Malaysia
3 nights in Penang because the ferry to Medan (Capital of Sumatra Indonesia) only runs Monday, WEdnesday and Friday. Having arrived at Penang on Friday afternoon I have to wait till MOnday, not part of the plan.  23rd wlak through the nightmarket and meal with Mark and Lisa, lots of stalls selling "Rolex" and other watches as well as everything else.  (the next day I buy a cheap watch, otherwise i am having to ask others, havent worn onw for years as  used to carry mobile phone) Mark buys various dvds. It begins to rain, and what a rain. We decide to shelter in the market but then head back. The rain is pretty impressive and soaks in seconds.  we are ankle deep in water and I am loving it, I generally like the rain unless it is cold and windy like in England.

24th woke up early with the noises from next door packing, I assume he is leaving. It goes on for some time, i eventaully go out and stand in the corridor, a Japanese guy, his is only going out for the day but he has been organising and reorganising his entire luggage for what seems like hours, I stand there till he leaves. next two days he is a little quieter. In the evening I went out in my swimming trunks and Tshirt, ready for the rain, which naturally it did not come.

25th Mark and Lisa leave for Camron heights on the mainland and will be going to KL for flight to UK on the 29th. It rains again in the evening, the thunder shakes the whole guesthouse and I retreat to my room from the balcony.

26th, late night and then waking up from 4.30 a.m. brief naps till 5.15 when the call to prayer begins, again doze off till 6.05. Tired, begin to think I should have more rest but then couple of hours rest is going to put me back couple of days if I really want to go to Sumatra. I am packed, showered and out of the door in 25 minutes, I see the bus coming on th e main road so have to move a little faster. Since carrying the diving air tank, the backpack is not so heavy but I have realised the problem is lack of adequately padded shoulder straps rather than the actual weight.

The bus has various groups of students of varying ages getting on and off, happy kids mostly, clean white shirts. At the terminus my glasses steam up as I get off the bus, it is only 7.30 a.m., the driver directs me to the wrong terminal headed back to Butterworth on the mainland and I have to walk back (I knew there was a good reason for wearing the boots today after a few weeks), and the efficious guard does not let me go through a gate so I have to go all the way back the way I came.

I find the ticket office and a very helpful chinese lady who organises everything for me ,the fact that I should pay by credit card (I had 152.7 RM cash, 2.70 paid the bus driver, the ferry is 150RM but that leaves me nothing for expenses such as breakfast) and that I should eat something before leaving as food is expensive on the ferry and what to eat too! I ask her to come with me, she can organise me, but she declines, alas! But she said nothing about the ferry-ride.

Breakfast is curry and rice, what else, I also buy two rottis for the journey. I go into a shop to get water and the woman

guesses my origins straight off and tells me that I am handsome and a teacher, how right she is on all counts.

I am on the lower deck of the ferry which is marginally cooler than the upper one, have to drag out my old thick jacket from the bag, grateful not to have discarded it by now, I also have to cover my head with my Egyptian scarf to keep warm. The scarf has had lots of uses so far: towel, ground cover, blanket, head cover, face mask for bike riding, loofer for body wash, when wetted keeps me cool round my neck, curtain, pillow, bundle for carrying stuff, I am still discovring more uses.

I get some sleep despite the Malysian and occasionally India music videos and a violent (luckily interrupted due to technical reasons) film "the tournament". I wake up about 12, we left just after 9 a.m. One of my visits to the toilet is interesting,

floor level toilet and a moving ferry are not a good combination, it is like trying to go to the loo in a tumble drier!

Later on due to the movements of the ferry people begin to get sick, I am trying to resist as best as I can but eventually have to grab the bin too. I have part of one of the rottis much later as we are approaching the port, about 4.30 p.m. it has

been a pretty rough ride but I have had reasonable amount of sleep.