Malaysia - Penang - Georgetown

Let's check it out!

After a 3 hour boatride, the ferrie dropped us at 10mins walking from the city center. After some walking I found myself a nice hostel: Clockwise Hostel in a sidestreet from Love Lane - what a nice name! 

I started walking around, knowing where I could find some good streetfood or food centers. Just a few blocks away from my hostel, in a busy street - cars & motorbikes, but a less pedestrians, this local older guy comes walking besides me and starts talking.

"Hello"

"Hello"

"How are you?"

"Good thank you"

"I want to get to know you"

"No thank you, I am not interested"

...he comes closer and closer and pushes himself against my arm and says:"just dinner..."

With loud voice I shout: "PLEASE, keep your distance! I am NOT interested" and I start walking fast to join a family that is walking a few meters in front of me.

The guys goes away, but my evening was ruined. I was scared. I went back near the hostel, had some streetfood, went back to the hostel and didn't want to go out again. Bummer, bad start in Penang...

No worries, nothing bad really happened, he just got too close in my personal space. The next day I rented a bycicle, so I wouldn't be walking and I can bike away fast in case of...

Georgetown is also known for its streetart. So I grabbed the citymap and went looking for all the wall paintings. I think I found almost all of them, but it's hard to keep track because apparently there are always new ones.

Here are a few of my favorites:

In the afternoon, it seemed a good idea to check out 'Batu Ferringhi', a famous beach and only 16km away. Full of courage, I started biking, but soon I realized I would be risking my life if I would have to drive for 16km in such traffic. After 5kms - more or less - I gave up...I went back and treated myself to a good coffee instead. 

In the common area of the hostel I met 2 German guys and we went for a walk around the city. We visited Chew Jetty, a sort of mini city on the water, a floating community of houses and shops. After an early Indian bananaleaf dinner, I retired to my room. 

The next day I didn't feel like exploring any more, I had it with Georgetown, it's not that big and it didn't appeal to me that much. Can happen sometimes.

I took the ferry to go back to Langkawi. The sea was rougher this time, it made me a little sea sick! But I arrived in one piece and half hour later I found myself 2kms from my temporary home.

I took away some Chinese food and started to walk home, still in daylight! 

I find men around here not so nice. They always shout hello, but it's not a polite hello, because it usually comes before a kissing sound or other sort of offending gesture. I never answer and let them be. But this one guy on a motorbike he turned his bike apparently, 'cause I saw him going in the opposite direction again. He went into the street I had to go in. Coincidence maybe. But my intuition tried to warn me and my attention fell on a wooden stick that was lying on the ground while I walked by. I thought to myself: "oh silly girl, don't be like that nothing is going to happen"

Yeah well, next time I'm going to listen to my dear intuition. The bastard was turning back again, heading in my direction. When he was in hearing distance he shouted again "hello". I just ignored him, thinking he would just go away, but he came closer and before I knew it he was driving next to me, touching me and then driving fast away. I was shocked! What the hell just happened?!?! When I woke up from this state of mind, I shouted "ARE YOU CRAZY?!" But he was long gone...

I know I shouldn't judge a country by a few bad experiences but it's hard not to. I couldn't sleep that night, out of fear and I even thought about just stopping and going home. But it wouldn't undo the facts and it would ruin all the good experiences still ahead. I just realize that it's ok to not feel ok for a second, but not holding on to these feelings and letting them go. I live in the now and not in the past. Moving on now...to Thailand!

At the airport in Langkawi, my frustrations just peaked some more due to the taxidriver that scammed me and charged me double and the airport staff sending me from counter to self checking machines to bagage drop, to counter again. They were so disorganized. I almost lost my temper. And then I felt guilty of having these frustrated feelings. It's not their fault what happened earlier, but I guess this shows me that I'm only human.