Having being full of beans at heading towards a new county and a new destination for my travels, my enthusiasm
is quickly sapped by my drivers approach to, well, driving. (Yeah, and I know you folks think I'm bad, but he took the biscuit.) I'm convinced the only two things which ensured my safe arrival in Georgetown, Penang, were first of all the faith my driver had in his rosary beads, and secondly the midas touch I seem to have had in avoiding serious trouble during all my travels. Luckily, my driver, made up for his shortcomings in driving skills, by ensuring that he delivered me to the door of the place I had been recommended by another traveller, to stay. Just as well really, seeing as it was not even in Georgetown, but some distance up the coast near Batu Ferrenghi. I thanked my driver profusely as I took my pack, once more upon my weary shoulders, and headed up the mighty stairway of my host at Lone Crag Villa, which was like arriving home, (and after a twenty nine hour journey from Ko Samui, in Thailand, I reminded myself, I could have just as easily been home).
Yet again, I find luck has been on my side as I find myself another peaceful, heaven on earth abode, to pass away idle days in. A quiet beach just down the steps, not quite like Great Bay you understand, but not bad all the same. (I was getting blase about tropical beaches by this time, as I became accustomed to one looking very much like another.) The feeling of relaxation in that old colonial summer house was immense and the days flew by as I concerned myself with nothing much more than watching the monkeys from my hammock, as they cam down to steal food from outside the house. Oh, and of course I concerned myself with my stomach - I had another new culture of food to indulge in, and indulge I did, mostly with satay style dishes and dahl with roti.
When I managed to tear myself away from the nearby beach, I visited Penang Hill and its various attractions. Instead of walking the two hour uphill hike to the 2722ft summit, I caught the funicular railway to the top of Penang Hill, which looks out over Georgetown and provided me with a cool relief from the sticky heat below. I visited the Hindu temple and the mosque at the top, before I became absorbed in the excellent childrens playground, and fell from the monkey bars, before making my hasty departure to the base of the hill.
One memorable event which did come to pass during my stay at Lone Crag Villa, was my mock graduation. Upon the date at which all my former Uni friends would be getting poshed up to collect their degrees, I decided to celebrate my own graduation, well my degree would be in the post, after all. So not wanting to miss out I pulled on the only thing in my backpack which resembled a long dress (even if it were bright yellow tie-dye) and hit the pubs. I was even presented with a ribbon tied piece of paper, to resemble me getting my degree. This was the thought of either Nikki or Theresa, some friends I met during those lazy days at Lone Crag. The piece of paper, just by coincidence, turned out to be a timtetable for ferries departing to the Indonesian country of Sumatra, and it got me thinking! It wasn't long after that when I decided, to Sumatra I must go, so I did.
