23rd and 24th January - Rebak (Langkawi)

Thursday 23^rd January

So where are we now??

Back in Rebak marina…Langkawi…Malaysia…

Straight back into a Mr Din car, 

to check in with Customs, Immigration, Harbour Master.  A thousands times easier and more pleasant than in Thailand…

Welcome back, 2XS…

Friday 24^th January

Computer said NO to posting the above, so… I will try again.

It is very hot here, with lots of mosquitoes delighted to see their very best friends again.  Especially with two juicy newcomers on board!  Yummo!!

A random boat on the way to Serendipity...

A bit of catch-up on our Thai adventures.  We enjoyed our speedy trip through some of the gorgeous islands very much but…it was all GOGOGO, with only very brief periods to swim, lie in a hammock, relax in any away at all.

Putting up the mainsail

We had a few hours on shore at Koh Rok Nok, where we had our rudimentary chicken-only lunch amongst the cats.  There were large monitors wandering around – not much smaller than Komodo dragons, but not in the least poisonous or aggressive.

After lunch we decided to go for a walk to a promised look-out.  It all looked very pleasant and innocuous.  In fact it was…STEEP!  We climbed up and UP to the clifftops, where we had fabulous views down to the sea.  

The steps had been made quite recently, post-tsunami.  This must have been a huge labour – the steps were made of large concrete tiles.  Imagine carrying them up, digging the steps, mixing the mortar… Thai people are quite small and slight, but the steps are made for giants.   Going up was a hard slog; going down we just about needed an abseiling rope.

On Koh Lipe we met a very helpful Canadian girl, Jess, who was working in one of the beach bars.  She suggested we should go to a new little resort called Serendipity, on the point.  It was a great suggestion.  

The resort is built into the rocks overlooking a beautiful little beach and the pounding sea.  

We would never have found it, had it not been for Jess.  We ran into some of our boaty friends back in Walking Street

A dear little local girl playing with little metal bottletops in the middle of Walking Street.    She had to move every time a motorbike came along, which was often

(the narrow shop-lined track which leads from one side of Koh Lipe to the other) and told them about it. 

How on earth did you ever find it?? they asked.  Well even with local knowledge it was hard to find.  Go past the rusty hanging bike-on-the-beach…

round a corner…through what seems to be someone’s front yard…and there it is!

Dogs and cats everywhere in Thailand.  And mostly looking plump and prosperous.  Not sure if any of them belong to any particular families, but they are certainly calm and happy and not prone to rabid ankle-snapping, or even begging.

Some of our friends – I will call them Jane and Luke – are having a slightly difficult time with their son and his girlfriend, who have come to stay on the boat for three weeks.  They are delightful young people, it goes without saying but…they are tricky.  Meg and Mark are vegan animal activists and they are on the lookout for cruelty-to-animals at every turn.  Thank goodness the companion animals we have seen thus far are so peaceful and plump… Poor Jane is looking very nervy, terrified that Meg will see a mangy cat which she will insist on rescuing and treating, and maybe even installing on the boat.  Food is also very difficult.  It is well nigh impossible to eat a vegan diet in this part of the world.  Plain boiled white rice is possible, but there aren’t many vegetables, and just about everything is infused with fish oil, or soy sauce, or various other condiments contrary to a vegan diet.  This is taking the shine of the family visit, just a little bit.

2XS Koh Lipe

Bron and James, on the other hand, are VERY easy to please.  They enjoy everything, and eat everything, with gusto.  Thank goodness!  They have left us here in the marina, to go and stay in a resort on Pantai Chenang for two nights.   This is the beautiful beach where we went on our first few days in Langkawi – full of little cafés  and bars, shops, restaurants, cool dudes, fun.   There are some beautiful resorts; I hope they find a very nice one, with aircon, and NO mosquitoes… They are enjoying their boat time but I think a few days of luxury will do them the world of good.

Four cool dudes...