Penang

Well, according to the calendar it is spring.  Thus far this year I’ve had three springs, the south of France, Lisbon, and Budapest.  Today I landed in my first summer of the season!  I’m in Penang Malaysia, an island just off the coast of the mainland and mostly known for its beaches and the old colonial city of George Town, which is where I’m staying.  The flight from Moscow to Singapore was rather full so I didn’t have the luxury of a row of three to sleep in.  In fact sleep didn’t seem to be an option for me since the seat I had was always being bumped by people going to and from the bathroom.  The good news was that the flight was early so I wasn’t in the plane as long as I had thought I would be.  The bad news was that it just meant I had to hang out at the airport from 5:15am until 8:05am. 

I think Penang is Bahasa Malay for Lines.  From the minute I went to the gate for the flight until I was finally in a cab at the airport, there were nothing but lines.  Getting on the flight was not the normal Singapore efficient procedure one comes to expect at Changi Airport.  There was no explanation but it seemed apparent that they weren’t well staffed at the podium and they just called the flight and all 150 people got in line to board without any plan.  They then tried to call everyone by rows but the room was too small for everyone to rearrange themselves.  I did learn that there had been a gate change and it was a much smaller gate than they normally use.  The flight itself was fast and comfortable and we landed right on time.  The three flights ahead of us also landed on time, which meant huge, like enormously huge, lines at immigration.

The Malaysian immigration officers must have been trained by the Russians.  They take forever to process a rather simple entry into a resort town and the line moved ever so slowly.  Once though immigration I collected my luggage and went out looking for my ride to the hotel.  I had thought the hotel was sending a car but I checked carefully and my name was not on anyone’s placard.  So I went over and got on the line to purchase a taxi voucher, which is needed to get a taxi in all of Malaysia’s airports.  Finally got to the head of the line only to be told that I had to have cash, not credit.  This meant having to go over to the one moneychanger and getting in that line to get some money.  Back to the taxi line and finally got my voucher which then allowed me to go get on line outside in the heat with about fifty other people waiting for the taxi.  It took one hour of just standing there peeling off layers of clothing as I sweat though everything I had on.  Finally it was my turn and up comes a fifteen-year-old Proton, a locally made car.  The driver told me that it is like that every day, they make the taxi cabs wait about ten minutes from the airport and then only allow seven cars to go and when all seven have picked up fares and departed they then release another seven.  What a system!

My hotel was about a thirty-minute ride from the airport and the car of course had no AC, but I was happy to be in anything that was putting a distance between the airport and me.  We pulled up to the hotel and two bellhops came to get my luggage and escort me into the cool lobby and reception area.  No lines, just me and I was already planning my hot shower.  Not to be!  It seems I had no reservation so for the next twenty minutes we tried to call the person who I’m to meet with and who I thought had made my reservation.  The lovely receptionist even called the other hotel that had been recommended to me, but they had no reservation either.  I finally asked if they had a room for two nights and they did but only on the executive level, which is about $40 more per night, but I had no choice.

I was able to Skype with Cindy before taking a two-hour nap, which was very refreshing.  I now sit, sipping ice cold Lychee juice,  and wait for someone to call or write to me since the number I was given to call when I arrived remains unanswered despite half hourly calls.  Such is life on the road and I remember why I really don’t miss it.  Finally reached my contact who suggested she come by and pick me up after her 9:30pm meeting!!  I told her I would be in bed by 9:15 so this turns out to be a wasted day.  I’ll meet with her tomorrow and tour her university and then have dinner.  The allure of travel continues!

Ciao, Wm