Pura vida...Evita's voyage to the Seven Seas

Langkawi has been a change for us from the rest of Malaysia – rain has stopped, no lightning storms, and most of the time at anchor rather than in marinas, with beautiful anchorages reminiscent of some of the Pacific Islands (although without the crystal clear water). We have also firmly arrived back into the cruising world – here in Telaga there are over 40 boats with us in the anchorage, plus a similar number in the marina, and there are two other marinas on the island.

Langkawi is a beautiful island; quite sparsely populated, and mountainous with most of the land covered with pristine forest. Even non-twitchers such as ourselves cannot fail to be impressed by some of the bird life: It is home to a very healthy population of sea eagles – the symbol of Langkawi – and there are always some up above us either in anchorage or as we sail along the coast. We have also seen the spectacular hornbills up in the trees.

Here in Telaga the anchorage is protected by a couple of artificial islands, one of which seems to have been taken over by cruisers and christened Fire Island, in honour of the bonfire pit which is the social centre of the anchorage. There are a number of boats with kids, so our three have had the chance to play with other children.

We arrived here in the middle of the annual Langkawi regatta, and as Eva mentioned, Raul and I managed to get a ride for a day on a (non-racing) race boat. Even with tired, sagging old sails we cruised along at over 12 knots with no difficulty, around double what we consider a decent rate of knots on Evita. It was good to get the rails in the water without the sound of stuff crashing around down below.

We have known for some time that we would need something of a pit stop in Langkawi. We have had our sails fixed, are in the process of replacing the autopilot (the only automatic thing it now dies is turn to itself off) and I am currently trying to fit a smart regulator, so that we can more quickly charge the batteries from the engine. The latter task has involved taking the alternator to pieces, which is a steep learning curve. There are at the moment two possible outcomes – faster charging (if it all works) or no charging (if I fail to put it back together properly).

As always with boats though, it is two steps forward and one step back. No sooner had we decided to bit the bullet and splash out on a new autopilot, the wind instrument began to malfunction (another trip up the mast, and another visit to Raymarine probably). We got the sails back from the sailmakers, and when putting the genoa back on the furling gear jammed, so now we are without a headsail. Hopefully we can at least get the furler fixed before we move on.

We are now reaching the decision point for our Indian Ocean crossing. Our original plan had been to go from Thailand across the Bay of Bengal to Sri Lanka, and then on to the Maldives, south to Chagos and then Mauritius, Madagascar and southern Africa. This plan had involved leaving Thailand in February to catch the weather, to give a bit of time for visiting Sri Lanka, and was based on the assumption that we would be about 4 weeks ahead of where we are now. So...we have been scratching our heads to think of alternatives – the two options seem to be retracing our steps through Indonesia to Krakatoa and then heading out west through the southern Indian Ocean, or passing down the west coast of Sumatra before striking out towards Chagos. The list of pros and cons for each is long which is why we have failed so far to make a decision; doubling back is not an ideal option (plan 2A) and apparently the west coast of Sumatra (plan 2B) gets heavy swell and little wind so not ideal either. But plan A would mean very little time in Thailand, and little time for land based travel in other parts of SE Asia. You can't have everything can you? Watch this space...

We were very sad to say goodbye to our friends on Love Song in Penang. In the morning after we said goodbye we left the beautiful marina behind us and sailed away to Kuah in Lankawi.

We spent two days in Kuah. Allen, from Love Song, had brought the racing boat called Trader. He asked Daddy if he wanted to race on Trader with him and a few other people, and he asked Raul too. They both said yes. So me, Mummy and Oskar were left alone on the boat.

When they got back, Raul told us that they were leaning so much that the deck was soaking and so was the cockpit!

We left Kuah the next day to Telaga. When we got to Telaga, we pumped the kayaks up. Our friends had told us that they made a den in one of the little islands there, they also told us that people think it is a rubbish bin. Me, Oskar and Raul went to one of the islands and saw a toilet, Oskar thought it was the den but it obviously wasn't. We went the other island and we found the den. It had a place for a fire, and a little house thing with net on it. It has a little wooden swing too. We added some things to it and made a hermit crab home. This island is called Fire Island.

It says in lots of places that there is horse riding, and when we come back, we might be able to go. Another day, we went on a cable car to the top of the mountain nearby. It was a very hazy day so we couldn't see very far.

Yesterday we left this beautiful anchorage to go to Rebak marina. When we got to the entrance of the marina we called on the radio to the person from the marina office. When we got there, we saw a giant jellyfish! Mummy gets crazy about the night in marinas because there are lots of mosquitos and you don't get any breeze. Last night I spent the whole night scratching myself.

When we were ready, we went to find the pool. It wasn't as big as everybody said it was, but it was still very nice. The beach was right next to it. When you went in the water from the beach, your hands turned green. The pool had a bar right next to it.

The sun did shine on us for the day we spent in Pangkor, a small island which we saw in a 2 hour taxi tour that took only 90 minutes. The focal point of the tour - other than a very enjoyable seafood lunch in a Chinese restaurant - was the mini Great Wall of China, a model built on a hill behind a Chinese temple. Malaysia does excel at making the most of its tourist attractions. We spent the rest of the day on a beach and after being buzzed for a while by jetskis and other motorboats, we figured we'd join them and got a ride in one of these inflatable things they tow behind motorboats. Great fun.

Dinner was in a place next to the beach, where it felt like the roof was going to collapse under the weight of the monkeys thumping around. We did wonder how safe our food would be when it arrived, but we'd reckoned without the help of the tiger that was delivered to our table. Straight away the monkeys cleared off - I have never seen a soft toy have such an effect.

The next day we set off for Penang, and after another windless passage arrived off the island at around 3am. The final hours of the trip were quite interesting, through the strait between Penang and the mainland, including passing under the two bridges that unite Penang with the mainland. I had checked and double checked the clearance under the bridges, but I still held my breath as we approached each one, in fear of the sound of the mast crashing down onto the deck.

We have now been moored up in the Straits Quay Marina, in the northern part of Georgetown, for almost a week, enjoying the fascinating culture and streets of Penang. This was the original British settlement in the straits of Malacca, and behind the small British contingent came people from the mainland, from China and India and from many other places as well. The result is a real melting pot, with food, culture and faces from all over Asia. The old part of Georgetown has been designated a world heritage site by UNESCO, with its Chinese shop houses, Indian temples and street food sellers. Every street has something of interest.

It is also a beautiful island, known as the Pearly of the Orient. Georgetown has as a backdrop some steep jungle clad hills, including the highest at around 700m, Penang Hill, which was the first British hill station in Malaysia. When the heat got too much for them, they would retreat to the cooler air (typically 5C less) up the hill. There was, in those times no funicular to get up there as there is now, but their trip up the hill was made reasonably easy, thanks to the locals who used to carry them up there in chairs.

The kids have very much enjoyed life in the marina. No swimming pool this time, but they have enjoyed spending time with Morgan and Wyatt, two American kids, on Love Song. They are here for a while going to a local school, the idea of which appealed to Oskar - maybe a real teacher is better than the ones he currently has!

Next stop Langkawi.

We got an inconclusive weather window and eventually left Johor on the 27th of December and got better weather than promised, and managing the 140 miles to Port Dickson (commonly referred to as "PD") with barely a drop of rain. Normal service was resumed after that, though, with regular downpours in the marina. This torrential rain is finding all the small (and larger) leaks in the boat, which is giving us more stuff to fix when we get to Langkawi.

In spite of my hopes and expectations, this was another marina without a chandlery; all those other jobs will also have to wait until Langkawi as well. Admiral Marina is, like the one in Johor Bahru ("JB"), out of town, and so a little isolated. We did a couple of excursions - to PD town for some provisions, and to Melaka, the town that once dominated trade in this part of the world, and gave its name to the straits. Melaka has an interesting old Chinatown, and vestiges of the three colonial powers that swapped dominance of the town through history - the Dutch, the Portuguese and the British. The most shocking sight we saw there were the trishaws, which are all decorated with pink soft toys, mostly "Hello Kitty". Who ever led them to think that was a good idea? We did the trip in a day from PD, which meant we didn't have a much time as we would have liked, but we had to get back for our New Year party in the hotel.

We had booked to go to a buffet they were putting on, with a "countdown" party to follow. The buffet was a little sad; the entire dining room was set up and decorated, but only about 20% of the tables were occupied. Obviously our table - provided as all were with party hats, hooters and other assorted noise makers - was not quiet, so we had a good time. The countdown party was also quite low key - until we got there. Eva was unstoppable on the dance floor, and all were disappointed when the music stopped at 1215 (worse than England in the old days!).

We put to sea again on New Year's Day, on the promise of good weather. Daytime was good, and we even had some wind so could turn off the engine. The night was tough, though; firstly we had to negotiate the anchorage off Port Klang, the main port for Kuala Lumpur, with maybe 50 cargo ships anchored and a few of them moving in and out of the harbour in the dark. After that the thunderstorms arrived just as we found what seemed to be the entire Malaysian fishing fleet dragging their nets across our path. How I yearn for those idyllic Pacific Ocean night watches, with stable weather and no shipping to worry about!

We arrived off the coast of Pangkor Island yesterday afternoon and for the first time in ages put the anchor down. And the sun is shining....

We arrived here 9 days ago thinking that we'd have a quick look at Singapore and be on our way. Things never quite seem to work out the way you plan them, and here we are still in this marina, miles from anywhere waiting for a break in the weather. Normally when waiting for a window, we are hoping for winds from the right direction and the right strength. This time, the winds take a back seat as we wait for a break in the incessant rain and, more significantly, the frequent thunderstorms. Earlier in the week it looked as though the 25th-26th were going to be clear; not wishing to completely forget Christmas we figured on heading off today, but this morning's forecast was for more thunder, and some very heavy rain a little north of us (i.e. the direction in which we are heading). So here we are still, hoping to get underway tomorrow.

Our experiences coming up through Indonesia, and talking to other sailors of their experiences, has left us a bit spooked by the thought of a lightning strike. The frustrating thing is that this is supposed to be the best time of the year to cruise the west coast of Malaysia and Thailand - as long as you start 100 miles or so north of here!

Puteri Harbour Marina - which is where we are staying - is a reasonable place, and will probably improve as they finish off all the building on the land. At the moment, though, it is a little out on a limb. Other than a few small, and for us pretty useless, shops in the development here, the nearest place to buy food or anything else is a 20 minute cab ride away, and there is no chandlery anywhere (frustrating after 3 months in Indonesia where there were no chandleries either). Let's see how the weather looks tomorrow....

The hotel in the development here offers some compensation for our enforced layover, with a nice pool up on the roof overlooking the harbour. There's also a gym, so I have made some attempts to make up for the unaerobic life on a boat (and felt the consequences of that life in the process). The kids, or course, have made very good use of the pool, invariably emerging with shrivelled up hands and feet. Being in one place for while also meant that Santa was able to locate us and prepare himself to visit us a couple of nights ago. Eva had been worried that he wouldn't find us, as she omitted to give the latitude and longitude in her letter to him but Rudolph's instincts overcame that, and they were all happy to find a pile of presents in the aft cabin when they woke up. We enjoyed a buffet Christmas lunch in the hotel yesterday, with a selection of food from all Asia, plus some of the more familiar Xmas day offerings. We haven't quite got our heads around what Christmas is all about here; in a predominantly muslim country it is surprising to see decorations and hear carols blasting out from the PA systems. After all, you tend not to see Brits of a Christian heritage celebrating Diwali or Ramadan in the UK. But we had a good day anyway.

Watch this space - we might have some sunshine photos on the next post....

When my Mum and Dad told me that we were going to stay in Singapore for the night my head filled with questions: 'What's it going to be like?' or 'Is it going to look like Indonesia' and all sorts of similar questions, but I was not going to find out the answers until I got there...

The first move was to actually arrive there, and how were we going to achieve that? Easy, all we had to do was get in a cab and tell the driver that we wanted to go to the bus station. The bus took us on an unsteady ride to customs at the borders of Malaysia; it took no time at all because they just had to look at our faces and stamp our passports. Once we had crossed the bridge to Singapore we went into immigration for the officers to allow us to go onto the island.

Later, just before we went into the underground, something caught my eye: SINGAPORE was just awesome!! Skyscrapers everywhere, tons of people inside them and everyone in a hurry!!! It was city life again!!!

I was disturbed from my daydreams by my parents and found we were already in the train station... we had to deal with the hassle of getting train tickets. We arrived in a place called Lavender - where our hotel was - half an hour later (the trains there are soooo fast!!!)

Later we were all ready to have a wonderful lunch... we went to one of the traditional places to have lunch: a Hawker centre - a place that has tons of stalls full of different Asian mouth-watering foods. I had braised duck rice. Later on that day we had enough time to do the following: go to china town - it was a shame we could not eat there, the places to eat looked very nice - ,visit a Buddhist temple in which Raul showed his utmost interest in (we also got some meditation books for him) and finally, we went shopping in one of the biggest malls I have seen in my life. When we finished shopping it was already dark and the amazing Christmas lights were on and we had a nice dinner next to them.

The next day was by far the most fun as we went to a science museum that most of da Vinci's masterpieces were stored. In this museum there were different topics: photography, architecture, mathematics, art, and a Leonardo da Vinci's gallery of all his interesting inventions. Next was the most awesomely cool thing that happened on our trip to Singapore: the Sandy Bay Marina resort... this is three skyscrapers with a massive platform laid on top of them. We went to the top of it - 670ft off the ground - only to see the whole of Singapore: something that looked like the London eye (a copy) called the Singapore flyer, hundreds of skyscrapers, a bit of Malaysia and the beautiful and familiar ocean stretching as far as I could see. It was wonderful!!!

All I can say about Singapore is that it is a very fascinating place.

Bye bye until next time...