“Leave it as it is. The ages have been at work on it and
man can only mar it.”
 
PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELT, speech,
Grand Canyon, 1903, quoted in William Schwarz,
ed., Voices for the Wilderness, 1967
 
Wilderness Preservation Begins With the Kings of England
 
The word wilderness originated in the old English
first conscious effort to protect nature in the World was
made by the kings of England in the Middle Ages. They were
motivated by a desire for private hunting preserves where
they could hunt wild animals recreationally . But they
learned very quickly that if they were to have animals to
hunt they needed to protect the wildlife from poachers and
the land from the villagers who would cut down the trees for
firewood.
 
The idea of nature being something special and beautiful
only really emerged in the 1800s when British artists such
as John Constable and JMW Turner first started to paint the
splendors of the natural world. Up until then almost all
paintings had been of religious scenes or of human beings,
so the idea of seeing the beauty in nature was something
new. Wordsworth, one of England’s premier poets, first
started talking about the wonder of the natural world
(before then, the natural world had been a scary,
intimidating place). Increasingly the valuing of nature
became an aspect of British culture.
 
But despite this, when British settlers came to North
America and discovered the vast pristine lands of this new
continent, they were completely overwhelmed. Their first
reaction was to try and subdue the wilds. But soon their
appreciation for the beauty and expansiveness of the land
showed up in their writings, gradually germinating into the
idea that the destiny of America was to carve itself out of
the wilderness. The ability to contend with and live within
wilderness became an integral part of the American identity.
By the 1870s, this concept had expanded to such an extent
that an awareness evolved of the importance of preserving
some of the country’s wilderness. Because without
wilderness, Americans would lose what it meant to be
American. That this idea should emerge into the American
consciousness had much to do with how fast settlement was
proceeding. For the first time the frontier no longer seemed
infinite. Indeed the expansion of railways
across the west, and the role they played in speeding the
settlement of the land, was so rapid that for the first time
wilderness was seen to be truly waning.
 
“The ability to contend with and live within wilderness
became an integral part of the American identity.”
The First National Park
 
As proof of this growing appreciation of wild nature, in
1872 Yellowstone, the world’s first National Park, was
created. At the time, the desire to protect this parkland
also reflected monetary interests in the area. The country’s
railways, including Union Pacific, reasoned that if people
heard about the beauty of Yellowstone, they would be
attracted to visiting as tourists. To ensure this would
occur, Union Pacific had several artists paint spectacular
pictures of wild Yellowstone, of its canyons and geysers, to
show to the wealthy populations of the Eastern United States
and Europe. Obviously the railways hoped that such visitors
would be inspired to ride their trains to Yellowstone and
stay in their hotels while there. To them, creating a park
made good economic sense.
 
From these beginnings a tradition evolved that nature
should in fact be preserved for its beauty’s sake. It was
the writings of people like Ralph Waldo Emerson and
especially John Muir, who in the 1890s formed the Sierra
Club and led the campaign to preserve Yosemite National
Park, that so inspired the public. Indeed, Muir’s campaign
to preserve Yosemite was the first citizen-led effort to
protect wilderness in the world.
 
The idea of conservation and of protecting wild lands began
to gain great favor when Teddy Roosevelt became president of
the United States. Roosevelt was a great outdoors man who
truly valued nature, wildlife, and wilderness. He moved
quickly to greatly enlarge the United States National Parks
system, and to establish the National Forest system.
 
This US concept of national parks was copied by other
countries around the world, especially Canada. Canada’s
first national park was created in the 1880s at Sulfur
Springs, in what is now Banff, when the transcontinental
Canadian Pacific Railway was being built. A few people
building the railway discovered the area’s hot springs and
intended to make themselves rich. The Canadian government
however, also recognized the tourism potential of the area
and decided to move pre-emptively to create a small park
there. Over the years, the idea of enlarging Banff National
Park gained more favor as the CPR (like their US counterpart
had earlier at Yellowstone) saw the value they could reap
from tourism, by enticing people to come across the ocean
and see the great wild spaces of Canada.
 
By the 1920s, more and more wealthy visitors were traveling
by train across Canada and the United States to experience
what it meant to be in the wilderness. At the time, the
preferred version of “wilderness” was to stay in fine hotels
and look out at nature through big windows. This mentality
led to the commercialization of many of Canada’s National
Parks through the building of great hotels such as The Banff
Springs and Chateau Lake Louise.
 
Soon however, the idea of protecting nature for nature’s
sake was furthered by American writers like Aldo Leopold,
who in the 1930s talked about the need for a land ethic and
the need to protect wilderness quickly. By then it was
becoming clear that wild spaces were very much in retreat
and unless rapid action was taken the wild country would be
lost.
 
“By the 1920s, more and more wealthy visitors were
traveling by train across Canada and the United States to
experience what it meant to be in the wilderness.”
 
British Game Preserves
 
In the late 1940s, global conservation took a major step
forward with the beginning of the end of the British Empire
in Africa. The British elite had became used to hunting ‘big
game’ here, and became concerned that once the African
colonies were turned over to the local people, the wildlife
would be slaughtered and the wild spaces that they valued
would be lost.
 
As a result, one of the last things the colonial power of
Britain did was to establish great wildlife preserves there.
This spawned the idea in the 1950s and the early 1960s of
the need to protect large spaces for wildlife worldwide. It
was at this time that the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) was
founded. Eventually WWF was to become one of the largest
conservation organizations in the world.
 
Meanwhile in America, concern over the rapid disappearance
of wilderness was resulting in strong pressure being placed
on government to preserve nature. This pressure was focused
on great fights, such as the one to stop the proposed
damming of the Grand Canyon. It also led to the passage of a
truly historic piece of legislation in 1964: the Wilderness
Act. This Act’s magnificent preamble states “Wilderness is a
place where the land remains untrammeled, where man is a
visitor who does not remain.” It was this vision of saving
wilderness, not just individual parks, but the whole system
of wilderness, that really inspired conservationists. Indeed
the passage of this Act in the United States was the
catalyst to the modern age of wilderness protection.
 
The Wilderness Act instructed the US Government to create a
vast system of wilderness preserves nation-wide, not just in
National Parks, but in all categories of nationally> administered and. This included those lands managed by the
US Forest Service, the US Wildlife Service, and the Bureau
of Land Management, as well as the National Parks service.
It was a magnificent accomplishment that eventually resulted
in the retention of 110 million ha (270 million acres) of
wilderness.
 
Given such success, in the early 1970s major national
environmental organizations, such as the Sierra Club, the
Audobon Society, and the Wilderness Society, boomed in
membership, particularly as the youthful baby boom
generation started to reach an age where they could spend
their recreation time in the wilderness.
“National parks and reserves are an integral aspect of
intelligent use of natural resources. It is the course of
wisdom to set aside an ample portion of our natural
resources as national parks and reserves, thus ensuring that
future generations may know the majesty of the earth as we
know it today.”
 
PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY (1917-1963), speech,
First World Conference on National Parks, Seattle, 23 June
1962
 
The Beginning Of Modern Conservation
 
There was another crucial reason for the fast rising
concern for the wild earth. Just before 1970, humanity saw
the first pictures of earth from space, the images beamed
back by the Apollo astronauts. For the first time, as the
spacecraft traveled in the black abyss of space, the
finiteness of our planet became starkly evident. Earth was
seen for what it was, a lonely jewel of life. It became
unmistakably clear that if we destroyed Earth, we would
destroy ourselves. From this image the environmental
consciousness we know today was born. As people began to see
and understand for the first time how precious and rare
Earth was, they also began to understand why it was
necessary to protect nature. This new view point generated
many lineages of environmental awareness, from concern about
pollution, to the need to protect fresh water sources. As
well, it served to intensify the tradition of protecting
wild spaces, of protecting the land.
 
“Earth was seen for what it was, a lonely jewel of life. It
became unmistakably clear that if we destroyed Earth, we
destroyed ourselves.”
 
Become Involved!

selvakumaran rajamanickam

23rd November 2009

The video from our trip is done!

Dude, where’s my Jakkayarn? from Adam Teale on Vimeo.

By Dian Hasan | November 18, 2009

What would a resort stay experience be without a pool? Unthinkable for today’s travelers. They’ve come a long way, playing a central role in creating a distinctive experience and the common denominator as a social hub. Integral to a hotel’s brand identity. Here’s a glance at some of world’s most gorgeous resort pools, sharing the same traits regardless of their locale: sexy and chic!

Beginning in December 2009, KLM and Silkair will add new flights to Bali and Penang respectively. The new services mark KLM’s return to the Indonesian resort island, while Silkair takes over the morning flight from sister carrier Singapore Airlines.

3 Times Weekly Amsterdam-Singapore-Bali Flights From KLM

Following a 12-year absence, KLM resumes services to Bali in Indonesia from 6 December 2009. KLM will operate a 2-class Boeing 777-300ER aircraft configured with 35 seats in World Business Class and 390 seats in Economy Class on the route.

Flight KL 835 departs from Amsterdam at 2100 hrs on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, arriving in Singapore at 1620 hrs the next day before taking off at 1730 hrs for a 2010 hrs landing at Ngurah Rai International Airport. The return flight, KL 836, departs Bali at 2130 hrs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, landing in Changi International Airport at 0005 hrs the next morning before continuing back to Amsterdam at 0120 hrs where it arrives at 0800 hrs.

The tropical destination is popular amongst Dutch and European holidaymakers. With the new flights, KLM will operate 10 flights each week between the Netherlands and Indonesia, where it also flies to the capital Jakarta via Kuala Lumpur.

For more information, visit www.klm.com.

Silkair To Fly Triple-Daily On Singapore-Penang Route

Singapore-based regional carrier Silkair will increase flights on the Singapore-Penang route from 1 December 2009 when it takes over the daily morning service from affiliate Singapore Airlines. Rich in culture, history and heritage, Penang is one of Malaysia’s top tourist destinations with its charming colonial buildings and famous food such as the Penang laksa and char kway teow.

Flight MI 352 will depart Changi International Airport Terminal 2 at 0850 hrs, arriving in Penang International Airport at 0930 hrs. The aircraft returns as flight MI 351 at 1025 hrs, landing back in Singapore at 1150 hrs.

Passengers who have made bookings to travel between Singapore and Penang on Singapore Airlines will be re-accomodated on Silkair flights. The airline, which began flying the route in June this year, currently operates an afternoon and evening flight using a 2-class Airbus A320. Silkair also flies to Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching and Langkawi in Malaysia.

For more information, visit www.silkair.com.

I was struggling to open my eyes. The wind blew so gently. I couldn’t help but feeling lazy and sleepy. Lying on the chaise, I set my sight beyond the horizon. Whatever thoughts I was having seems redundant and irrelevant.

This was the time when people start to gather at the beach.  The overcast weather was good for sun-tanning and all sorts of beach activities. Some began to linger at the coastline, crossing my sight here and there.

The tide was running out gradually. I walked towards the sea, letting my feet massaged by the passing waves. When the tide was on the ebb, slowly, things began to look more interesting, as the shelf at the coastline began to expose. I suddenly found myself surrounded by thousands of broken sea-shells, live marine snails, clams and …. err …. don’t exactly know the names of all these sea creatures. If you were a sea-shells collector, you could easily spend hours seaching and collecting sea-shells, all for free!

Hari Pertama

Hari ni dah 14 Syawal umat Islam merayakan ‘kemenangan’.  Alhamdulillah.  Perayaan kali ini, pada raya pertama, aku sekeluarga beraya di rumah mentua di Kelana Jaya.  Selesai solat sunat, bermaafan dan sarapan kami telah bertolak ke Tanah Perkuburan Islam  SS2 untuk menziarahi pusara arwah abang ipar.  Lepas tu kami ke Pusat Rawatan Islam Azzahrah BB Bangi untuk membuka stitch di kening kanan Sofea.  Beberapa hari sebelum raya, Sofea telah terhantuk coffee table kat rumah dan telah dijahit sebanyak 2 jarum.  Syukur semua selamat dan dah sembuh.

Selesai urusan di Azzahrah, baru kami bergerak ke kampung mak mentua aku di Kampung Renggoh, Johol.  Lebuhraya agak lengang dan lancar.  Aku jadi co-pilot kerana perlu menyimpan tenaga bagi pemanduan pada pagi raya kedua pulang ke kampung di Langkawi.

Kami telah menziarahi beberapa buah rumah di sekitar Johol dan Tampin.  Selepas solat jama’ Maghrib dan Isyak, kami bertolak balik ke Kelana Jaya dan selamat sampai di rumah pada jam 10 malam.

Hari Kedua

Jam 5.30 pagi, kami bertolak ke kampung.  Singgah di Hentian Tapah untuk solat Subuh. Kami sampai di jeti Kuala Perlis pada jam 11 pagi dan kemudian menaiki feri jam 12.30 tengahari (yang bertolak pada jam 1 tengahari, macam ni la selalu feri ke Langkawi tak pernah tepat waktu!).  Kami tiba di Langkawi sekitar jam 2 petang dan diambil oleh adik aku, Anas.  Tempat pertama yang kami singgah adalah pusara Allahyarham mak aku.  Ziarah dan berdoa serta sedekah fatihah.  Kemudian kami balik ke rumah yang hanya 3 minit pemanduan.  Di rumah, kami disambut dan beraya dengan ayah,Kak Sitah, Kak Kinah dan anak2 serta Aizah (isteri Ana) dan anak.  Makan tengahari ni kak Kinah masak soto. Pergghhh!!! Sedap dan menyelerakan ditambah dengan lapar jugak. Hahahaha.  Petang tu, kami ke Kampung Kisap untuk menziarahi Makcik Asiah.  Malam, kami berehat di rumah sahaja.  Sebelah malam kami beraya di rumah Abang Ilias. Balik dari rumah abang Ilias, singgah beli nasi goreng kerabu dan nasi goreng ikan masin untuk dimakan bersama kelaurga di rumah.  Tidur awal keletihan.

Hari Ketiga

Tengahari tu kami keluar beraya di Kampung Penarak, menziarahi beberapa saudara mara di sini.  Balik dari sana, kami singgah di Pekan Kuah melakukan aktiviti wajib membeli belah.  Sebelah malam pergi ke rumah good friend aku, Ed.

Hari Keempat

Jam 11 pagi aku menghantar ayah untuk dialisis di Hospital Langkawi. Kemudian aktiviti shopping diteruskan untuk hari kedua. Hahahaha.  Jam 4.00 petang ambil ayah dari dialisis.  Lewat petang kami ke rumah Kak Kinah untuk beraya.  Hampir Maghrib, singgah ziarah sepupu aku, Sujairi.  Sebelah malam, nak pi main boling tapi dah penuh sebab ada tournament.  Nak tengok wayang pun dah terlepas hampir setengah jam cerita Jin Notti.  Pilihan lain, kami sekeluarga ke gerai makan berhampiran Sungai Kuah untuk menikmati makan malam.

Hari Kelima

Kami bertolak balik ke Kuala Perlis dengan menaiki feri pada jam 10 pagi.  Tiba di Kuala Perlis pada jam 11.20 pagi dan kemudian bertolak ke Alor Star.  Rancangan awal ke rumah Mak Chaq di Alor Merah dibatalkan kerana Mak Chaq tiada di rumah.  Kami terus ke rumah Abang Pie dan Abang Latif di Taman Rakyat, Mergong.  Selepas ziarah di sana, kami bertolak ke Sungai Petani untuk menziarahi Mak Teh.  Dalam perjalanan ke sana, kami singgah makan tengahari di Stesen Bas Ekspress (selepas mencari kedai makan – kebanyakan masih tutup).  Singgah ziarah bertanya khabar Mak Teh yang kena stroke hampir 5 tahun lalu.  Jam 5.00 petang, kami bergerak ke Kampung Lahar Yooi, Sg Dua untuk bermalam di rumah mentua Anas.  Malam tu kami beramai-ramai keluar makan char koew teow udang Sg dua yang famous.  Pelanggannya begitu ramai dan sesak.  Kalau sesaper nak singgah, ble ke sana dengan melalui exit Sg Dua.  Kedai ni kat sebelah kiri.

Hari Keenam

Kami bertolak balik ke Putrajaya pada jam 11.30 pagi.  Sebelum tu, Abg Mi dan keluarga dan menziarahi Anas dan keluarga. Lebuhraya dah mula sesak.  Kami tiba di Putrajaya pada jam 5.30 petang.

Hari Ketujuh

Kami pergi kenduri kahwin di Presint 8.  Kemudian, lewat petang kami menerima kunjungan ayah mentu dan keluarga, Jep dan keluarga, Pak Long Sidek sekeluarga, Pak Ngah Malik sekeluarga.  Disebabkan belum ke pasar, kami hanya sempat menjamu mereka dengan satay sahaja.  Malam tu, Ayah mentua dan Jep bermalam di rumah.  Julia telah memasak koew teow hailam untuk hidangan makan malam.

Hari Kelapan

Jam 11 pagi, aku menghantar Wani balik ke asrama.  Manakala Julia dan Sofea telah mengikuti Jep dan mak mentua aku ke Senawang untuk beraya.  Aku menyusul kemudian.  Jam 6.30 petang, kami bertolak balik ke Kelana Jaya.  Selepas berehat, kami bertolak balik ke Putrajaya.

Hari Kesembilan

Start kerja…workload bertimbun!

(View from Panaroma Bridge at Mount Machinchang, Langkawi)

The worst thing one could face while having a holiday in an island would be the roaring of the thunder and the merciless rain. The time I landed in Langkawi’s airport, my first taste of water was not salty, but sour rain drops which ran all over by body, “welcoming” my arrival.

Luckily in the second day, the weather was so perfect, and the day time was spent touring the island. I have to say, when you are in Langkawi, you must go up to the Panaroma Bridge (or Langkawi Sky Bridge) at Mount Machinchang, by the cable car. For people who afraid of heights, it’s not recommended. Because the cable in some section of the journey is quite steep actually. But once you are up to the peak, the spectacular view will definitely please your eyes.

(Panaroma Bridge, or Langkawi Sky Bridge, is a 125m-long curved pedestrian cable-stayed bridge)

Went to surprise baby at his workplace today by accompanying him for lunch. After that met TL while waiting for baby to knock off. Had dinner together with baby and went home thereafter.

Am drop dead tired. Tummy doesn’t feels good either. Keeps having the runs. Uncle just called and he said that the trip to langkawi is confirmed. It’s good, I seriously need a break. Baby is coming along too and uncle says he is alright with the idea. Happy. Though baby will have to sleep alone I guess. But still I am glad he is going with us cause he needs a break too.

Alright going to sleep soon! Shall post pictures I took today, tomorrow.

Så fick man äntligen efterlängtad sovmorgon. Eller nej, den var faktiskt inte ens efterlängtad…

När vi väl tog oss upp ur sängen på lördagsmorgonen var klockan över 11. Ett tecken på lagom lathet, men eftersom Lilla A inte gjorde något ryck att ta sig upp så sov vi gott vidare. Efter snabbfrukost gjorde vi oss färdiga och tog oss ut på jakt efter en hoppgunga. Slut på Barnens Hus, men i Länna fick vi napp.

Vidare till Farsta, eftersom E skulle leta efter en jacka. Det blev sjävklart en alldeles för dyr jacka. Men nu har jag hittat mina “gångstövlar” som jag ska ha i höst! Lyckan är gjord!

Eftersom E fortfarande inte riktigt är på hugget så tog vi en lugn hemmakväll med lite tortillas i soffan samtidigt som vi scannade nätet efter hotell på Langkawi. Det var inte det lättaste kan jag avslöja. Det mesta är fullbokat, det som återstår är hotell för över 1500:-/natt (dvs fina hotell) och hotell för under 300:-/natt (dvs de rum man delar med kackerlackor). Efter att ha pusslat med datumen hittade jag en lösning iaf.

Idag blev en mer hektisk dag. Hämtade upp C i Jarlaberg och for ut till bakluckeloppisen i Siggesta. En påse med 15 plagg till A för 100:-, ett oöppnat Alias spel för 20:- och ett cigarraskfat för 10:- fattigare styrde vi mot Forum där vi skulle luncha på Big Hanks. Där dök dessutom A upp och hakade på hem efter lunchen, även han snuvig och hostig efter en förkylning. Vad är det med pojkar och virus just nu?  

Nu ska jag försöka däcka för idag, imorgon är det måndag igen. Jag börjar gilla det här med föräldraledighet!

This was my second time to Langkawi. Why? As this time I went with my course-mates. If you would like me to describe how was the trip, I personally will say that this is indeed an forgettable experience for me. 9.11.2009 was my last day of final exam, in conjunction this was the day I went to Langkawi too. There were 19 of us and it was also my first time to take fly. What’s a wonderful experience for me. On that day itself, I was the latest person to arrive at KL Sentral. I was rushing all the way from my home to monorail and at last I able to reach to meet up them at the LCCT bus stop. Sorry to say I was late because raining and I forced to delay my time to monorail.

Our plane has delayed about 30 to 45 minutes. This was my first time too to experience waiting at the airport for the plane. Although it was a bit boring but yet we able to spend our time by taking a lot of photos. Just to mention here that when we reached at the custom, the sensor sounded and I was being “molested”…hmmmmm…. Moreover, I left my luggage on the other side of custom which was not being scanned and yet I did not even realize it. I guessed I was too excited.

The feeling when I was on the plane was indeed unique. Like roller coaster, may be I was not used to it, I felt a bit dizziness. The night in KL indeed beautiful, the lights are just right to create a good view of mapping city. While waiting to arrive, I wrote a short dairy regarding my feeling and thought too. This was indeed a special moment for me and I believed this was not the only time I will take plane but just a good start for me to explore and be sure that there will be much more opportunities waiting for me. Haha…

The speed of fly really cannot be challenged, Within 20-25 minutes, my friend told me that I have arrived at Penang. We saw the significant view of Penang which was the Penang’s bridge. Later, the captain of the plane announced that we will be reaching Langkawi at 2315. Wah! Indeed like speed of light for me. When we have reached in Langkawi, we took photos with the first plane in our life that we all have taken. The feeling is great but just left some regret that missed to take with the air-hostess.What’s a waste!

When the moment we reached at the airport, there was only left one counter opened and we have no choice but to take the offer and I would say it was the nightmare to begin. Want to know more? Read down to discover. Just to mention here, I am not here to offend anyone but to say the truth to the people out there to take EXTREMELY care about these sort of scenario as to avoid the same situation like us. I personally think that although we have lost a certain amount of money in this case but we able to gain the experience of there are always people like that in this world that would take advantage of the others person. Moreover, we lost money but gained friendship as this is the most treasure thing we gained in throughout the trip. Life is always full of spicy and I was great that we all come to the conclusion that we bear the lost together as really showing that we, JPD is really a big family no matter sharing of good or bad. Appreciate it!

On that night, we reached at the apartment about 12-1am liao… Thanks god, the apartment is good enough to fit all of us and I am great that the owner allowed me to allocate all of my friend in her apartment. The unit I rented this time was different from last time. My friends said that it was indeed having the home feel. I am great that although 19 of us, non of us slept on floor. Moreover, all slept in air-conditioned room and complaint not because of warm but too cool to be slept at night. At least, this was the cheapest price I could get to allocate all of them.

The next morning, after having our breakfast. We went to the cable car and have fun there. In fact, I went there before and I thought there was nothing excitement for me. However, the environment could really played a role in this trip, different people will have different experience and feeling. Anyway, I enjoyed the trip with this gang of people while in cable car too. Perhaps, may be due to me, if I was not suggesting to walk for a while after lunch in the oriental village. The accident would not happen as heavy raining. Anyway, I believed in fate and I strongly felt sorry if you all got injured in that particular accident due to my little suggestion. Thank God, you all are safe.

May be god would like to challenge our patience and intelligent as well as cooperation. He gave this little obstacle to all of us to test on our EQ and thank to him, our trip will remain a scene that would not be forgotten even time flies. Haha… Things will indeed change when we try to think it in another perspective of thought. The incident is lifeless, it is you the one who is life to determine the good and bad. Try to imagine that after 10 years of graduation, and when the moment we had our gathering, this will be sure as  a hot topic to be discussed and hence this indirectly strengthen our relationship. ” Sweetness bear, bitter also bear together “….. copyright from Joa Bao. wakakakaka….

However, I also still wished to rise awareness here. We really need to behave intelligently when we caught into an accident. Don’t trust on anyone that you are not familiar or even a stranger that offer help 100%. He or she might be the one I said will take advantage of you. Firstly, the gang of people need to cool down and the team leader should condolence the victims if he or she was scared and bring her left the accident spot. Then, call immediately the foreman who you think is trust-able and ask him come immediately for checking the situation of the car. What’s I mentioning here was that the car was rented from third party like through agent or whatever. If you are in Langkawi and touched wood that you have got into an accident… call him 012-4727555, this is my apartment owner, Nissa recommended to me. It may help.

Never believe in anyone that ask you to go back to anywhere but to stay until your foreman come and evaluate the case. Note that, what’s I mentioned here was that if there was minor damage which could not covered by the insurance. Please be careful to read the agreement and be sure to ask the agent if can record it down the term and condition if any accident happened. The case of our agreement was that insurance cover bawah excess RM2000.  Please take note of this statement and be sure you ask her to explain to you clearly to avoid any misunderstood. As insurance was not covered if damage under RM2000 and yet the “owner” of the car asked us to pay exact RM2000. This is indeed something wrong with it as I guessed why so cukup cukup RM2000. Why not more to claim insurance? I doubt.

When the accident occurred, there were a lot of strangers come to see the car and they stand there as group to discuss. This made me felt rather strange. Although the police car passed by, they only asked two questions which are “anyone injured? report liao?” then left. They could not even help further for the accident. We called to the owner as the receipt written her name. All of us requested to go back to airport from where we took the car. We should not leave the car there to be tolled by unknown people as this cannot guarantee our right as the foreman that toll the car might need to take advantage from us too. However, at that moment, we were afraid and without any help from anyone. Hence, this cause us followed whatever be told to us.

When we reached at the airport, the owner with a gang of people about 5-6 of them already waited at the car park and they asked us to pay RM 2000 for the repair. However, all of us really think that this is like being forced to pay and most of us reluctant to pay this amount. We said that wasn’t that the car is permitted and we thought that the car was covered by insurance. However, the owner said to us that the car is on temporary permit and the insurance only covered if damage above RM2000. This is too obvious for all of us that she want to cheat us. The owner also mention that insurance only for the driver not for the car and etc. What’s the fish! This is nonsense to me that you say that above RM2000, there is insurance coverage and yet you said that the insurance just covered for the driver not the car. If there is the case, if the car damage for more than RM 2000, is she the one that bear the cost of repair since that the insurance was only covered for the driver. Then, let me drive the car again and knocked until damage more than RM2000 for you to claim ” whatever insurance you meant !”

Then, all of us come to the agreement to report police and the gang of people from the owner try to frighten us that a lot of problems and etc. yeah… indeed but better still we got to cheat by you! However, we insisted to lapor police yet the gang of people of 5-6 Malay guys said that whether you lapor tak lapor, you still need to pay for RM2000 and later you only allowed to lapor. Damn it! The Gang of people really tiada otak one, if we can pay for the cost why should we report police! Memang tiada otak fikir! Our gang seen not in a good condition, we separated a small group to police station in the airport to lapor in the police station there. At this moment, I received a call from my brother then I mentioned the whole situation to him and at the same time, we asked one of our senior’s father who stayed there to help. After the called, my brother advised me that the maximum we can give to settle the case is RM1300. The situation I saw for the accident’s car was that it was a Sentra Nissan, the front bumper a bit kemek and the front bonnet and side of car crashed. Due to I do not really see the car obviously as it crashed beside the hillside. I expected also that the front light damage too. In fact, when the moment we reached at the bengkel to check on the damage, the truth damage only bonnet and left side car crashed and became kemek. The bumper not even kemek but detached merely. In my point of view, the damage can be settled by hammered back the damage and spray back the print it is more than enough. As my brother also crashed by a police car recently and yet the damage much more serious also with the front light broken also about RM 1300 merely.

Lastly, we acted pity also to cut off the price to at least RM1300. We cried and showed off our empty wallet to her that we really have no more money to pay. Yet the owner really “Do lan dao” she scolded us all and said a lot of !@!#!$#@ to all of us. Look like she was our teacher or what! Bodoh lah that celaka lady, really like to ” big snap ” her. We already settle the agreement with the foreman that we pay RM 1600 for the foreman. The foreman himself although I knew that he “berpihak” to the owner yet he already ok with it liao… However, the devil owner did not want to tolerant and insisted to “play” with us that she want everything to be replaced news. Indeed a daughter of bitch! Damn angry you know, she was not there to settle problem but to create more problem. She thought we afraid of her and she want to keep play with us… If on that day I am feeling well, I sure will “play” with her. She want all news things to be replaced and yet how sure is she that your car was not problem when gave to us. As my friend said that the brek of the car was a bit out of control when down hill. I sure will call the police to settle the case for us, it is not that we do not want to pay is she that want to procrastinate the process until late of night.

At that time, my mother called me and I just returned back to the car for a rest. While this time, things were settled and the settlement was complicated  and in a nutshell to say we have spent RM150+ for the car rental included the fuel. Indeed a great experience. Why should I mentioned it again in my blog is to create awareness among those who go to langkawi for a trip to take 200% care of this issue as you will never know that you might be the next victim. I am not here blamed anyone but the owner, she is really over and I just will bless her ” hou hou take care”.

Anyway, we have gone through it. Money spent to avoid disaster. This will not block our interest in discovering Langkawi. Now only I know the way to revenge is not keep angry but to live better than them. We spent our next day meaningfully. I am glad we can still face the obstacle together and have fun on the next day. Great! Thanks to my gangs to celebrate my birthday as well in Langkawi. 21st years old memorable trip in Langkawi indeed having a special meaning for me.

Thank to the excitement you all bring to me. I am glad and still be cheer even there is bitter in the trip however, there is also sweetness within the bitter. Appreciate it and friendship forever!

Special thanks to… Nissa for helping me and renting me the cheapest rate apartment, mei Xin who organized this trip, Wen Shan who planned for the event, Kim Ten who forgive me for speeding the car and Zu Wei for playing me present. Thanks to the others as well will directly and indirectly contribute in this trip.

We flew in and out of Penang, where we spent half of the week. The other half we spent in Langkawi. It proved a decent mix of city and countryside, culture and relaxation, with stays in three locations.

Back to Part 1: Penang

Thrills and refreshment at Langkawi's Seven Wells

 

CENANG

The morning ferry from Penang to Langkawi necessitated a pre-dawn wakening in order to drive from Batu Ferringhi to Georgetown, drop off the hire car and walk to the port (no taxis being available at that time) in time for check-in 45 minutes before departure. Consequently we got to drive through a pretty sunrise and negotiate a sleepy Georgetown before the city and its inhabitants fully woke.

The boat ride was smooth and I soon fell asleep and caught up a little on the hours missed with the early start. Sleeping a portion of the 2.5-hour journey meant it passed very quickly.

We got a taxi from the Langkawi port in Kuah to Pantai Kok, reportedly the best beach on the island, but on arrival found that the guesthouse we were looking for had closed in the couple of years or so since the Rough Guide I was consulting was published. Since Pantai Kok is otherwise populated by high-end resorts (above our budget), the driver recommended we go to Cenang instead. Fair enough – it was said to be the second-best beach on the island, and not as developed as Kuah, the island capital.

We checked in to the AB Motel, which at RM100 (20 pounds) per night was an absolute steal – just 20 metres from the white-sand beach, boasting a large en-suite room, two double beds, air con, fridge, TV and verandah, and in walking distance of anything of significance in Cenang. We couldn’t have asked for more.

As we had already seen a decent stretch of the coast and countryside thanks to the aborted attempt to stay in Pantai Kok – further from Kuah than Cenang, at the western end of the island – we decided to simply spend our first day hanging around Cenang and relaxing. An excellent Chinese lunch was followed by a stroll along the beach and a swim.

As is my habit, when I saw a broken beer bottle on the sea floor, I picked it up and intended to return it to shore. It was only when a white tentacle started to wriggle out of it that I realised an octopus had made its home inside the green glass! Ingenious, I thought, as the sides of the glass offered both armour and a smooth, firm anchoring point for its suckers. Not knowing – or wishing to find out – what would happen if one of the tentacles was to attach to my skin, I dropped the bottle back where I’d found it.

Cenang was light on nightlife options, although there was a decent beach bar with a live reggae band which looked the part but vocally would never be confused with the icons they covered. Still, I find reggae music of any kind always suits an evening on a tropical island beach.

We returned to Pantai Kok the next day – not in search of luxury resorts or defunct guesthouses, but to visit the Seven Wells – a river leading to a dramatic waterfall and featuring seven pools connected by slippery rocks which are safe and fun to slide down.

It’s a hot and humid hike up the mountain – and any rustling of bags will attract the attentions of naughty, snack-hunting monkeys – but that just makes the eventual dip in the river all the more welcome.

The Seven Wells lead to what would literally be a deadly drop off the waterfall, so thankfully a couple of flimsy wires stretch across the penultimate pool. It’s a half-hearted effort as far as death-prevention goes, but really, no harm will come to anyone who displays a bit of common sense and doesn’t go too near the edge.

A walk back down to the base of the waterfall provides further swimming opportunities and the scene for some dramatic photos. After that, we considered a ride on the Langkawi cable car to the summit of the mountain, but rain was threatening so we retreated to the hotel.

The rain did indeed descend with some force that evening, ruling out a return to the beach bar, but an excellent dinner of grilled cockles and stingray sufficed.

Lunch is served at Pulau Payar

Our final full day in Langkawi saw us take a tour to Pulau Payar Marine Park. It is one of the most heavily-advertised tourist attractions in the region, with videos and documentation showing delightful images of snorkelling and diving amid coral and hand-feeding colourful fish and even sharks. It looked irresistible, so we plumped for that over other excursions, including a three-island boat trip or a mangrove tour.

The island was indeed delightful – pristine sea water brimming with fish, uninhabited land and stunning views from the hilltop – but in hindsight, there was no reason to take an organised tour there rather than the normal, scheduled ferry service.

The tour staff were, of course, friendly and knowledgeable, but aside from that the only things they provided besides the transport was a snorkel set and a packed lunch – both of which you could buy in Cenang anyway.

So the “tour” amounted to a bus and boat ride to a single desination, a talk, a basic lunch and the provision of equipment. Besides that, we were left to our own devices for a half-day. Don’t get me wrong, Pulau Payar itself is well worth visiting, and it is quite charming to be surrounded by schools of fish – tiny, bright ones up to seabass, non-aggressive sharks and even one enormous grouper – attracted by scraps of bread. It’s just that the organised tour to the island did not offer value for money at RM100 per person.

Rain curtailed another trip to the beach bar, so we spent our final night out in Langkawi at the only other watering hole we could find in Cenang, which I can’t remember the name of but was run by a British guy who was celebrating his birthday that night, so the place was busy and boasting a party atmosphere. We stayed until 3am, and with beers starting at just RM3 (60p), and our return ferry to Penang not until 2.30pm, there was no reason not to!

The return to Penang was simply for convenience, as we would fly back to Bangkok one day later. We stayed again at the Broadway Budget Hotel, had a low-key Friday night out on Jalan Penang (the hangover from the previous night in Langkawi was still in the memory) and then killed a few hours before the afternoon flight on Saturday by visiting Fort Cornwallis, a British colonial military defence fort which was never actually used in battle.

In all, the holiday offered a good mix of culture, fun and relaxation, which is just right for a one-week vacation. I found Malaysian people – whether indigenous, Chinese or Indian – to be very friendly and for the most part fair and honest – something that is unfortunately sometimes missing from the tourist’s experience in other parts of South East Asia. The food was good and costs were comparable with Thailand, and in some cases certain things were even cheaper. It is officially a Muslim country but there no restrictions on dress, drink or other standard pursuits of a Western or Thai tourist. Waew proclaimed it the “best trip ever”, and while she is far from as well-travelled as me, it was certainly among my more enjoyable holidays, too.

Batu Ferringhi

I spent last week in Malaysia with my girlfriend, Waew. It was our first proper holiday together and my first proper trip to Malaysia (I did a brief border hop from Brunei in 2005 but that was essentially just to tick another country off the list). It was also my first proper holiday in South East Asia since moving to Thailand last year, having so far failed to live up to my promise to myself to see as much of the region as possible while living here.

We flew in and out of Penang, where we spent half of the week. The other half we spent in Langkawi. It proved a decent mix of city and countryside, culture and relaxation, with stays in three locations.

GEORGETOWN

Approaching from the air, the provincial capital looked to have been spoiled by an overabundance of ageing high-rise condos, which scarred an otherwise lush, green island. However at ground level I found Georgetown to be charming. True, a lot of the buildings are greying and flaking, but then it is a very old city, and you can’t have history without a bit of wear.

Thankfully the ugly high-rises are more of a feature of the outskirts than the downtown region, which is full of character. Malaysia is known – and celebrated – for its multiculturalism and tolerance, and this is certainly evident in Georgetown. Ancient Chinese shophouses mingle with mosques, Buddhist and Hindu temples, and old colonial architecture.  Dining options offer Chinese, Indian, Malay, Thai and European, while browsing the myriad  ethnic stores is a delight. Aural atmosphere is to be found on every street, too, whether the five-daily Islamic prayer sessions, the joyous songs emanating from the Hindu temples, or bhangra pop music blasting from sari shops and Indian CD stores.

A short walk from anywhere in the city centre can take you to most of the downtown attractions and to the seaside, although typically of an urban coast, the sea is murky and unremarkable. However the beach legs of our trip were ahead of us; Georgetown was the cultural side.

A bus or a cheap taxi ride into the centre of the island takes you to the island’s showpiece tourist attraction, Kek Lok Si Temple. The sprawling Buddhist place of worship straddles one side of Penang Hill and dazzles in its colour and design. Chinese, Burmese and Thai influences come together in one site and make for one of the most impressive religious sites I have seen, and certainly among the very best Asian temples.

It’s then a short hop – 5 minutes by taxi or a 25-minute walk – to the Penang Hill funicular station. The train will take you on a steep ascent to the 830-metre-high summit, from where you can take in the inevitably sweeping views, although again the rash of condos do blight the landscape in places. It probably looks better at night, when the city lights switch on, but still the view is far-encompassing enough to offer plenty of interest, whether the cityscape or the jungle or out to sea.

In terms of nightlife, Georgetown offers some smaller, more characterful bars along Jalan Chulia which attract backpackers and expats, or the more upmarket Jalan Penang, boasting smarter bars, a throbbing high-end nightclub and the city’s beautiful people.

We stayed at the Broadway Budget Hotel, which was basic but centrally located, clean and staffed by very friendly and helpful employees. We couldn’t fault it for RM50 (£10) per night. We found it by simply walking around after finding one of the Rough Guide’s recommendations, the Blue Diamond Hotel, to be unacceptable (ancient, musty, threadbare rooms) at the same price.

BATU FERRINGHI

With Penang island being circumnavigable in a day, we decided to hire a car and do exactly that. The car hire company we called was booked in Batu Ferringhi, the nearest significant beach spot to Georgetown, on the north of the island, where we intended to stay one night. The price of the rental was reasonable, but the hire rep had to come from BF to Georgetown, and then drive us back to BF, where his office was based and from where the rental would officially begin. Fine, we thought – it’s a free ride. Unfortunately the rep had seemingly been trained in the Bangkok tuk-tuk school of transporting tourists and rather than simply drive from our hotel to his office, he took us via a luxury chocolate store, a fabrics mill and a coffee outlet – all overpriced and all of which presumably paid him commission.

After checking in to a seaside guesthouse – Shalini’s, which was in a great location, just on the opposite side of the beach road, but otherwise not worth the RM75 they charged, if you compare with Broadway in Georgetown – we set off on our driving tour of the island, working our way clockwise.

The emphasis was simply on looping the island and seeing the countryside, and as it was already 1pm by the time we set off (thanks to our commission-seeking car hire rep), we didn’t have time for the major tourist attractions such as the Butterfly Farm, Tropical Fruits Farm and Snake Temple. Still, away from the city, the island proved beautiful, with lots of photo opportunities along the winding roads of the coast or of the jungle interior – just be careful when driving of monitor lizards crossing the road as if they have all the time in the world!

Almost back in Georgetown, we swung on to the bridge that links the island with the mainland portion of Penang province. At 13km long, it’s an impressive piece of architecture. The mainland seemed fairly featureless and access to Butterworth, the nearest city of note, incurred a toll, so, bearing in mind we were also pressed for time, we simply returned to the island via the bridge, which does offer a scenic run.

Finally, a quick run through Georgetown and then back up to BF and we had completed the loop while it was still daylight, giving us time for a stroll on the beach, which did not boast clear water but was scenic enough, with large boulders framing the western end and playful stray dogs chasing crabs . Dinner of carpetbag steak (beef stuffed with smoked oysters) inside a restaurant fashioned as a life-size ship, followed by a stroll around a night marker, completed a very pleasant day.

Part 2: Langkawi

I am backkk!

Trip was awesome. We rent a car, we explore, and get lost together. Though getting lost under the sweltering sun wasn’t so much fun. Seriously langkawi is like 10 times hotter. I feel like I am closer to the sun in langkawi then in singapore.

Not much of a night life there. And the shops are selling stuffs that you see in singapore, say, 10 years ago. And life there is slow mo. I remember one restaurant asking ask to wait an hour for food. LOL. So we left for another cafe. I am not exaggerating. I am glad we went to this cafe, because there is this very cute indian chef coming out of his kitchen just to smile at us. I remember it was viva italia cafe. I commented on his book. GREAT CHEF INDEED! Why? Cause he alone does all the cooking! And his cooking is not bad ok!

And over at langkawi, I witness my uncle driving like a F1 racer. LOL. He cut lanes like nobody’s business. He drift. He speed. He does things he would never do driving on SG roads. LOL. Salute.

To be continued..

I shall continue with blogging when I am happy. I am tired.

first pic i took after we landed in langkawi international airport! in rented car!

the clouds were so near!! it was cold on the first day.

Bye Bye SG

Hello Langkawi!

Feeling damn pissed off with myself. And with the pile of never ending school work. Writing reports make me ill. Presentation makes me gag.

I am gonna sleep early. They say wrinkles begins their work once you hit 21. I don’t wanna have wrinkles! I don’t wanna! So I am gonna sleep early from now on! I am going to try! I must sleep a minimum of 9 hours daily! TeeHee.

The city feels clean this time of night

Just finished editing TL’s power point slides. I am tired. Fugy tired. I finished my report too. Clever little girl I am. Holiday for the win. Langkawi for the win.

I am going to langkawi in two more days. And I am wondering what should I bring there with me.. Camera is a must. Or maybe I should just bring lots of money and splash it all on massage. Massage is good, relieve stress. And money indirectly relieved my stress. LOL. Money works wonders.

Oh boy. It is almost 3A.M. now and I am still awake. Zzz. Someone please sing me a lullaby so I can sleep.

Salam…sejak sekian lama x bka blog ni…..rini aku try bkak blik…..tpkan….pelik…suma post sbelum ni hilang mcm 2 ja…so kna start dr mula la……

So pd NAZ yang selalu komen blog ni x update…rini aku update dah….

Ni sja aku ltak kali ni…gmbar x seberapa…aku malaih nk upload dah…

Salam…

Idag är det inte ens 2 månader kvar tills vi åker. Med det här höstrusket som nu börjar lägga sig över Stockholm (ja, Sverige överhuvudtaget såklart) är det inte konstigt att man längtar bort. Just hösten har jag väldigt svårt att se charmen i….

För att vara säkra på att vi skulle bli nöjda när vi åker ner till Malaysia har E:s föräldrar gjort en tripp till Langkawi och kollat in vårt hotell. Hem skickade E:s mamma sen några bilder så att vi får sukta ännu mer. Jag kommer stirra mig blind på dessa bilder och försöka frammana någon slags varm känsla i kroppen när jag börjar frysa in i märgen.

Separat babydel som passar Lilla A perfekt

En nersänkt poolbar som faller E i smaken

Malaysia är ju nämligen muslimskt och Langkawi det enda stället där det faktiskt går att hitta alkohol till turistpriser, eftersom ön är en taxfree-zon. Så han får väl passa på här!

Här får nog bli min plats

(Och nej - självklart har inte E:s föräldrar gjort en tripp till Langkawi för vår skull. De skulle dit iaf på sin egen semester och var snälla nog att kolla upp så att hotellet iaf verkade vara okej)

Ya son muchos los días que voy buscando excusas para no ponerme delante de la que tal vez será, la penúltima crónica. Y, ya son muchos los días, que busco esas palabras enmarañadas en mi mente para poder volver a hablar de este viaje.
Tras dejar atrás Port Moresby (Papúa Nueva Guinea), teníamos más de 1000 millas por delante nuestro hasta llegar a Indonesia.
Después de un estrecho de Torres que cruzamos a gran velocidad,

 con viento y corriente siempre a nuestro favor, y tras un avión de la Guardia costera australiana que nos pasó casi “rozando” el mástil mientras estábamos montando el tangón para configurar las velas (estuvieron llamando antes por la radio pero pensábamos que llamaban a otro barco), llegamos al mar de Arafura, tirando por el lado de sotavento, todos los desechos orgánicos que generábamos. Os cuento esto, ya que antes de salir de Port Moresby, tuvimos que enviar –es obligatorio-, un e-mail a Australia para decirles que íbamos a cruzar sus aguas. Rápidamente nos llegó su respuesta diciéndonos tooooodo aquello  que no se podía hacer en sus aguas, entre ellas, tirar productos orgánicos por la borda. Y a mi cómo que cada vez me caen peor los australianos (no enumeraré los motivos pero os aseguro que cada vez son más), pude realizar mi pequeño acto de rebeldía, tirando las pieles de las frutas que consumíamos y asomando “mi culito” por la borda cuando las necesidades apremiaban o eso digo yo, también estaba prohibido?.
Tras más de una semana de navegación en un Mar que no superaba los 40 metros de profundidad y de un color verde intenso, llegamos a Indonesia.

Este gran país formado por miles de islas, fue desde un principio para mí, una gran decepción.
Indonesia, en estos pequeños recodos de mi memoria supone Nasi Goreng y cerveza Bintang casi cada noche para cenar.

Navegaciones sin viento y corriente en contra. Fondeos cuyas playas eran vertederos de basura. Dragones de Komodo y macacos pescando cangrejos en la isla de Rimca.

 Cientos de pescadores, de redes a esquivar y de zambullidas al amanecer en plena navegación (entonces sí que teníamos viento), para arrancar enjambres de sedal y cuerdas de la hélice. De islas y más islas abrasadas por el fuego. De un poder corrupto y de blancos (australianos) todavía más corruptos amparándose en la corrupción de los locales. De la isla de Bali, bonita y llena de encanto

pero tan explotada y ocupada que en breve será insostenible de tanta construcción, demografía y turismo.  De atardeceres en el sur de Java donde miles de zorros voladores cruzaban el horizonte en busca de bananas y papayas silvestres en las montañas y de un fondeo en el cráter que dejó la explosión del mítico volcán Krakatoa hace ya más de un siglo.
Y así, después de más de dos meses y medio en este país, saltamos a Malasia tras el cruce de la vía de navegación que rodea Singapore y que probablemente, sea una de las más transitadas.

Malasia fueron saltos de marina en marina. Remontar el estrecho de Malaca. Navegaciones cortas pero intensas de tráfico de mercantes y pescadores. Aguas sucias todo el tiempo y del fondeo en un río (Port Klang), donde cada día con el bichero, tenía que apartar toda la basura que se acumulaba alrededor del Talula (incluido un gato muerto a punto de reventar).
Fueron días de reparaciones,

de mal humor y de distanciamiento en el Talula. Fueron días de nuevas amistades que han quedado ahí por siempre.

 Fueron días de cambio y de crecimiento duro pero necesario.
Malasia fue la isla de Penang. Noches en el barrio hindú. Rotis y los mejores tandoris en el Mustafás, calamares rebozados en el “restaurante” chino más sucio de Penang, donde las ratas estaban tan saciadas que retozaban por debajo de las mesas ante la indiferencia de los clientes menos de la nuestra.

De una marina en dónde a partir de los miércoles, ya no se podía dormir hasta las tres de la madrugada, ya que la discoteca que albergaba el recinto, estaba totalmente descubierta. De numerosos templos, paseos, pensamientos y más pensamientos…
Y también fue Langkawi. Última isla antes de partir hacia Tailandia. Cargamos bodegas, salida del país y rumbo a Phuket. En este trayecto de 120 millas,  hicimos varias paradas en islas donde las aguas volvían a ser limpias y de escenarios dónde, una vez más, la naturaleza se imponía soberbia y desafiante  ante la medida humana.

Llegada a Phuket. Fin de Año en el barco de unos amigos y empezamos el año sin saber qué hacer de nuestras vidas. Continuamos? Nos quedamos un año más por la zona y aprovechamos para pintar aquí el Talula? Qué haremos en España cuando lleguemos con tanta crisis? Es aconsejable hacer este año el Mar Rojo?. Y así fueron pasando los días hasta que el día 10 de enero tomamos la decisión: Mar Rojo, Mediterráneo y vuelta a casa.
Y así tras 1600 millas más a nuestras espaldas y con el alma un poco más en calma, hoy os estoy escribiendo desde un atolón de las Maldivas (probablemente el más feo de todos al menos visto desde el mar). Tranquilidad, sol, arena blanca, aguas transparentes, un poblado encantador con casitas hechas de coral y calles de arena sin asfaltar, un pozo donde puedes coger agua dulce y lavar la ropa y unas gentes humildes pero tremendamente hospitalarias cómo rige su costumbre musulmana.

De un día de ayer donde pescamos 15 calamares por lo que pude hacer finalmente, un arroz negro y unos calamares a la cerveza que compartimos con nuestros amigos suecos del Eos.

Y mañana, de una cena en el poblado y al día siguiente, de una excursión a otra isla.
Luego serán 1200 millas más hasta Omán (Salalah),

que será desde donde envíe esta crónica, para saltar a Yemen (país del que tengo grandes expectativas) y atravesar con otros veleros,  la zona marítima más conflictiva que es el Golfo de Adén. Allí serán días con todos los sentidos a flor de piel y con la tarea aprendida de cómo hacer un SOS a través de las radios en caso de amenaza de piratas. Navegaremos por un corredor de seguridad en donde la flota internacional está presente y que una vez superado el estrecho de Bab el-Mandeb, quedarán atrás los piratas pero entonces, las noches de insomnio vendrán por los fuertes vientos que soplarán del Norte y que nos harán buscar refugio en las costas de Eritrea, Sudán y Egipto y esperar con mucha paciencia a que Eolo se despiste un poco, para seguir remontando ese mar Rojo hasta llegar al Mediterráneo, donde, con nuestro querido Serrat y una botella, esta vez de Champagne francés comprado en Nueva Caledonia, será descorchado y regado sobre la cubierta del Talula para darle las gracias por habernos llevado de vuelta a nuestro querido Mar Mediterráneo.
Aún falta al menos dos meses para ello, pero así será.
Cómo tantas veces he soñado y deseado.
Cerrando un ciclo más de mi vida.
Cada día más cerca de todos vosotros y tan lejos de otros,
Laura