We did a very little research other than downloading a map of central Georgetown. But thanks to helpful Penangites, we had little trouble finding a place to stay or getting around in general. We took the RapidPenang bus service to KOMTAR, in central Georgetown from the bus depot at Sungai Nibong. Following the advice of a helpful member of the Starbucks crew at Prangin Mall (next to KOMTAR), we made our way on foot to Chulia Street (Lebuh Chulia) where we were told “you will find alot of cheap food and places to stay.”

Barely 10 minutes into our walk towards Chulia Street, we came upon a bustling dim sum place. Because we have our priorities right, we dropped our bags beside the first empty table we could find and sat down to our first breakfast in Penang. An assortment of dim sum was quickly ordered. The Steamed Pork Ribs and Chee Cheong Fun were really good, especially when eaten with the chilli paste that came with it. If anyone’s curious, I recommend checking this place out, Leong Kee, at the corner of Lebuh Kimberley and Lebuh Cintra (closed by noon).

It was an auspicious start to our Penang adventures. I didn’t take notes over the next few days, but we did do a bit of sight-seeing here and there. Mostly though, we ate, and ate, and ate, and we ate somemore. I had photos of less than half of what we stuffed ourselves with because as a wise sage once said, “The Mouth is Speedier than the Camera.”

Still, if there was one dish that I had to remember Penang by, it was this… Penang Curry Mee. Unbelievably, we found the best rendition of Curry Mee just across the street from where we stayed.

This was by far the best bowl of noodles I have ever had. We originally sat down for some wanton noodles but tipped off by the couple that shared our table, we decided to give Curry Mee a try.

I had only one response after a spoonful of the broth. Wow. The broth was light but chockful of flavours. Complex and indescribably addictive. I spooned mouthfuls of the noodles down, one after another, and before I knew it, I found myself staring down an empty bowl.

Just so I won’t forget, this Curry Mee stall is located on Chulia Street, near the intersection with Carnarvon Street. Look out for the huge Dunlopillo shop signage, the stall is just in front. Opens from 7pm, closed on Mondays.

Our whirlwind gastronomic journey ended far too quickly and we headed home lugging boxes of freshly baked Penang confectioneries. It was yet another overnight bus ride homewards, this time with visions of Curry Mee and Char Kway Teow dancing in our heads…

Check out the photoset here.

Small Update: We settled on Crystal Guesthouse after checking out a couple options. A little pricier then the rest at RM50 per night, but the room was clean and came with AC and an attached bathroom. The room was somewhat musty with a small mosquito problem, but the AC helped and a couple of swats took care of the mosquitoes.

After that last entry, I made a trip St Victoire mountain at Francis’ suggestion and had a lovely time walking about in the little village located at the base of the mountain. I also had dinner again the following evening with Francis, his student tenant and her friend. It was great fun and we swopped emails, and it was a pity that I forgot to take some photos over dinner.

I left Aix for Nice , and managed to find a nice new dorm there thanks to a tip from a young American lady bunkmate I met in Aix. Nice is a really touristy seaside city, with it’s pebbled beaches a prime attraction for tourists from all over.

I made a day trip to Monaco which is just a 20 minute train ride away. Monaco is actually not a part of France, and is known for its rich-and-famous residents, luxury casinos, and the annual Grand Prix held infront of its lovely harbour . I trooped uphill to Monaco’s Prince’s Palace to catch the daily changing of guards .

After Nice, I returned earlier than planned to Paris to catch up on the sightseeing that I have yet to finished. I faithfully made my way to the Arc De Triomphe , stopping for a moment at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Eternal Flame that accompanies it. I walked down Champs-Elysées Avenue and made a stop at the Place de Concorde to admire the 3,300 year old Obelisk of Luxor , a gift from Egypt to the then King Louis XV of France in 1836. If you think about it, it must have been quite a feat to transport the 23-metre tall, solid granite column weighing over 250 tons all the way from Egypt to Paris… But if you were to think a little harder, you would marvel even more at the ingenuity of the Egyptians who constructed the Obelisk with such precision, considering the level of technology available 3000 years ago. I would love to be able to visit Egypt one day and see for myself the grandeur of their engineering miracles.

I spent an idyllic afternoon walking about the Tuileries Gardens, feeding a family of ducks . After which, I stopped and admired the gorgeous Opera buildling which was located just 2 minutes away from Galeries Lafayette. I was to spend a total of 2 whole afternoons at Galeries Lafayette, the famous department store, hunting through the countless luxury brands available, for the perfect presents to bring home. I saw, for the first time in my life, a queue forming outside the Louis Vuitton boutique, and only realised much later how cheaper it really was here in Paris. It was a great regret that I did not pick up an LV purse or two before heading home.

Except for the series of unfortunate events that kicked off the trip, and the severe bout of homesickness initially, I had a good time, particularly in Aix. I have truly learnt my lesson that very often it’s not the monuments and sights that makes for great travelling, it’s the wonderful people that you have had the good fortune to meet and know along the way.

Au revoir, France!

Getting out of Lyon this morning was a bit of a pain because the metro lines that ran to the train station weren’t running (technical failure or strike I couldn’t tell) and so after running around and waiting fruitlessly for almost an hour, the friendly guy at one of the metro stops told me to walk (after I told him the tramway which ran to the train station was also closed) from another station. Luckily it was only about a 20+ mins or so walk. Good thing that I left the hostel first thing in the morning because I wanted to change my reservation to Aix instead of Marseille. It is yet another sunny day today. I think I’m getting a tan on my face and am considering buying a pair of shorts here. I haven’t seen the main town of Aix yet but it seems to be one of those small towns that I’m pretty fond of. There’s supposed to be at least 2 open-air food markets tomorrow morning and I’m looking forward to to that and also the flea market too. I started reading the book that my friend lent me last night. It’s a pretty good book and quite scary to read when you’re alone at night in a dorm surrounded by strangers, in a foreign city far away from home. Bad news is that I’m reading the book too quickly and I’m more than two-thirds through already. I decided to write more in the notebook but I think I will be running out of pages soon. It’s going to be a tough fight; a new book to read or a new notebook to write in. If I’m lucky, I mean really lucky, I might find both tomorrow and hopefully cheaply too.

I’m sitting in the small little pretty courtyard of the Musee de Beaux Arts, munching on my choc chip cookies after getting scolded by my friend for not eating properly. *grin*

I’m writing this on the train to Lyon from Paris. It’s the first time I’m taking the French TGV rail service I must confess it’s better than I expected. It’s much better than the Italian trains, but just a notch below the German ones. I didn’t make reservations for Lyon although I did call to check.

After the Basillica, I took the Metro to the Musee D’Orsay . It is a very lovely museum for 19th century art. Many familiar works by Renoir, Money and especially Van Gogh’s Starry Night. The Orsay Museum is more approachable due to its size as well as exhibits. I’ve always recognised the sculpture but never knew who it was by and now I know it’s by Francois Pompon.

I had an hour to kill before queueing up for the Eiffel ride and I spent it chatting with a Moroccan guy on the lawn next to the Eiffel. He was alone and trying to take a picture and I helped him out. He helped me take one too and we had a nice chat. Morocco sounds like a great to place to visit along with Spain. Hmmm, maybe next year…

I’m now writing this in my notebook from the Eiffel. I don’t know why I’m up the Eiffel when I’m insanely terrified of heights, but it was better than I thought and seeing a rainbow from the Eiffel kinda makes it worth the while. The view is great up here and you can see all the main sights of Paris. I’m writing this seating on the bench next to the souvenir shops waiting for sunset so that I can get a night view of Paris as well. The days are long here and even already nine, the sun is only just starting to set. It’s quite cloudy so there’s not much of a sunset. That’s only part of why I’m not venturing out yet; standing at the edge outside still makes me nervous… Cold.

If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.

- Ernest Hemingway

Will be packing my bags and heading off to Paris in 9 days’ time.

As always, the thought of running off to a foreign land, cozying it up in a back-to-basics dorm, planning my meals carefully to make sure I stay within budget, holding my breathe in front of sights I have known only through postcards, trudging uphill with my pack on my back…

Ah bliss.