Dec/110
My visit to Kathmandu and Pokhra
The name Nepal just brought to my mind glimpses of slit eyed people and definitely that of the Himalayas. Other than that I did not think much of that mountain country to our North East. So when my wife suggested about going to Kathmandu with some friends of hers who knew the place well, I said okay in a half hearted manner. In hind sight I realize it was good that way because it had kept my expectations down. The short flight from Terminal 3 of IGI airport got us into Kathmandu in an hour and fifteen minutes. When we arrived, there were two old battered looking taxis to transport us to a three star hotel. Don’t know what got into one of the friends for she started speaking in what seemed like a Russian accent behaving like a thorough tour guide and went about calling each of us “Toooorist” each time she addressed us from then on.
Having checked in, we were out in no time to sight see the place on foot and we were being guided by our able “tooor guide” through dusty crowded market places. And I was thinking that if this all there was to Kathmandu, I am very hopeful of my next four days being all that exciting. Just a waste of time or so I thought. It was not far from there that the street opened up to what might be the city square and with that so did my hopes. To one side of the square, where numerous people had congregated, was the house of the living Goddess. Sadly, it was just past the visiting time and the little Goddess had finished sitting by her window for the visitors to catch a glimpse of her. It was most interesting when our friends told us that us that very place where we were turned bloody each year during the festival months of October when several bulls were sacrificed in keeping with an age old tradition.
For the remaining three days we had our visits more or less chalked out and looking back I must admit it worked to clock work precision except for the four odd hours we lost due to a flat tire enroute to Basanthpur. Our Hotel Manager of Hotel Marshyangdi did nothing to help us out except make false promises of sending another car. During the days that followed, we travelled to Bouda – the world largest stupa, visited the Swayambu atop a hill and I looked around for a Khukri. By the way the coffee shop Flavor’s at Bouda has some yummy cakes that I highly recommend. For the ladies there is a shop selling some fine jewelry and precious stones.
On the third day after much eating and shopping and sightseeing not necessarily in that order, we rented a van out for two days to take us to Pokhra – a place that was six hours away by road. Enroute, after a two and a half hour long drive, we stopped at Mankamana 125 Kms to the West of Kathmandu. There are some lovely places by the river to photograph before hopping into the cable car ride to the top to visit the Mankamana Temple at the height of 1250 odd meters above sea level (by my latest Protrek watch which I am hoping was accurate enough). The view from the temple is good but it could have been better ,I feel, had it not been for the hazy cover. The cable car ride was steep but nothing compared to the one I experienced at Langkawi. By the time we got to Pokhra we could barely see anything outside. Surprisingly though even in that dim light the snow capped mountains reflected enough light to make itself noticeable and the increased sound levels inside the van on sighting the mountain was indicative of the heightened excitement levels. That night, after checking in into the hotel all of us just strolled for a walk generally getting our bearings about the place straight.
The next morning at four we were ready for a short bus ride to a the sunrise point is called “Sarangkot View Point” located at 1600 m above sea level. As we got there we could only make out the silhouettes of other tourists gathered earlier than us all expectantly waiting to see the sunrise. It was not long before that spectacular event happened just before our eyes and I must admit watching the Machhapuchare or the Fish Tail Monuntain as its called turn from a dark silhouette to a crimson orangish mountain was a sight in itself. That done we spent the rest of the day going boating on Feva Tal lake and spent a lot of time eating and shopping.
In all it was a good trip and considering that I went in with very little expectation, was I think the primary reason why I came back very satisfied. As my wife observed this was one visit when I was not my edgy self and seemed more relaxed. I guess it is purely attributable to the excellent guides we had to take us around. Not only did the guide treat us well as “Toooorists” ought to be but left no bit of planning to chance. So would I want to go back to the Magical kingdom of Nepal again? Well, with the same set of friends/guides… sure, why not?
Oct/110
Goodbye old Coyote!!
It was in my eight grade way
back in 1982 that I got my skateboard – a Grentec Coyote GT bright red
colour skateboard. Back then my parents had moved to Jakarta having picked up a
new job. My neighbours were mostly Indonesians with a few Indian families here
and there. There was one other boy – my namesake Ramesh Mishra who lived a
short distance away from where I lived. He was one year my senior in school and
his dad worked with mine. He had a light blue Grentec Coyote GT
skateboard. It was he who got me to learn the ropes of skateboarding – not that
I went on to become a skateboarder par excellence or anything of that sort.
For several years from then I had treasured my
skateboard as I did most of my toys. The skateboard if any was perhaps the only
piece that really connected me with the one wonderful year that I had spent in Jakarta.
It surely brought back memories of many a fall I have had on CempakaPutih Tenga lanes as I learnt to
skate and I can still remember that extremely painful bump that developed
almost instantaneously after one of those very nasty falls. So big and ugly it
looked that I remember my friend and I kept looking at it in complete
amazement. I can also remember holding onto Ramesh’s bicycle and being towed
along to either the nearest convenience store or across the length and breadth
of Cempakaputih Tenga colony.
From time to time all it needed was a wash and
a little greasing up and it was as good as new and it was not uncommon for
Ramesh and I to compete on who was going to give his skateboard the best
squeaky clean scrub. I remember I once got my hands on two long stickers from
one of the Kellogs corn flakes packet and I had stuck them on the skateboard
just to add extra colour to it. After all these years of extreme rough use on
practically every kind of terrain, I must admit the skateboard’s design was way
way ahead of its times.
Several years later , it was just last year when my
older son finally came up to the seventh grade, that I - with mixed feeling of reluctance to part with and
pride that I had managed to take care of my skateboard so well all these years
- gave it to him asking him to be
extremely careful. After all I had taken good care of it for the next
generation to use. My son seemed to be making reasonably good progress learning
to jump off the foot path and things like that. On weekends I too would take
time to try my hand at it. Sadly,this evening when I got back from my son (now
in the eight grade) sat there with a crestfallen look. It took a bit of asking
around the household to be told that he had lost the skateboard. I don’t know
if he was upset or if he was more worried at being yelled at by me. There is no
denying that I was upset but I told him that there was no point now in crying
over spilt milk. However, I made a point to tell him to learn from this
mistake.
As for my Coyote .. for the many miles of fun
and thrill and for the great memories you will always bring to me Thankyou !
09 Oct 11 - Just came back on to update this blog. The stolen skateboard has finally been recovered Phew !!
Dec/100
On the rafting I did go
With forty others, my sons and wife in tow
In a bus on a ride that lasted seven hours or so
To Rishikesh, I remember one morn we did go
On the rafting I did go… on the rafting I did go
In tents for two each and not a body more
Pitched on the banks paved with rounded stones
And the boulders brought by the gushing flow
We stayed … On the rafting I did
go … on the rafting I did go
To the river side, the children were forbidden to go
“Look after your little ones” the grownups were told
In front of the camp the river gurgled as it flowed
On the rafting I did go… on the rafting I did go
Walking along the banks shaped by the meandering flow
I was in awe of natures powers and the torrential flow
The landscape transformed by the
floods only days ago
I noticed… On the rafting I did go… on the rafting I did go
The sandy banks of the year before
Lay covered with boulders and one
wrecked auto
The water was cold and the pace seemed slow
On the rafting I did go… on the rafting I did go
The rafting started with six of us in a rubber boat
Each one holding a paddle with a T end to row
The do’s and don’ts in troubled waters we were told
On the rafting I did go…on the rafting I did go
In accented English we were instructed paddles to the fore
Across five rafts, the thirty of us who braved the cold
Started with chants of “Ganga
maiya ki jai ho … jai ho”
On the rafting I did go…on the rafting I did go
The first rapid was Good
afternoon Rapid we were told
Followed by the Three blind mice
and a few more
The first unexpected splash sent a shock as I felt the cold
On the rafting I did go…on the rafting I did go
Gotten past the Tee Off and just
before the Golf Course
To the vantage point as the photographers got off the boat
Remember your life line, the paddle and to row, we were told
On the rafting I did go…on the rafting I did go
One by one the rafts went and we counted 1..2..3 and 4
Sailed through they did and so will we or so we hoped
The swells consumed as we tossed about uncontrolled
On the rafting I did go…on the rafting I did go
What happened next I do not know, I really don’t know
I was in water trapped beneath the blue of the boat
Struggle I did in fear and cold for a few seconds or so
On the rafting I did go…on the rafting I did go
Air at last, and I took in a lung full before
The waters pushed me down once more
Like a cork I bobbed and gulped a few gulps more
On the rafting I did go…on the rafting I did go
Finally the raft spotted separated by a few feet or so
No sooner than I swam to grab it and get a firm hold
My accented guide wanting to upturn the boat said “Let Go”
On the rafting I did go…on the rafting I did go
Having been pulled into one of
the other boats
I looked around to find my wife and NO!
She was not on any of the other boats
On the rafting I did go…on the rafting I did go
Five minutes later and she was carried by the river flow
Allaying my fears and convincing it was not yet time for her to GO
Made me chant a silent Ganga
maiya ki jai ho … jai ho
On the rafting I did go…on the rafting I did go
Nov/100
Delhi Half Marathon – 21 at 42
I had run a whole marathon once but that was over two decades ago and the thought of running another one, albeit a half marathon suddenly seemed to make me look for excuses to wriggle away from the proposal. By mid October I had found myself going on evening runs of 4 to 6 Kms on a regular basis. Though hardly an effort towards preparing for the 21 Km run, the recollection of guys in college – one year my junior- asking me if I was serious about running the 42Kms on not having seen me practice adequately and going on to complete the entire race, gave me a degree of confidence that I might pull this one off too. Registration done, I got myself a Running number of 5136. A sore throat that went neglected only went on to develop into severe chest congestion. To the doctors it seemed like Allergic Bronchitis and they prescribed me some heavy antibiotics. To me it seemed like a waste of valuable time that I otherwise should have spent practicing for my big run. When the chest got no better after the first course of antibiotics and I had to be prescribed a second course, I was unsure if I would be able to run at all with the run being barely a few days away. Fortunately, 5 days before the run, my chest seemed to have cleared up and I decided to push myself to doing a 15Km trial run simply to test my endurance. Though I achieved what I had set for myself as a goal for that cold evening, I found my left knee getting jammed by the time I had finished the run. I was not sure if it was the cold, the New Shoe or simply my age telling me to GO EASY. For the next four days my knees were sore and any plans to jog even small distances had to be shelved. 21 Nov 10. The early morning was nippy and by 0700 hrs I was at the starting point all set for the run. A slight tinge of doubt clung on to me in some corner of my mind but I didn’t allow it to consume me. At a distance I could hear a countdown go from five to one and I was on my way. It was like a huge carnival with over fifteen thousand people having assembled there. The first three kilometers were covered relatively easily before the first signs of a cramp on my left calf started to nag me. It was too early in the race and I was at that point in time unsure if I will be able to complete the race. Focusing on my running I continued but not without stopping from time to time to massage my muscles and then only to speed up trying to make up for the lost time. Seeing this one of the runners came beside me and said “Take it easy man”. By the time I reached the 8 Km mark, I saw the lot of the leading runners make their way back to the stadium. It was a treat to watch their long strides and the clock read 40 minutes. I tried counting down from a thousand and then counting up to a thousands in steps of hundred and every other possible game to distract myself from the nagging pain that was getting worse and now concentrating around my knee. At the 13 km mark I clocked 1: 39 or so by my watch and that was nearly the same as what I achieved during my practice. If only I could keep up this pace I will easily finish the race by 2:17 or so I knew. At the 16 kms mark, it was encouraging to hear one of the onlookers shout and cheer us “Come on just five more kilometers to go”. However by the time I reached the 18 kms mark , it was nearly 1:50 or so and my knee pain had gotten so bad that even walking had become excruciatingly painful. My only concern was not being able to go past the finish line before the three hour period ran out. With the pain I experienced and the pace I was limping at, it seemed very much possible. The last three kilometers were the most frustrating of them all for all those I had over taken in my early stage of the run, were now going past me at good speeds. And all I could do was watch helplessly. With 12 minutes to spare I finally limped across the finish line at 2:48 – taking nearly an hour to finish the last three kilometers. Yes I had completed the 21 at 42 but it felt like no achievement at all.
Having moved into a new job at Delhi in March, as I was getting acquainted to the new City and the new pace of life, the buzz word and the anticipation was all around the Common Wealth Games (CWG) which was to follow a few months later. My colleagues at work were both the outdoor kind of people and naturally a fair share of the conversation at Office had to do with outdoor activities. Among all things, more discussions took place sharing the experiences of the 21 Km Delhi Marathon run than of any other event because both of them had run it atleast twice before. With November merely a few months away, and with me being the newcomer on the block, I was also coaxed and cajoled into seriously considering running it this year.
I am not sure what problems my knees will cause me in the days ahead but I am hopeful of returning to the Delhi Marathon in 2011 only to better my timing.
Jul/100
My visit to Krabi
One way you know that a year has gone by so quickly is realising that you are planning in earnest and then packing for yet another holiday. After Langkawi last year this year we aimed for a Family reunion at Krabi in the South East of Thailand.
Once again, my wife and I turned to Tripadvisor.com and started to look through the various airline websites for the best deals for air tickets and the best places to stay in. Without a doubt most travellers who blogged on Tripadvisor.com recommended we stay at Railay Beach (preferably West Railay) for that is where all the activities were. However after much debating and weighing our options and considering the possibility of having to wade through slushy soil during the low tides we decided on staying in Ao Nang instead for it was better connected to the mainland. Besides we had to give my fathers age its due.
Based on last years success at planning and executing the trip we felt so much at ease doing the bookings ourselves and in the process. AirIndia had the best deals on a to and fro ticket and so we grabbed it only to rely on Air Asia for the domestic flights from Bangkok to Krabi and back.
12 Jun 10 We arrived in Bangkok and spent the next two days generally catching up with family and shopping and of course deciding on what we would like to do while at Krabi. We browsed the net and decided on a hotel Ananta Burin in Ao Nang based on the reviews on Tripadvisor. The booking was done through AsiaWebDirect.com that offers the best prices than any hotel can directly through its own web site. We settled for a 4 nights package with airport pick up in a deluxe room pool facing. To my surprise we were sent two 10 seater vans at the airport and not charged any extra. The hotel itself is new and the staff polite, friendly and warm. Having got in at 1800 hrs we didn’t do much that evening except walk down the road to find a decent restaurant. We found one just as it was about to close but the food was good.
13 Jun 10 was a rainy day and we had to shelve our plans of going Rock Climbing at Railay Beach because getting to Railay depended on going by boat and we were not too sure to risk rock climbing on a rainy day. Instead we drove along the Noparathara Beach and went for lunch at a reputed Sea Food restaurant called Kruathara (I am not sure what the words After Tsunami on their board was intended to convey). They had displayed pictures taken seconds before Tsunami ravaged the place 6 years ago. The food was good and kids had fun watching live lobsters and strange looking crabs and ray fishes amongst other things in the aquarium. Later we walked on Noparathara beach and its an awesome sight to see a beach so lively and so packed with so many tiny crabs, and other shelled creatures and even an occasional Jelly fish. Having spent some time collecting shells and photographing the place and after the kids had their share of fun we returned to the cleaner waters of the hotel pool for more swimming.
14 Jun 10 With ten of us travelling together we could afford to charter a speed boat to ourselves and went on what is called a Three island tour. There are several islands to pick and chose from including the James Bond Island from the James Bond Movie. We picked Hong Island, the Lading Island and one other. It was the first experience of its kind to be zipping past so many rock masses jutting out of the water in various shapes and then to be taken into the cave like entrance to the mangroves. An occasional Jelly fish or two could be seen here an there. After the mangroves we left for Lading Island which was the designated lunch spot. After a good fill of Steamed rice and Thai chicken curry we ventured out into the waters to feed the schools of tiger fish with the left over rice only to be swarmed by them from all sides. An occasional white Jelly fish could be seen here and there and one got close enough to go past my wife’s leg leaving a jellyfish feeling and a burning sensation for a while. Hong Island was definitely the best stop where we got to snorkel and even take three turns of half an hour each canoeing with different family members. It was exhausting but fun as well. Of the lot, my niece and I surely showed such great synchronisation (see picture) in our movements that I suggested that we should form a team for the 2012 Olympics.
15 Jun 10 We decided on a half a day tour to go Elephant back riding through the thick vegetation and then to see the cat fish farm. We hadn’t planned anything for the afternoon and just as when my brother and I were coming under some serious criticism for poor planning and wasting a whole afternoon doing nothing the Rain Gods came to our rescue with a heavy downpour.
The elephant back ride was exciting no doubt with the kids definitely enjoying every bit of it. But having seen and experienced the bigger farm with over 250 odd elephants in Chiang Mai earlier, I didn’t find it all so impressive. The Cat Fish farm had so many different sizes of cat fishes and my brother could not ask help asking if they were feeding the unusually large ones any steroids. 
16 Jun 10 Rock climbing was on the agenda and this meant having to go from Ao nang to Railay beach which is famous for its rock climbing locations. The trip was tailor made for our requirements and what is usually offered as a half day tour was converted into a full day tour with lunch thrown in as well. Once again we had a long tail boat all to ourselves. After a brief halt at the store to pick up climbing gear we were set for our maiden attempt at rock climbing. At first, when Judith – our German tour operator said the max height we might climb to as beginners would be only 30mts it seemed like a cake walk. A fifteen minute boat ride later when I came face to face with the rock face, I must admit I had my doubts … I could feel my acrophobia taking over.
That not withstanding I decided to give it a go but only after letting the kids try first. And my older son went up with no hassles and so did my niece. Now if nothing else at least for face saving I had to make an attempt of be categorised as a coward. So force I did and of the three possible levels a beginner could climb to – 10 mts, 20 mts and 30 mts – I got to the 10 mt mark easily. But as I was being lowered I had already decided that the 20 and the 30 were not my cup of tea. After lunch we walked to the eastern side of the island and then came the lovely beach into view. Oh it’s a spectacular sight to see and there was more rock climbing for those who were interested. While most of the family got busy playing in the sea, I tried my hand at building sand castles. In no time I had a few interested bystanders peering over me as I dug out a deep moat around my castle.
On the way back after an hour or so in the sea we decided to trek up the mountain to see a lagoon and view point. While my son accompanied my brother I took my niece and went our separate ways. Somewhere in between we lost them and we went ahead to find the lagoon. As it turned out the others only got to see the view point where as we were the only two who got to see the Lagoon albeit from a distance. I was not comfortable taking her down the steep mountain slopes wearing her slippery plastic shoes. The way down from the visit to the view point and the lagoon was quite tiring more so because I was worried for the safety of my niece. I was sweating profusely as I normally do but when we finally got back to the rest of the family my niece was cheeky enough to claim she was not scared one bit but it was I who was and that I was sweating because I was so stressed out due to the fear of heights. Obviously my maiden attempt at rock climbing earlier that morning had not been enough.
Just for the sake of not regretting not having tried, tired as I was (or do I say stressed out as I was) after the trek up and down to see the lagoon, I decided to give the 20 mtr mark a go. I must admit I was doing fine only lowing upwards not looking down until my guide said something. To clarify what he uttered I made the mistake of looking down and that was curtains for me.
Now recollecting I realise it so funny and irrational how fear can affect us so much. We headed back to the hotel. After a change we headed out to a supposedly good sea food restaurant – The Ao Nang Sea Food Restaurant. The least I could say is Don’t go there. They are over priced, offer poor service and charge you an additional 3% on credit card payments for something that can be had for a third of the cost elsewhere.
After enjoying 5 days at Krabi, on 17th we headed for Bangkok.
Jan/101
Cold Blooded Reporting (Live EXCLUSIVELY on our channel)
People getting killed is nothing new nor is TV News channels reporting them after its happenned. But what happenned in Tamil Nadu today was different. It made me cringe and hang my head in shame at the thought of what the world has come to. Several TV channels were reporting the incident and showing the poor inspector crying out in excruciating pain for a little help. The TV channels that reported blamed two ministers of the state whose convoys happenned to pass by without stopping.
That some ministers of this great nation can be so cold blooded to drive past and turn a blind eye is not surprising to me. Nor is the fact the common man would hesitate to reach out and help (for fear of legal issues should the person eventually die) difficult to understand.
But what were the so called Responsible members of Media doing while they were busy filming and bradcasting away in their mad race to be the FIRST to come out with the Exclusive coverage?
No wonder then with such low value for life, we will have more of these murders, brutal attacks and even more terrorists attacks. Displaying such levels of Apathy (out of a LUST for the TOP NEWS REPORTERS position) is absolutely sick.
You guys need to hang your heads in shame and never utter a word ever about Responsible Journalism.
Dec/090
And you tell me ….
Please don`t hurt me
I have told you
All my love is all i`ve got
And tomorrow is the day
When I for your sake
I`m coming back
And you tell me
That i don`t love you
Trying hard to make you jealous
Trying harder to make you stay
Days are longer
Night are crazy
It`s so strange when you`re away
And you tell me
That i don`t love you
becuase i love you i will show you
all the faces my love can have, so
Please
Let me come to you
And stay this time
And you tell me
That i don`t love you
Oh you know
That it`s just not true
Oct/091
It turns me inside out
In a way I’m glad it’s over
Even though it’s gonna hurt me once you’re gone
I can learn to live without you
Give me time and I can make it on my own
Lovin’ you to me came easy
Now losin’ you will change my life no doubt
In a way I’m glad it’s over
In another way it turns me inside out
In a way I guess it’s better
Even though there’s nothin’ good about goodbye
But I knew I couldn’t hold you
Now you’ve found your wings and you need room to fly
It’s for sure I’m gonna miss you
But I guess that’s what goodbye is all about
In a way I’m glad it’s over
In another way it turns me inside out
On the one hand I know I’ll be better off once you’ve gone
But I find a lot of heartaches on the other
And I can’t say I’ll look forward to those nights I’ll be alone
And I wonder, will there ever be another
Cause lovin’ you to me came easy
Now losin’ you will change my life no doubt
In a way I’m glad it’s over
In another way it turns me inside out
In a way I’m glad it’s over
In another way it turns me inside out
Jai Ho Big Bazaar.Jul/092
My visit to KL and Langkawi
Planning a maiden trip to someplace where no one we knew lived was not going to be easy. So Malaysia it was and it was around early May that we started reading up hotel reviews and checking on airline deals etc online. The recession globally, if any, only made it easy for us to get far too many offers than we could handle. Just to give us an idea on how much one should expect to spend, we also tasked a reputed Travel Agency to work out a 7 day tour package for us.
Langkawi came as the natural choice of the second place to visit in Malaysia when Silk Air extended us a fantastic promotional offer at the time I went in to book my tickets. And this was one time when I enjoyed the benefits of working for the Indian Government in full measure for at a time when more than half the world reeling under a falling economy not only was I getting a fantastic pay hike but also the arrears in one go.
08 Jun 09 - We finally arrived in KL airport after spending 6 hours in Singapore. I knew the city was a good 50 minutes away. A car ride was inescapable I knew all along but I didn’t realize that for what I paid I would be travelling in a gleaming black chauffeur-driven Mercedes. My elder son jumped into the front seat unable to contain his excitement and some forty five minutes later I could hear the chorus of both of them echoing their “Wowwwws” when the Petronas Tower came into view. Our hotel the Dorsett Regency - one of the few that offered quad occupancy in the heart of KL - was very close to the Petronas and without a doubt we were received in great style when the doors of the Merc were opened.
Four days in KL was adequate to go around and see what was worth seeing. KL being a bit city, sometimes it can take a good part of a day going from one place to another. We soon realized that it was best to take a Taxi on a daily hire basis on a fixed rate and that automatically ensured we had a cab waiting for us wherever we went. During the four days we went around to Batu caves, The Royal Selangor Pewter factory, The National zoo (Zoo Negara) and to the top of the Menera towers and Beryl’s Chocolate factory besides walking the streets of KL and shopping around. Despite our best attempts, we didn’t find an authentic Malay food restaurant in KL. It was disappointing!
12 Jun 09 - After four days in KL I didn’t know what to expect of Langkawi except for what I had seen from a few photographs and hotel reviews I had read online. We all certainly looked forward to tasting some authentic Malay food after not having got much whilst in KL. It was on the Air Asia flight that I finally got to have some Nasi Aayam (or Chicken fried rice and it was mmm to say the least ' possibly because I was hungry too).
Talking about the Air Asia flight I am reminded about the previous evening we got down to telling our sons about flying over water and stuff like that when my younger one asked me if we would land on water. It was just one day before that over 130 people had died in that mysterious disappearance of the Air France aircraft over the Atlantic on its way from Brazil to Paris and I couldn’t help recollecting that as I answered my son by saying “We just might … one just did yesterday and a lot of people died”. By the time I realized I had made a terrible mistake he was crying his lungs out in mortal fear refusing to fly the following day. Fortunately and thankfully there are these Happy Meals from McDonalds that do a fantastic job in diverting the attention in times like these and believe me they work their magic every time.
Langkawi being among the biggest of the islands there, was connected to the mainland by air and by ferry service. The drive to City Bay View hotel took us about 25 minutes. Langkawi being so close to the Thai coast has a fair mix of Malays and a small Thai speaking population with few Chinese or Tamilians compared to the mainland.
The hotel room was bigger than the one we had in KL and the view from the room was breathtakingly beautiful. Sitting on the bed with the curtains drawn one could see the bay and the yachts at a distance and each morning I couldn’t help the sing the song “…Oh those sailing boats with their sails afloat..if only I could see…that familiar sunrise through sleepy eyes…how happy I would be”.
The first evening we just walked around a bit near the hotel the first evening familiarizing ourselves with the area before hopping into a restaurant to have our first real Malay meal. It was all I had anticipated! The following day I flagged a Taxi down and struck a deal with him as we did in KL to take us around on a fixed price per day basis. Nazzer, our driver, had a lisp to his talk but was a kind man and over the next few days grew friendly enough to take us over to his house. He showed me a portion of the house he had built himself indicating to me he too was a DIY buff. His collection of antiques ' irons, wall clocks, coins and china ' was interesting. Nazzer took us to the Underwater world, the Black sand beach, the secluded but beautiful Tan Jung Rhu beach, the waterfall in the Book Village which is a library, where we all played in the cool waters. The high point of our stay there and quite literally was the cable car ride. The ride to the top of the 720 odd meter high mountain through a 42 degree incline as it climbed had me sitting on the edge of my seat clutching onto anything and everything I could lay my hands on while my sons had a hearty laugh seeing my mortal fear of heights.
Of the two places I fell in love with Langkawi and the fact that there were only about 50000 people on the entire island made it appealing. It was quiet yet not too quiet, it had all the modern facilities and connectivity and it was in the centre of South East Asia. The fact that it was a Duty Free Port made it even more attractive as a destination to visit. Having travelled quite a bit around South East Asia, I found the absence of that unfriendly, rude, cold feeling one gets in Singapore (Sorry Singapore!!) while interacting with the locals contributing the most to making me feel at home.
Before long we were packing our bags to get back home my wife suggested that we should try and come back to Langkawi next year. Well the heart desires for sure'.who knows? Just as my Taxi Driver replied to me when I asked him on the way to the airport if he had been for a Haj, I think I will leave it to destiny and 'Insha Allah' we will come back.
Friends' Update
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