Day 7: Penang - Georgetown

Today, it was time to wake up at 7.15 to catch the bus to Penang after a quick breakfast which included toast with passion fruit honey and a fresh mango. At the bus station, which had only 3 gates, everything went smoothly. A woman loudly called out Bus to Ipoh and Penang and pointed to a bus standing slightly apart.

With an hour delay, we arrived in Penang. As we stepped off the air-conditioned bus, the heat hit us. I quickly found a Grab to the hostel, but had to wait until the room was ready. However, that was not a problem in the very stylish lounge area, so I looked up sights to visit in the beautiful old town.

After storing my luggage in the room, I set out to explore the city. Georgetown is known for its numerous hidden street art works that can be found all over the city. In addition to these, there were many temples, mosques, churches, and old buildings to explore. I also went to the harbor to finally see the sea and locate the location for my ferry to Langkawi tomorrow.

Then it was back to the city, to the "Little India" district, which was filled with Indian flair. Loud music, the smell of curry, many shops with colorful, elaborate dresses and gold jewelry. At one of the many street stalls, I bought two cakes that are probably the closest thing to pancakes. Very interesting and somehow sweet-salty food, but definitely delicious. After some ice cream and fresh fruits, I returned to the accommodation to relax.

Dinner was already planned due to the area: Indian! I found a good-looking vegetarian Indian restaurant on the internet. The tips for highlights proved to be very extensive and delicious. The restaurant seemed busy and as a result, another solo traveler joined my table. We quickly got talking and decided to meet in Krabi because of our shared passion for climbing.

So day 7 is coming to an end, as I have to get up early again tomorrow to catch the ferry at 8:30 am. As a conclusion for the first week of my solo trip to Southeast Asia, I draw the following conclusion: It was definitely not easy and I had to adapt quite a bit. But slowly I'm getting the hang of it and I really enjoy it with all the nice and open-minded people, the country, and the cultures. And already now, the 3 months seem way too short to see everything.

PS: The plan for the next few weeks is as follows: Langkawi - Koh Lipe - Koh Lanta - Koh Phi Phi - Krabi - Koh Samui - Koh Tao - Bangkok - Bali. I would like to be in Bali around March 10th.