Seventh Day, King of Jungle

What a crazily intense day! Last full one in Penang, Malaysia. Tomorrow (4 December 2013) I'm catching a train to Bangkok at 14.20.

The day was so stuffed and so scarily terrific that I don't know how to explain it. I'll go by bullet points.

TRIP AROUND PULAU PENANG BY MOTORBIKE (80K)
- left for the trip at 7;
- realized that first 24k were in a 4 line highway next to the industrial area of Penang (including Magneti Marelli factory), thought about dying crashed by crazy drivers a thousand times;
- missed the freaking fishmen village (Kampung Batu Maung);
- missed the typical Malay village (Kampung Seronok);
- stopped because of the heavy rain and started checking carefully about the rest of the trip, I couldn't keep skipping places;
- had some coffee and roti canai for 1,50 ringgit (40 euro cent) served by nice non-English speaking Che Guevara fan;
- started the hilly part of the trip: jungle, amazing views, terrific riding;
- stopped at Balik Pulau (second biggest city of Penang) for money withdrawal, resting and chatting with locals (very very friendly);
- back on the hills, stopped at the stall of a Chinese old farmer and street seller of durian, passionate for the study of law;
- ate very good Ganja durian (durian, the king of fruits, see description on Wikipedia, I can only say that it is pollinated by bats, and that you can smell it a hundred metres away), while talking about statute of limitation and bankruptcy law under Italian and Malaysian law;
- visited (alone) the nearby farm of the old pal, to be reached by walking in the jungle, with view on amazing waterfall and gigantic spiders;
- stopped at the Tropical Fruit Farm for a guided tour and an all you can eat tropical fruit buffet;
- finished the ride with some stop to take pictures of Batu Ferringhi Beach;
- filled the motorbike with 1,73 litres of gasoline paid 3,30 ringgit (80 euro cent).

BACK IN GEORGETOWN
- ate a big bowl of very good assam laksa (typical Penang fish soup with tamarin and a lot of indefinite stuff) in a renowned stall, with mice crawling around;
- after two hours ate two main courses and some dim sum in a packed open air Chinese restaurant;
- had some dessert from a street seller;
- shaved.

I don't know how a day can be better than this one.

Sixth Day, Relaxing in Penang (with 16k run)

Finally a relaxing day.

I wanted to run this morning, hadn't done it for 2 days. Then I realised that I hadn't slept for 3 days.

For the first time in five days I stood up at 8. Still, Penang wakes up later than me. Shops start opening at 9. Some of them at 10.

I bought the ticket to Bangkok, and tried to book a guided tour of the historical center and of the island.

The local tourist office is headed by a chubby nice but volitional Malay woman.

"Why should you book a guided tour, can't you walk on your own?" "Well, I don't want to get lost, and I'd like to learn something" "Impossible to get lost, here's the information you need" and she handed me a brochure.

"What about the tour of the island? Do you know anyone organising a guided tour with motorbikes?" "Can you ride a motorbike? Then you don't need any guide. It's very simple!"

So I rented Sam, a 125 scooter with gears. Tomorrow I'm riding for 72k alone along the island. Because that's what she wants. Seriously, it was a mix of Man Pride and fear.

Together with Sam came a helmet. Because, as the guy of the shop said, "helmets are USEFUL in Penang".

The morning went over with some lazy walking and eating.

In the afternoon I organized a couple of things to do in Thailand and checked for accommodation in Sukhotai and Chiang Mai.

Late afternoon I decided to run.

Tomorrow I'm riding all day, starting at 6. I can't stay 4 days without running. I would miss so much of this vacation.

So I went for an easy 10k up to see some temples and to see the botanic gardens.

When I got to botanic gardens the temptation was too strong. Ok, let's have an easy run here.

They're not like in Singapore. Jungle still prevails on what men have planted. It is actually difficult to distinguish botanic garden from jungle. There are also monkeys, a lot. And signs that warn about risks of tropical diseases. Definitely not like in Singapore.

While running, I saw an old Indian man starting to climb some hidden stairs. Where do they go? I thought. And followed the man on his path.

After a few minutes of running, the stairs became steeper, and it was impossible to see the end. The jungle surrounded them. Sometime trees were eating portions of the steps.

I reached the top exhausted, and met some Chinese guys. I asked where we were. They looked surprised and stood still. "Are we in Penang hill?" (the high peak which overcomes Georgetown). They finally replied "yes, but we are half way to the top".

Half way. Not too bad.

They were optimistic. After another kilometer, a couple told me that the top was 4k far away.

My GPS marked 9k. I was discouraged, but they added that a pick up was going to carry back everyone to botanic gardens in half an hour. Half an hour to reach the top. I can do it.

I couldn't. Signs indicated a 30% slope. And the view on the way was so fantastic, I needed to take pictures. Good excuses, isn't it?

Anyway, after 3k of running and walking I took the pick up to the botanic gardens and ran back to the hostel.

A lot of food to close the day. And quickly to bed. Tomorrow's going to be a long day on the road.

Fifth Day, Transit Mode

Fifth day of travelling. No romantic sunrises to show. No volcanoes to climb. For those you can read the previous posts of #piovonontheroad.

Last night, new year's eve, we hanged around the beach of Sanur until 1. The whole East coast of Bali was enlightened by fireworks. Never seen so many of them in my life. And part of my family comes from Gualtieri Sicaminò, the capital of fireworks in North East Sicily.

I left the hotel at 3 am. Greeted Federico (who luckily woke him and me up at 2.55) and took a taxi to the airport. If we can call taxi the car driven by the concierge of our hotel in Bali. (This is multitasking!!)

Left Bali at 6 and landed in Kuala Lumpur at 9. Last time I went to KL I was with four beautiful girls from my master. We had breakfast at Starbucks and took a taxi to the hotel. This time I had breakfast at the airport food court and caught a bus to... catch another bus.

KL was just on the way to Penang, an island in North West Malaysia. It is a five hours bus. I could take a flight to Penang, but I would have missed the Malaysian countryside. And one hundred euro. But mainly the countryside.

On the way from KL to Penang I slept most of the time. But when I opened my eyes I could see amazing peaks covered by jungle, arising from the jungle. Totally worth the saving of money. Buses are not like in Italy. Seats are like airplane business class.

Got in Butterworth (mainland Penang) at 19. Right after sunset, still with light. The coast of the island is ruined by high buildings. Something I'm familiar with, as the skyline resembles the first thing a traveler sees on the ferry from Italy to Sicily.

My hostel is in Georgetown, the main city of Penang, next to the historical center (a World Heritage Site).

I was a bit scared, as I'm staying in a dorm. But, surprise surprise, the room is just for me!!

You'll read again about the city on the Straits in the next two days.

For me it's time to eat, plan my runs, and finally sleep.

Fourth Day, the Freaking Volcano

Fourth day in Bali. The last one. The last day of 2012. The last day of my life, I believed for a while.

My name is Valerio, I'm a runner. And I suffer from vertigo. Heights freak me out. No idea why. Just happens.

I can remember the day it all started. I was 8 years old, in Stromboli, Eolian islands. On the volcano.

Since then I have been looking for volcanoes and mountains to climb. To heal.

You'll be surprised, but it never works. Keep freaking out, no matter what.

I wanted to climb Bali's volcano. To see the sunrise from the top. Most of all, to prove I can do it anyway.

My friends didn't come. I tried to convince them: "let's wake up at 2, start climbing at 4, to see the sunrise at 6". Crazy people, why they decided to sleep until 10 instead?

The guide, Waiyan, is a very nice guy. Very patient. He'll need to be with me.

The trekking starts at 3.45. Easy path but no moon or stars. You can see below a picture of the view at 4.30. It's the black one.

We need to use a torch, nothing's enlightened but the ground before our feet.

To climb is easy. I feel comfortable. No idea what's going on around. I don't bother even the dog climbing with us, uninvited.

Suddenly we're up. At the top. 1700m above the sea, 800m above the starting point. It's 4.45 am. Still hard to see around for the darkness. But it's possible to understand that we are facing the most amazing show of Bali's nature. A view like no one else. Cold lava, a huge lake surrounded by volcanoes, villages, plantations. All before us. We're freaking high. And I am freaking out.

I tell Waiyan for the first time that I suffer from vertigo. He lights his fifth sigarette of the day and offers me one. "No, thanks", I reply.

We arrive at the camp where his friends are cooking food for all of us. They've been there since 3. We are the first group, other 30 people are coming. But I don't want to see the view.

Instead, I stay with Waiyan and his friends in the kitchen. We have a lot in common: they saw the volcano so many times. I saw myself acting like a frightened child so many times.

I eat and light my first sigarette after ages. It's 5.30 when I go out of the kitchen. The sun is coming out, slightly. Sunrise is expected at 6, dawn is upon us.

We now can see better the lake, the villages, the other volcanoes. Even Lombok, an island as big as Bali, far far away. Better go inside.

We talk and laugh. It starts raining. Good, the path back will also be slippery.

6, the sunrise. The view is spectacular. I ask Waiyan to see the crater, the smokes of the volcanoes, and to go the hell out of there.

Waiyan never makes a move. Always calm, always easy. I see the crater, going down for 300 meter.

Everything around is pure nature's power.

He pours me a second sigarette. We smoke together. Then we start going back down.

I can clearly see the 800m we climbed.

Surprisingly I feel better than usual. Who knows what they put in those cigarettes.

First 100m down I'm still frightened, holding Waiyan's hand most of the time.

But the more we walk, the more I get confident. Suddenly I can walk alone. Easy. Fast. No more fear, like a normal person.

We reach another group and a girl is still holding the hand of her guide. Pff, what a pussy.

Waiyan does never make a move. He asks me to take pictures of me. And I can easily stand with the void on my back. I can also take pictures.

We reach the ground and I'm willing to go up again. Already looking forward to the next volcano to climb. I will probably freak out again. But it will be less.

Like the philosopher Rocky Balboa once said: "If I can change, and you can change, then all the world can change".

Happy new year.

Third Day, Sunrise Kingdom

Slight reference to Moonrise Kingdom, the best movie you can see in 2012. Hurry up, no much time left to watch it in 2012.

Third day in Bali.

The alarm clock rang at 5.30 this morning. Nothing compared to tomorrow, but we will see that tomorrow.

Busy busy day.

7k run along the coast. Federico and I amazed by the sunrise. Our sight went through the beach uncovered by the low tide, fishermen, reef, open sea, and, finally, the horizon waiting for its king.

After a deserved breakfast we moved to Kuta, the famous beach for surf beginners and drunks. We opted for being surf beginners.

One hour with instructor (two instructions: paddle, up) and boards so big that we could eat there in ten. Nobody could fall from such big boards. Nobody but me and Seba, Federico's brother.

I tell you, I'm not a surfer.

After provoking the laughs of everyone around, we managed to boost our self confidence with a couple of good waves. So boosted, I opted for using the small board, for trained surfers. I think the waves weren't big enough. That or I can't surf. The waves, for sure.
Excited like never for our two good waves, we later showed the beach what Italians do better. Ok, second thing Italians do better: playing football.

Federico, Seba and I against Indonesia in the toughest football match on the beach that Bali remembers.

From lame surfers we became professional football players of Serie A (that's what we told to the kids asking for autographs). And to the fifteen years old guys we beated hard.

Day's almost over, time to have dinner and go to sleep early.

Tomorrow, 31 December 2012, I'm waking up at 1.45 a.m..

Tomorrow's the big day. We'll get there tomorrow.

Aloha.