TRAIN TO PENANG

sunrise over Kuala Lumpur

I’d expected my train trip from KL to Penang to be relaxing and uneventful. After 2 solid weeks of racing around KL- daily cycling in the park, meeting up with fellow travel bloggers and local friends, learning new photography skills, snapping photos all over the city, exploring new places, and going on assignments as a travel blogger, I was really looking forward to simply sitting for 7 hours.

I would gaze out the window at tropical forests and rice fields, enjoy the rocking chugging motion of the train, and not plan anything for an entire day. I’d taken that train trip before, so I knew what gorgeous scenery awaited me. I anticipated the fun Penang ferry, the exciting approach to Penang island, and my arrival at one of my favorite destinations in SE Asia, now a UNESCO World Heritage City.

Lash cycling in Kuala Lumpur

Because I had so much luggage in addition to my bicycle, I rode my bike to KL’s Sentral Station the day before and put it in storage. The morning of my trip, I called a taxi to haul myself, my 30 kg pack, small bag and computer to the station. I retrieved my bike and managed to get everything on the train before the doors closed. Ah, time to relax. Or so I thought…

Lash on Malaysian train to Penang

Oops- I was immediately reminded of two things about Malaysian trains: They are extra-refrigerated and extra-noisy. Within a few minutes I pulled on two layers of long sleeves and my floor-length skirt. That didn’t suffice long. Soon I yanked on my gortex rain coat, zipped it up to the chin, and pulled up my hood. By tucking my hands inside the sleeves, I finally managed to stay warm. Except for my cheeks and calves, which still got ‘frosty’ by the time we arrived at Butterworth Station, on the mainland across from Penang. Steamy train windows stood as testament to the icy temps inside.

my bicycle on Malaysian train

In addition to refrigeration, train speakers began blasting out music in an endless loop as soon as we left the station. Luckily, and very strangely, they played super-chick clubbing music, much like I’d heard at KL’s ultra-chic Sky Bar. How very odd! Music was soon replaced by blasting movie ads then the full feature: Rush Hour, played 3 times in 7 hours. On top of blasting movies and music, several babies and children on board somehow managed to out-volume them! The trip was a never-ending barrage of crying, laughing, screaming, action scenes, car chases, and Jimmy Chang. Ai yai yai. Thank goodness I had my ear plugs. That muffled the onslaught, though didn’t block it out completely.

So much for a peaceful, relaxing day on the train. I felt more like an Eskimo bundled up against an arctic winter and tossed into a baby daycare center. Fortunately, I was so exhausted from my eventful two weeks in KL that I slept almost the entire journey, despite cold, noise, and all. Will wonders never cease?

view of Malaysian countryside

Between long knock-out naps, I managed a few glances longingly out the window at lush, hot, tropical jungles and fields just beyond my fridge train. Then, before I knew it, we arrived at Butterworth Station, the hop off point to Penang island.

bicycle on Butterworth Station's extra-long train platform

Then my work was about to begin: It would take me two ferry trips to transfer all my stuff to my hotel in Georgetown. I remembered, with dread, the long long walk from the station to the ferry, including up and down stairs and along miles of corridors. Once I reached Penang island, I’d then have to walk several blocks to the hotel, dragging my much-too-heavy bags behind and on top of me. Then I’d have to return for my bicycle.

When I hopped off the train, I discovered I also had an incredibly long walk down the train platform just to reach the station. Yikes, this was going to be brutal.

Then my ‘savior’ appeared. A dark-skinned Indian Malaysian taxi driver, named Kana. He proposed to take me to Georgetown for half the posted taxi fare of 65 RM. He needed to drive to Georgetown anyhow, so he’d carry me along for just 30 RM ($10 US). Considering my alternative, his offer sounded very tempting. When he announced, “I’ll take your bike, too. No problem.” he had me convinced. We piled all my stuff in his rickety cab and hit the roads.

En route, Kana, stopped to buy fuel. At the gas station, he bought me an ice-cold bottle of water and a band-aid for my bleeding ankle, a cut just received from my bike gears. By the time we crossed Penang Bridge, he had proposed marriage.“Just think. You can marry a taxi driver and settle down in Malaysia! Hahahaha!” he exclaimed. He lost no time planning out our first night together (tonight, of course), our honeymoon, and his tactic for saving money so he could join me traveling for 10 years. Oh, he was a funny guy! Naturally, he also offered to let me stay at his modest home in Butterworth. Ah, if only I wanted to stay on the mainland instead of the island. Ironically, when we reached my hotel, he didn’t even remember my name! Surprisingly, I declined his proposals, opting for Hotel Nobel in Georgetown. (alas, no photos of my potential husband-to-be)

Chinese temple in Penang

Meanwhile, upon arriving in Georgetown, we ran smack into another surprise: Chinese New year festivities in full swing. Wow, Chinese New Year was already finished in KL. I thought I’d missed it in Penang, but I lucked out. I checked into my hotel then set out, camera in hand, to capture Chinese New year. I snapped lots of photos and even managed to stay on the ‘Press Only’ platform when I presented my card, LashWorldTour, as a travel blogger. Cool! Travel blogging was starting to pay off.

Chinese New Year festivities in Penang

After taking heaps of photos and making several videos, I realized I was still exhausted, despite sleeping all day. I returned to my hotel and was laying in bed by 8:30 pm. Once in a while I just have to rest.

Q: Do you like riding trains? Have you ever had a ‘refrigerated’ or ‘extra-hectic’ road trip?