We had signed up for a tour in our hotel, cos thought it will be more convenient this way to visit the Kek Lok Si temple (极乐寺). Turns out that the 'tour' is simply our own private driver in a sedan car! Still, it's still a cheaper way @ RM55/person (for the 4 hr tour) than the hotel taxi we took on day 1 (@ RM20/hr).
*Yes, I know there're cheaper methods of transportation, but with a toddler & no car of our own, taxi's the fastest & most convenient way to go. I don't wanna spend my vacation travelling!*
Anyway, though we hadn't planned to go up Penang hill, we thought there was no harm in it, since it was part of the package, even though we have to pay for the train tickets separately.
It was fortunate (I thought at that time) the tour operator got the 10 am train ticket for us the day before, cos by the time we reached the station at 9am, the ticket counter showed the tickets were sold out all the way to the 12:30pm train! So we whiled away the waiting time watching Sam play with other children outside the station.
The joke was when we went into the station at 9:50am to catch the train. There's already a long queue ahead of us, all for the 10am train. And right in front of the waiting furnicular, people holding the 9:30am train tickets!
And only half the 10am group managed to squeeze into the train. Yes, squeeze. There were no seats, everyone was standing, so it's a matter of how many people were willing to squeeze their way into not-so-new-looking furnicular train cabins.
Having sat in comfortable versions of the vernicular in Europe, this Penang version is a total letdown! As I watched the 10am train leave the station, my aching arms (from carrying Sam, had not expected this problem, so didn't bring carrier!) & sweating body told me it's enough!
Why waste time on a destination we had not really wanted to go to in the 1st place anyway???? Luckily the train tickets costs 'only' RM8 for 2 adults, else it would really have been a heartbreaking experience!
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