Day 30 - George Town, Malaysia (10.02.2020)

A few days ago, we continued our journey to George Town.

At around 1 pm, we took the ferry from Ko Samui back to the mainland to Surat Thani. However, we had to wait at the train station until 4:30 am for the train from Bangkok, which was supposed to take us to the border of Malaysia (according to the schedule, the train was supposed to leave at 2:00 am - but we are familiar with that from the German railway). After a very short night in the sleeping car, we arrived around 12 pm. 

First, we had to go through immigration at the Thai border. Then, due to the current coronavirus situation, men in protective suits questioned us about our travel and stay in Thailand. Afterwards, a thermal imaging scan was conducted to determine if we had any fever symptoms. Since this was not the case, we subsequently received our 90-day visa for Malaysia stamped in our passports.

We then continued for another 2.5 hours on the overcrowded train towards Butterworth. There, we bought a ferry ticket to get to George Town.

Exhausted but happy after a long first shower, we finally collapsed into the beds of our hostel after 30 hours of travel time.

Over the past few days, we have explored the city, which is characterized by British colonial architecture, on foot. In the extreme heat, it was especially exhausting in the afternoons.

In George Town, the cultures blend together. Especially the Chinese, Indian, and Muslim influences are omnipresent. Accordingly, the selection of food options is also diverse. In a side street near our hostel, we discovered a small street kitchen where there was a wide range of local specialties at an incredibly affordable price (food for two people, including drinks, for about 5€). We were practically regular guests and ate there almost every evening :)

Naturally, we did not miss the opportunity to visit the street art artworks of the city. The paintings in the small alleys are one of the main attractions, although some of them have already faded.

Another great experience was visiting the Kek Lok Si Temple. It is the largest Buddhist-Chinese temple in Malaysia and especially worth seeing after sunset. The temple is completely illuminated by hundreds of light chains and lamps, creating a unique atmosphere.

After being on the road for about a month now, the feeling of being on vacation is slowly fading away and we are starting to realize what it's like to be on long-term travels. It's nice to have time and not have to rush to every tourist attraction, but instead to let the places sink in.

Our next stop in Malaysia will be the island of Langkawi in the northwest.

Best regards,

Bianca and Michael