On this bus, they provided us with blankets which is always a good thing, especially after what we experienced on our trip down. They even provided us with a small box of food which contained a piece of cake, a packet of biscuits and some sweets. The number plate was PGK ****, a relatively new bus but it creaked so much and had trouble climbing up hills, it felt as if we were on board a really faulty bus! Fortunately, it turned out to be a smooth ride all the way.
At the Malaysian Customs Checkpoint across the SecondLink, I was so 'fortunate' to be selected randomly by the officer for checking. Since it wasn't a weekend or holiday season, they didn't use the x-ray screening to do the checking and resorted to random checks. I guess I was just 'the chosen one'. Hmmm....did I look like someone who would smuggle goods? Did I seriously look like a drug trafficker? Or did my bagpacks (one on my back and another in front like a pregnant woman) make me look like a suicide bomber? :P Well, of course I had nothing to declare and it was just formality.
We were soon on our way and the backup driver popped in a VCD. The bus had a very big TV but to my dismay, I've watched the movie, Ghost Ship before. I decided to continue my blogging on my PDA and listen to my collection of MP3s stashed in the memory card. Once the movie was over and my eyes grew tired, I went to sleep. The seats were slightly narrower compared to the other bus. As such, we didn't have that much leg-room and I had to bend them. It was quite uncomfortable at times but at least it was better than four-seater buses. At least I could sleep better than the other trip since the air-conditioning was just nice, not insanely cold like the trip down. I do realise that the bus driver likes to make a lot of stops. Despite the many stops, we still manage to reach Penang after a 10-hour bus ride. We reached around 7am, enough time for my mom to prepare and go to work, my brother to school and me to campus and run some errands. Good timing indeed.
If I still had any doubts that I'm no longer in Singapore and already back in Penang, the unruly motorists and the loads of rubbish I saw in the drain at the Sungai Nibong Bus Terminal gave me all the assurances I that I was indeed home at last. Sigh, I guess there's still no place better than home. :)
At the Malaysian Customs Checkpoint across the SecondLink, I was so 'fortunate' to be selected randomly by the officer for checking. Since it wasn't a weekend or holiday season, they didn't use the x-ray screening to do the checking and resorted to random checks. I guess I was just 'the chosen one'. Hmmm....did I look like someone who would smuggle goods? Did I seriously look like a drug trafficker? Or did my bagpacks (one on my back and another in front like a pregnant woman) make me look like a suicide bomber? :P Well, of course I had nothing to declare and it was just formality.
We were soon on our way and the backup driver popped in a VCD. The bus had a very big TV but to my dismay, I've watched the movie, Ghost Ship before. I decided to continue my blogging on my PDA and listen to my collection of MP3s stashed in the memory card. Once the movie was over and my eyes grew tired, I went to sleep. The seats were slightly narrower compared to the other bus. As such, we didn't have that much leg-room and I had to bend them. It was quite uncomfortable at times but at least it was better than four-seater buses. At least I could sleep better than the other trip since the air-conditioning was just nice, not insanely cold like the trip down. I do realise that the bus driver likes to make a lot of stops. Despite the many stops, we still manage to reach Penang after a 10-hour bus ride. We reached around 7am, enough time for my mom to prepare and go to work, my brother to school and me to campus and run some errands. Good timing indeed.
If I still had any doubts that I'm no longer in Singapore and already back in Penang, the unruly motorists and the loads of rubbish I saw in the drain at the Sungai Nibong Bus Terminal gave me all the assurances I that I was indeed home at last. Sigh, I guess there's still no place better than home. :)
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