Justin-Klein.com – Life of a Traveling Programmer

I beg to differ.

The bus to Kuala Lumpur – or “KL” as the locals call it – arrived at the station exactly 45 minutes late. It was an inauspicious start, considering my luck on some other recent cross-country journeys; the driver blamed the delay on “crazy traffic” of which there was mysteriously none once we finally got moving.

The first VIP bus of the trip that actually felt VIP! : )

Fortunately the bus itself was by far the most comfortable yet; huge reclining seats, powerful AC, and loads of empty space. Sure beats those cramped Thai minibuses jam-packed with people falling over you at every turn 🙂
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My route around the island.

My last day in Penang had arrived, and miraculously, I actually did manage to get out of the room (and away from the neverending email) just as early as planned 🙂

First stop: Chinatown, for a $10 motorbike rental and the start of a loop around the island.

Making my way out of the city.

Man, I just love the freedom of a motorcycle. Riding along the coast, zipping in and out of traffic, totally free to explore anywhere and everywhere you please.

An isolated road to a quiet beach community.

My planned route would take the better part of the day, passing through small fishing villages, temples, fruit farms, and isolated sandy beaches.
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Cheong Fatt Tze’s Mansion.

My original Monday plan was to rent a motorbike and ride around the whole of Penang island (outside Georgetown itself), but as work emails and route-planning took far longer than expected, I decided to knock off a few remaining local sights and save the ride for tomorrow.

Some really old rikshaws.

First up was a tour of Cheong Fatt Tze’s mansion – the favorite residence of one of China’s most famous rags-to-riches success stories.

Dichotomy of religions. Hang on…can I use the word “dichotomy” like that?

Having been born to a poor Hakka family in 1840, by the time of his death at the ripe old age of 76, Cheong Tze Fatt had managed to amass unparalleled wealth, fame, and political influence (including government titles in three different countries). The tour itself was so-so, but required if you want to go inside.
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