DAY 22: Resurrected

07/21/2016

Wow... I am so exhausted. I just calculated and realized that I have slept for almost 30 hours in the last 36 hours. Gudi seems to be a bit bored, poor thing. She wanted to make me really happy and give us a few days of peace and relaxation. Unfortunately, my body didn't fully cooperate and now we have to go back to the mainland. Luckily, I'm feeling somewhat better and we decide to board the boat at 4 pm. We will stay on this island for almost a whole day and enjoy the beach.

In the afternoon, we take the speedboat and it feels like a mother having her child taken away. Especially because I couldn't fully enjoy the past few days, I feel a deep sense of separation. I had made a promise to myself that I would only return to the mainland after seeing giant turtles, but now I have to settle for stingrays and giant sharks.

When we arrive, we realize that not all of Malaysia is as picturesque as we have experienced in the past few days. Instead, we are reminded of other Asian cities - the smell, the traffic, the heat... a dream.

At 8 o'clock, we continue our journey to George Town, Penang, an old colonial city on an island near the east coast of Malaysia.

Compared to what we have already experienced, the bus is incredibly comfortable. It is air-conditioned, spacious, and the seats can almost recline fully - which leads us to take a nap soon. Equipped with everything a good traveler needs (earplugs, sleep mask, warm clothing, socks...), I embark on an eight-hour journey to the land of dreams - and across the land of rice fields and smartphones.