- Left –
- 12th to 17th April 2015
- Miles rode – 125 (200km)
I initially stayed in the old quarter of Georgetown and loved the massive Chinese influence everywhere. I was here 25 years ago and other than the surrounding skyscrapers the old quarter hasn’t changed much. Walking around in the afternoon was so hot and humid, on the verg of unbearable at times. I had the best Chinese meal I’ve ever had here.
After two days I headed to the northwest and stayed in Batu Ferringhi, a small village on the coast with a less than average beach. En route to Batu Ferringhi I couldn’t resist riding over ‘The Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge’ which connects mainland Malaysia with Penang, it’s 15 miles (24km) long and only opened one year ago, the longest bridge in Asia and the 5th longest bridge in the world, then headed around the coast to the northwest where the road through the jungle rises and falls as it twists and turns, wonderful. I’m pleased I left left hot and humid Georgetown but wished Penang had better beaches.
The main reason I came to Penang was to ship my Dakar to Indonesia. Mr Lim facilitates this, he arranges the details as there is no passenger ferry. My Dakar is loaded onto the ‘vegetable boat’ which once a week crosses from Penang to Indonesia and back again. I went to the dockside on Wednesday to load my bike on the boat and met Lyndon Poskitt who was also shipping his bike. What a coincidence, another guy from the UK who left two weeks after me, taking a different route and travelling nearly twice as many miles as me arrives in Penang to ship his bike on the same day as me. We said goodbye to our bikes, booked a cheap flight to Medan, Indonesia to be reunited with them on Monday in Indonesia.
My friends have been known to say I do ‘stupid things’ from time to time, Lyndon doesn’t do stupid things he does ‘crazy things’, Lyndon completed the 2013 Dakar with a top 10 stage finish and a top 50 overall place. This is just one of the crazy events he’s competed in, have a look at Lyndons facebook & blog;
- Facebook – Lyndon Poskitt Racing
- Blog – racestoplaces.com
