Ahhhh!!

I am sitting sea side.. big waves crashing in.  The rain has stopped. 

After Monica left on Saturday I headed to Ipoh to meet up with Silka.  It is a lovely drive, one which I have made quite a few times now.  I thought it would busy: crazy with traffic actually. But, it was ok.  Enjoyable really.  I had time to myself: time to think.  And when I arrived I had a dip in the pool, a glass of wine, and a good friend to talk to. 

Downside was she got me up before five this morning.  We were on the E1, the toll highway, and half way to Thailand before the sun finally came up.  As we pulled into the little town with the ferry terminal to Langkowi around 8, we were greeted by a swarm of motorcycle vallets.  They buzzed around our little car hollering at us to open the window.  Apparently this is how you score a parking place before you catch the ferry to Langkawi. You pick a motor bike, any motor bike, and follow it in.. We chose a young Malay fellow on a red Honda who took us to the back of a run down apartment building.. past a huge green garbage bin that had spilled into the alley where we were easily convinced to double park, right there in the mud, and pass over our car keys and $50 MR After a bit of negotiating (he wanted 170 Ringett and we were told to pay just $50) we were driven (in our own vehicle) to the ferry terminal. 

We made the 8:15 passenger ferry: a rather modern double-decker. The seats were comfortable, like airplane seats, and it was clean: bonus in this country. 

I have no idea where the emergency exit door was: or if there even was one. There were life jackets.

There was also air conditioning.  Someone should have told them it wasn’t all that hot outside.  A storm was on it’s way, but thanks to our early departure we missed the wild seas as well. However, neither Silka nor I had brought along anything warm and we were cold, freezing cold, probably the first time since I have arrived in Malaysia.  It reminded me of Rea and I in the middle of the desert in Mexico: Zacatakus.. we broke down and bought a pair of enormous sweat shirts to get warm that time.  I am NOT doing that again.

After a visit to Starbucks and checking out the duty free shop at the ferry terminal, we caught a taxi to our hotel: The Lanai Beach Resort.  It is a reasonably priced place.. right on the water.  After checking out the room we came out to see the sights.  Beer here is about a third of the price back home in Sungai Besar and as we appreciated that fact the view in front of us was suddenly washed away and we had to make a mad dash for the little bit of cover offered by the little restaurant/pub in front of the hotel while the wind blew and the water came down like someone left a rather large hose on right above our heads. 

It is really quite remarkable how much water can fall from the sky. 

They tell us now it is the ‘wet’ season.  We don’t have one of those in Sabak Bernam but apparently they do in this archipelago of 99 Islands here in Langkowi, Malaysia. 

We are on the south-east part of the biggest island in the group. It is a lot quieter here than on Penang.  It suits me much better.  The little town just walking distance away is full of restaurants and spas. 

And I am sitting seaside.. writing to you.. listening to the waves crash against a beautiful white beach. 

The rain has stopped and wine is just 10MR a glass. 

What’s not to like?!