Georgetown, Penang, day #2.

 Full day wandering the streets of Georgetown, Penang,--- a UNESCO world designated historic city,

I see four eyes.....

under heavy clouds, but no actual precipitation---just a little cooler, welcome relief. Visitors mostly confine themselves to the core area which is (supposedly) subject to renovation and redevelopment so as to preserve historic character. How are they doing?---Well, a mixed report. In many places the old chop houses, shop in front, live at the rear, are being replaced with modern style Starbucks and McD. et al. Cynically, one has to suspect that a lot of money might have been thrown at the city planners to permit so many out-of-character exceptions.
The streets are safe, clean and well supplied with eating holes that reflect the tremendous ethnic diversity of not just Penang, but the whole of Malaysia. On the streets of Penang, Indian, Malay and Chinese citizens all seem to co-exist agreeably enough, but I am not sure what tensions exist beneath the surface. Back in 1969 there were major riots across the country as the majority Malays felt      

Protecting the house....

economically & socially deprived in light of Chinese economic dominance and demanded almost complete ethnic control of the government, the military & police plus the educational curriculum and priority for the Malay language. I observe that each racial group in Penang seems to restrict itself to residing in its own residential area. Here is a Wikipedia link to further information on this issue:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_contract_(Malaysia)   
Outside the old core area of the city, the look and feel is bland & very similar to any other prosperous and growing conurbation in the region.
          Considering that Malaysia is an Islamic

Teaching respect....

country, it was interesting to hear (non- religious) Christmas music being pumped, along with plastic Christmas trees and Santas into the shopping plazas located in the city centre area.
           I have explored my travel options south from Penang and it seems that tomorrow night I should be in the coastal town of Lumput for a couple of days. Inconveniently, buses for Lumput only run from the Butterworth terminal, a ferry ride away, back on the mainland. 

Day #1 Georgetown, Penang.

             Delayed 3 hours this morning with a slew of work and family issues that required attention

Street of the TV......

on the computer. What did we ever do in the days before e-mail/internet? Yes, I remember from many business trips to the Far East in the eighties & nineties that it was work all day and send faxes all night (because night in the east, is working time in the west!). Anyway, with a clear conscience upon completion of my tasks, I was able to navigate my way to Penang from industrial Butterworth on the very efficient and cheap Malaysian public bus and ferry system. During the 20 minute ferry sea crossing section, I chatted with an Australian couple who were back visiting Penang for the first time in 36 years and pointed out in the distance to me, a red roofed bungalow on the shore, where they lived back in in 1980. At that time

The Chris W. welcoming committee

the bungalow, had a large garden in a splendid park setting along the sea front. Today, the red roofed bungalow is still there, but now bordered 10 metres away by a Shell refinery on one side and a warehouse on the other. Progress?
          As previously mentioned, the Georgetown area of Penang island is a UNESCO world heritage site, where a serious effort is being made to hold onto the old colonial and Chinatown buildings in a maze of narrow streets from where large road vehicles are banned. I did note several new style structures that seemed incongruously to have sneeked through the 'old town' planning process. Located a hotel room that should suffice for a couple nights to enable me to get to know the place without the inconvenience of the ferry/bus haul in from Butterworth.

Hells Bells.
             It's struck again. My nice hotel in Butterworth is right next door to a very ornate Buddhist, or

Down by the  (Penang) ferry dock.....

is it Hindu temple?? On the other side of the hotel is a big outdoor Indian restaurant (the population of Butterworth seems to be predominantly Indians originally hailing from the Tamil Nadu area of south India. Put these two factors together, plus throw in a Sunday night and it just right to have a jolly old, kick your heels up, Indian wedding, complete with all the music and continual ringing of bells. Can only hope that the racket ceases by my shut eye time of 11.00pm. At least the music is rather more soul uplifting than the Phnom Penh, Cambodia funeral dirges of last month that lasted for 48 non-stop hours just below my bedroom window. They don't warn

Mosque in Penang....

you about noisy weddings and funerals in the glossy travel brochures were everything is warm, sunny and soooo relaxing!

Smoking:
             In the S.E. Asian countries that I have visited on this journey it is a pleasure to note that each one of them seems to fighting the scourge of the cigarette. Hotels, buses, trains and even mini-vans all ban the use of tobacco. They seem to have picked earlier in their development cycle than countries in the west, that smoking is a very dangerous, expensive and dirty habit. I noted a street warning sign today in Penang, Malaysia that said that smoking outside in certain streets was illegal and subject to 500 ringgit's ($125 US) fine. Let's not talk here about the rampant use of the cell phone wile driving--another dangerous habit.

Crossing into Malaysia......

The mystery as to why all the hotel rooms were booked solid in Penang, has been clarified for me. On the mini-van trip down to Malaysia, I sat next to a 47 year old Philippine, who told me that she was running in the Penang International Marathon, along with 9,999 others. This lady was remarkable--she only began running a couple of years ago and just last weekend also completed the Bangkok marathon.
          The crossing point at the Malay-Thai border which is used for those coming from the Hat Yai, Thailand direction appeared to be nothing short of chaotic---- literally hundreds of heavy trucks, passenger vans plus private cars and motor cycles, all mixed in together. Both  Malay and Thai customs agents appeared lethargic in the extreme, to all the hundred of travellers packed into the customs shed---how only 3 or 4 of about 20 positions could be manned at such a busy travel time, beggars the imagination!
          So it's farewell to Thailand and on into Malaysia. Must express some disappointment with the eastern Thailand coast leading to the southern provinces and the cities that spread down along the coastal strip. Busy and prosperous--- yes. Obviously the city planners have  decided that the future is other than in tourism. Now on my run down to my journey destination of Singapore---but still 17 days left to 'discover' Malaysia. Apparently Penang is designated as a UNESCO world heritage site and is an eclectic mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian and colonial cultures. Hopefully the 10,000 runners will have run away after tomorrow and I can site-see in peace!

Rest day in Hat Yai......

  My most recent bus travel brought me to the city of Hat Yai in the southern most part of Thailand. Located about 50 kms from the border with Malaysia and a transport hub for bus/minivan routes that cross the border. Upon arrival in Hat Yai last evening, tired, hungry and very hot, I settled for a night in a hotel near the bus station. After paying room rent up-front, realised that room was non air -con, so stepping into the windowless room ($10US/night) was like stepping into an oven---the electric fan merely wafting the hot air around. Just made sure that I consumed lots of water & gritted my teeth. In fact to my surprise, till about 6 am, enjoyed quite a sound & refreshing sleep.
          Changed hotels early this morning so as to be nearer the city centre of Hat Yai and provide a more convenient spring-board for a spot of sight-seeing. Disappointingly, not to much to see here.... Lonely Planet describes the city as a gritty border town, popular with Malaysian men crossing for Thai ladies of the night!. Must say, that during the daylight hours, when I was in the town, I did not see anything that could be described as being untoward.
          Bus ticket duly purchased at Hat Yai bus station ($12 US) for the 4 hour bus run tomorrow across the border into Malaysia & down the west coast to Butterworth/Georgetown in Penang State.

          Scouting for boys and girls in Thailand seems to be enormously popular. There seem to be few bus or railway stations that I have visited in the country that did not have groups of young people decked out in uniforms, covered in badges and waiting to board their transport to camp. The uniforms are the traditional uniform styles that I remember with the wide brimmed hats for the boys. No new new fangled long trousers, or trousers for girls, or other updates to modernise the image of scouting. BP would have been proud. 

Down to the 'deep south' of Thailand.

            It has been a busy week on the mini vans, 'big' buses, and tuk- tuks of southern Thailand. I am

Transferring the fighting cocks to our bus.....

now in Hat Yai (pop: 191,000) about 50 kms north of the border with Malaysia. I made a considered decision to fore go the sun & fun resorts of the west coast of southern Thailand, famous for their inviting islands limestone cliffs and warm, gentle turquoise seas, so popular with the packaged tour crowd from North America and W. Europe. Instead, I have followed the route south along the rather mundane east coast and during the entire week have seen perhaps no more than a hundred western tourists in total. It might seem somewhat counter-intuitive to purposely miss the beauty spots, but after all, the theme of my trip has been to try and see as much of

Two little maids from school are we...........

that which is 'natural' and non-touristic as possible in the four S. E. Asian nations visited so far. When one is travelling solo the choice of places to go & things to see, can vary.
          Heading out of the A3 Living Hotel doorway at 7.15am and transported instantaneously by the omni-present touting tuk-tuk man to the bus station, I found it well worth the time to haggle and obtain ticket quotes from several bus companies that offered direct routes through to Hat Yai from Surat Thani, thus avoiding maybe long mid-point delays en route to change buses. In general, I have found almost all the services that a 'rough' traveller like myself might need, to be supplied very efficiently. The almost total absence of

A kid with the right moves....

spoken and written English in these parts does not make things perfectly smooth, but hey, is'nt that the allure of travel.
          Hat Yai is in the heart of Thailand's 'deep south' Muslim provinces and at least in the densely populated area around the large central bus station, the hijabid ladies with long gowns are very evident.
           The main sport in this area must be cock fighting judging by the large number cardboard boxes of squawking birds loaded from pick-up trucks that rendezvous'd with the bus at several pre-arranged meeting points along the bus route southwards. Not a sport that I have any interest in witnessing and anyway one that is likely enacted in anonymous warehouses away from prying eyes.

Mini-bused to Chumphon......

        After a complete day yesterday to walk the pleasantly empty streets and attractive sea-front

Tuk-tuk man's assistant works with him.....

promenade of Prachuap Khiri Khan, I coop mini-bused approx. 190 kms due south to Chumphon (pop. 58,500).  I am staying at the Euro Boutique Hotel---found it on Booking .com, & is located in the centre of town. Mark it down as an exceptionally well run and attractive establishment, very reasonable at $15 US for a single room---- highly recommended should you ever find yourself in Chumphon. Not much to see of touristic note in the town itself ---main street, bustling and well served by a shopping plaza and many restaurants, street markets etc. The town is located about 13 kms from the sea and is not much influenced by its proximity. The local tourist office promotes trips out to nearby islands, rafting & scuba diving. During my walk about in Chumphon this afternoon, I only spied a couple of other western tourist/backpackers.

           The southern peninsula of Thailand extends southwards down to Malaysia with Myannmar/Burma along the western border. Approx. 330kms south of Bangkok, at Prachuap Khiri Khan, the actual width of Thailand from the Gulf of Thailand to Burma is just about 8 kilometres. Despite the proximity of

Monkeying about in the internet cables....

Burma, until recently a very closed and isolated nation, there is very little influence in this area of Thailand of its very large neighbour. The reason for this is that the two  (one to the south, the other to the north) nearest international border crossing points are 250 kms away in opposite directions.
                 Language. English is spoken semi-fluently by very few Thais, even those employed at the reception desks of hotels. Many may have a very elementary knowledge of the international tourist language---- I am told that it is now offered to all in the Thai public school system. English is, or some form of it (in China they call it Chinglish, in Japan, Jinglish) is widely used in Thailand, on advertising displays, on major

Any colour dress you want as long as it's black (mourning for king)....

buildings, airports & bus stations etc. While not wishing to appear a language fascist, it does seem to me that Thais, especially the young & educated, could be making a more aggressive effort to speak better English given the massive importance to the country of the tourism sector and international business sectors. I cannot help recalling the intensity of desire of young people in Vietnam to make contact with westerners on the street, almost to the point of pestering, to talk/chat/banter so that they could, individually or in a group, sharpen their English conversational skills.
                Tone & texture. Except for the preponderance of wooden houses in the jungle clad northern hill areas of Vietnam and Laos, the rest of south east Asia, or at

Very beautiful street lights in Chumphon.....

least the part I have travelled through these past nine weeks, is a desert of featureless concrete buildings. Once a region of dense forests, these seem to have virtually 98% disappeared. I suppose that it is a combination of the increase in living standards, especially in China and the desire for wooden floors and furniture in western nations. The other key aspect of the deforestation issue I understand, is that with the increase of prosperity & incomes in this region, dietary improvements for the masses has resulted in protein intake levels to increase rapidly, creating strong demand for meat and milk based products all of require forests to be cleared for cattle ranching.
                 Even small provincial towns in SE Asia seem very large and densely populated compared to regional small towns in the West. I suppose that increasing farm mechanization in rural areas is driving people to the towns for employment opportunities. These folk have to be housed and (ugly) durable concrete structures, thrown up quickly, are the affordable and practical solution.

South bound to Prachuap Khiri Khan....

And the winner for clean station floors is......Thai Rail.

                Created in Prachuap Khiri Khan (pop: 86,500)---- aka: PKK. Apologies to any of the blog! Forced myself to the vertical at 5.05am this morning, so as to be sure of catching the 8.05 "Super Express" for points south of Bangkok.  I was not sure of the availabilities of taxis to transport me to Bangkok Central railway station so early on a Sunday morning. My contracted motor cycle was a no-show, as I half expected that he would be, but as luck would have it---no shortage of official meter taxi men on the prowl for fares.
Turkish intelligence community that might be following my
                    Bangkok main offensive to them

Looking from Prachuap to the islands

railway station is a hive of activity in the early morning hours, although I suspect that the central waiting hall also doubles as a cheap (free) overnight hotel for many, as there were stretched & sleeping bodies sprawled all over the place occupying blocks of 3 or 4 seats at a time. Interestingly, they have a special waiting area of the main station waiting hall just for saffron robed monks. Monks are restricted in their contacts with females, so possibly sitting next to one in the general waiting section could be
                 Thai trains are moderately modern, very clean and quite comfortable. The "Super Express" consisted of 3 carriages powered with diesel engines--not the quietest form of

Scary sea monster........

propulsion--- we rattled down the track at perhaps max. 80 km/hour. One area where Thai rail does excel, is in having perhaps the cleanest floors. Every 30 minutes one half of the floor crew came through the carriage with brooms, followed 5 minutes later by the wet mop man, for a total of perhaps 6 clean-ups in the 4 hours travel time. Might have been more efficient if they just banned shoes in the carriage---removing shoes is quite common in this part of the world.
               Arrived PKK at 1.00pm just 30 minutes late to be welcomed by just two motor cycle tuk- tuk men & none of the ultra high pressure sales tactics common in larger SE Asian cities---a very pleasant change. The Pancake House B&B, booked in advance over the internet, 100 m from the sea- shore. The first accommodation so far that did not have its own en suite bathroom. My fault, I missed the feature, or lack there of.