A Year in Exile: July 2012

KT has offered to take us to the bus station and mentally we are already on the move. He has also suggested shipping a load of stuff back to Australia, an idea we are all in favour of if it can be done – I would say that almost 50% of our stuff has not been needed, but in our defence we’ve never travelled in this part of the world before and certainly not for the length of time we are planning.

We left Swiss Gardens with mixed feelings, a lovely apartment in beautiful surroundings but definitely time to move on. KT collected us and took us to the bus station in Lumut, treating us to breakfast before we left, a pancake with curry sauce, different but surprisingly good!

The bus to Butterworth took 3 hours and we had barely set foot off it before we were accosted by someone asking where we were going, I thought he was showing me where to get a ticket but it turned out he was selling me one – on a minibus. Brian was really cross – ‘we were warned not to buy tickets from touts, not to go in a minibus and you do both!’ - a nice little spat in a public place to the amusement of at least one couple who turned out to be going on the same bus, which, by the way, was comfortable, quick and cheap! The border crossing was easy, cost MR4, less than £1 for us both and 7 hours later we arrived in Hat Yai. A tuk-tuk took us to our hotel which turned out to be luxurious by our standards. Hat Yai was OK but couldn’t see why Malaysians and Singaporeans flock there for shopping trips. I did, however, manage a much-needed trip to the hairdressers and we ate well in the restaurant.

Back on the bus for the 7 hours to Phuket, relief that the bus was comfortable and air-conditioned. Then the bus curse struck again, we had to change buses at Trang after just 2 hours. It was pouring, a real tropical downpour, as our luggage was moved to the new bus, not so new, not so comfortable and with the air-con stuck on freezing. I was so cold I tried to use a shopping bag as a blanket and by the time we arrived neither Brian nor I could move, our fingers and toes were numb and we were shivering – oh and it was still pouring! It was also starting to get dark and we discovered that our hotel was 40 minutes away! The tuk-tuk is a converted minivan with bench seats and an open back and sides, not what we needed when cold, wet and having travelled for 7 hours already. Still, off we went up into the mountains, the driver had to keep stopping to ask where the hotel was and it was on one of these occasions that by luck, I spotted the hotel. Still raining we were shown into our room – which turned out to be a spacious apartment – with an amazing view over Pantong beach, despite the rain – and there was a swimming pool. All this for £5 a night thanks to booking.com flash deals.

The next day we waited for a gap in the rain to walk down the hill to see what was around. The hill is so steep you have to lean backwards to stop yourself tumbling down and we couldn’t face walking back up. We found a nice little café and the owner, who spoke some English, offered her son as a cut-price taxi service – bargain. It rained for the first 4 days but after that the sun shone. We went into Patong once during the day and walked along the beach, nice breeze but crowded by our standards – rows of sun loungers as far as the eye could see and people everywhere! We enjoyed watching the Para gliders taking off and soaring above the sea, almost had one land on us as we were engrossed in taking photos and we walked down the infamous Bangla Road but there was nothing to draw us back in daytime, we love the quiet of our hilltop and the walks up there. We also have an excellent restaurant opposite and have loved the Thai food, we have even been offered a cooking lesson in the kitchen there!

We had to go down to the notorious Bangla Road at least once at night – it was packed and this is the low season. Apparently in high season people are literally shoulder to shoulder and can barely move, something to be avoided I think.

There are loads of restaurants with live seafood to choose from and fresh fish sitting on ice and we chose one and had a delicious, but expensive by our standards, meal, of sea bass cooked in lime and chilli, prawns with asparagus and some veg. We also had a cocktail really pushing the boat out and we enjoyed it all. After we had a wander up and down the Bangla Road hassled at every step by pamphlet pushers and hawkers, some as young as 5 or 6, selling necklaces, food and other bits. We saw some of the lady-boys, known locally as kathode, Russian strippers and pole dancers, exciting but not enough to entice us down again.

Our last night we went back to our local restaurant and I was pinnied up and taken into the kitchen. Great fun, I made the green curry and the steamed fish with ginger under instruction, was given a packet of green curry mix and it was delicious.

We left at 7 in the morning to find a four inch bright green grasshopper on Brian’s shoe, something we would have freaked out about a few months ago, now we take some (not very good) photos and persuade it to go by shaking the shoe until it reluctantly, moves off. A taxi to the bus station where at 8am we are treated to the Thai national anthem to which everyone, without exception, stands to attention, before boarding our bus for the 8 hour journey to Satun. The bus is bright pink but looks modern and comfortable, it is to our relief but unfortunately the seat across the aisle is occupied by a single female who, to the discomfort of all around her, throws up into a carrier bag at regular intervals – great but at least the strong-smelling balm from Bali comes in useful as we smear it under our noses!

The ‘stewardess’ informs us that the last ferry to Langkawi is at 4 not five so we have to spend the night in Satun, I email Mali Perdana Resort, where we are staying on Langkawi to let them know and we book into a large but decidedly shabby hotel for the night, we have a cheap but tasty meal and an early night having decided to catch the 9.30 ferry in the morning and ordering a tuk-tuk for 8.30 – another early start for us!

The ferry took an hour but was interesting as we passed lots of uninhabited islands and had to weave between islands to get to Langkawi. The port at Langkawi was a pleasant surprise, more like an airport lounge so we made use of the Starbucks free Wifi before getting a taxi to our new hotel. Two very pleasant surprises when we arrived; they didn’t charge us for the previous night and our room is literally a meter from the beach which is quiet but not deserted and has some exciting looking waves. Hopefully not too exciting though as we discover that the digger outside our room is to repair the sea wall that was washed away by waves just last week! Taking an exploratory walk we found the duty free store about 2 minutes away – beer at less than £1 a can and whisky at £5 a litre – bonus! There is also a MacDonalds and numerous other restaurants all very close. We opted for one right on the beach, 20 yards away along the shore where we could watch the sun go down over the sea as we sipped our beer and ate our, very nice, Indian meal. Once again we have definitely landed on our feet – lucky us!

Sunset from our balcony overlooking Pantong beach

Dragon fruit and Rambutin cocktails!

Cheers!

Paragliding on Patong beach

Crepes Thai style

The view from the balcony - stunning!

Spider lilies

Street market in Hat Yai

Painting without scaffolding - or a safety net!

Taken from our tuk-tuk - a common sight in Asia , 4 on a bike, just the one helmet - for Dad!

We enjoyed the hockey in Ipoh although we were disappointed with the GB performance, they finished 4^th out of 7 despite being the top ranked team and will have to play much better to claim an Olympic medal. We will definitely be cheering them on though as we now feel a certain affinity with the team and even know their names! We also met some of the parents and can empathise as they await their sons’ inclusion or not into the final squad as two of the 18 players won’t make the final cut.

Velu (the hotel co-owner), took us out to dinner and after several false starts, mainly because I don’t eat meat or the stalls we needed were closed, we had an Indian. He also said he would take us to the bus and show us an original market which he did, buying us some plum sauce and chilli and garlic sauce while we were there, very generous. He also reiterated that we have strong accents which is why some people (like the taxi drivers) don’t understand our English!

The bus – what can I say about the bus – we seem destined to travel in Malaysia’s worst, this one was old, rusty, no air con and doubled up as a parcel delivery service, once we started we realised it was also VERY NOISY. Brian said it reminded him of the plane we travelled from Rumania in that was so noisy you literally could not hear yourself think. On the plus side this journey was only 2 hours, not 9! A much needed pint at Jook’s Bar in Lumut, shopping at Tesco and the shuttle bus saw us back in Swiss Garden – felt quite like coming home.

We settled back into life at Damai Laut very quickly, not getting up very early, scrabble, reading and walking. I have made curries and Lakse (traditional Malaysian dish) as well as the usual pasta and fish dishes so we are definitely eating well!

Two random things I feel the need to share; one habit you need to get into quite quickly is collecting your loo paper before entering the cubicle, makes you feel like a naughty schoolgirl but must be done, I’ve been caught out more than once – not funny - connected is that most toilets are ‘squat’ toilets, apparently locals would rather stand on a loo seat than sit on it! The other, unrelated, is that the shops never appear to have customers so you would think they would be pleased to see a bona fide customer – no! I was desperate for a haircut and decided to trust a local salon. I walked in and the 3 people in there looked mystified – yes 3 – we can’t do that they said the hairdressers have already left! So who were they and where had the hairdressers gone? Who knows?

We went to Pankgor Island for a couple of days to celebrate Brian’s 64^th birthday – he has been singing the Beatles’ version for days already – and what a brilliant choice. We stayed at a little guesthouse run by Alicia and Anuan, the rooms were very clean and cute but a bit small, didn’t matter, we only intended to sleep in it. The beach nearby, Coral beach was beautiful and we found Daddy’s restaurant just waiting for us. The meal for Brian’s birthday was absolutely fantastic, jumbo prawns and local barbecued fish (turned out to be barracuda) with vegetables and potatoes accompanied by a bottle of wine – so good and eating it on the beach, just yards from the sea made it an unforgettable evening. This was followed the next day by a visit to Giam island. We spent the day there, snorkelling, reading, swimming and feeding the fish – they actually ate food straight from your hand (in this case Brian’s). Some of the time there was just us as boats arrived to drop people off or pick them up, most of the time perhaps 8 or 10 people and then…… from about 4 o’clock we were invaded! Boatload after boatload of Malaysians, mostly Muslim, turned up, however, they all wore bright orange life jackets and sat in the shallows fully clothed. By the time we left boats were having to clear a path through the people who were reluctant to move and the whole area was covered in orange blobs – really bizarre! Imagine being the only female in a swimming costume and the only people not needing a life jacket to stay afloat. On the way back Sham, our boatman, showed us round the island, rock formations in the shape of a crocodile and a turtle and the beach side of the island and treated us to some showboating manoeuvres on the way to shore where at full speed he pulled up the motor and zoomed up onto the sand – well worth the fare! Nevertheless a brilliant day, very enjoyable – happy birthday Brian!

We went back to Daddy’s but were a little more restrained, beer to drink and a plainer meal, still excellent though and the setting would be hard to beat. After breakfast we went for a walk, chose not to go to the beach because of the sand so went inland, found huge jackfruit growing on trees, bananas and mangoes – we still get really excited even though they are the norm here.

Ferry back to the mainland and to Jook’s for a beer and lunch, however, this time the place was literally full of western faces, we are usually the only ones, turned out the US Navy were on joint manoeuvres with Malaysian Navy, it felt really odd not to be unique! We had the added bonus of the sport channel and saw a bit of France v Ukraine and the first half of the New Zealand v Ireland rugby – quite a treat. Took a taxi to Tesco, he took a long way round and tried to overcharge us but he reckoned without us knowing the area and the usual fare – ha ha!

The day was spoiled though by the shuttle bus failing to turn up, it should have picked us up at 6.30, at 7 I phoned the reception – several times, still no bus, we ended up getting a taxi at 8, tired, annoyed and MR60 out of pocket! (While we were waiting the battery on my phone went, I spotted a plug and as we had been away I had my charger with me so I plugged in and stood with the trolley in front of the plug, can’t think I would have got away with that in the UK but thank you Tesco for charging my phone.)

At first when we got in at 8.45 we decided we would just have a drink and chill as it was too late to cook but after a beer I decided I should make an effort as it was Brian’s birthday so I cooked the giant prawns and the fish which we ate with some lovely fresh bread – turned out not too shabby after all.

KT phoned to check we were all right and to invite us out the next day – we said yes although we weren’t too sure where we were going. When he came to pick us up he arrived with a large basket full of local produce – bananas, passion fruit, rambutin, lemons, limes, two fruit we didn’t know and some chillies, all from either his garden or farm, very generous, Bee Yong also pointed out that there were 3 fruit trees just outside the apartment that we could pluck fruit from. We have picked one (don’t know what that is either) but were told to wait 2 days for it to soften before peeling and eating it.

We went in their car for over an hour through paddi fields to where they catch and process a lot of the fish on this coast, then to a Chinese restaurant that specialised in seafood, KT ordered and we were a bit apprehensive but the food was delicious, it turned out to be Prawn Tom Yam, battered eel and octopus in black bean sauce plus a vegetable called bitter something or other, it was all delicious, KT didn’t tell us what they were until we had finished – don’t blame him we are a bit prejudiced against some things but a lesson learned!

We stopped at Teluk Intan on the way back famous for two things – a mini leaning Tower of Pisa and noodles steamed with dried prawns – the first we admired and took photos of, the second we of course had to try. Along with the noodles we were ‘treated’ to Hong Kong desserts, Gingko and Barley and coconut with coconut jelly. Can’t say we aren’t experiencing the different cultures! We felt the need to return KT and Bee Yong’s hospitality so we invited them to dinner. Now we have to find something that I can cook with limited facilities and equipment!

18^th June – our Building Permit has been granted by the City of Wanneroo, building work can now commence – yippee! Hopefully they will start in the next week or so and we will see some changes to our little patch of sand. The builders have sent us a link to their new website where we can log on and see progress on our build, something we are pioneering, should be good.

Having found a menu I thought I could carry off – water melon and feta cheese salad, bouillabaisse with garlic bread and passion fruit cheesecake, KT and Bee Yong cried off to the relief of both parties I think. We had the cheesecake anyway and it was delicious, made with passion fruit from KT and Bee Yong’s tree.

We decided in the meantime that we might go a bit stir crazy if we stayed here for a couple more months so we will be moving on. It is beautiful and peaceful but remote and with no transport we are pretty much stuck here unless we catch the shuttle bus but that goes at 12.45 and comes back at 6.30, a long time to fill at Tesco’s! So we have Thailand, Hat Yai and Phuket, Langkawi, a duty free island, beer at 50p apparently, and Penang to look forward to, after that who knows? Penang is for the duration of the Olympics and it was quite a task to find somewhere in our price bracket with sports channels but hopefully, fingers crossed we have!

KT and Bee Yong invited us out again the next week, this time to a crab farm. A friend of KT’s owns it, as the age of 48 he decided he no longer wanted to be a mechanic and researched how to breed these crabs on the internet – he now runs a very successful business selling 2.000kg a week to restaurants. The crabs were mud crabs and you eat them whole as they have soft shells, however, the way they get the soft shells isn’t very pretty. A worker cuts off the crab’s legs with a pair of scissors and the crab is placed in a salt water tank, there it grows new legs and as the legs are attached to a new shell the old shell is cast off and there is a soft shell underneath – at this point they are harvested, frozen and packed off for a tasty treat. We couldn’t bring ourselves to try them though being rather squeamish of brains and intestines etc. What we did try though was coconut straight from the tree, first the juice then a jelly like substance inside that presumably forms the coconut we are familiar with and a papaya straight from the tree – very nice.

KT also took us to his pig farm, very impressive, no smallholding this but a very efficient and very large pig factory! The farm is surrounded by palm oil trees and, in the middle, where the government put overhead electric wires, a little oasis of lime trees, bananas and pineapple because the palms would grow too tall. We picked loads of limes and some rambutin to take back with us, yummy.