Life is a highway....
Trip Start
Jan 03, 2008
1
31
84
Trip End
Ongoing
Pinang,
Pinang,
Malaysia
Thursday, May 1, 2008
We took the bus to Ipoh where we had to transfer buses. I am so glad that she was there because it was very confusing. It was such a difference being there with a local. No one hassled me or tried to sell me anything. Plus, having someone that can actually speak the language made a world of difference when buying our tickets.
We got off at Butterworth and took the ferry. I was amazed how cheap it was to take it to the island (around 30 cents). We decided that we would share a hotel room to share the costs ($5 a person). We went out for a great dinner where I ordered yummy ginger chicken.
The next day, we decided to rent a motorbike. She had her motorbike license and was a very cautious driver. I am not going to lie. I was absolutely terrified for the first 20 minutes. The motorbikes weave in and out of traffic. For example, when traffic stops at a light the motorbikes line up in between the cars or just cut in front. I kept saying to myself, "At least you are wearing a helmet." There were adults that would put small children in the baskets without helmets. It was so sad and it also made me a little mad. But this is their culture so I tried not to judge too harshly. Eventually, I got used to it and started enjoying myself
After our curry lunch, we decided to head to the beach.
Lake
It was a Malaysian holiday (Labor Day) so the beach was pretty crowded with families. The first thing I noticed is that no one was wearing a swimsuit (except for the really small children). Everyone was fully clothed. For example, most people had on gym pants and a long sleeve shirt. I kept thinking that these people would not know what to do if they ever visited an American or European beach. They would probably die of shock at the scantily clad people.During our ride, we went through the jungle and drove along the coast. The views were amazing. I also got to see quite a few wild monkeys and I kept thinking how much Mom would love to see them. While we were driving I got that "Life is a highway" song stuck in my head and it was driving me nuts.
One of the most interesting things we saw during the drive was a funeral procession. She explained to me that when someone dies, the family carries the person to the burial site. It looked like the body was placed on a board with handles and covered with a blanket. All of the men wore these little white caps and all of the vehicles stopped to acknowledge the deceased. It was very touching to watch everyone's reactions.
Basically, I loved riding the motorbike. It was such a great way to see the city and all of the sights. It definitely beat walking. I think I might be ready to ride on the back of a Harley :-)
