Michael and Sheila docked the boat with a precision based on long experience, while Barb and I watched. We checked into a room at the resort, and Michael and Sheila stayed aboard their boat in the marina. The room was lovely, and the grounds quite beautiful. The resort buildings were spread among the tropical forest, always within sight of the ocean. Hornbills, large birds with dramatic black and white plumage, and large bright yellow bills like a toucan, flew among the trees. Large lizards, mercifully shy of humans, could be seen in the undergrowth.
Michael and Sheila met several friends from other boats in the marina, as this yachties-friendly resort throws open its doors for them. People who arrive on yachts (us) get a reduced room rate. There is a special restaurant overlooking the marina for their use affectionately called "The Hard Dock Cafe". There are haul-out facilities if people need to repair or maintain their boats, as well as laundry and showers.
We rented a car and spent our first day in Langkawi driving around and reprovisioning the boat for Sheila and Michael's upcoming trip to Thailand. We went to a large Chinese grocery and a liquor warehouse (Langkawi is duty free), and, after much searching and debate, found a post office where we could mail some purchases back to Canada so we wouldn't have to carry them with us. We also toured Kuah Town, the main town on the island. We returned to the boat and had dinner that night at the Hard Dock with Michael and Sheila, and sampled some of the wine that we found at the warehouse, a lovely prosecco.
The next day we returned to Langkawi, this time to see the island. After a pastry and cappucino stop at Telaga Harbour, we drove to the highest peak, Mount Raya, literally among the clouds, and could see for miles in all directions, clouds permitting. (photo)
Next was the Craft and Culture Centre where we saw batiking and silk painting,lovely and creative work done by local artisans. We had a surprisingly good lunch at a concession in the parking lot. The next place we visited was the Laman Padi, or Rice Paddy Museum. Since I am the only one in the group who cares about museums, I was dropped off at the front gates and went in to see the 14 acre site on my own.
It was a strange experience. I went into the museum, looked at the exhibits in the Heritage Gallery, which had exhibits on rice growing from ancient times to the present. No-one was present besides myself, no ticket seller, guide or guard. When I had finished, I went back outside past the Artist Centre, where there was very little art and no artists or attendants of any kind. I went down to the rice paddy exhibits, where a variety of rice is grown, and saw the rice growing, but not one rice farmer. On my way out I passed two restaurants and a prayer room. I could hear prep noises from what I presumed to be the kitchen areas of the restaurants, but no staff appeared. The prayer room was equally empty. It seems that rice growing on Langkawi, although a widespread and common activity, is done anonymously.
The next morning we rose and had a large farewell breakfast with Michael and Sheila, as we were leaving on the 5:00 pm ferry to catch a flight to Kuala Lumpur, en route for Siem Reap.
No comments:
Post a Comment