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  • Day 86

    A trip to the Langkawi Sky

    December 7, 2016 in Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Our first full day in Langkawi, so it was time to see the island. And to do this, we had rented a car. We have to think all the way back to Finland, for the last time we got to drive ourselves anywhere, and it was great.

    First thing, was the taxi to the airport. Our driver along the way was incredibly chatty and friendly, as we talked about the weather, and what New Zealand was like. He had been to Australia, but not New Zealand, and wanted to know if it was worth the visit. There have been so many people that we have met along the way like that. And we have always told them all that we know, and encouraged them to make the trip. Tourism New Zealand should be paying us is what I am saying.

    Arriving at the airport, we had to find the rental counter. There was just one problem - it was airside, in the baggage collection hall, so how the hell were we supposed to get there. After looking around trying to find another way in, and failing, we spoke to the information desk who told us that if we asked the security guard nicely, he would let us go the wrong way through the system, to get to the rental car counter. The security guard was very friendly, but would only let one of through with just their wallet and passport, everything else had to stay. As Courtney was the lead driver on the rental agreement, she got to go the wrong way through the aiport system.

    Five minutes later, Courtney was back, coming through the arrivals hall with her arms stretched out pretending that she hadn't seen me in years. More importantly she had the keys to our chariot for the next 24 hours. It was a Proton, a car made locally in Malaysia. I wouldn't call it the most luxurious of cars, but it was more than sufficient for our needs. And with that, we headed to the Langkawi cable car. The drive there only took about twenty minutes, but the queue to get to the top of the hill would take about three hours - unless we bought the express ticket for double the price. Being trapped by the need to avoid a long queue, we buckled and bought the express ticket, and two minutes later, we were on the cable car heading up the mountain.

    The cable car was a long way above the ground, and would do absolutely nothing for anyone with a fear of heights, but once right at the top, the views were pretty spectacular, in spite of the slight haze on the day. We could see Ko Lipe, where we had come from the day before, the Malay peninsula, and we had a great view over the vast majority of Langkawi too. As the park was a geological park, Courtney was well as truely in her element, and enjoyed all the geological information provided to all and sundry, critiquing everything as she went.

    After one day in Malaysia, it is quickly becoming clear that this is an incredibly friendly and inviting place. It is such a multicultural place, that most signage is in two or three languages, and most people are so bilingual, they can switch between languages within a single sentence, and speak both with what I imagine is exacting apptitude. They are like all those Europeans we've met, that speak multiple languages. Yet more people in the world to put our linguistic inability to shame.

    Anyway, after the cable car, we came back down the mountain, and set about circumnavigating the island. Along the way we stopped for lunch, at a roadside stall, and walked to the largest waterfall on Langkawi, along a path surrounded by hundreds of monkeys. Most were pretty scared of humans, though there were a few that were much more brave. This lead to the locals carrying big sticks to beat away any monkeys that might get too close, as well as chucking a few stones in their direction for good measure.

    We also stopped at a nice white sand beach, which as it would turn out, was to be the sight of the Langkawi Half Ironman in two days time. They were setting up all the floating pontoons and transition area as we sat on the beach, and watched the world go by, including someone para-sailing behind one of the many boats on the beach, available for activities.

    After the beach, we completed our tour of the island, and headed back to the hotel for a rest, before heading out again for dinner. As we had the car, we wanted to drive to another part of the island in the hope of finding a better meal than the one we had had the night before. The traffic was awful, but we got there eventually, and after a twenty minute wander along the streetm settled on an Indian restaurant for dinner. The food was pretty decent, though not amazing.

    After that, Courtney was feeling a bit under the weather, so we beat a hasty retreat to the hotel, for some well earned rest.
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