The Quest for Margarita 2 (February 8 to 11, 2020), Day 4 : Penang to Johor Bahru

In the alleyway behind OO Cafe

Jalan Burmah

Jalan Penang

Yap Kongsi

Seh Tek Tong Cheah Kongsi

Lebuh Acheh Mosque

Lebuh Acheh

This morning, we decided not to risk going up Penang Hill as we have a 1 pm bus to catch. Instead, some of us took a leisurely morning walk to Cafe Seow Fong Lye at Lorong Macalister for char koay kak. The shop was disappointingly serviced by that particular koay kak stall only but we were allowed to order prawn noodle from the neighbouring shop and chee cheong fun from a stall in the alleyway.

After breakfast we made our way to Pragin Mall to catch the container art piece at a closer view and onward to Sia Boey Urban Archeological Park. The Park was completed in 2019 with the aim to preserve Sia Boey Market and the Pragin Canal. 

The name, Sia Boey meaning Town's End in Hokkien dialect literally came about as George Town in the 19th century was only developed up to Pragin canal. Back then, only a small Chinese settlement with a few attap houses were located beyond The Canal, now the site of Komtar. The archeological dimension came about in Oct 2015 when a granite rock was unearthed from the canal. The rock was later identified as a canal lock placed to control the discharge.

OO Cafe

Cafe Ping Hooi

After Sia Boey, we took on Lebuh Acheh, Beach Street and Lebuh Armenian before returning to Reunion Carnavon to help Joyce with her final bike packings. With a few hours more to boarding time, May, Mr Lim, VT and Claudine decided to chow down more of what Lebuh Carnavon has to offer. They tried the beef noodle at OO cafe. Later, VT and Claudine proceeded to Cafe Ping Hooi for their delicious lor bak with May and Mr Lim calling defeat!

When it was time to leave, Mr Lim, VT and Claudine rode the short distance to Komtar to catch their bus. Uncle KC came along to say his goodbyes, deciding to stay one more night in Penang. They were later joined by Mindy and Karen who happened to be on the same bus but dropping off earlier in KL. Meanwhile, May headed for Butterworth and returned to Taiping via KTMB's commuter train.

The journey home was a nightmare. Apparently, intercity buses are no longer allowed to come into Komtar. Instead the bus company chartered a van to collect their passengers to the intercity bus terminal at Sg Nibong.

Even though our bus was scheduled for 1 pm, the 11 seater van only arrived to collect the passengers at 12.50 pm. There were 8 of us altogether and a collection of 4 bromptons, 1 tern, 2 large cargo sized luggages, 2 cabin sized luggages and a huge 100 liter backpack. 

When it could not go into the van, our bikes were being penalised even though they were luggage sized. A heated argument ensued when the operators tried to pile things on Mindy's bike. She was worried her bike will be damaged. In the midst of the argument, one of the operators scolded, "Cibai", to which Claudine retorted with "lan chiau", her first obscenities to a man.

At Sg Nibong, we went up the bus terminal to validate our bus tickets and were given our bus number. As our bus was already waiting at the station, we went up our bus but were shocked Mr Lim's seat was taken by a young Indonesian man. Counter checking with him, we found out they had sold duplicate seats for 5A !

Later, the conductress arrived and ordered Mr Lim to take any seats that was available. When Claudine tried to confirm with her which seat number, she casually said the rest of the seats will be empty for the journey. This was not true as the empty seat Mr Lim chose was already sold with the passenger arriving later. Poor Mr Lim was bumped off again. So was an Indian man who came up much later. His seat number 2C was already taken by an earlier passenger!

Our bus did not leave the station even though it was already 2 pm. More argument ensued when the conductress collected Mindy's only available printout and refused to return the hardcopy to her. When she took Claudine's copy and proceed to the back of the bus without returning the same, the ladies began their protest. 

Claudine was worried as they had no physical proof of purchase and Mr Lim was being bumped about like a nomad. Ignoring the ladies, the conductress then moved to the front of the bus mumbling to them to take a photo shot of their tickets if they wanted proof. This comment garnered a loud shout from Claudine. She screamed, "EXCUSE ME, can I have my tickets back!"

Her scream irritated the conductress who turned around and scolded Claudine for screaming at her. She claimed she is not some Indonesian to be shouted at. This prompted the young Indonesian man at 5A to join the argument. He proudly claimed he is an Indonesian and not to drag his country's name into the argument. This shut the girl up!

It was a relief when the bus finally moved out of the city. It arrived in KL Sentral close to 6 pm with a short highway stop for toilet breaks serviced by only 2 food trucks and a drop off at Jalan Duta. 

At KL Sentral, the bus driver was issued a summon for dropping off passengers on the main road. It was supposed to drive into the station.

After that, the bus made its way to Terminal Bus Selatan to drop off some passengers and to collect the conductress, assigned to check the tickets for passengers on the south bound route. It was already 7 pm and Claudine was worried to make the journey to JB without dinner. Enquiring with the conductress, she assured her there will be a 10 minutes dinner break at the depot's canteen and NOT the airconditioned terminal!!! Claudine was appalled but had no choice but to comply. The food spread consists only 4 dishes with additional options of roti canai and gardenia buns.

PNQ 8111 went up to TBS only before the air conditioning failed

The back up bus 

Returning to the bus, another nightmare was waiting. The aircon had miraculously malfunctioned. Whether it was a conspiracy or otherwise, the bus then returned to the terminal to collect the southbound passengers. As it had become evident that the bus could not journey on in such hot climate, the bus then returned to the depot where we were asked to alight and board another bus. 

All this unraveled with a near accident on Mr Lim when the bus driver revved his engine and lurched ahead while he was bending over to adjust his luggage at the trunk!!! Thankfully, Mr Lim was quick to jump off. Even the terminal's conductress gasped and kept checking if Mr Lim was alright.

Co-bus driver who made everyone wait for him! 

The last streak of light had disappeared when the "new" bus began it's journey, southbound. Tired, we were all stoned out until the driver made a quick toilet stop at Kempas toll plaza. Claudine's delight of being close to home soon turned into a second horror when the bus shot off to Pasir Gudang stopping many times along the way to allow passengers to alight. When it finally arrived in Larkin, it did not drop the passengers off immediately. A refueling at Petron was warranted and then, a further wait....

When the wait stretches on, Claudine moved to the front to check with the bus driver, only to find out, he was waiting for his co driver who had gone off to purchase a burger! All tired passengers had to wait for one man to nurse his hunger when the station was only 1.4 km away. 

Seated at the front, Claudine complained casually to the co driver on her horrific experience since Penang. Even our young Indonesian man was given a joyride, buying a ticket from Butterworth but taken to Penang and back to Butterworth before the actual journey began.

Her complains were not taken lightly by the co driver. He ordered her to take a flight next time to which she agreed. Boiling over, he cursed cibai at her as she was alighting and even threw a water bottle at her. Tired and glad to leave the bus, she bit her tongue and refrained from throwing any obscenities at him!

Photo courtesy - KC