Day 3 (Rest day)

Saturday, 7th January 2017


56km

I tossed and turned a little in bed as my mind began to register just where I was. What time was it? The sun was already shining through my room's window. I picked up my phone and glanced at the time. 9.45 am. I didn't set an alarm for today as this was going to be my first rest day. In retrospect, I wasn't ridiculously tired and my legs were far from jelly but I did want to take the first couple of days slow so as to allow my body to adapt to spending hours on the bike day after day. Plus, I was in Penang, dubbed the bicycle state of Malaysia, what better place to take a rest day! As I sat up, I was expecting the aches and pains in the legs to greet me but lo and behold, there were none! Instead, I felt extremely refreshed, definitely much better than I expected to feel. I lounged in bed for another 15 minutes then got up. 

In spite of  today being a rest day, it didn't mean that I'd wasn't going to get on my bike. I wanted to head out as soon as possible because I had made plans to explore the the newly completed second half of the Penang Bicycle Lane as well as check out a couple of bike stores on the island because even though it had rained during the early hours of the morning and dark clouds were still visible, I wasn't counting on them staying dark for long and I knew it was only going to get hotter and warmer the longer I waited. Not only that, I had made plans to meet Sher Minn and her sister for breakfast, so I couldn't be late and I wanted to take it slow today to recover, so I didn't want to rush either.

As I exited the apartment's vicinity, I took in the cool morning breeze and caught the scent of rain in the air. The water-darkened asphault and the occasional puddle of water further supported the idea that it had rained during the early hours of the morning. I was glad the weather was being cooperative today. I made my way towards the Lim Chong Eu Highway from Jelutong and got onto the bike lane from there. For those of you who don't know, the Penang Bicycle Lane or more formally known as the Penang Bicycle Route Masterplan is an initiative by the Penang Island City Council in response to the growing number of calls by cyclists for a safer route around the island as well as an effort to promote the sport and culture. The lane, when fully completed circa 2020, is expected to be about 40km long and connect Straits Quay at it's northern most point to the Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas at it's southern end whilst simultaneously passing through key areas such as Georgetown and Bayan Baru.

I've had the fortune of riding on the first phase of the lane sometime in 2016 when I had a short stint at the Penang General Hospital for a bout 3 weeks, which starts just north of Karpal Singh Drive and extends all the way to the Queensbay shopping mall. However, I have yet to ride on the newly completed second phase which extends the lane further south to the second or new Penang Bridge, a.k.a the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge. I was going to use this opportunity to not only explore the newly opened lane but to also record  the entire lane's length on the action camera i had with me because what better use is there of an action camera on a cycling adventure?! 

Once I had made my way onto the the stretch of lane that ran parallel to the Lim Chong Eu highway, I turned right and headed south towards Queensbay Mall, the starting point of the newly completed second phase. I figured, in order for me to save time and get the video footage of the entire lane, it would be better if I started from the southern end an made my way north as the bike shops and the spot where I'd be meeting Sher Minn and her sister were all north of Queensbay. 

I reached Queensbay in no time, thanks to my fresh legs and the cool breeze. Unfortunately, having heard official news of the opening of the Second Phase on various online media sources, what awaited me there wasn't exactly what I was expecting to see. The end of the First Phase was exactly that, a dead end. Several meters down the road across a tiny river was the beginning of the Second Phase. There was still no linkage between the two parts of the bike lane. Instead, construction work and scaffolding around what appeared to be a bridge across the tiny river linking the two lanes was present. Oh well, maybe it'll be done the next time I come to Penang. I got off the bike lane and made my way across the river via the Lim Chong Eu Highway and resumed my ride on the Second Phase lane. 

The Second Phase was virtually similar to the first in terms of design and materials used, being just a cement road with the occasional bicycle signage or two painted on the surface in white paint. There were no barriers at various entry points to prevent the entry of errant motorcyclists or cars from parking on the lane, stretches where there were no side barriers between the lane and road, and no noticeable lane-exclusive street lamps, so not exactly night-time friendly, although the lane was relatively close to the main road which has it's own set of street lamps. 

The Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge in the background.

Essentially, the lane, as with the First Phase, is still pretty bare. While I do give a huge thumbs-up to the local city council for their efforts in trying to make cycling safer for locals, more work can be done to further improve the lane and make cycling a proper alternative means of transportation.

Eventually, I went as far south along the lane as I could go and wound up close to the Second Penang Bridge. Those of you who have ran in the annual Penang Bridge International Marathon before when it was held on the new bridge will be familiar with this site as this in the starting and finishing spot.

If I'm being completely honest, I did have to detour off the lane as it ended rather abruptly just 200m or so before the bridge and hop over the guardrail to reach the aforementioned spot as there was still some amount of construction going on between where I detoured and the island-end of the second bridge which I assumed was an extension of the lane.

Detoured off the lane a couple of meters before hopping over the guardrail on the left

I took a couple of pictures of the bike with the bridge in the background as I thought the scene was quite picturesque and it'd be a waste to have come all this way and not capture the moment. 

My photography skills just don't do scenes like this justice

Eventually, I dbegan to make my way back up north with the action camera rolling to record the journey along the lane.

I stopped half way at the Trek Bicycle Store in Bayan Lepas because I wanted to pay them a visit the see how the store was doing since I last came by as well as take a couple of pictures for a future post that I'll be working on. One of the employees, a Mr Sam Pradhan, whom I've met a couple of times before still remembered me and was still as jolly and cheerful as I remember.

As I was taking some pictures and ogling at some of their bikes, it hit me that my tyre pressures weren't high enough since Day 1 in Alor Setar when I had to laboriously pump them up with a mini-pump instead of a conventional track pump. I was pretty sure the pressures then were no where close to the recommended pressures. In addition, I had already ridden for two and a half days with a backpack adding extra weight, so I was pretty sure I was going to need to pump them up soon if I wanted to avoid a puncture.

They were kind enough to let me tryout the Madone (first from the front) the last time I was there

I asked if I could borrow a pump and Sam not only said yes but offered to pump up my tyres for me. I repeatedly declined as he was already being more than kind but he didn't want to have it any other way. He attached the nozzle of the pump onto my tyre valves and lo and behold, 60 psi for the front and 65 psi for the rear. 40% and 35% lower than the recommended 100psi mark respectively. I was thankful I didn't run into any pinch punctures along the way. After a couple of pump strokes, my tyres were rock solid again and with that problem taken care of, I bid Sam good bye and was on my way again.

Back on the lane

The stretch of lane beside the outdoor carpark in front of Queensbay Mall had yet to be completed. From the looks of it, I suspect it will cut through the area that's currently under construction to the right in the picture below, possible part of the land reclamation efforts in the area. Road bike users should exercise some caution here as the ground is sandy and loose, less than ideal for slick tyres.

The aforementioned "off road" segment in front of Queensbay

I continued northwards along the bike path which ran along the seaside to the East with Jerejak Island not too far in the back ground. A hundred meters or so later, the lane literally goes through a roadside seafood restaurant of sorts near the Golden Coast Resort Condominiums. It wasn't open at the time although I would advise caution when riding through here as the road quality is rather poor with pot holes and a couple of sharp blind turns present along with some furniture and the occasional restaurant patron crossing the lane. From the looks of it, parts of the restaurant have been torn down. I know of an area further down the lane where some of these restaurants have been relocating to. Perhaps this one was doing the same. 

  

Coming up to that seafood restaurant

Sharp right turn followed by a sharp left turn, avoid the sofa on your right!

Rather derelict-looking

As I was nearing a bridge that I had to cross prior to the Jerejak Island Jetty, I came across an area known as the GSD Cycling Park, the GSD part referring to GSD Land, a property developer who I believe had a hand in the construction of the bike lane. A landmark of the area is the GSD Cycling Lane monument surrounded by a roundabout of sorts. It was here that I took a left turn a little too fast, followed very briefly by my first crash of the entire expedition! 

I had cycled past this area multiple times before during my previously mentioned 3 week-long stint in Penang although, thinking back, it was during the drought season when the roads were as dry as dry could be. This time however, it had rained the night before and the relatively smooth cement surface of this stretch of the lane combined with the superficial layer of rain water, wet leaves and my inattention to all of these things resulted in my unavoidable accident. 

The 'infamous' GSD Cycling Park monument

I scraped my left shoulder, calf and butt cheek and bruised my ego. Thankfully though, as the ground was slippery, it prolonged the duration of my fall and therefore lessened the impact force. I got up slowly and brought myself up on my two feet. I then lifted my bike up and gave it a quick look over. Other than the chain coming off and some new heart-aching scratches on the paint, it was still in one confidence-inspiring piece.

I was genuinely more concerned about my bike than myself as the entire trip would have to be scrapped if the frame was cracked. In the distance behind some trees and shrubs near the water's edge, some fish anglers shouted out at me, asking if I was OK. They told me quite a number of cyclists have crashed at this very spot over the past few weeks because of how slippery the surface has become. As a result of this, I urge anyone interested in exploring the bike lane to be a little more CAUTIOUS when cycling through this particular segment of the lane even if the whether has been favorably dry as fallen leaves may still be present on the lane. As for my misfortune, any crash you can walk away from is a good one right? 

Still in one piece

After I regained by bearings and made sure there was nothing wrong with the bike, I hoped back on and continued along the lane, this time with a higher level of caution in mind. I cycled across that bridge I mentioned before and was back along Persiaran Bayan Indah. 

Up the ramp onto the bridge

I eventually passed the jetty and subsequently an area along Persiaran Bayan Indah that was previously occupied by more road-side seafood restaurants which have also been relocated to a spot further down the lane like the restaurant I mentioned before. They area has since been sealed off with a metal fence and some green netting, presumably for future development.

The green netting on the right where the restaurants used to be.

The following stretch of lane goes along a gated neighborhood known as D'Residence and allows for an uninterupted view of the Penang Bridge and is a great opportunity for photography enthusiasts. The area was pretty scenic, with the bridge gorgeously visible accompanied by the sound of waves gently crashing against the shore and the cool morning breeze. 

As I pedaled on, it was at that moment that I realized not only how fortunate I was to be able to go on such an expedition but also how much I wish I could share what I was experiencing with others. If only more people got up and went out to see what their own country has to offer, maybe that would make us a better people as a whole. 

The gated neighborhood on the left

The Penang Bridge

Jerejak Island (Pulau Jerejak) in the background, cycling lane on the far right

Shortly after that, I passed through a shared lane that exists off the Lim Chong Eu Highway called Persiaran Bayan Mutiara. It is here at which all the aforementioned seafood restaurants have migrated to. Whether by choice or by city council force, I do not know. 

The seafood restaurants up ahead to the right

More of those restaurants to the right

Not too far down the road is the base of the Penang Bridge. This is another spot I would highly recommend for a photo opportunity as even on the worst of days, when the weather just doesn't want to cooperate, the view from here will still be defiantly stunning.

The island-end of the Penang Bridge

Here are some of the photos I took from my previous trip to Penang, not exactly multi-award winning shots but I'm relatively proud of my skills with my phone camera. I'm sure a proper amateur with a decent camera could do tons better. 

The Batu Uban Fisherman Jetty is nearby, so don't be too shocked to see so many rafts or sampans.

The shared lane end just before the start of the island-end of the bridge, continuing on as a dedicated bike lane. From here onwards, the majority of the lane runs parallel to the Lim Chong Eu Highway and ends just after Pinang River (Sungai Pinang) which is just after Karpal Singh Road.

Along the lane, you'll come across barriers that are set up at the various entrances into the lane to prevent errant motorcyclists from coming onto the lane as a bid to go against traffic without taking the long way around.

"Motorcycle repellent"

Unfortunately, the stubborn amongst them still wiggle their way past these barriers and find their way on the lane. Some of these barriers have even been vandalised since the last time I was here. Whether by cyclists, motorcyclists or random hooligans with nothing else better to do, who knows.

Some vandalised barriers

A motorcycle easily puts out more power than even the strongest Olympic cyclists. This combined with its heavier weight and the smooth cement surface of certain segments of the lane increases the risk of them skidding and losing control, especially when turning corners or after a drizzle. Not only that, in the event of a crash motorcycle VS bicycle style, the weight differential will mean the cyclist is more likely to be thrown off than the motorcyclist. And as selfish as it sounds, in the event misfortune were to fall upon me and a motorcyclist on the lane, and he or she is injured or worse, I do not what to be held responsible even the tiniest bit as a result of his or her mistake. 

Plus, the entire point of a cycling lane is to make cycling safer so that people can see it as a viable means of transportation which is especially important in a country where efficient public transportation and affordable private vehicles have taken a back seat to more pro-national policies. The moment you put a motorcycle on the lane, it more or less defeats the purpose of the lane itself.

This gentleman must be lost. Looks like he forgot to put on his helmet too.

A little further down the lane and you'll come to a stretch that is pretty exposed to the highway. Not only that, it is quite possibly the narrowest segment of  the entire lane. As a result, it maybe a little daunting at first to ride along this stretch with motorcycles zooming by on their lane during rush hour, especially if there are other cyclists coming towards you, but take it easy and go slow. The local municipal council should perhaps look into erecting a heavy-duty wired fence to separate the lane and the highway. This would instill a sense of safety and security in the cyclists who use the lane. 

It gets pretty narrow here

Not only does the bike lane become less of a lane and more of a roadside decorative piece, the segment that passes by the exit towards Jelutong is more or less non-existant. I'm not entirely sure if there ever was a lane or if it was just damaged or warn away by cars driving over it, but I would advised caution when travelling through here, especially to cyclists on road-specific bikes which have very narrow and hard tyres which offer very little grip on loose dirt.

Eventually though, the lane just disappears and you'll be forced to ride on the asphalt. There is a traffic light at the junction though, which should provide some solace as you're passing through.

A couple hundred meters down, the lane reappeared and I was back on it. As with before, the lane still runs parallel to the Lim Chong Eu highway although this time, it's feels significantly safer and less exposed as it's a few meters away from the shoulder of the road and practically the entire stretch has a guard rail separating the lane from the road, all of which instilled a sense of security not found on the earlier segment.

More motorcyclists

About 400m to 500m down the lane from the Jelutong exit, you'll have to make a sharp right turn just in front of a Shell petrol station onto Jalan Perushaan Jelutong. From here onwards, the lane becomes an absolute joy to ride on as it diverges away from the highway towards Karpal Singh Drive and the ocean.

That sharp right turn.

Shortly after the turn, you'll come up to a ramp that ends just behind a rustic-looking Chinese temple. Further down the lane, you'll cycle behind a food court, the BSP Waterfront Foodcourt and Market, to your left and the ocean to your right.

The aforementioned Chinese temple....

...followed by the food court to the left....

...and sea to the right.

The lane becomes a shared lane as it essentially is the entire stretch of sidewalk along Karpal Singh Drive. It's very common to find this stretch of the lane bustling with people during the evenings and on the weekends. It's quite a popular site for dog-walkers, kite-flyers and kids with skateboards and roller blades although I believe the local municipal council has recently banned the usage of skateboards and the flying of kites. Motorcycles are a definite no-no but that probably doesn't concern an ignorant handful.

Another one wiggling through the barrier.

The lane gets busier at night as adults and kids alike come to stroll along the lane while taking in the cool ocean breeze, jog or just hang out at the 24-hours McDonald's at the end of the road.

Those Golden Arches

Even though it becomes a shared lane, the sidewalk is easily the widest part of the entire cycling lane, giving you and just about everybody else on it ample amounts of space. This combined with the scenic view of the ocean and mainland in the background makes it hard to resist slowing down to just take it all in.

It's as though he's striking a pose.

Karpal Singh Drive goes on for about half a kilometer before you reach it's northern end, where you'll have to make a 90 degree left turn that continues behind a condominium, Desa Pinang 2, and will eventually lead you to a ramp. This ramp leads you to a bicycle-specific bridge which crosses over Pinang River (Sungai Pinang). 

Komtar in the distance, as seen from the bridge.

Once you've crossed this bridge, you'll come up to a narrow lane that runs in between some fairly rustic looking wooden houses and end up near a very purplishly pink Chinese temple along C.Y. Choy Road (Jalan C.Y. Choy) . This is the very point at which I would consider to be the northern most end of the bike lane for now. 

The lane you'll be emerging from, pink Chinese temple to the right of the picture.

Officially, the lane continues for about another kilometer or so towards Komtar Tower. However, what some would consider as part of the bike lane is actually just a long stretch of sidewalk along Gurdwara Road (Jalan Gurdwara) that has been retrofitted into a bike lane by some cementing and paint. This last segment of the lane is relatively heavy in foot traffic, goes through a fair number of junctions and ends rather abruptly before even reaching Komtar Tower. All these factors put together makes this last bit of the lane rather unappealing and unsafe to ride on to say the least. I've ridden it before and can confidently say you won't be missing out on much if you skip this segment of the lane as I have.

If you're interested in watching the video I recorded, fell free to watch it right here or on YouTube:

From the northern end of the lane, instead of heading towards Komtar, I instead made my way back onto the Lim Chong Eu highway as it was time for breakfast with Sher Minn and her sister. I pedalled on for another kilometer and a half or so, going past the bus terminal and jetty, before turning left onto Gat Lebuh Gereja. Along this row is the Ah Lai Coffee Shop where we had our breakfast. If you're a fan of roti bakar (local toast bread) and half boiled eggs, you'd be hard pressed to find a better store on the island than here.

Our roti bakar breakfast meeting spot is relatively well known among the locals but isn't as popular as certain other mainstream places like Toh Son or Hutton Lane are, especially to non-Penangites. That isn't necessarily a bad thing as there's much less waiting to do and that also doesn't mean the place isn't good. We ordered a few plates of roti bakar with half boiled eggs on top along with some toasted bread with kaya and ice-cold coffee coffee.

The almost makeshift looking store that sits just under a big tree would be easily missed if not for the crowds of people that can be seen eating away out in front. We came at a good time as a table was immediately available although there have been times before when we've had to wait a decent while before a table becomes vacant. 

The store from the outside.

Our frothy ice-cold coffees.

The store is typically at it's busiest on Sunday mornings as the Occupy Beach Street event will be taking place along Beach Street (Lebuh Pantai) which is literally just down the road from Ah Lai. The event is an initiative supported by the state and aims to promote health and fun via various activities ranging form walking, jogging, biking, dancing and so on. Beach Street along with some of the neighboring roads, including Gat Lebuh Gereja on which Ah Lai is on, will be closed every Sunday from 7am to 1pm to facilitate the event. 

Our rotis!

After our satisfying breakfast, we made our way to the ever famous Penang Road Cendol stall for some ice-kacang and cendol because what better way is there to spend a blistering hot afternoon than gulping down ice-cold sweetness!

The stall was just under 2 kilometers away according to Google, so we got there in no time, me on my bike and the other two in their car. However, as the stall is practically a heritage site on it's own, there's always bound to be a queue and this trip was no exception. Penangites, other locals and tourists alike can constantly be found waiting in line for a chance to savour a dessert that's probably on every food blog out there about Malaysian delicacies. 

The crowd, as ever present as the ice in ice-kacang.

As I arrived first thanks to the nimbleness of a bicycle through Penang bumper-to-bumper traffic, I stood in line first while waiting for the other two to arrive. After about 5 minutes, just before it was my turn to order, the other two arrived after parking their car, just in time. 

I had a bowl of ice-kacang while the other two had their cendols. Unfortunately, the relatively rowdy crowd combined with the rather narrow lane in which the stall is located and the searing heat made the bowl a little less enjoyable than usual. 

In addition, we faced a small issue with the stall attendant that left a bad taste in my mouth. The cost of our three bowls came up to RM8.20. We handed the man an RM20 note as we had no loose change. The attendant refused to accept it and claimed he had no change to give us, a somewhat odd reply coming from a business that has been operating on tangible currency alone for decades. So we scrounged around, digging deep into other wallets, purses and handbags until we came up with eight very crumpled RM1 notes, which was all the RM1 notes we had, but no coins. 

This, unfortunately, was still not enough for him. Just to give you a better idea of the situation, an average order, from the actual verbal request itself up until payment and reception of a bowl of cendol, takes under a minute. At this point, we had already held up the line for more than a few minutes and people were starting to notice the hold-up. The attendant eventually reached into his pocket for change for our RM20, change he claimed he didn't have, and returned it to us, all under 5 seconds. Not only was he just plain lazy but his attitude was a show of poor customer service.

I've patroned that stall almost everytime I've been to Penang. Once, I paid RM10 for a seven-something order and told the then attendee to keep the change because I was pleased with the service I received at the stall during all my previous visits. Rather than a grateful thank you, he instead looked at me with a stunned expression, as if it he couldn't believe I was giving him free cash. He then asked me twice if I was sure before pocketing the cash, with the only thank you coming from me. Paints a clear picture about how stingy some can be once they've tasted success.

We moved a little further down the lane, away from the crowd to finish our bowls. I've had two bowls instead of the healthier, less-fattening, less-decadent singular bowl during some of my previous visits but on this day, one was more than enough. 

Shortly after we finished up, it was a few minutes past noon. We then made plans to meet up at a pet-themed cafe that was rather popular among dog lovers just a few minutes north of where we were, behind Gurney Plaza. As they were going to drive there, it would take them a little while to get there, with having to walk to their car then drive in the jam and all. I took the opportunity to drop by a new bike store that had opened up in the Tanjung Tokong area which was one to two kilometers north of the cafe. I hoped on bike and made my way there in no time, arriving at store before the other two even arrived at the cafe.

The store dealt almost solely in Giant bikes, a long-time bicycle manufacturing company from Taiwan and one of the pioneer brands of carbon fiber bikes. In fact, a few decades ago when carbon bikes were becoming more and more financially viable to consumers, most of the major bike companies outsourced the production of their frames to Giant as a result of their efficiency and strict quality control measures.

The store had just about every major model I could think of in both road and mountain biking disciplines. Even though the store operated out of a multi-story building, the main area open to customers was just the ground floor. 

 There, you'll find bikes, roads on one side and mountain on the other, a bike fitting area, a work place and apparels galore, all neatly organized and looking very professional. Definitely a serious bike store for a serious cyclist. I'll be writing a more in-depth overview on the store soon so stay tuned!

After I finished my little look around, I realised I had spent close to half an hour just walking around that singular floor, checking out the bikes and gear. I thanked the employee there and made my way to the cafe where I'm sure Sher Minn and her sister would have been waiting for quite a while now.

As I mentioned before, the Woof and Romp Cafe will surely delight any canine lover as it essentially a cafe linked to a pet store. In it, you'll find dogs, freely roaming around, interacting with each other as well as the customers. Most of them are wearing pampers so as to not leave their business all over the business. Customers are also encouraged to bring their own pets provided they are watched over and taken care off while in the cafe.

The pet store....

....with the cafe just to the left.

I entered the pet store, then went through another door that lead to the cafe, ordered a drink and sat down at a table where Sher Minn and her sister were sitting, already one drink in with a puppy on the table. 

The menu was pretty decent, a standard cafe menu with various coffees and pastas, but I'd be lying if I told you the main attraction was anything other than the dogs in the room! They were surprisingly very well behaved and very approachable, mingling well not only amongst each other but with the dogs of customers as well.

A Rottweiler

A Toy Poodle....I think?

Growing up, I never had a pet to call a companion. We had some goldfishes but I don't think they're going to win the title of "Man's Best Friend" anytime soon. As a result, the idea of someone having a dog or a cat was almost weirdly funny to me. Why would anyone want something that costs money, has the potential of stinking-up and shedding fur all over your house and requires so much care and maintenance? (probably what my parents thought when I was still an infant, aside from the shedding that is). And the relationship between them and their pets was just something I could never understand, until I moved to Kedah. 

During my few years there, a housemate of mine got a dog and it lived with us for pretty much a year before he brought it back home to KL. I grew pretty attached to it and began to understand what all the fuss was about. I also met Sher Minn's six dogs and before long, I grew attached to them as well. Back at home during my absence, my family had adopted a litter of four to five stray cats and I got the opportunity to experience living with cats too. 

I guess what I'm trying to say is. I have a soft spot towards animals and religiously detest cruelty towards them or their mistreatment. Which brings me to my point, in the event you do decide to patron this cafe, especially if you have kids with you, please ensure that the dogs are handled with care and treated well. 

A Pomeranian named Macaroon, with some problem with it's hind legs.

When we were there, there were these kids seated one table away from us, easily in their primary school years, handling the small puppy you see Sher Minn carrying in the picture above. They were accompanied by their parents who were too busy talking amongst each other to notice how violently they were yanking at the puppy and running around with it, wanting a turn with him as though he was some stuffed toy,

Even though the parents did tell the children to be gentle with the puppy, it more or less fell on deaf ears. I could tell the poor thing was uncomfortable and tired and just wanted a rest from them. And as a result of it's disability, it couldn't move on it's own and therefore couldn't hide, which made it's situation ever the more pitiful. Eventually, the parents noticed that we were looking at the kids and ask them to hand the puppy over to us. Within a few minutes, it closed it's eyes and fell asleep (the picture above). 

I can understand that the kids were just excited to play with the dog, but just because these dogs are there for the customers to interact with, that doesn't mean that you have the right to handle them however you want just because you're a customer. Some of these dogs are handled and played with from opening until closing, sometimes hours at a time and not always by gentle individuals. Keep that in mind if you're ever to drop by.

A Golden Retriever.....

.....and a Corgi.

After about an hour or so of resting, rehydrating and just plain taking it easy (it was a rest day after all), I figured it was time to make a move. We had dinner plans and it was already evening. That, coupled with Penang rush hour requires a fair amount of planning and punctuality. 

I filled up my empty bicycle bottles with some water from the cafe and told Sher Minn and her sister that I'd meet them back at the house in Jelutong. I made my way towards Gurney Drive and cycled south.

Eventually, I reached the Beach Street area again and remembered that the area was filled with more than a few street art murals/graffiti, most of them the handy work of one Ernest Zacharevic, a Lithuanian public artist based in Penang. Some of his more famous works are the 'Boy on Motorcycle', 'Little Boy With Pet Dinosaur' and 'Children on Bicycle' installations. I thought this would be a good opportunity to snap a couple of pictures as what visit to Penang would be complete without being a tourist in front of it's many iconic murals here.

  

'Little Boy With Pet Dinosaur' to the left and  'Boy on Motorcycle'to the right.

While in the area, something else caught me eye. Something that was relatively novel to the Penang landscape and, aside from a few exceptions here and there, is virtually unheard of in just about every corner of the country, a bike sharing system!

The Beach Street station.

Not Tour de France worthy but it looks sturdy enough.

As with the bike lane, the Link Bike bicycle sharing system is another initaive by the Penang City Council to promote cycling as an alternate form of transportation. The long term plan would be to incorporate the system with the eventual expansion of the bike lane which will connect Straits Quay to the existing lane, as well as the planned LRT system in the future.

There are are supposedly 25 bike stations in total throughout Georgetown, Queensbay and Straits Quay, with Georgetown seeing the highest concentration of stations. Anyone can pick up a bike at one station via the aid of the Link Bike app on their phone, ride the bike and then return it to another station once done. According to their website, the first 30 minutes of usage are free with every subsequent hour costing just RM1.

The app also allows informs the user about the location of these stations as well as the number of bikes currently available at each station. These bikes are to serve as a short-distance transit vehicle to reduce and partially replace the usage of motorised vehicles, reduce traffic woes on the island as well as the environmental impact that comes with them.

Finally, it was time for me to head back. The sky was getting darker, not just because of the setting sun but also due to ominous looking clouds. From here, I retraced my steps from this morning along the bike lane and reached the Jelutong exit in no time. 

I hopped into the showers to get cleaned up then chucked my clothes into the washing machine. Once that was all settled, I went to check on my bike just to see if everything was still working fine and if I had over looked anything. The trip was still far from over and I needed to make sure my trusty steed was indeed still trusty.

Fortunately, other than a few tears in the bar tape, scrapes on the side on the saddle and extra scratches on the frame, everything seemed to be in working order. No major cracks on the frame and the shifters were working perfectly.

And then there was checking on myself. After my bath, the adrenaline from the day was all but gone and the pain from the fall earlier started becoming more pronounced. I had scraped and bruised my left shoulder, left thigh and left calf. Nothing serious but not exactly welcomed either. I needed to be more careful, I thought, as this journey would require not just the bike to be in working condition, but myself as well. 

I rested a bit and fiddled with my phone a little, Googling about Taiping, the distance between here and there and where I'd be staying for the night tomorrow. Before long, it was already dark outside. We didn't have a car in our disposal so we engaged a GrabCar driver to pick us up. Truth be told, as someone who's lived in a relatively urban town like Subang Jaya for most of his life, this was my first time trying a ride-hailing service. The trip from Jelutong to Paragon along Gurney Drive took about 20 minutes thanks to the traffic but only cost us RM9. Pretty reasonable, I thought, especially if you were to take into account parking fees. 

Once there, we strolled about a little before waiting for the others to arrive. The atmosphere here at night is definitely an inviting one, especially with the lights and water works turned on, complimented by the cool night's breeze. Tonight's dinner would be courtesy of a Morganfield's voucher/coupon I had with me.

After our hearty meal, we strolled around for a little while longer before heading home in Sher Minn's sister's car. Once home, I began packing my things, organizing my bag, refilling my water bottles, and anything else I could prepare for tomorrow. As I'll be heading to Taiping the next day, I'd have to be more independent than the past few days as I won't have Sher Minn and her family or other friends to rely on in the event something goes wrong. And unlike Penang or Kedah, I was relatively unfamiliar with Perak.