After almost 7 weeks on island Penag and George Town its time to go further, southeast heading Cameron Highland.

My bicycle is up to date, new tyres and rear cassette and I also bought my self a pair of new bicycle shoes.

The other shoes had done their job, almost 20000 km, so it was time for new fresh shoes This is my last picture from George Town, and I’m ready for new rigours.

 After almost 7 weeks it was time to head southeast

To cross Strait of Malacca to mainland I’ve two options, both includes bridges. The Penang Bridge is a heavily trafficked bridge and it leads to Butterworth, but there is also another bridge. About 17 km south Gerorge Town a new bridge, Penang Second Bridge (Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge) opend 2014 and it leads across the Straits and about 30 km south of Butterworh.

It also seems to be more  nice and safer to ride on. Is a dual carriageway bridge with separate lane for MC  and bicycles. 24 km long and 17 km over water. Longest bridge in Malaysia and the second longest in Southeast Asia.

24 km long and separated lane for me and my bicycle,and there was little traffic

Good Enviromental News From Malaysia
Due to my concern about the deforestation of the rainforest for oil palm plantations, Malaysia announces that they will not allow anymore oil palm plantations and that they will protect 50% of the rainforest.

Photograph by Matthias Klum, Nat Geo Image Collection

Perhaps the protests against the deforestation of the rainforest begin to pay off! I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it’s true

See Yeah Later
// P-G, The Global Cyclist
Member of Green Parti, Sweden  

The news shows and reports on the unusual tropical storm ”Pabuk” that hit southern Thailand. The meteorological department said the storm had maximum sustained winds of 47 mph or 21 m/s when it made land shortly after noon, but Malaysia is lucky and Pabuk will only touch the island of Penang which I have nothing against.

Pabuk storm is coming over Penang

It’s not a good time to be outside right now…

In the afternoon, I’m down by one of the beaches and saw the approaching storm coming in and it was rainin heavily on the mainland. Time to
go home.
Down here rainy weather is usually intense and I dont have an umbrella, but does not last very long!

See Yeha Later
// P-G, The Global Cyclist

24/12 – 3/1 2019

My fever has subsided but I still have pain in the body, neck, and upper back. Instead, I’ve suffered from some kind of nausea and dizziness.

New Year’s Eve was not great, I lay most of the day thinking about whether I would get sick to my stomach as well. In addition, the New Year’s celebration does not seem to be a high priority here. No fireworks or festivities.

My plan was to restar my journey january 1 but I change my mind.

I have checked out my planned route  from George Town on Pulau Pinang to  Pekan on east coast and then down to Singapore. Covering a distance of 900 km.  This route also include a tour up to Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands,  a popular tourist attraction, especial the tea farms, mossy forest.
Cameron Highlands, ia located 1,500 meters above sea level

Route George Town – Tanah Rata – Mersing – Singapore

Tea plantation up in the Cameron Highlands

To day is Thursday January 3 and I am still left in George Town. I dont feel any stress since I have 90 days to stay in Malaysia before I need a VISA.
I don´t want to start to early and risk that I get a relapse of the fever.

See Yeah Later
// P-G, The Global Cyclist

December 23, day before christmas

Wakes up after having slept very badly at 7am and still has pain throughout the body. Today it is Christmas Eve and I am still sick and it does not feel good.
I stepped down to the reception to get some breakfast and then I went to Komtar’s shopping center. Previously seen they have a pharmacy there. Must find painkillers.
Many shops in the shopping center are closed but fortunately not the pharmacy,  I find fever pills and painkillers.

Christmas EveToday I wake up much better, my pills seems to be working,  and after breakfast I decide to search for a restaurant serving some christmas  eve dinner.

Few blocks from my hotel I found a restaurant corresponding to my wish so I stepped in and booked a table for the evening.

My christmas eve restaurant

Shortly after 7pm I enter the restaurant, already quite a lot of people and the staff are busy serving everyone.
A young girl from the staff hands me the menu, and it looks like this.

The starter was salmon, followed by a buffet main course with chicken, beef, fish, and roasted potatoes.
For dessert, there was some sort of ice cream with a creamy filling over a soft brown cake served in a glass cup

Probably not a menu that most Swedes would recognize, but I’m in Malaysia now, so I have to adapt to where I am.

The restaurant also had live music performed by two sisters, the “First Sisters,” who played a mix of classical and modern music on the violin and banjo.

The Christmas dinner was really “delicious,” though it probably would have tasted even better if I had been fully healthy.

Around 10:30 PM, I headed back to the hotel, crawled into bed, and tucked myself under the thin brown blanket.

See Yah Later
// P-G, The Global Cyclist

Five days to Christmans eve and I still covered by Dengue fever but it feels like it’s about to let go so if I keep calm, I’ll HOPFULLY be fine SOON…!

In the afternoon I decided to head to Komtar shopping center where the Komtar Tower is also located. It’s 15 minutes walk from my hotel residence. Komtar Tower, the sixth tallest building in Malaysia, 232 m.

Komtar Tower, the tallest building in Penang.

This part of George Town is a huge shoppingcentra, Prangin Mall and popular by tourist. Lots of small shops, cafe´s, bar and restaurants. If you don’t find what you are looking for here, probably it doesn’t exist