Penang has an alluring mix of architecture, food and scenery. It appears to be a wealthy island and is clean with no trace of the hallmark Asian rotting food/sewer odors. The mountains fringe the city, and the city meets the Malacca Strait. At night, across the water (bisected by two long bridges), the mainland lights flicker.
We have a preorganised city tour in the morning. I don’t get a lot out of this. It focuses on the history of the state and we visit a couple of religious sites. None of this is really to my interest. I have been asked to wear thongs for easy access into and out of temples (where you must take shoes off). The tour concludes at midday near the base of Penang Hill. The traffic, being the first day of school holidays, is terrible. I think of all the times I have seen tourists in thongs doing activities not appropriate to their footwear. This is my time. I am going to hike up Penang Hill in my thongs. Most visitors to Penang Hill catch the furnicular – any walk whose alternative transport is a furnicular should not be attempted in thongs.
I only make it half way and that in itself is a grueling, skin meltingly hot hike. It’s pretty steep. My plan is to catch the furnicular back down from Middle Station and I am europhoric as I am within minutes from the station. But then on my final approach, a pack of wild dogs are lounging on the only path to the station. I walk closer and they stir. They are pretty mangy and are barking aggressively. I burst out in laughter to myself, admitting defeat. So close to my terminus, I am required to put another layer of sunscreen on my wet skin and descend back from where I came. My thongs squelch on the way down, as sweat and sunscreen and mozzie spray pools on them.
The Town Hall of Penang. While beautiful from the outside, you can’t actually go inside because it is decaying.There is a high level of Adelaide pride. I see three of these huge banners on government buildings. The man that discovered (?) Penang had his son go and discover (?) Adelaide. History is not my thing. Where’s the hawker centre?Very pretty shop fronts.Nutmeg is a popular export.If you peer hard, you can see a stretch of some of the 26km of this bridge.Apparently this is famous street art.But this is my favourite that I see.Pre hike. Clean and good posture.You can choose one of these ribbons and hang it to a pole, where monks pray underneath in the morning. There is a ‘correct’ choice.Those poor, land dwelling tortoises.My flip flop hot hike About half way on my hike to half way up the Penang Hill. The concrete path is very well maintained but I don’t see one other walker. I see a handful of motor bikes coming up and down, which is a little frightening given the gradient and switchbacks. I read online others have had issues with the feral dogs, dating back to 2019.The view at the top of my ascent, which is half way up Penang Hill.On my descent, I take a small wrong turn and end up here.It’s 3pm by the time I am back at the hotel and order two lunches. And Teh Ice. Always Teh Ice. It’s a lot harder already to find fresh vegetables dishes and I resort to ordering Thai to get some.Penang has these huge, gaping open drains all throughout the city. You’d have to watch your step walking home in the dark after a few beers.Dinner closely follows lunch and I have small plate of satay. Hawker centres work differently here. You have to select a table and report your table number to your food vendor when you order. This is stressful as a solo diner, as I have to rush back to the empty table after ordering to ensure no one else takes the table.That’s too many Nasi Lemaks to qualify for the discount.
Hello VGW!! Penang looks fascinating. Beautiful architecture. Assuming from your attempt to hike you are feeling better? Though with you I can never be sure. I could give you a long lecture here but I will summarise by saying next time catch the goddamned furnicular!!! Take it a bit easy please so you get fully better. Lecture over. I still want satay! Love you heaps M xx
Feeling much better thank you. Just a bit of a blocked nose left but nothing serious. Satay always yummy on hot evening. Love you too.
Omg. The description of the walk is how I visualise Hell.
Did you have any idea about the feral dog problem before you started your hike.
Obviously there are different standards for public safety around the world. Had a chuckle about the open footpath drains .
For work we have to grind down concrete if it sits 15 mm higher than its surrounds. We have to paint everything bright yellow to indicate danger.
Would be nice if we were more relaxed but that drain is a bit too casual for my liking
How is the food compared to earlier in your trip?
What is the rest of your group doing when you are doing your solo adventures?
I think that is fair, you would have found the walk hellish.
I had read online about the feral dogs before I started the hike. But in the Google Reviews, people said that the dogs were at the beginning of the walk and prevented them from starting. I began the walk fine so assumed that the comments were outdated. BUT it dawned on me when I did end up encountering the dogs that those people must have done the walk descending, not ascending, so my end was their start.
You would have made a lot of comments about the foot path drains. They were all throughout Malaysia and presented a major accident hazard, especially as you are frantically trying to avoid cars and bikes as you walk.
We had a bit of free time for an afternoon or day here and there. On this particular occasion I think some went shopping and another caught the furnicular up the same hill I was walking.
Hello VGW!! Penang looks fascinating. Beautiful architecture. Assuming from your attempt to hike you are feeling better? Though with you I can never be sure. I could give you a long lecture here but I will summarise by saying next time catch the goddamned furnicular!!! Take it a bit easy please so you get fully better. Lecture over. I still want satay! Love you heaps M xx
Feeling much better thank you. Just a bit of a blocked nose left but nothing serious. Satay always yummy on hot evening. Love you too.
Omg. The description of the walk is how I visualise Hell.
Did you have any idea about the feral dog problem before you started your hike.
Obviously there are different standards for public safety around the world. Had a chuckle about the open footpath drains .
For work we have to grind down concrete if it sits 15 mm higher than its surrounds. We have to paint everything bright yellow to indicate danger.
Would be nice if we were more relaxed but that drain is a bit too casual for my liking
How is the food compared to earlier in your trip?
What is the rest of your group doing when you are doing your solo adventures?
I think that is fair, you would have found the walk hellish.
I had read online about the feral dogs before I started the hike. But in the Google Reviews, people said that the dogs were at the beginning of the walk and prevented them from starting. I began the walk fine so assumed that the comments were outdated. BUT it dawned on me when I did end up encountering the dogs that those people must have done the walk descending, not ascending, so my end was their start.
You would have made a lot of comments about the foot path drains. They were all throughout Malaysia and presented a major accident hazard, especially as you are frantically trying to avoid cars and bikes as you walk.
We had a bit of free time for an afternoon or day here and there. On this particular occasion I think some went shopping and another caught the furnicular up the same hill I was walking.