#i will have limited access to internet since her wifi is metered

[thatmartiangirl]

Flying across an ocean for the first time tonight!

[indy-diary]

Entry 8 : Superstar Libra (Day 2), First Time Outside Thailand!

20 Mar 2018

I’ve never been out of my country before. This is really my first time. Despite Malaysia and Thailand are right next, it still counts. There are actually many differences between the two countries. This 4-day 3-night cruise has only one stop in Thailand, but two in Malaysia. This is the very day that my feet will touch a different country’s land for the first time...

Morning in Different Land

Sun had risen and the new morning came. The internet and phone signal were gone since an hour after leaving Phuket. Me and my brother slept early and woke up quite early. After we did the morning routines, we went straight to Pool Deck. Mariner’s Buffet was open and there was potato wedges, chicken sausages, Nasi Lemak, soup, bread, cereal, and some other food along with drinks. We sat outside instead of inside due to the number of people and better view and weather here.

(I really love this picture for some reason)

There was water, and more water. My brother and me watched the sea scrolled as we eat our breakfast. We have yet to arrive to the first stop so there wasn’t anything to see yet. But last time we saw the ship position from display screen, we were nearer to Malaysia than Thailand. It was clear that we were no longer in our homeland.

The breakfast was great! They taste really good and I can have as many as I wanted. The cost is included in the ticket and unlimited refill… this is awesome! Another good thing about it was on that morning, no one was noisy. This is a kind of breakfast I don’t often have. Normally at home I eat toast or sausages, and nothing else until lunch. It was so different between the two places.

(First things I picked up. Delicious!)

After that we spent some time walking around, in our rooms watching the TV and the ship position screen. We then learned that there IS internet available. They have cellular wifi available, at some price. 48 Ringgit for 24 hour usage, but there’s actually other packages like social medias only, or whole cruise package. But since we needed it only for two days, we choose 24 hour package, and buy another on next day. To save money, we bought only one package and swap logins when one wants to use because only one device may be logged in at a time.

The interior of Superstar Libra sure looks luxurious and gives off a simply relaxing vibe. It may not be the most luxurious cruise ship ever, but it’s decent and affordable. With most guests being Asians, it didn’t feel so alien on board either. Walking around always made me feel great, and so did staying in the room. Everywhere felt comfortable… except in toilets because they lacked bum gun TwT At least a bidet would be nice but they’ve got neither! :( It’s kind of difficult to not have washing water… or could it be because I’m used to bum guns at home?

Here’s some images before moving on to the next section

(Just a little part of Deck 8 that has great view, and a plant)

(Those sure look comfy, but would feel weird to sit directly in front of elevators and watch people)

A Town Named George Town

Some time have passed since breakfast. My brother and me were in our room when Superstar Libra approaches port. As we came nearer and nearer to the port, other ships start to appear. There was many, but at that time, only one seemed to be passenger ship which was this very Superstar Libra. Other ships I saw was container or oil tanker ships. After a while, Libra stopped moving on her own and a tugboat came. The tugboat dragged her to the port then left.

Libra then arrived at the port and properly docks, then passengers were given some procedures to get down. Those who wish to disembark will collect passport while those who were up for a tour or free strolls have different things to do. Buying a tour has to be paid and registered, but “free and easy” is being on your own, but no charges.

(Many many more small to large ships are around)

(They’re small, but they’re super strong!)

After the gangway gate opened, passengers were allowed to leave the ship. It was near noon, but we ate too much breakfast and didn’t feel hungry at all so we decided we would tour before coming back to eat. With that, we showed our access card to the crew at the gangway gate and they let us onto the land.

Soon, we arrived at the building. The building has signs in Malaysian (and I can’t read them lol). At least there were pictures or English along so it’s more understandable. I actually had never been to Malaysia before and I had no idea what to do. I also never read about Malaysian tourism places so I was completely lost. My brother suggested asking tourist information or something, but this was what we found at the port itself..

(Nice logo, but where did people go??)

On upper floor, all counters were empty. No one was there at all. Not even money exchange or receptionist! Me and my brother looked at each other and followed the crowd. We then came across the tourist map of this town on Penang Island… a town named George Town. (Just how many George Towns are there in the world???)

We took picture of the map and planned our visit. Then we walked some more to go out of the port building. The sunlight outside was harsh, but it was cool in shades, much cooler than shades back in my home region. It just make me wonder why.

(It looks big and we probably don’t have time to visit all that)

Strolling through the town and the lanes of the town, we saw many interesting things. The buildings seem to be made from plaster, and all of them were neat and clean (barring some broken parts). The different style of architecture I don’t see often made me curious about this town. The zebra crossing on the street is also different. They’re mostly located on the corners of intersections instead of being put in frequently used spots like my familiar places. I admit, there’s a lot of things I’ve never seen before, and that includes street vendor-free area. Back in Thai towns, street vendors are very common and can be found at almost any day, any time.

The unfamiliarity of this town made it interesting to a person like me. This is my first time going out of country. I want to visit so much more places in this town, but the skin-hurting sunlight sure limit my endurance.

(It’s so neat and clean)

(I actually like this look of this. It’s just a few meters from the port)

We kept walking around the town, but not too far. Visited some shops and exploring lanes. We got ourselves some snack and interesting things to see everywhere we went. We also visited the 7-11 convenience stores to buy some water. The sun was so strong we tire out extremely quickly and unable to be avoided because shades aren’t everywhere.

The paths under the buildings were quite narrow but weren’t too narrow to walk. It was a bit difficult when someone walk toward us, but wasn’t so much of big deal. There wasn’t much dirtiness or junk to ruin the view and mood either, but something clearly bugs me. Where are all the trash cans??? Up until this point, I have yet to see ANY trash can at all. Where do Malaysians of George Town throw away their garbage when they’re on the streets?

(It’s cool here, cool as in, both great and not hot)

Having finished exploring nearby areas and ended up in a different lane, we opened the map. City Hall was our next destination so we took some more walk and reached there in no time. The City Hall looked beautiful in my eyes. It was so clean and neat. There were also trees near the town hall and places to sit. It was great to take a break from walk right there, thanks to nice shade by trees and cool wind that blows from the sea.

By staying under the tree’s shade, I began to see the birds. It was because they were making noises directly above me, so I noticed their presence. Apparently they were crows, and they make caw caw noises. Then something just came to my mind…. I saw no pigeons. Absolutely no pigeons was seen. It was strange how there wasn’t any, considering it was most common urban birds.

The City Hall wasn’t so far away from a historical site, Fort Cornwallis. My brother wanted to see the British-built fort so we took a little walk there, only to find the surprise… The fort was closed for repairs ;w; It’s sad we can’t see the fort this way.

Disappointed with the fort, we walked off from the barred areas and saw a building. Its design is very familiar to us. It looked like a roof for local food stalls, and we were right. Under the roof there were tables and food stalls. The looks of it look almost identical to the same type of thing in Thailand, but more organized.

(Everything stays under the roof and it’s neatly organized inside too!)

Various stalls were inside, which also means lots of different food to select from. We were hungry and thought of trying out local food for once, so we went in and look through the selection. By that, I mean looking at each stall’s menu. Among the more noticable and memorable stalls, there was local steak, Char Koey Teow, and variety stalls. It felt so much like at home. The atmosphere was also almost identical, yet somewhat different.

Me and my brother wanted to try some local Malaysian food, so we ordered Ayum Nasi Goreng. We initially had no idea what it was, but when it was served… it became clear. It was simply, fried rice! It surprised us so much because we thought it would be some fancy Malaysian traditional food, and even more so when we ate it. That dish of Ayum Nasi Goreng taste very similar to local fried rice at our home. However, we still prefer our Thai style and taste. Perhaps because we’re more used to that too.

(To be honest, it feels like I’m not far from home)

Unexpected Visitor

Satisfied with no longer being hungry, we headed back to the ship. We were actually tired from walking around so we’d want to rest. On the way back, I saw a huge building that wasn’t there before. I pondered myself several times that it wasn’t here before and it’s so large. Only then it came to me… that it is no building, it’s a ship! She was taller than trees and any building around her. I didn’t realize she was a ship until I took a good look at the design and found her funnels!

(Just how big is she???)

Upon getting back to the Superstar Libra, we went to her sun to take a clear look at the other ship. On her stern, her name is printed and it reads Mariner of the Seas. Definitely… a Royal Caribbean International ship! The naming pattern of “X of the Seas” is one of their trademark, and on her funnel, the company’s logo is there.

From Libra’s stern, I felt that Mariner is much much larger. She was taller, wider, and most likely heavier too! Unlike Libra, Mariner has glassed balconies for most of the window rooms. Mariner seemed superior to Libra in every way, but with her ticket price being much higher as well. From what I have read, all ships of Royal Caribbean International’s “Voyager-class” have ice rink inside their ships. Mariner, belonging to that class, probably has it too. Every sight of her makes me imagine the amenities and facilities inside, which I will never know if I will have chance to see it.

(Mariner is just so huge from any angle)

I noticed the clouds and thought it was going to rain. The wind felt wet and it was windier than when we first arrived. Although, my brother said that it won’t rain. The lighting wasn’t so bad during the time, except the cloudy side. I took some more pictures of Mariner along with Libra, and then happened to see something nice up in the sky and snap a photo of it.

(It’s like a clash of darkness and light. My most favorite daytime picture so far)

After getting back to our rooms, we spent some time resting and playing games. During that, I also looked up information of both Superstar Libra and Mariner of the Seas to compare. Libra is 211 meters long while Mariner is 311. The height and gross tonnage are also different so it was clear why Libra looked so small. The level of luxury were also different. Libra was rather basic for a cruise ship, but was good enough for local and short runs. Mariner was totally on another level.

During sunset, Libra left Penang port and we get a clear side view of Mariner. Passengers on Mariner appeared to be watching Libra leave. Meanwhile on Libra, a lot of people came to sun deck to take a look and photos of Mariner. As tugboat dragged Libra out of the port… Mariner looked more distant and smaller each minute. Libra faced her port side to Penang island, which is coincidentally west. The sun was just above the island and gave a pretty backlight image. I took that chance and kept a photo of Penang Island and Mariner of the Seas in backlight before Libra fully left the island and sail the empty seas once more.

(It’s one of the prettiest sight I’ve ever seen)

Night Food & Drinks

We didn’t do much that evening after Libra left the port. Since we ate lunch late, we also ate dinner late. It was almost restaurant close time, but we were lucky to enter before they closed it. We tried Four Seasons and Mariner’s Buffet previously, so this time we’re trying another one that was in the “cost included” list. The final one in the list is named Ocean Palace. We used access card to get in and sit. Unlike the other two, we didn’t get to choose food this time. They serve all food listed in the menu, and most of them were Chinese style food. It wasn’t very satisfying, nevertheless, they taste good.

(I don’t really like the food, but the interior is pretty!)

After we finished eating, went to pool deck. We walked around the sun deck and occasionally stopped to catch wind. At one point, we were asked by another passenger to help take pictures for them. Initially we were facing the sea and the passenger asked us with “excuse me…”. Without hesitation, we turned towards her. Her response was very surprising. She suddenly let out a barrage of Chinese as she saw our faces. We’re not Chinese!! D:<. We politely told her to tell her request in English, and she did so. We happily helped her out, and then faced the sea again. My brother facepalmed and said he wanted to jump the ship. Then we did some more jokes. Still, I don’t think I look very Chinese.. But well, my brother might. He looks a lot like one, in my opinion.

On unrelated topic, I really like the lights on the ship. At some angle of sun deck, the pool deck looked like a little heaven in middle of sea of darkness. The pool deck is brighter than sun deck, probably because aside from railing, sunbath chairs, and some entrance to the ship, there’s nothing there. Pool deck on the other hand, was full of tables and the pools.

(My brother commented that this photo looks like J. J. Abrams movie)

We were rather thirsty, so we went down to pool deck and sat at Captain’s Order bar. They serve mainly alcoholic drink, but I’m legal now so I don’t think it’s a problem. Also, my brother was with me so I don’t really fear much. My brother ordered me a “Cowboy Coolers”, which is a drink consisting mainly of orange juice and syrup. It didn’t even taste like it has alcoholic mix, but I think it probably has. Last time I tried weak alcoholic drink it wasn’t so good like this. My brother himself ordered “Wild Wild West”, a lemonade + vodka drink.

We sat and enjoyed our drinks for a while. It was calm and cool. The wind blew across the ship but not too strong where the bar is. The atmosphere soothe my body and soul. Me and my brother then spent the rest of the time chatting and joking about things until we thought we should return to the room.

(Left : Cowboy Coolers, Right : Wild Wild West)

(Pool deck is probably loveliest deck on Superstar Libra! You’ve got food, drinks, and pool!)

And so… second day spent. It was very fun to be on this ship and I even get to go down and explore Penang. Even though it was just small part of the city, it was a great experience. I get to see new things and try new things. It was also relaxing and full of surprises in the same day. I’m sure there will be more surprises and things to see on the next day!

Anyways I’m sorry that this entry is delayed. I encountered some real life problems and other issues, like temporary writer’s block. I can’t write anything out from my mind, even though my memory of the place was still clear. Anyways thank you for reading! Stay tuned for the next episode!