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Published: April 3rd 2009
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Beachy Goodness
Home for a week. The last blog finished with Holly and I lounging on a beach in Langkawi. You will not be surprised to hear that we spent the next week on that very same island, putting back our departure each day due to raging hangovers and the gravitational pull a place like that has on travellers. As I write, we are in the Cameron Highlands, in the centre of Peninsular Malaysia, a small town in the mountains, surrounded by jungle and all the crawly, bitey things that dwell within them. We should have travelled more. But it’s our party and we’ll lie about and drink beer if we want to.
A tax-free haven meant cheap beer (about 30p for a can o’Tiger) but all the budget accommodation was booked up by the time we got there so the money saved on booze went on a delightful little hostel on the beach. The next two days saw Holly and myself divide our time evenly between the beach, the sea, our balcony, and the reggae bar next door. The sea was like a bath, the sand unbearably hot at times and the live and local reggae bands a real treat. Fortunately for our bodies, this
Team Langkawi
Jobi, Clayton, Chad, Lyndon, Laura, Stephanie, Carolina hedonistic lifestyle was balanced (possibly - I haven’t done the calorie maths) by endless games of ‘Throwy Bally’, the finest game in Christendom, and Muslimdom for that matter. Who’d have thought that at ages 25 and 26, launching ourselves about the sea, making catches a South African cricketer would be proud of, would bring so much joy? I honestly believe that some of the catches brought ripples of applause from onlookers in the reggae bar.
Day 3 in Langkawi found us, yet again, back with Team Commonwealth, the Canadian chefs, who we guiltily met having a sandwich in a Western café. They were taking time out from their hectic schedule of film and food to relax on a beach with beer and broads. That night, we met up with the boys (or Three In a Million as they like to be known) and took full advantage of the aforementioned budget booze by the sea and witnessed another stunning sunset, or ‘Stunset’, if you will. Later we met three Swiss girls, Carolina, Stephanie and Laura, who the guys had befriended earlier that day. The next 3 days followed a familiar pattern. Get up. Eat a sandwich. Lie on the beach.
Monkey
And what became of him? Play throwy bally. Get a bit sunburnt (in my case, go even browner in Holly’s). Start drinking around sunset. Listen to reggae. Search for nightlife. Pass out.
It wasn’t until the third night of drinking that we actually made it out of the 100 square metres we called our home. After much boozing by the sea, for a change, we told the guys we’d catch up with them at a bar down the road and head to a fabled club, Samba. Unfortunately, Holly and myself were waylaid by a triumvirate of rebellious Jordanians. ‘What fun!’ I hear you cry. Sadly, not. Chief Jordanian, let’s call him Captain Maturity, was so excited to have met us, all he could do was shout, ‘Oh my God! This is so cool!’ as we walked down the street, with Stella in hand, much to our embarrassment. After taking several wrong turns, looking for the bar, Captain Maturity was visibly flagging. Walking, it would seem, was not his forte. It was here that we managed to give them the slip. For the time being…
Once reunited with our Canadian brethren, and their newfound entourage of single ladies, we finally made it to the
The Klyne Brothers
Choo-choo! All aboard! club. Initially put off by the extortionate beer prices, we quickly settled in when the live band came on. A tight 3-piece, playing covers as diverse as La Bamba followed by Muse, Holly and I found ourselves jumping like jelly beans in what can only loosely be described as ‘dancing’. The drinks flowed, the tunes continued, all was well, all was happy. Then Captain Maturity reared his ugly head. We managed to avoid him for a short while, avoiding eye contact and pretending he wasn’t there but eventually he cornered Holly on the dance floor and proceeded to launch himself into rapid dance convulsions. Holly’s avoidance tactic was to drop to the floor and curl up in a ball, a technique often overlooked in modern warfare, but effective nonetheless. The madness of King Jordan continued for a short while before big brother Clayton had a firm word with him and he backed off. The dancing resumed, minus the mentalist. It was a darn good night and our first proper night out. I’m sure more will follow.
The next day, naturally, was a write-off, but the following day we hired a minibus with Lyndon, Clayton, Chad and the Swiss girls
Holly
See that? See all that? That's all mine. and headed off for a tour of the island of Langkawi. There are a few things that Holly and I would like to tick off as we continue our trip. The most important for Holly, perhaps, was the chance to meet monkeys. It didn’t take long before we pulled over at the side of the road and found ourselves under friendly attack from a whole army of the blighters. They didn't hesitate to clamber over the minibus and help themselves to Chad’s cigarettes. Fortunately, they didn't have a light and I wasn’t willing to risk being reprimanded by the Malaysian RSPCA by offering him one.
Next stop was a waterfall, which was fun, but a little disappointing in terms of size. It did, however, provide me with the chance to fall arse over elbow, slipping on a rock. Smooth. The journey continued and, after lunch, we found ourselves at a large beach on the north of the island. Frisbee and throwy bally took centre stage as we launched ourselves through the air, pulling off catch after catch of sheer quality. I’m so easily pleased.
We returned home, thanks to Chad’s erratic driving, determined to use up all the
petrol we had put in the tank that morning by driving at breakneck speeds. On the Saturday morning we said our goodbyes to the guys and arranged to meet up again when we get to Laos at the end of March. We’re both doing similar routes so may end up travelling together, which would be fun as we’d get to see their cooking skills in action, as well as learning a great deal about local cuisines.
Next stop was the Cameron Highlands, slap bang in the middle of Peninsular Malaysia. A whole days travelling on boats and several buses led us up winding mountain roads with breathtaking views of tea plantations, a legacy of British rule. We checked in to our cheapest accommodation so far, in an attic in which I couldn’t stand up. Still, it was cheap, and all we wanted to do was rest our weary heads.
The purpose of this stop was to venture into the jungle for our first trek. Unfortunately, dear reader, this is where I shall leave our story. Stay tuned, though, for tales of millipedes, scorpions and the world’s largest flower.
This week we have mostly been eating: Sandwiches and roti.
This week we have mostly been listening to: Love, Grizzly Bear, and The Most Serene Republic.
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clayton
non-member comment
thats hilarious
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