Motorcycle Diaries: The Malaysian Version

Coldplay couldn't have sung it better - "we live in a beautiful world."  I hung on tightly as Lucian, myself, and a our small scooter-like motorcycle wound up the tropical mountain like a corkscrew.  The drive was so beautiful and it was the absolute best way to see the entire island.  Lucian rented the bike from our hostel's office, we grabbed our helmets and we were on our way.

 Lucian posing with our rented bike. It got us around the island...amazingly.

Driving through the city in Georgetown was a bit unnerving, but Lucian was an incredible driver and navigated with ease.  He said it right, "just drive like you don't give a damn and you will be fine."  I could understand after noticing that no one looks behind them before merging, there is virtually no use of turn signals, and the absence of speed limit signs really make the roads anyone's game.

We drove through small towns, leaning into the curves in the road.  I took out the camera and proceeded to film quite a few short videos and take as many pictures as possible.  We stopped in a small city for an ice cream treat and checked out the map.  We kept course and stopped for a minute at a tropical fruit farm and the butterfly observatory.  The parking lot was large with no traffic, so Lucian gave me a "crash course" (not literally) in driving the bike.  After I got used to the weight of the bike under me, I was having fun in first gear, puttering along, making wobbly turns and keeping my hand on the brake.  I am now convinced I might have a chance to ride my own bike at some point along this trip.

 Posing with a bonsai at the butterfly house

We made our last stop at the Penang National Park and we trekked through some jungle set against the ocean. The park sits within a small fishing village so the stench of fish rolled in and out of our hike for the first kilometer. Lucian pointed out the obvious trash about the trail and we decided that it just wouldn't fly in the PNW to have garbage strewn about our treasures of national parks. We decided to make the hike a quick one since we were already drenched in sweat. We found an elevated canopy that was open so we climbed to the top and started seeing the park from above. I followed after Lucian and as he was reaching the end of our first length, a huge monkey hopped onto the top of the canopy. I got as close as he allowed and took pictures. I had no food, but as I reached out to him, he hissed and came at me, reaching for Lucian's camera. I decided to finish the lenth and say goodbye to my new friend.

 We visited our favorite Indian restaurant once we rolled back into town, collected our thai visas, and took a short nap under the A/C.  One of the best days so far!  Thanks to Lucian for driving and having the sense to rent the bike and take the long journey.  It was incredible! Tomorrow we board the overnight train and prepare to enter Bangkok...