After the all my exertions (and steps walked) yesterday, today’s been a day for relaxing. The good news for me is that my back seems to be in full recovery mode so the pain I felt a few days ago is really subsiding. It hasn’t gone completely by any means, but I now feel confident about planning my future travels. To be honest, I’m quite content here in Georgetown, there’s so much to see and do, but it is the most expensive place in Malaysia (food, accommodation etc) – even the country’s capital – Kuala Lumpur, is cheaper. But this place is special, which is why I’ll probably stay a few more days. The only question now is which way to go. North back into Thailand or stay in Malaysia. Yesterday, Nick pointed out something I wasn’t aware of. You can only make two land crossings into Thailand in any calender year. This is to clamp down on the famous ‘visa runs’ that supplied a lot of traffic from Thailand to Georgetown and back. It’s fine if you fly in (which I don’t want to do) and you can get a Thai visa that will allow you another crossing. It’s free, but you have to spend a day at a Thai embassy applying for one and said visa takes up a whole page in your passport.
I’ve not been up to much today other than editing pictures from the past few weeks whilst taking a daily wander to explore the area. The film crew who’ve been occupying the East part of Jalan Muntri have taken over more side streets as their filming expands, which has led to a bit of a diversion for me and the locals, but there’s plenty of other options. As it’s only Tuesday the place is somewhat quieter as the weekenders aren’t here.
When I was strolling back from getting something to eat I bumped into a group I helped last night as they’d got hopelessly lost but whom I was able to help with directions. Tonight we stopped for a chat. They were a Kiwi and a Singaporean Sikh, along with their Asian wives/girlfriends. Whilst the girlfriends found a bar the three of us got talking about travel – and politics from our own regional perspectives. The Sikh chap (I only know of his background because he told me) is what Indian friends have told me is known as a ‘cut’ – in that he has no beard, long hair or turban, but still identifies as Sikh. The conversation was really interesting – as was he – and it would have been very tempting to continue it in a bar but I’m trying to be good. So now I’m at home typing this!
To pique your interest in Asia here’s a couple more pictures from Georgetown.
We’re getting thunderstorms and rain showers very often right now. Yesterday I saw this localised shower sweep across parts of Georgetown from Butterworth. I’m going to miss my morning alarm-clocks provided by the local Mosque. Admittedly, this one isn’t *that* local, but it is just down the road. This is the Kapitan Keling Mosque whom the nearby main street takes its name from.
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This won’t be a huge blog. Not because nothing’s been going on, rather the opposite! I didn’t get back to my hotel until late because I’ve been over to the mainland to meet up with a friend, Nicholas Lim. Nick is from Singapore but he’s travelling back from Bangkok. He’s broken his rail journey at Butterworth for the day before heading the rest of the way to Singapore by train tomorrow. As he knew I was in the area he contacted me and we arranged to see each other. I caught the ferry over to Butterworth where the pair of us enjoyed exploring part of the local rail network. The Northern sector of Malaysian railways is heavy with freight as well as a pretty intensive local passenger service. From February 18th that’s been strengthened by an extra three 3-car trains transferred North from KL that previously operated the suspended Skypark service. I can understand why. I travelled on it once and I was the only passenger. In contrast, the trains around Butterworth are busy, especially the ones to Padang Besar which often have six-car SCS sets working them.
We nipped out to Bukit Tengah the first station out of Butterworth which is where the new loco depot is located. On the platform we bumped into two local rail enthusiasts, both in their teens. Nick translated a question for me and I found out there’s 34 people in their local group which I found interesting, as it’s clear rail enthusiasm isn’t just a UK thing, nor is it confined to older ages.
We moved on to the next station, Bukit Mertajam to inspect the old steam locomotive plinthed outside the station. I remember it being outside the lovely old Butterworth station and wondered where it went. The years haven’t been kind to it. It needs some serious restoration (especially on the tender) otherwise in a few more years it’ll be a pile of rust.
As the Penang ferries are so infrequent now that was the limit of our travels. We headed back to Butterworth and caught the 18:00 ferry to Penang as Nick was keen to show me what he considered one of the best Nasi Kandar restaurants on the island. We boarded the free shuttle bus from near the ferry terminal to the Komtar centre and walked from there. I have to admit, Nick was right, this place is so popular you have to queue to get in – and I can see why, the combination of spices in the curry sauces was excellent and the staff are liberal with the mixtures. I had chicken and squid, both of which were delicious.
After eating we stopped off for a shared bottle of beer at a street restaurant which turned into an interesting experience as whilst we were sitting outside on the pavement the police turned up in a wagon and confiscated all the outside tables bar the one we were sitting at! The officers of the law had decided some infringement had taken place, so that was it!
I left Nick at the Komtar tower to get his bus back to the ferry terminal and catch the last ferry (21:00, what a travesty of a service) whilst I walked home. I’ll detail more of the trip tomorrow, but for now, here’s a few pictures.
One of the Chinese built 29xxx series freight loco’s which were bought in a palm oil swap many years ago. Known as ‘Dalians’ (after where they were built) they’re not as reliable as the ‘Blue Tigers’ but recent work has helped many of them return to traffic after being stored. This one’s returning light after having brought an intermodal service to the North container terminal. The new shopping centre built over Butterworth’s bus station provides an excellent vantage point from its rooftop car park. Here’s looking back across a ship in the oil terminal at Butterworth to Swettenham Pier on Penang and a huge cruise ship which is getting ready to set sail. Two more from Singapore are due in tomorrow, which might make for some interesting pictures. In the background to the shot are some of the many residential skyscrapers that have sprung up like weeds in past 10 years – and there’s many more to follow…Two of the redundant Penang ferries left rusting at Butterworth. Hiding behind them is one of their temporary sissy replacements. The huge ramps to the Butterworth ferry terminal that used to be rammed with cars. Now all they see is the occasional scooter.Also left rusting is former Malaysian railways ‘Pacific’ No 564.25 which was moved from Butterworth to a place outside Bukit Mertajam station.Wearing Skypark livery but with all branding removed (at least on the outside) set 33 sits at Butterworth before working a local service to Padang Rengas. Nicholas enjoying a plate of Nasi Kandar. It’s a mix of chicken, boiled eggs, veg and rice with lashings of different curry sauces.
Tomorrow I’ll be back to pottering around Georgetown whilst trying to catch up on editing todays pictures, so expect an earlier blog – or two.
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I’m back to being on my lonesome as Charlotte and Adi left this morning to head to KL. I’m sure they’ll have a great adventure on the rest of their trip but now it’s time for me to refocus and decide what I do next. My back’s gradually healing and I’m not in the same pain I was a week ago, but time’s ticking and I need to think about my next moves. That’s a decision for the morrow I think. As I’m flying solo again I had a lazy morning in order to rest my back, then went for a wander with the camera. It may be Sunday here but Georgetown’s still busy with visitors – many of whom are local to Malaysia. I’ve been fascinated to see how much indigenous tourism there is now, which suggests that the Malaysian economy and people’s disposable incomes are doing rather well. Many of the new bars around Lebuh Chulia aren’t catering for foreigners, they’re catering for Malaysians. Obviously, the Moslem Malays don’t drink, but the Chinese and Indian communities do – and they make up a large part of these bars clientele.
However, not all glistens with gold. Whilst there’s undoubtedly a lot of money here Malaysia’s no different in the fact the wealth is unevenly distributed. I passed a brand-new Bentley the other day. Shortly after I saw an old Chinese woman (whom I recognise from past trips) doing her usual rounds on her cycle cargo carrier to pick up old cans, cardboard and glass to make a few Ringgit from recycling. In the past she did this with her husband, but now she’s solo. I wonder what happened to him?
Earlier I went for a wander with no particular aim in mind other than to explore new streets. When I got to a crossroads I turned in the opposite direction to normal, which meant I ended up in Lebuh Armenian. (Armenian St) which is packed with shops selling anything from artistic items relating to the famed street-art to craft beers and baklava. This is why I love Georgetown. It’s a place full of artists – and surprises. I can see I’m going to have to make room in my suitcase for some items…
When your life’s your business and it’s shared with the family, is it really work?Asian food? No. But it’s hard to resist sweets like Baklava sometimes and they chime with the sweet tooth in this part of the world. Just don’t ask about diabetes rates in Asia…
After returning home and having showered I then had a video-call with Dawn. We may be thousands of miles apart but it’s something I’m determined to do – just to have some quality time together. Afterwards I nipped out for something to eat and ended up in Lebuh Carnarvon as the sky was looking very threatening with a massive build-up of thunderous looking cloud. I chose a stall selling duck noodle soup which I’d never eaten at before. The food was great and the bickering between the two guys that ran it added another level of entertainment entirely!
It was worth eating here purely for the banter and comedy value.
Now, as I type this from the comfort of my Lodge I can hear the rain bucketing down. I’d thought about a couple of days on a beach at Batu Ferringhi, but the weather forecast might not play ball. Still, it could be an interesting time to be out with the camera…
Thunderous skies over Lebuh Chulia.
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My back is gradually recovering which meant I was more than happy (and able) join Charlotte and Adi on their last Penang outing before they head down to Kuala Lumpur tomorrow. The three of us had a quick breakfast of chicken curry and rice in ‘Line Clear’ before catching the 101 bus out to the Spice Garden which is on the coast road West of Batu Ferrenghi. There was only one slight problem. The bus was already packed when we embarked, so we ended up standing – and the guy behind the wheel drove it like he’d stolen it! You’d think he was a frustrated fighter pilot by the way he threw that thing around! The coast road is very winding in parts which is hardly ideal when someone’s driving in that manner. The result of which was that Charlotte became a little green around the gills and we had to disembark 3/4 of the way to allow her to reset her horizon, It wasn’t a problem, we just waited for the next bus as they’re every 10 minutes and arrived at the Spice Gardens a little later. After all, it’s not as if we were on a schedule or tour.
The gardens were really interesting and the staff lovely. The first thing they do once you’ve paid is offer to smother you in mosquito spray as these places are a haven for the little buggers. One of the women behind the counter very diplomatically asked Charlotte (who paid) if I qualified for a discounted ticket as I suspect she assumed I was Charlottes’ Farther! (a polite way of saying – is he an old bugger and get pensioners rates?). This provided us with some amusement later when Charlotte told me. Truth be told, I’m in the same age bracket as her mother so the honest answer would be yes, even though her Dad’s my elder brother.
Family amusements aside we really enjoyed the Spice Gardens which was created out of a former rubber plantation back in 2003. It’s a restful place stocked with a fantastic variety of native trees and plants complete with a pond and meandering stream. Now’s probably not the best time of year to visit as many plants aren’t flowering. Also, some sections (like the café and cookery school) remain closed due to Covid. Even so, there’s lots of interest including the poisonous plants section which is a bit of an eye-opener as so many of the plants that can kill can also heal – in the right doses – and that’s the skill…
On leaving the garden we took a short break on the attractive little beach opposite before catching the bus back, this time with a well-behaved driver.
Not a bad bit of beach. I may have a day out here next week…
For our final evening together we’d thought about trying Nonya food but it’s the weekend and many restaurants are booked up as the place is teeming with local tourists who’re outnumbering Europeans by huge margins. Instead, Charlotte and Adi suggested going back to the Pork noodle soup stall we ate at the other night as they’d enjoyed it that much – and so we did. Only this time we ordered the large bowls which cost just over 7 Ringgit (£1.40) each. They were gorgeous! Street food is hard to beat and it’s no wonder this place often has people queuing for a table.
This is streetfood, not nouvelle cuisine. It’s flavors and ingredients that matter, not presentation.
Tomorrow I’m back to travelling solo. It’s been lovely having the company but now that my back’s slowly getting better I want to get out with the camera more. Plus, I may have a Singaporean friend paying me a flying visit on the 20th…
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It’s been another lazy day here in Georgetown, mainly because my back is giving me gyp coupled with the fact It kept me awake last night so I ended up having a late night and slept in today as a consequence. There’s not a lot I can do about the muscle problem I have other than rest it and let time do the healing. Still, I’d always intended staying here for a while, so it’s no big deal. I’m still getting out and about to explore, it’s just my range is rather limited and I’m only carrying part of my camera kit at any one time. The main thing is that I’m fit for wherever I decide to go to next. In the meantime, I’ve plenty to keep me occupied with work, the odd bit of sightseeing and socialising with the ‘young ‘uns’ – although I haven’t seen them today as we’ve all been doing our own things. We’ll make up for that tomorrow as we’re off to the spice garden together.
Despite the inevitable changes that occur to a place when you’ve known it for so long I’m still really enjoying being in Georgetown. To me it feels like another home. When Charlotte and Adi leave on Sunday I’m going to spend more time wandering around with the camera, documenting the place. I wish I’d taken more photo’s of streetlife in the past, but when I was here in 1992 and 98 film was expensive and I was a budget backpacker being careful what I shot, so I’m going to make up for that now whilst I can as there’s still some terrific street scenes to be seen and the place will continue to change.
One of the changes I’ve noticed today is the demise of the bookshops on Lebuh Chulia. There used to be several, some combined with moneychangers. They sold a vast selection of second-hand books – especially guide books that travellers would buy/sell. I remember doing it myself. Flogging the Lonely Planet guides you no longer needed in exchange for the next country you were headed for. Technology has made them redundant. The days of a rucsac full of books (and cassette tapes, and film canisters) are long done. Digitalisation has killed it. Now smartphones, tablets and laptops are king. Nowadays my bags are full of cables and chargers and all my batteries are rechargeable. At least the bookshops lasted longer than another short-lived technological change. Internet cafes. The one thing that does survive – with reduced trade – are the money changers. Now I think of it, there’s something else that’s disappeared. Places offering international phone calls, something else killed by the internet and smartphones.
The world moves on. There used to be several bookshop/travel agents like this on Lebuh Chulia, now there are none. Who carries books anymore? Even travel tickets are bought online although some local travel agents do still survive, offering local packages or minibuses across the border to Thailand. The ‘visa run’ is still alive and well.
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I’ve had a relaxed day here in Georgetown, mainly because I’m resting my weary (and bruised) muscles. The rest of me’s fine and rather chafing at the inconvenience but hey ho. On the plus side, I’ve enjoyed the downtime, got a fair bit of picture editing done and just enjoyed being here without any pressure. I’ve still got out and about to explore the area and get a few pictures as well as enjoy some lovely food.
I left the ‘young uns’ to their own devices today until this evening when the three of us met up to enjoy some gorgeous pork and noodle soup from a street vendor set back from Lebuh Chulia. We’ve been eating lots of different foods whilst we’ve been here, mostly swapping between Indian and Malaysian although we hadn’t really ventured into Chinese, so tonight we put that right. It’s a very busy little stall and I’ll add some pictures tomorrow.
Afterwards our trio retreated to the Chulia Heritage hotel to sit and talk about family and stuff, reminiscing about the past. I’m almost twice my niece’s age which means we have very different memories of the Bigland family history. Poor Adi got a bit left out as the two of us played jigsaw with our common heritage but he coped really well! It’s not something I do very often as I rarely see my remaining siblings which makes being out here with my niece and her husband such a lovely experience. Hopefully, my injury will be more rested tomorrow and I can explore further and spend more time with the two of them before they head off to Kuala Lumpur and Bali.
In the meantime, here’s a couple of today’s pictures.
Lebuh Chulia may slowly be changing but there’s still wonderful places like this bric a brac/antique shop to explore. I loved the racks on the counter to the right which were full of old photographs. Most seemed to be from family albums form the 1960s-70s. Talk about looking back in time. I couldn’t help wondering who the people were and what happened to them,There’s joss sticks – and there’s joss sticks! These massive and decorative ones were being offered up at the Goddess of Mercy Buddhist temple on Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling earlier today.
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Tonight’s blog won’t be a long one as I’ve other things to do, such as continue to wade through editing loads more pictures to get onto my Zenfolio website. It’s a bit like painting the Forth Bridge, as soon as you’ve finished one batch it’s time to start on the new ones you’ve just taken. The latest batch of Malaysian travel pictures can be found here.
Today’s been a relatively easy one here in Georgetown, apart from the fact I’ve picked up an injury which is quite literally a pain in the arse (stop sniggering at the back!). It happened just before I left Thailand. My camera backpack isn’t exactly light, anything but, it’s in double figures when it comes to kilos and when temperatures are in the very high 30’s you don’t fancy wearing it over both shoulders and with a belly-strap. That may well have been my undoing – in more ways than one. I suspect I’ve bruised my gluteus maximus or medius (the muscles in your backside) which I did over 25 years ago with my old Billingham camera bags. It’s why I switched to backpacks. The problem is the pain makes it uncomfortable to sit or bend forwards – hardly the ideal thing when you’re travelling. Actually, the sitting isn’t a problem. It’s getting up afterwards! Typically, it would happen when I’ve left Thailand, a country chock-a-block with people offering massages!
I’m hoping a several days where I’m not carrying the camera bag – just individual bits of kit – will allow it to rest, but these things can take time and I’m not getting any younger. Still, it was always my intention to settle here for a while in one of my ‘happy places’, it just might be for a bit longer than I thought! It’s not an issue as I had no plans after here other than nipping back into Thailand for a while. My main ambition was to meet up with my niece and her husband and that’s been achieved. They’re both loving Georgetown and will be here until Sunday, so no problem.
Today I moved hotels and returned to another old haunt, the Star Lodge in Jalan Muntri. Many of the old backpacker establishments have closed as the gentrification of the area continues and travellers go more upmarket. Covid’s had a huge impact of course, but so’s the fact many younger people are more ‘flashpackers’ than backpackers. The Star’s clientele is almost exclusively older travellers like me who’ve been doing this stuff for years. Folk who don’t mind simple accommodation but quite enjoy a common area where you can sit together and talk rather than just stare at your smartphone.
In the next few days I’ll write an entire blog about the changes I’m seeing in Georgetown and the travelling scene in the 30-odd years I’ve been coming here. One of today’s projects was to look at old photos I’ve taken of buildings and street-scenes and try to capture the same shot in 2023 to show the difference.
Right now it’s time to leave you with a couple of pictures for your delectation.
Two of the older bars on Lebuh Chulia. The Hong Kong bar on the left has been going forever, but styles are changing. I remember passing it 1992 when it was rammed with American sailors as ‘the fleet was in’. Geopolitics has changed since then (as has the size of the British navy, another bar stalwart) so such visits are rare and the bar doesn’t appeal to a younger generation who’re packing the newly opened establishments in Love Lane and further down Chulia. The ‘Mona Liza’ was an old haunt of mine. Its street facing wicker chairs were ideal for sitting and sipping a beer with camera in hand whilst watching out for photographic opportunities. It was also a favourite of the local expat community, but it too seems quiet now. I wonder if they’ll both still be here in a few years time? One of the many clever steel rod arts features that scatter the world heritage site of old Georgetown. They’re metalwork cartoons that tell the story of the area with history and humour. They’ve been commissioned by the local municipality and started appearing in 2010. There’s actually a map you can get that allows you to see where they all are. I got one for Charlotte and now she’s ticking them off with enthusiasm! There’s currently 52, all designed by some excellent Malaysian artists/cartoonists.
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This won’t be a long blog, but it will contain a few different pictures. This morning the three of us took the bus out West to the butterfly farm. It’s an easy journey as the 101 bus to Teluk Bahang leaves from almost across the road from our hotel. Plus, they run roughly every 10 mins. The journey was really interesting for several different reasons. I’ve not made it for over 20 years. Georgetown’s changed a helluva lot, but also because Charlotte got talking to a local man on the bus who gave a lot of valuable insights. My first impression was how much the skyline’s changed. When I first came to Georgetown in 1992 there was only one ‘skyscraper’ – the Komtar Tower. Now they’re springing up like mushrooms. Some of them are rather attractive. Others have all the aesthetics of a road accident! A number are there purely to provide residences for foreigners, European (especially English), Chinese – and Russian. But then Georgetown’s rather an attractive place to have a second or primary home as there’s no shortage of medical services and – generally – things are cheap here. That said, there’s a burgeoning Malaysian middle-class with money to spare and shops that will sell you all the expensive goods that you require to show off that income!
Whilst the bus journey was an interesting insight into the human condition the butterfly farm was a fascinating place to observe the insect world. Since I last visited the farm’s moved site and vastly expanded, it’s just as much an education centre as a refuge for butterflies. It’s not cheap to get in but it’s well worth it just to be with so many beautiful creatures and learn more about them. Here’s a few examples. I haven’t had time to research the names of all the critters we saw, so any help from you, dear reader – would be much appreciated!
Here’s a fantastic example of camouflage. When this particular butterfly is feeding it folds its wings and looks like a leaf. But the next picture shows what happens when it opens its wings in flight. The colours are absolutely stunning! It looks like the inside of an Abalone shell.
You can find many more butterfly shots in my Malaysia gallery if you follow this link.
I could have stayed there all day with the camera but as we’d been up early and left without breakfast we decided a few hours was enough and headed back to Georgetown on the bus, passing through the popular beach resort of Batu Ferringhi once again. The town means Foreigners (Ferringhi) rock (Batu) and sci-fi fans will recognise the name as it was nicked to describe a race of jug-eared aliens in ‘Star Trek’.
The return bus was packed and took ages as it stopped everywhere. By the time we got home we were all famished so headed straight to a local Chinese-run eaterie to hoover up whatever food they had left, which was mostly rice with chicken or fish. Even so, it was delicious! Afterwards we all retreated to the hotel. I needed time to edit pictures and design a personalised Valentine’s card for Dawn so it would be in her inbox first thing (the beauty of an 8 hour time difference and Photoshop!).
The evening was very much in the same vein. Charlotte and Adi had the evening to themselves (who wants to play Gooseberry on Valentines day?) whilst I quickly nipped out to Little India for a vegetarian thali before resuming my editing.
A banana leaf vegetarian Thali. Yours for less than £2.
It’s now 23:00 and I’m listening to a thunderstorm unleashing torrents of rain upon us – which it’s been doing for the past 20 minutes.
Tomorrow I move hotels to another old haunt. More about that when it happens. In the meantime, here’s a couple more pictures from today.
Oh, here’s a food stall on Lebuh Chulia that’s been going for many years, although the food may stick in the craw of the football fans of other teams!
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
It’s lovely to be back in Georgetown after so many years. The place has changed, but it still has a relaxed vibe in the main, and some fantastic food! The three of us had a lazy morning following the past few days travelling and ended up having a late breakfast of the signature Penang dish Nasi Kandar at a well-known local back-street establishment, Line Clear. Besides the food it has the attraction of a characterful, ‘bling’ wearing and rapping chef who performs for people gangsta style, which means he features in many customers videos. Charlotte and Adi found him great fun!
A substantial plate of Nasi Kandar, with some very meaty chicken. The local feral cats enjoyed it too…
Afterwards I took them both on a tour of the area. We’d hoped to visit the ornately decorated Koo Kongsie, a wonderful Chinese Clanhouse at the East end of Lebuh Chulia but it seems it hasn’t yet reopened following the pandemic. Instead we popped down to Weld Quay before wandering through the banking and commercial district along Beach St which contains some imposing and impressive old buildings, many of which remain in very good condition still reflecting the colonial affluence and importance of the town. It was a lovely morning, partly because I got to explore a place I really enjoy but also because I had quality time with Charlotte and Adi. Having walked a fair distance we returned to Little India to enjoy cold drinks at a little juice bar we’ve discovered on Queen St.
Suitably refreshed we returned home. I wanted to spend several hours working whilst the other other two had plans of their own. I had a relaxed but worthwhile few hours editing the hundreds of pictures I have in the queue to add to my Zenfolio picture website. Now all I have to do is caption them first. Expect them to appear over the next few days.
By early evening we were all getting hungry and met up to eat. I suggested Indian vegetarian as a contrast to this morning and remembered a place I knew from the past, so we ended up in this establishment which serves a great selection of South Indian food. Adi decided he was ‘going for it’, which meant we feasted on a selection of Dosa’s, Puris and side dishes including sweet potatoes, carrots and spinach. The whole lot for the three of us cost RM30.50 (around £5.75).
Adi and Charlotte enjoying our veggie feast.
Now I’m having an early night, sorting out some more work and a picture request from a company in the UK before an early start tomorrow. We’re off to visit the famous Penang butterfly farm which seems to have changed out of all recognition since my last visit in 1998. We’re all really looking forward to it.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
It’s been quite a day! I woke up on the sleeper train around 06:00 this morning, just in time to enjoy a wonderful dawn from the comfort of my bed. Food was soon sorted by the arrival of some hawkers who’d joined the train at the last stop so I literally bought breakfast in bed, spicy friend chicken and sticky rice, washed down with fresh coffee from a different hawker, leaving me free to enjoy the world passing by my window at a sedate enough speed to allow me to enjoy it. This Southern part of the railway is a marked contrast to the ongoing modernisation and double-tracking of the Northern sections as it remains undisturbed. You still pass through gorgeous little stations bedecked in bougainvillea and other colourful pot plants. The smart wooden buildings are home to sharply dressed staff. One stands by with green flags as our train passes whilst another collects and swaps single-line tokens with the driver of our train. The big brass station bell each station boasts remains silent because we’re not stopping.
Whilst scoffing my chicken and sipping my coffee a series of colourful snapshots passed by my window. A group of middle-aged women doing calisthenics in a lineside park. Klongs (canals) and rice paddies alive with masses of wading birds such as Lapwings, Egrets and Herons. Some burst into flight when they’re spooked by the train which causes a mass flight. It’s wonderful to watch. This section of line still is ‘old railway’ which is lined with telegraph poles and a multitude of wires which provide a perfect perch for other, smaller birds. Some sections of wire have been colonised by masses of spiders, like some weird alien invasion. Occasionally, the wires act as their own web, trapping an unwary child’s kite. We lost these telegraph poles in the UK many years ago although they were once a common feature. The last section of line I remember them in any number was the line between Norwich and Ely, but these are gone too.
Further away from the line the countryside is divided between palm oil or rubber plantations and rice paddy fields, leavened by Coconut palms and Bananas, just to remind you (where you in any doubt) that you’re in the tropics. The view from the train’s not always picturesque, but it is an insight into Thai life – like the shanties along the lineside on the approach to Hat Yai where plastic and other detritus takes over their back yards. Plastic pollution’s a big issue in Thailand and I’m really not sure how it’s being dealt with.
At Hat Yai our train’s split. The locomotive that brought us from Bangkok is taken off and retires to the depot and the station pilot (an old, leaky ‘Shovelnose) takes over to remove the two Padang Besar bound coaches from the head of the train and shunt them into an adjacent platform where a 3rd class coach is waiting to be attached to the rear. Then the locomotive to take us forward arrives. In this case it was an old Alsthom-built Class 44. Our train took on new passengers too – around a ten railway police who were there to escort the train due to the recent terrorist bombing of the line between Hat Yai and Padang Besar boarded. Three sat opposite me and I got into conversation with one officer who had good English. He translated my words for his colleagues. They were all incredibly friendly and chatty, which was great.
Finally, we arrived at Padang Besar where I went through the border rigmarole I’d completed only a couple of weeks before – only this time in reverse. I’d talked Charlotte and Adi through what to expect, which was painless. I did get quizzed by Malaysian advance immigration but once I explained I was returning to Malaysia with my niece and her husband the latter two got waved through without demur.
Upstairs, the Malaysian ticket office was closed but there are now two ticket machines which accept credit cards (but NOT cash) so I bought our tickets onwards to Butterworth. The train arrived 40 minutes later which gave us enough time to buy a drink at the Warung upstairs. I was surprised to see our train was formed of one of the Chinese built 6-car SCS sets. Last time I’d used the line it was an older 3-car ‘Komuter’ set that had been recommissioned to operate the new local services. By the time we got to Butterworth I understood why they now use the SCS trains – it was packed – and loads were waiting to board it for the return trip.
It was at Butterworth I had my biggest surprise and biggest disappointment. The interchange between train and ferry had always been a pain sine the station was rebuilt as you were up and down several flights of stairs. Now there’s a brand-new and expanded ferry terminal and the adjacent bus station’s in the basement of a massive shopping complex. All good so far, until it came to the ferry…
The old Penang ferries are gone. They stopped in 2021. The joy of sitting on the top deck of a ferry with massive open sides, admiring the view of Penang or watching the mass of commercial shipping are history – as are the chances of getting photographs. Instead we were loaded into a cramped, claustrophobic and awkward catamaran that used to ply the Langkawi route. How are the mighty fallen! You don’t even go to the old terminal anymore which was right next to the bus station. Now you go the Swettenham Pier, further north. But, (allegedly) this is all better because it’s ‘faster’…
As there were three of us we split the fare on a taxi to get to Lebuh Chulia. If nothing else, it saves the wheels on your suitcases melting on the hot tarmac. It may not be as toasty as it was in Kanchanaburi, but 31 degrees is still warm!
I have to admit, I’ve had a fun afternoon introducing Charlotte and Adi to Georgetown and I’m chuffed that they’ve really taken to it. It’s always been one of my ‘happy places’. Having spent a few hours wandering I can say it’s changed but not enough to destroy its character.
I’ll type more tomorrow, but for now I’ll leave you with a picture of what has been lost – which is a crying shame. Here’s one of the old Penang ferries, seen from a sister ship on my last visit here on the 24th February 2017.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Paul Bigland 