This place Georgetown feels awesome within an hour of arriving here. It's got color and charm, old buildings, a good mix of backpackers in with the locals, so if feels like a PERFECT place to hang and explore for a week or so, which is the plan.
I got the last room in a Chinese owned guest house that was supposedly very clean, and yeah, that's right, it's nice. They only had a large room available with two beds and a window with a view, and I decided to spend the big bucks ($10) and grab it, rather than head to the next place. I like it, and I like the fact that old Chinese guys are downstairs drinking tea as I pass through.
I'm doing some business with an Indian guy, Mohammed, (muslim) who is a pretty cool travel agent and is helping me get passage to Chiang Mai about a week from today. The best deal seems to be a van ride back into Thailand, then a direct flight from Hatyai, where I spent last night, up to Chiang Mai in the north. Muhammed is cool, young, a little hefty, calls me Brotha and is on the ball. He gets my business because he's straight up. Part of the deal is to add a little cash to the van driver who will make a little detour to the airport before going into the town. $7 tip makes that happen and it's all arranged, thanks to my agent. The driver was looking for $20, but my guy got him down to $7.
Muhammed will also help me get my visa application done. It costs about $50 to get a two month visa for Thailand, used to be free, but Thailand got wise to the fact that they could make serious money by gouging the tourists, so that's the price for now. It will likely go up.
So now I have maybe six days to explore this city and Penang Island where it is located. I'll eat awesome food and bask in the cultures. Nice to be here after 3 days of travel. It feels just right. Happy Thanksgiving. I think I'll go for some chicken tandoori to celebrate....
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