Monday, December 15, 2014

Lap of Langkawi & visa run

 

DSC00006 (800x600)

Our Lap of Langkawi turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. I think we expected too much and well really we should have just stuck to the anchorages south of the island.

DSC00119 (800x600)

Our first stop on the lap was The Hole in the Wall anchorage. Named such because you enter the Kilim River through a gap in the limestone cliffs. It is not a wide river and is surrounded by mangroves on either side. So it is quite hot and airless. Once inside you can take the yacht a little way up before anchoring and then use the dinghy to explore the tributaries and visit the bat cave or the fish farms.

DSC00041 (600x800)

Entrance as seen from the ocean and then when leaving.DSC00105 (800x600)

We went a little too far and bumped onto a mud bank across the river oops! but we were on a rising tide and with a few extra revs of the motor we were soon off. We took the dinghy to explore the river where the fish farms are first and to have a look at the many yachts left here by their owners while they return home. Yes it is a very safe anchorage but I think 90% of the boats left here have been forgotten about. It was quite sad to see so many turning green and black with mould. There is no way we would leave TToo unattended up here. The fish farms are also restaurants by day although I felt no desire to have a meal at one of them.

DSC00050 (600x800)DSC00053 (800x600)

DSC00051 (800x600)

Across the river and you come to a larger opening rather like a lake. The tourist boats come in here and use the props from the boat to stir up the water and attract the eagles down for feeding. I am not sure but I think I saw them throwing some food into the water before revving the props to stir it all up. It was quite spectacular to see all the eagles soaring past us so close. Sorry no photos here, too hard to capture.

Further up the river about 15 mins in our little dinghy is the bat cave. Entrance fee MYR 1.00 each (30c) and same for torch. We walked the boardwalk into the cave and saw the bats fast asleep. Apparently as the bats leave the cave at dusk the swifts enter for the night. I would imagine they exchange places without too many accidents.

DSC00098 (800x600)DSC00101 (800x600)

The Kilim River is very busy with tourist boats coming & going and they take great delight at whizzing past the anchored yachts as close as possible causing us to rock & roll constantly. By 7pm they had all gone home for the night and it was a beautiful peaceful anchorage until it all started again at 8am the next day.

DSC00086 (800x600)

DSC00103 (800x600)

Needless to say we didn’t hang around for another day and in the morning we headed off to Tanjung Rhu at the top of the island. This is where there are some quite expensive hotels and the beaches are quite beautiful in comparison to the rest of the island. Soft  white sand but unfortunately the water is still very murky and not at all inviting to swim in.

DSC00111 (800x352)

We anchored the boat in a beautiful bay and had a gentle breeze cooling us down. It was so peaceful & relaxing. So much so we didn’t bother venturing ashore we thought we would do that the next day. Just on dark the wind and weather changed and came in from the north and put us on a lee shore with an uncomfortable swell rolling in. Nothing stays perfect for long on a boat.

DSC00113 (800x598)

We didn’t hang around the next day, no point. We were not comfortable and we were not going to go ashore and leave the boat on a lee shore so we up anchored and headed on to Telaga Harbour just in time to celebrate Hunter’s 3rd birthday. Hunter & his sister Scarlet live onboard  Honeymoon and are from Fremantle! Although they sailed Honeymoon from Queensland.

DSC00116 (800x600)

The change in season is late this year, or so we are told. We went onto anchor at Pantai Cenang, the main tourist beach. It has lots of restaurants and bars and coffee shops ashore. Unfortunately though it also comes with jet skis driven by tourists who have no idea what they are doing and head directly for the yachts anchored and circle them round and round and round. A day or so of this and soon our smiling  faces and polite waves turn to a grimace and gesticulating arms to shoo them away. They take absolutely no notice. One day we were ashore enjoying a massage and a coffee,  when we headed to the beach for some lunch we were shocked to see how the weather had turned for the worse. A strong sw’ly wind had come in bringing a rolling swell onto the beach. TToo & other boats were being thrown around like bucking broncos out on anchor. We went to get into the dinghy to go back to her but a local jet ski operator advised us to wait unless we had lots of faith in our outboard. I’d say we have 90% and now was not the time we needed the 10% chance of it not working. So we sat on the beach and kept an eye on TToo and prayed the Rocna anchor would hold her safe. Black clouds rolled across the anchorage and the wind got stronger. After  about half an hour there was a lull and the local said go now as this will probably turn around and come back brining rain , thunder & lightening. We jumped into the dinghy and  got absolutely drenched getting out to the boat as it was still very rough. Picked up the anchor & headed off to find a safer anchorage. About an hour later as we were told the wind turned around and the heavens opened. But by then we were safely anchored elsewhere. No photos here either I must have been worried about TToo and forgot to get out the camera. But I did take a couple of photos at the next anchorage it wasn’t quite so rough.

The shorts are still goingDSC00129 (800x600)

We needed to do a visa run before Christmas.  The boat gets to stay in Malaysia forever if you want it to however we have to depart every 3 months to renew our visa. It’s not a problem from Langkawi as the choices are endless. Air Asia flies out of Langkawi and fights are very cheap. Koh Lipe is a 25 mile sail and between Oct & May immigration is open for stamping tourists from Langkawi in & out of Thailand or Satun is a 11/2 hour ferry ride, but you have to stay out 3 nights.

DSC00134 (800x600)

We decided on the Satun ferry run and left TToo safely tied up at Rebak Marina. We booked into the Gleam Resort just outside of Satun. On arrival at the ferry terminal we took a local song-tau to The Gleam. Oh what a lovely surprise we got. A lovely welcome from Aa the owner & a cooling drink.  Eight or ten individual bungalows built amongst a beautiful manicured garden and a pool at the end of the pathway.

DSC00135 (800x600)DSC00139 (600x800)DSC00141 (800x600)

Our room was a good size with a huge king size bed, lovely bathroom and airconditioning. We had decided to splash out & spend a little bit more than necessary $50 per night including breakfast. In town probably $20. But we made the right choice. There were even complimentary bicycles for getting around and we toured the whole of Satun on them (it’s  not very big!) We also spent a morning at the local shipyard to see somewhere else we could slip TToo if necessary. The owners of the shipyard picked us up & arranged a lift back for us. It’s a well set up yard with all the facilities one would need for major refit work and cheaper than the boatyards in Phuket.

DSC00149 (800x600)DSC00152 (800x600)DSC00165 (800x600)DSC00157 (600x800)DSC00166 (800x600)

We also met Eddy from Melbourne who had just cycled the final 150kms on his trip through Thailand from Bangkok to Satun. What a lovely guy and we spent the next few days talking of his cycling adventures with his wife. Each year for the last 4,I think, they have toured Europe by tandem for 4 months of the year. See it can be done, in fact anything is possible if you have the passion to give it a go.

DSC00200 (800x600)

Back in Langkawi now we are anchored at Telaga harbour and have been laid up on the boat for the last week with what I thought was Man Flu but realise now it must be far  worse as I got it too.We both spent 3 days in bed sleeping as we had no energy to do anything but sleep. I think we must have picked up some sort of Asian flu/virus on the ferry. Or maybe it was that we had the aircon set on 16deg the first night in Satun and woke up almost frozen!

Hopefully we are on the mend and will be up and running again in time for Christmas which is fast approaching.

And that brings me to the purpose of this blog which is to wish all our blog followers a Very Happy Christmas and a may you all enjoy good health and happiness in the new year.

Our blog will continue as we head south after Christmas so check back in January sometime.

DSC00224 (800x600)

 

 

Friday, November 14, 2014

PENANG–a return visit


27th Oct – 10th Nov
Our first visit to Penang was on our way to Langkawi almost a year ago and it was a very quick visit. We decided to make a return trip there while we had time on our hands  and spend a couple of weeks there as Jerry had to get his suit made  and we thought we could  enjoy Penang properly while we waited.

DSC00778 App Straits Quay (800x596)

We checked into Straits Quay Marina rather than anchor at the junk anchorage which is in the middle of Georgetown and all the action. Being at the marina meant we had to take a bus into Georgetown but we could explore the island all day without worrying about the boat dragging which happens quite often at the junk anchorage. I am not quite sure why it is called so other than at change of tide the rubbish that passes the boat is quite sad, or maybe it’s because of what people actually hook up on their anchors from the bottom?
 
DSC00785 Rubbish in water (800x590)
 
We soon settled into Straits Quay. Its a great marina, very well run by a retired Scottish Naval Officer, John, who stands no nonsense from anyone and runs a very tight ship. This means that the marina is clean and tidy, the water is scooped each morning to remove any rubbish lurking and believe me in Malaysia there is always plenty of rubbish in the water.  The showers, toilets and laundry are pristine clean and a pleasure to use. Its location is not so convenient as the junk anchorage but Tesco's is 5 mins walk as is the 101 bus into Komtar, the centre of Georgetown. The marina itself has some very nice shops and restaurants and locals and expats often walk the boardwalk admiring all the boats in the marina. So we are asked by management to keep our boats looking tidy at all times!

DSC00795 (800x504)

Our first task here was to get Jerry measured up for his suit. We looked at a few tailors and prices varied from MYR 2800 down to as little as MYR 200 ($1000 – $71) ! We settled on using the DeePee Tailors at Straits Quay as he was highly recommended and close by for fittings. Jerry started at the bottom and worked up. I think this was the least painful way for him ($$$ wise!) His first purchase was socks, something he has not worn since leaving Australia then the shoes. Next we chose the suit and shirt material, decided on style and was measured up by Mr DeePee who we relied heavily on for advise as Jerry has never owned a suit.  Last was the tie. DSC00867 (600x800)
DSC00812 (590x800)
The suit fits and looks perfect and as much as Jerry has whinged and moaned about a) having to wear a suit, and, b) the expense of something he may only wear once, I can quietly let you all know that he secretly enjoyed all the fuss and bother and was no way going to buy the cheaper version at $70! After all it is his son’s wedding and he wants to look the part. Look at the smile in the second photo.
I also bought my shoes to go with the outfit I bought while home so I am happy too. Penang is really a shoppers paradise with huge shopping malls that mingle in with tiny shops and street stalls selling just about anything you may want or feel the need to have. Being good yachties though we have not filled the boat with designer clothes and shoes or handy bits and pieces that we never end up using, just lots of nice food from Tesco and Cold Storage and a few DVD’s to watch when there is nothing else to do.
 
DSC00788 Brompton Bike Shop (800x600)DSC00798 Tool Stall (800x592)DSC00799 (800x600)DSC00800 Big Pants shop (800x663)DSC00824 coffin shop (800x600)DSC00826 Rolex shop (800x600)So many streets to wander and so many things to see  This is just a small selection of things that caught our eye. It all gets very exhausting in the heat and humidity and we soon find ourselves in one of the many large shopping malls seeking a cool drink and a rest in the air-conditioning.

DSC00829 Ice delivery (800x597)
DSC00823 44gal drum fire
DSC00870 (599x800)
Next on the to do list was a visit to the dentist and that all went very well.  We were very impressed with the surgery the equipment and the efficiency of the staff. We both had our teeth cleaned in no time at all with one dentist and 2 nurses working at the same time. They used equipment I have never seen before and it was all over very quickly. The cost was very good too $35 each, much more affordable than home. Jerry returned the next day for a filling and that was $50!
So while we were doing medical stuff Jerry decided he would get his hearing checked out (just to prove me wrong, I think). I know he is deaf, its called selective deafness, he says its industrial deafness! We were advised to go  to the Loh Guan Lye Specialist hospital not just one of the may hearing clinics around as at the hospital Jerry’s ears would get a thorough check. I thought we would have to make an appointment for another day, but no we were seen straight away by an ENT specialist who had completed his cochlear implant training in Melbourne. He thoroughly examined the ears and a hearing test was done. We chatted away to the Dr who was interested in our travels and he said that he understood exactly why we chose to attend to medical matters while in Penang after working in Melbourne. In Melbourne he only saw 15 patients a day and was orced to take lengthy morning and afternoon tea breaks. Whereas in Penang he sees 100 a day! and he said you don’t have to wait 3 months for an appointment! The whole exercise took about an hour and a half and cost $91.50. Yes, it’s confirmed Jerry has industrial deafness and also finds it harder to hear a women's voice. Apparently it’s to do with pitch? Is this another word for selective? I saw this ad and was rather hoping the Dr would advise he made a purchase as I could do with a new phone. Alas, it’s not to be, I guess I shall just have smile sweetly as I repeat myself yet again!
DSC00872 (800x600)
 
Everyday we took a bus to another part of Penang to see something different or find a particular restaurant. Around Georgetown there is a lot of street art on the walls that tell a story or the history of the area you are in. The buildings are interesting mixing old shophouses with new mega malls. There is an abundance of coffee shops, food stalls, food halls, restaurants serving any kind of food you would like.
DSC00803 Street Art (597x800)DSC00818 Street Art (800x600)DSC00861 Shop fronts (800x524) (800x524)DSC00793 Mother in law tongue (599x800)

We had heard about the duck & rice man who serves the best duck in town and went in search of him. You have to be there early, 12.30, as he sells out quickly. The ducks, rice and sauce are all cooked at home then loaded onto his scooter and brought into town.

DSC00854 Duck man (800x600)DSC00856 (800x600)

Locals start queuing at 12.15 for their lunch or for takeaway. We were first to arrive and enjoyed a cool drink while we waited then we sat back and watched while the “performance” unrolled. How he manages to transport all this on a motorbike I don’t know and the sauce was hot and not a drop spilt. The duck was delicious the sauce even better  and the wait was well worth it.

DSC00858 (800x600)DSC00859 (597x800)

There are many temples to visit in Penang but we chose only to go to the big one on the hill this time, called Kek Lok Si Temple. It is said to be the largest Buddhist temple in SE Asia, the temple of “supreme bliss”. It sits high on the hill overlooking Penang and is quite impressive. The walk to the top takes you through various smaller temples along the way. Unfortunately my picture does not really show just how big the Big Buddha is. Perched high on the hill overlooking Penang, made of solid bronze, it was quite spectacular.

DSC00923 (800x599)DSC00932 (800x590)DSC00934 (800x600)DSC00935 (800x600)DSC00936 (600x800)DSC00941 (600x800)DSC00942 (800x600)

One day we took the bus to Batu Ferrenghi on the north coast. This is the tourist beach area and where all the big hotels are. Unfortunately we were there in the morning and nothing was open in the street apart from the one coffee bar. There were plenty of food markets and clothes stalls around but I guess they do not open until late afternoon early evening. Tourists here probably enjoy the hotel pool or beach during the day and only venture out at night when its a little cooler. DSC00817 (600x800) (2)DSC00814 (800x600)

From there we went onto the butterfly farm which was different and quite pretty, if you like butterflies. I think if I were a tourist looking for somewhere to stay I would choose Georgetown for 4 days and Batu Ferringhi for 3 at the most.
DSC00880 (800x600)DSC00881 (600x800)DSC00884 (800x600)DSC00888 (800x600)DSC00891 (800x600)DSC00899 (800x600)DSC00916 (800x600)
 
It was Halloween while we were there and we were so surprised when we arrived back at Straits Quay one night to find hundreds of excited, noisy children all in Halloween costumes racing around in groups led by a person with a flag and a whistle. They visited every shop in the complex and the poor shop owners had to give each and everyone a treat. Not only must it cost the shop owners a small fortune in lollies but I can only imagine how sick these poor children are in the car on the way home! We didn’t hang around too long, it was total madness but I did get a couple of pictures.

DSC00847 (800x600)DSC00837 Halloween (600x800)DSC00840 (600x800)

Penang is a great place to visit. It’s full of life from early morning markets to late night shops and bars. It’s all about food, shopping, history and culture.

DSC00925 (800x600)

We had a nice sail back to Langkawi, (the new sails are great), stopping off at Bunting Island overnight. Just as we dropped anchor yet another thunderstorm rolled in but we were nice and snug where we were. We are anchored at Kuah and tomorrow we are off to do a lap of Langkawi and visit the anchorages we haven’t yet been too. Weather permitting of course!

DSC00920 (800x600)