The drive from Kuala Lumpur to the Island of Pinang took me past the incredible landscape and mountains of Ipoh, with a plan to get into the Cameron Highlands at some point. I only saw Ipoh from a distance as the highway swept around the city and continued northward.
 |
| Kota (Fort) Cornwallis entrance, George Town, Penang |
I passed through dozens of toll plaza while driving but had only needed to pay a toll for the motorcycle as I entered Malaysia from Singapore at the Tuas-Johor checkpoint. However, pulling across to the left as I started onto the Jambatan Pulau Pinang bridge across to George Town, I needed to pay my second toll using my little card.
 |
| Fort Cornwallis, cannon facing North East toward the Malaysian Peninsula |
Due to the size of my motorcycle (and the panniers making the rear width larger than my handlebars) I have often remained out of the motorcycle lanes because they were too difficult to navigate and the car lanes provided much more space for me... more comfort and safety. On the bridge across to Pinang Island, the traffic edged forward, bumper to bumper.
 |
| Fort Cornwallis, main cannon facing roughly North into the Malacca Strait |
A friend had warned me about the traffic on the bridge, but I had underestimated the length of the bridge and the amount of traffic, filling all the lanes for as far as I could see. The massive spires in the centre of the bridge were cloaked in the haze of distance, curving off to my right.
 |
| Fort Cornwallis and Wren, taken from a gun emplacement |
Although the speed limit on the bridge remained at 80kph, the motorcycle lane travelled the fastest, at times reaching 60kph. There were some occasional tight squeezes as I pushed past fat trucks with my fat motorcycle. I even had locals on motorcycles and scooters overtake me, pushing me up against the edge of the bridge to get around me in gaps in the traffic or taking advantage of thin cars. Even at this speed, it took about 45 minutes to get across the bridge and must have taken the cars more than an hour and probably two to make the crossing. Note that this was around midday, so I can't imagine what it would be like during peak hours.
 |
| Roundabout on the South-East corner of Fort Cornwallis |
As soon as I arrived at my hotel, with the approaching storm clouds building the oppressive humidity, I took the opportunity to grab lunch and head out to see some of the sights. The Char Kway Teo in George Town is the best I have ever eaten. In fact, the food in George Town is the best I ate on my entire trip, except perhaps for Lau Pa Sat in Singapore. I managed to get myself lost in Little India and wondered around Fort Cornwallis for a few hours as the temperature hit 36 degrees.
