Georgetown street food.
SOUTHEAST ASIA, 2003 Chapter 3
Previous chapters: Bangkok & Krabi; still to come: Sumatra, Java & Bali.
Satun, Thailand
Amazing pad thai in the Krabi bus depot, but I barely remember the bus ride to the southern end of the Andaman coast road where the border outpost Satun sits. This sea-blown commercial city in Thailand's Muslim south was our waystation for the evening.
A non-descript hotel sold us a room; morning meant getting to Penang Island on the Malaysia side by water taxi, bus and ferry. Supper at a sidewalk table, a fitful sleep in our bleak room and a sunrise stroll of the market got us through the night.
Photographers are drawn to outdoor markets; colorful food proudly displayed, sellers as if performers at their stalls. Satun's was large and busy, the morning light slanting in, giving glow to the dark place. While we witnessed open-air butchering, locals perused tubs full of sea creatures and infinite varieties of curry paste.
No sampling, no time; we needed to find a ride to the waterfront customs dock, then pass through an exit check and catch a powerboat out of Thailand.
Under a flat white sky, the launch took us past featureless shoreline to the Malaysia side of a wide bay. From there, it was by bus down the coast to get the Penang Island ferry.
Georgetown, Malaysia
Georgetown, on Pulau Penang, is an old British colonial trading city with architecture from the high empire days. A ferry brought us over from the mainland.
Chinese Buddhism.
The hotel was a grand ramshackle affair close to the town's center. I used my first internet cafe here in Georgetown to send some of these photos back to Canada.
The downtown is lively and charming, easy-going and not too touristy. Dinner the first night was samples from the many kiosks and push carts selling sizzling concoctions. Then cold Tiger beer at a sidewalk table.
Another cheap scooter rental the next day, as we doubled our way around the island on the perimeter highway. There was a stop at a fruit farm and we watched fishermen setting nets along the shore.
The following morning had us early at the dock. Here we boarded a fast boat heading south across the Strait of Malacca to Medan on the Sumatra coast.
Medan, Indonesia
Clearing customs on the Indonesian side was a breeze, despite a military attitude and weapons on display. Guides with minivans were waiting to take us from the coast up into the jungle. Medan was a vision of urban chaos but we were quickly through it.
Next installment: Bukit Lawang and the orangutang sanctuary.
All photos taken with an Olympus c5050z.
