The thirty-ninth week

Day 269- 275

On Sunday, the 30th of June, we drove up Penang Hill. Such a steep hike would be too much for Ivar. Unfortunately, he is recovering slowly from his infection. He is still very tired and needs several breaks.

But luckily, there is a funicular train that goes up the hill. At the top, you can enjoy the view and walk around. Of course, there are many golf carts that transport the lazy Asians around.

We hiked back down the hill. Going downhill is usually easier than going uphill. Well, our calves were hurting a lot!

On the last stretch, we were actually overtaken by a jogger who was running down the hill (and probably up as well, but he was already gone before I could ask him. Impressive!).

Monday didn't start well, as we had incredible muscle soreness in our calves and thighs! We had to drag ourselves out of bed.

We rented a scooter and drove around the island. Our first stop was a small beach. The next stop was a waterfall where we could have gone swimming. Here, there was a sign about the disease that Ivar had. Leptospirosis. Unfortunately, he now found out what the disease is also called: rat urine disease. I haven't told Ivar that yet because I knew it would disgust him. And it did.

We also went to a garden where there were some art installations. The highlight for me were the giant tortoises, which are surely very old!

On the way back, we passed a monastery with a huge Buddha statue! Luckily, we could drive up the hill.

The next day our calves were still very sore! Oh dear! Ivar thinks we need to climb more stairs to get more fit...

The next day we checked into an accommodation that has a kitchen and a washing machine. We cooked for ourselves, did some sports, and did 4 loads of hot laundry! That felt good!

The 4th of July started very rainy. Luckily, it stopped when we checked out and took the bus to the ferry.

In Butterworth, we took the bus to the Cameron Highlands. It is a mountainous area and an ideal place for various plantations. The vegetable kitchen of Malaysia, so to speak. We arrived in the evening and had a delicious meal at an Indian restaurant.

The following day started with us sleeping way too much! We were horrified to realize that we woke up around 10 o'clock!

We had some food and then went for a hike. Since Ivar is still recovering (he still has a cough and gets tired quickly, but it's getting better!), I found an easy hike with 'only' 325 meters of altitude. Ivar wanted to do a different hike that is shorter (i.e., fewer kilometers). When he showed me the hike, I thought, okay, shorter but more altitude (450 meters). Well, he chose it after all!

So we started and it was of course quite steep. After all, you have to conquer the altitude on a relatively short distance! In between, I also asked Ivar why he had chosen a route with so much altitude. He looked at me somewhat bewildered and confessed that he didn't see that!

Well, we were already in the middle of it and managed to make it to the top all sweaty. Luckily, we had our fleece jackets with us.

Before we got too cold, we started the descent. We took a different path down than the one we came up, but the way down was also steep.

Still, we were able to enjoy the mossy forest, the ferns, the colorful flowers, the mushrooms, and the amazing trees.

When we reached the bottom, it was all good. We had something to eat and then went back to the accommodation to shower.

The next day, I could hardly wake up. It was terrible! No coffee would help, my body just felt tired and heavy. Maybe it was too much yesterday. So we decided to take a rest day.

That gave us the opportunity to talk about a dumb feeling that we have had for a while: travel burnout or travel frustration, or whatever you want to call it. The stupid feeling that traveling becomes exhausting, that the enthusiasm and momentum from the beginning are gone, that everything becomes bland.

'Visit another temple? Nah.'

'Travel on, take another bus, adjust to a new city and a new accommodation? Nah.'

'Meet new people, ask the same questions/get asked the same questions again? Nah.'

Absolute first-world problem! But unfortunately, it's hitting us hard right now. Of course, we have looked for and tried solutions. One was, for example, 'do an activity every day' or the workaway at MD.

There are several options we have, but we have to slowly decide on one. And that's difficult for us because we are generally indecisive.

We looked for flights and actually found a very cheap flight to Germany. We booked it.

The night that followed was terrible because we could hardly sleep out of excitement. We struggled out of bed at 7 o'clock. At 8 o'clock, we were picked up for a half-day tour.

First, we went to a strawberry farm. This is something very special for Asians. We thought it was so-so, and the strawberries weren't super aromatic either.

Then we went to a tea plantation, took beautiful photos, and had a tour of the factory. Did you know that the plant from which tea comes is actually a tree? Since they are regularly harvested, they remain as small as bushes.

Later, we drove up to a mossy forest. It's called the 'moosy forest' and it's very famous. Everything is indeed very mossy and green! The ground is super soft like a sponge.

The journey back became exciting: a Mexican tour participant had booked a bus for 2:15 p.m. The tour was supposed to end by 12:30/1 p.m. However, it was Muslim New Year (our 4th New Year!) and the Malaysians used the long weekend for trips. So there was endless traffic jam. We mostly stood and the Mexican woman became increasingly impatient as time went on. Our guide called the bus company, but they were also a bit difficult and said 'the bus will leave when it leaves'.

At some point, the Mexican woman jumped out of the car (when it was standing) and stopped a female scooter driver. She also took her with her and zoomed past the standing cars. And she made it!

A happy ending!