The train journey from Butterworth to Kuala Lumpar is well worth doing.
Our day started with a taxi ride from our hotel to the ferry port. The driver was really interesting and knowledgeable and told us a lot as we went along. The journey took about 35 minutes and cost us 40 Ringits or about £8. He dropped us at the ferry port and we made our way onto the waiting ferry, which was there by chance rather than careful planning on our parts. The ferry ride back to Butterworth cost us nothing, a bit like the Tamar bridge, you pay to go to Penang but pay nothing to return.
We were dreading the walk from the ferry to the station which is all of about 200 yards because in the middle of it all is a huge road bridge with about 50 steps going up and 50 down the other side. Normally stairs are no problem but with two huge suitcases they present a major obstacle. This time however, there were two men in safety jackets sat on plastic chairs at the top of the stairs, and as soon as they saw us arrive at the bottom looking like two lost waifs they signalled and came down the steps to porter our suitcases for us, all our worries disappeared and we felt it well worth the 5 Ringits we gave them as a tip.
We arrived at the station a good hour before the train was due to leave and sat in the air conditioned waiting room with several other passengers. The train was announce at 1.30 and we made our way to our carriage and allotted seats.
The journey started with a quarter full carriage but like the last "express" we were on we stopped at major stations and picked people up. After two hours the train was full.
We passed through some beautiful countryside, saw several little villages and towns and wonders about the scale of development here. There are several new estates of little houses all fairly identical springing up across the country.
The other issue of note is that Tesco's are here in force and creating exactly the same problems that they do at home. The taxi driver in the morning pointed out a new store and told us in no uncertain terms that it had destroyed the local markets as traders could not cope with the competition.
The train arrived in KL 20 minutes late, we had to get a coupon for a taxi which cost ten Ringits and we were at the hotel 15 minutes later. A late meal in the restaurant and a lovely room who could ask for more?