard…a great evening. Although, it meant I had more than my quota of Tigers.
Fri 26th Sept
As the weather was nice, I decided to go to Tanjung Bungah and check out the beach. I only waited a minute for the 101 bus, and the journey is only 45 minutes.
The beach was 5 minutes from the main road. I came out near some trees and 2 groups of people playing boules; they sounded English. Otherwise the beach was deserted…perhaps 10am is too early for people to get going.
I walked a little way along then back into town to find a tea outlet. It was after 10:00 but only one restaurant was open. After I said a cheery ‘hello’, I was met with a very rude ..’what do you want’? I said..’Be nice’. She said again ‘what do you want’, but not quite so menacingly.. Hmmm…something to get used to… I had 2 teas and took my time.
I walked back to the beach and towards what I thought was a pier, but it turned out to be a floating mosque. ‘ Floating ‘…on huge, solid concrete columns..!! There were lots of boats as well, for little tours I was guessing. There was only one couple walking the beach.
I was there nearly 3 hours while the tide came in. There were some very nice beach front properties, but otherwise there was nothing to do there. Back at the main road I waited about 10 minutes for the 101 back to George Town. At least the fare was exactly 2RM so no messing with coins.
It took nearly an hour to get back. At least the Little India stop is only a couple of minutes walk from Quee. A quick wash then then a fast walk to the Food market on Beach St.
I arrived before 14:30 when stalls were already closing. I was just in time for a Clay pot chicken rice. I asked the chef what the sliced, redish, slightly sweet ingredient was…and I was told it’s Chinese sausage…at least I know now. Absolutely delicious.
I wandered back to Quee…changed shirts. The plan was to get to Antarabangsa by 16:30, but look out for flip flops along the way. A spotted some sandals in the doorway of a small shop. Such good fortune, he had one kind of plain flip flop, and it was my size, and they only cost 5RM. My Segerea, Tz ones went into the bin outside and I walked away very happy.
Just before Antarabangsa I saw Kyle crossing the road. I arranged the seating and that was it for nearly 3 hours…chatting and drinking. I found out more about Langkawi. Oh, earlier in the day I called into tourist information to ask whether there were flights from Langkawi to Kuching…and yes there are…so an option for next month.
I had a little vodka and water on the Quee terrace and retired to my room.
Sat 27th Sept
I had even less on the day’s agenda to do. Actually, nothing .!! After 9:00 and my tea place wasn’t operating; there’s no set times for restaurants. I had 2 cups elsewhere. Then I found 2 more jettys by accident; not touristy in that there were no little shops.
I walked along the waterfront road, put on some sun lotion and sat on a bench for a short time. Then over to my favourite little café for a cappuccino.
After calling by my room I needed to find somewhere for lunch. The usual places were closed, so I tried a new restaurant. I went for the noodle soup with pork. The food was nice but the lady annoyed me with her aggressive way of asking for the money. I glared at her and said ..’wait a minute’. Hmmm..
There were a couple of smaller jettys with solidly built houses to explore. Lim and New, I think. Both had repairs being carried out to some boards. Then I went for my cappuccino.
I popped into my room briefly, and by 16:30 I was at Antarabangsa. After a while Kyle came with Ozzie Mick and his wife Jo. I talked to a lady called Karin, and there was a Martin from Thailand. There followed a great evening….The place was packed; there must’ve been at 50 people there.
And, back to my room. I couldn’t log into my into my bluehost blog site, I hope I’m not going to have a major problem with it.
Sun 28th Sept
A very wet morning so I didn’t leave the hotel until nearly 11:00. I found a restaurant where I had 2 cups of tea. After a visit to my room I went out for a coffee. At least there was no more rain.
After that it was a matter of looking for a lunch venue. Nowhere appealed to me and I ended up buying 2 chicken samosas for 3RM. They were very tasty and they sufficed.
The streets are always interesting just to wander around. I was also looking at different bars with a view to meeting Kyle later. But I did go passed a street food stall where I ate once before, and bought their colour coded skewers to have with a delicious satay sauce. Cost 5.80RM…£1.
I decided to check on Antarabangsa in case they opened later. In doing so I walked passed Kyle’s hotel and he happened to be sitting just outside the lobby area.
We bought a small can of beer each to drink as we were walking. Antarabangsa was closed. We ended up at Bucket List for a couple of beers and a good chat; at around 7pm I was starting to wilt and I went back to Quee.
I learned that the train station at Kuala Perlis is not attached/near the ferry terminal, but the bus station is, so a change of plan and I’ll take the bus from Butterworth to Perlis.
A good day…slow and relaxing.