christmas in langkawi

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope you've had a nice time, and - if you've any sense - at least one After Eight chocolate over the last few days.

A week has been and gone since my last blog entry, and it's time for a long overdue update. Following my last blog Raj and I have travelled up by ferry to Pulau (Island) Langkawi, where we stayed for four days, based in the main resort area, Pantai Chenang. Thankfully accommodation was available and we checked in at the Melati Tanjung Motel for the duration.

We spent Christmas Eve getting drunk at Debbie's Place, an Irish bar along the main tourist strip. It was a lively evening, with plenty of people coming and going, and the Tiger Beer flowing as fast as the water down nearby Temuran Waterfall. We met some interesting characters including amongst others: an Irish couple who teach English in Japan, a sour faced German woman called Angelica who wanted to be in Hanover, two fabulous middle-aged Swedish ladies, a former mayor from South Africa called Jerry, and a Kuala Lumpur based journalist called Simon who was not so much full of beer as of himself. I had a lot of fun, and it was just the way a Christmas Eve should be in my view. Around midnight the room was spinning sufficiently for us to call it a night, and that's what we did via a walk home along the beach.

We spent Christmas Day relaxing. There's not much to report. We had a wander around Chenang, sat on the beach, ate some Indian food in the evening (no turkey for me this year), and drank a couple of quiet beers at the Jungle Bar.

On Christmas morning we hired a moped, and used this from Boxing Day onwards to explore the interior of Langkawi. This was great fun. Over two days we went to Kuah (to go to the bank), Mahsuri's Tomb, Pantai Kok (reputed to be the best beach on the island), the Langkawi Cable Car, the Datai Hotel (a five star resort), the Temuran Waterfall, Gunung Raya (the highest point on the island), the Durian Waterfall, and Pantai Pasir Hitam (the black sand beach). This little lot used up almost a full tank of petrol.

On our last morning by the beach in Chenang we whizzed around on jet ski's out in the Andaman Sea, before jumping back on a return ferry to George Town in Penang. We stayed overnight, and then caught a VIP bus back to Kuala Lumpur, which is where I am now - waiting eagerly for New Year's Eve to commence. If all goes well, and I have my way, I will be in no fit condition to blog tomorrow.

Just to note, I recently set aside Tess of the D'Urbervilles (which I am halfway through) in favour of reading Freakonomics. This is an interesting book written by a Chicago economist and his journalist friend. It looks into the economics of all kinds of interesting phenomena from drug gangs to good parenting. I'd very much recommend reading it (especially to my friend Andrew). I'm back with Tess now, who has just taken on a job as a milk maid outside the vale following her illegitimate baby's death. Joy.

Final thought: Langkawi lands fifteen thousand five hundred and thirty nine tonnes of fish a year.