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Hi all,
Well I am very much enjoying my time in Langkawi and I think this is the place I shall have been the longest (other than Oz) throughout my trip. In fact, Michelle (friend from school) has won a holiday out here and so I will be meeting her on the 20th (though I'll hop to another island in between!).
Well the weather has been quite mixed so far. The first few days I was here, there was a lot of rain and I hoped that the Monsoon hadn't arrived early.....luckily it hadn't and the sun is now shining at fall pelt - it is soooo hot.
The beach here is wonderful, very fine white sand and a gentle sea and it is surrounded by many other islands close by. Apparantley Langkawi is made up of 104 islands in all.
My first night here was spent recovering, but my second I ventured out to the Reggae Bar - yes another one. It's quite cool here, as they have a live reggae band every night - the lead singer we renamed 'Fat Marley'...2 guesses why! - but that night was a little disappointing, as it was pouring of rain. I got a bit tired of standing, squeezed under a plastic sheet, so I decided to go back to the guesthouse.
I waited in a hotel reception for about 30 mins, in vain hope that the rain would let up and wasted my time planning my route across the car park, which resembled a large pond! In the end I just had to go, though there was no point running - ''it's that fine rain, soaks you right through!" - and my second step through my carefully planned exit resulted in water up to my mid-calves. I had to giggle.
I made it back to our guesthouse and loads of others staying there were up, so after I had got changed (into a jumper, as I put all my laundry into be washed - keeping one t-shirt, which was now soaking) I spent the night and wee hours of the morning playing s***head (it's a card game, for those not in the know!) and finally went to bed about 6.00am.
This however wasn't such a good idea, as I had arranged to get a car out with Kate and Damien the next day. (Though Damien had stayed up with me, and I wasn't drinking - antibiotics nearly finished) We were up at about 9.30, so that we could have an early breaky and then start of around the island.
We had been told about a network of cable cars up in the North West of the island that takes you up the mountain, enabling you to see the whole island. We headed towards that, but on the way it started raining and so when we got there we decided against it, as the cable car went into clouds quite low down.
Instead we stopped at a 'shopping mall', which was quite similar to TKMAX, but much cheaper and with food and then drove around the island, stopping to look at and take photos of wild monkeys, buffalos and the mountians.
It is really beautiful on the island, so we thought we would take a trip to one of the waterfalls. We followed the map, but there was no entrance to the waterfall! So we thought we would go to Gunning Raya, where they have a spot where you get a good view of all the paddy fields. Again we followed the map, but to no avail. It seems the map had been updated and changed somewhat since this one was printed, as we went on roads that didn't even feature on it. In the end we didn't even see that much, but we had a really nice day anyway.
In the evening I went to bed dead early and woke myself up again at midnight in preparation for the footie: England - Argentina. Hiroko, the Japanese lady that runs the guesthouse let us use her t.v. and I watched it with the other English lads staying at the resort....what a pleasure to win!
The next day we had the car until 12.00pm, so Kate, Damien and I got up early again and headed straight for the cable cars. The weather changed today - it's boiling hot and sunny yipee! Unfortunately I looked like a right tramp, as my one and only top still wasn't dry and the others still being at the laundry - so I had to wear 3/4 trousers, trainers and a sarong wrapped round my torso...not the best look ever!
The cable cars were a really well planned and fantastic network of cables and bridges up high on top of the largest mountains on the island. The cable cars are powered entirely by solar power and the bridge is a suspension bridge (well it says it is) and is held up by one massive metal pole, stemming from a smallar mountain below. I wouldn't suggest going if you are really afraid of heights however (Sarah, stay at home!). We walked all the way across the bridge and took some great pictures of Langkawi from up high.
Other than that most of my days have been spent lounging on the beach, using the Internet when it gets too hot to be there - and it does get too hot - eating and (now) drinking. Tonight I am going to the night market with Hiroko, just to have a look around, and hopefully get a nice cheap meal from a stall seller.
My plan presently is to go to Penang on the 17th. Come back to Langkawi on the 20th to meet Michelle (and hopefully bunk in her room without anyone noticing me and my big backpack!) then head onto the Cameroon Highlands (if the weather's ok there), then Kualar Lumpar and finally Singapore, before Oz. My plans may change though, so watch this space.
Take care all
Lynds x x
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