Penang wasn't really on the schedule, but we got stranded waiting for a train for a couple of nights, so headed out on the ferry to georgetown and landed on what was actually a pretty big island with a big smelly city to welcome us!
After swerving the rip-off taxi drivers, we walked into town to find some accomodation and got a right cushy spot in the middle of town for about 4 quid! it was a bit of a hovel, but it is just a place to sleep (with free fleas...). this was a first opportunity to sit and sink a couple of beers but at 3 quid a pop we had to go home pretty sober :(
the next day we took a bus across the island to the national park, where a guy we met on pangkor and penang said the the beach at the edge of the park was really good. we started on what was advertised as an easy walk about 3km, but they neglected to let us know you had to be like tarzan to swing across the cliffs and like spiderman to climb all the bloody steps!! after a sweaty hour and a half in the jungle, we finally landed at monkey beach, which was a really great little beach, but there were a few people there so we headed to the quiet end and had a swim in the very warm water!
we hadn't eaten a lot all day so we decided to go see what the guys were rustling up n the bbqs. but the robbing bastards wanted $30 per person!! and i mean US dollars.. they should be wearing a mask!! so we told them where to stick their tasty looking kebabs, and tried to get a boat back, but he wanted $20 for that!! robbing theiving malaysians. so getting really fed up and very hungry we trekked back through the jungle for 2 hours, and were about to pass out with dehydration when we got back to the entrance! luckily we stopped at the nearest roadside canteen and our faith in human kind was restored by a lovely lady who cooked us noodle soup and chatted to us for ages!
After all the fun of the day, we got back, showered up and went out for a decent meal and half a beer!
The next day we had a lazy start the headed to the train station to get the 24 hour train to Bangkok.. yeeaeaah! We got chatting to the family who were sat around us who told us loads about thailand, as they had a business on one of the small islands near bangkok, and also chatted to a dutch girl called inika, who was also going to the big city. the trains were sooo much more clean and comfortable that the indian ones.. and no scratty beggars pulling on your trousers for lose change!
we finally got to bangkok at 11 the next day, and it was really hot and humid. we wanted to steer clear of the tuk tuks as they get bad reviews from most people, but after failing to get anywhere near the right bus stop, we gave in and took a mental drive across town in the turbo powered shopping trolly!! then we saw the amazing koh san road...
it is like camden market, mixed with delhi, a bit of amsterdam red light district and then throw in every nationality from the world buying tshirts and 'ray bun' sunglasses! it's awesome!! our accomodation is right on the main strip but set back a bit, so we can sleep pretty well, and there is even a swimming pool on the top of the hotel! so we went for a quick dip (rude not too) before heading out into the throng for some retail therapy!! 3 tshirts and much money later, we walked to inikas hotel (which had spectacular views of the city), and had a well deserved beer with her, some great pad thai (fried noodles) and then got chatting to a couple from london, who had just arrived from england. we drank the night away in spectacular style, and promptly passed out.. well, i did, but roz was woken up when some pissed guy let him self in our room, cus he thought is was his!! think we forgot to lock the door on the way in...!
the next day we booked our christmas holiday (!!) in Koh tao, which is meant to be one of the worlds best diving locations, and also is very handy for getting to koh phan nga for the full moon party on new years eve! wooo! then a bit more shopping, and a long walk down to the mega malls of siam square (Gucci + prada + Lousi vitton = roz's paradise).
tomorrow we go to chiang mai, hill tribe treks and elephants... but that's another story for another day.. i'm off for a beer!
No comments:
Post a Comment