02/06/2009, Thailand
You'll note that the "PH" in Thailand is pronounced "P", most unlike the "PH" in Philadelphia..... hum, now that's fortunate!! The differences abound: We're enjoying balmy (30 C.) breezes and dry weather, hasn't rained in over a month, while America suffers one of the coldest winters yet. Fresh delicious food is so expertly prepared and inexpensive that we must eat in restaurants or hawker stalls (small native stands offering fare comparable to 5 star restaurants for 80 cents to $6) because it's cheaper than eating on the boat.
This picture describes the Thai psyche perfectly. They are compact, beautiful people with a radiance of gentleness and interest that immediately makes us feel comfortable. As in Indonesia and Malaysia, Thai's are very interested in where you're from, where you're going, and what is your name? They honor family above all else, often many generations living together. They're a hardworking lot and seem to be neat and tidy while we're sweltering in the noon day heat. For the first time in many months, they raise happy healthy dogs which equates to good character in my book!
We spent our first 3 weeks here anchored in Nai Harn and developed a marvelously indulgent schedule - on our rented scooter we first had breakfast, internet, 2 hours in the gym which necessitated the afternoon massage, just in time for Happy Hour at the Aussie Islander bar where the Australian Open Tennis tourney was in full force, then back to our Jungle Beach dinghy landing restaurant before dark (the scooter situation here in Thailand is much like a very slow Indy 500). The entire day's tab less than $25.
What more could we ask? Well, I'll tell you - a sail to some of the world's most pristine, unusual beaches that boast clear water full of fish and corals surrounding islands of dramatic karst cliffs, jagged limestone peaks, lush rainforests, and tumbledown fishing villages.
Cheers to another good adventure! KK
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12/24/2008, Langkawi, Malaysia
Are you on your way to heaven? Am I? Are any of us? Is there even a "Heaven"? Who knows - no definite answer! So I'm creating and enjoying my idea of heaven right here in Langkawi.
We arrived in the Northernmost islands of Malaysia a few days ago and have enjoyed perfect weather with fresh breezes on hot days and cool nights. The local folks who work here at our tiny marina/resort island of Rebak are the kindest, most welcoming people we've encountered in our 2 1/2 years of cruising. There are jagged mountains and ridges of more ranges extending to the horizon, gorgeous foliage, insects and rare birds singing at sunrise and sunset, a profusion of blooming flowers and bushes, beautifully cool pool and Caribbean - clean water, and almost white sand beaches beaches for us to lounge upon at sunset.
There is an employee restaurant and bar which welcomes cruisers at very realistic prices and all the normal amenities offered us at most marinas. So Terry is creeping around the rain forests trying to catch pairs of toucans or monitor lizards to photograph in their natural habit with his new camera while I do Pilates or yoga with other sailors, some of which have lived here for more than 3 years because this area is so conducive to cruising life.
Were it not for the fact that we have friends awaiting our arrival in Phuket for New Year's and our months of boat maintenance/upgrade/repair, I could live here for years too!
Happy Holidays to you all - we hope you feel as if you too, are living your idea of heaven right at this moment. Cheers and Best Wishes from Sora, KK
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12/09/2008, Penang
Penang, what a nice mix of Singapore and Melaka it is. Lots of big city advantages with the small town ambience - shrines, temples, museums, parks, beaches, with friendly people, good restaurants, and reliable bus service.
Although Penang is a very modern city, Chinatown's clock stopped 50 years ago. The hilarious signs, colorful old shophouses, ridiculously cheap restaurants, clatter of mahjong tiles and strange Chinese dialects kept drawing us back to the old city. Whether it was the scent of sandalwood and spices, Hindi music, sari or stone seal shops, or the famous temples, we visited this area daily for a week.
Finding Terry's favorite "street eats" stand closed on Sunday, we kept hiking north to the Garage Shopping Plaza across from the E & O Hotel that just happened to be their once-a-month crafts fair. So Jeni and I wandered, oohed & ahhed, touched & purchased while Terry had another massage. We'd found a restaurant with the very non-descriptive name of Beach Blanket Babylon. It was a contemporary colonial British affair that should have been called Oliver's. Enjoyed their set lunch - a real bargain @ 14 RM ($3.25), pigged out, and hit the shops!
Then we started with the Temples!
Cheers to keeping busy in the city! KK
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12/06/2008, Penang
Ferringhi Beach, a popular hippy hangout in the 1970s, has changed dramatically to a resort community of picturesque coves and beaches hemmed in by the densely forested interior and linked by a twisting road lined with deluxe resorts. The most fabulous of which, the Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort, slept FedEx crews on their Penang layovers. Terry had stayed here for the past 15 years and we just had to visit.
Since we were actually just squatters at one of the most opulent hotels on earth, we felt obligated to make use all of their services. Jen and I had foot massages at our pool side lounges after swimming. She rode "Happy" down the beautiful pristine beach for an hour. Terry chatted up the bartender and found that Tony remembered him from years before. The 2004 tsunami damaged the first floor of the Shangri-La which has since been renovated to this unbelievable marble, teak, tile, and glass structure. Like WOW!
As dusk was falling we visited the Night Hawker Market - brightly lit stalls selling Chinese chop, batik, t-shirts, fake designer watches, purses, luggage, and sunglasses - which was set up along the streets and found many bargains.
Be sure to visit the Photo Gallery for more information.
Cheers to enjoying how the other half lives! KK
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12/02/2008, Penang
This open air WWII War Museum was dug into the hill on the SE corner of Penang Island. The British had the foresight to fortify this area in the mid '30s to defend their protectorate. It resembled the set from a John Wayne war movie but it was authentic - concrete bunkers, gun emplacements, and underground control centers with the actual radios, tunnels connecting their foxholes, ammo dumps, and barracks. The major difference was that in the 1940s there were no huge mature trees - they'd been cleared to enable the sentries to watch the sea for the arrival of the Japanese. Unfortunately these wily little devils realized the fortification and arrived in small boats from the Northwest, attacking the fort from the opposite direction in which the lookouts were posted.
It is a magical place, very well maintained, and if you close your eyes to remove the other 80 cruisers, you could envision the enemy sneaking up over the hills to claim your body for the emperor.
This day was sponsored by Pen Marine, a local shipyard looking to generate business from the Sail Malaysia Rally. After a brief tour of their facilities and the visit to the War Museum, our buses swept us up to the owner's home atop a cliff where the sun was setting over the airport just as planes were landing. A little soft jazz playing in the background, tubs of icy beer sitting all around our tables on the patio, only a few minutes of speeches and propaganda from our hosts, and we enjoyed a delicious buffet of Malay, Chinese, and Indian favorites with our hosts coaxing us for another beer or plate of food. Our evening's cultural performance was the Lion Dance, more like Chinese Dragons dancing at New Years, but Jeni loved it - photographing and dancing with them. What fun! Then we left with a gift bag of hats, stationary & pens, and coupons to keep us shopping. These have got to be the most gracious hosts in the world!
Penang Hill's Funicular was down (What a terrible description of the function of the Swiss 1922 small cable car that rises 829 meters, almost 2,500 feet, above the city!) so we chose to walk many miles through the gorgeous Botanic Gardens with its orchid, palm, herbal, and cactus gardens. Penang Hill stream cascades through the gardens creating many waterfalls and pools in which to cool tired feet as well as verdant trails in which to lose oneself. Long-tailed macaques, spectacled leaf monkeys, and huge water lizards, reminiscent of a small monitor lizard, all came out to play and beg treats as we left the grounds.
Check the Photo Gallery for further stories and picts.
Cheers to living history, gardens, and exotic critters! KK
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