It's the journey, not the destination

I have had an incredible three weeks of yoga, laughter, tears, anger, sadness, fear, happiness, joy, dance, song, meditation, education, perspiration, sunburb (oops), inspiration and dedication. 

I went into this trip with a large degree of trepidation and a small and contained amount of excitement. My yoga teacher training itself was going to be tough. I knew that. It was a 12-day intensive course, ten hours of education each day with few breaks and a lot to learn and apply in a very short space of time. 

I chose the 12-day intensive in Bali becuase I had time to sort out the things I needed for the course. It gave me an excuse to get out of Melbourne's now coldest winter in like 10 years, to go somewhere new and it also meant I could train with Australia's best (in my humble opinion) yoga school, in a style that has it's foundations in Iyengar, with a focus on safety and in Purna - integrated and complete yoga, which incudes meditation, asana, pranayama and philosophy. 

Oh yeah, we have our own Swami-Ji, for authentic teachings on philosophy from someone who has experience and vast knowledge, plus is a qualified and experienced psychologist. I got to learn all kinds of cool stuff from Swami Pujan, which if I'd gone elsewhere I would not have had this amazing opportunity. I believe I had a truly authentic experience of Purna teachings and Vedic learning. 

What was wigging me out was that I had never been to Indonesia before, let alone Bali, which I have actively avoided since the bombings in 2002. Of course, all the news headlines about drunk, drugged and generally stupid bogan ferals who go there to party and f*ck up their lives, just added fuel to the fire of not wanting to go. I've never wanted anything more in my life than to avoid this kind of crazy. I don't drink, I don't smoke and I don't like to party. I rarely go out in Melbourne, unless it is to a Disco Yoga class, for dinner occasionally or to the movies about twice a year. 

And then there was the TV show, "What Really Happens in Bali" - which did the place no favours. It should be renamed to "What really happens in Bali if you are stupid, careless, selfish, inconsiderate, too young to travel responsibly, naive, only want to party, have no filters or morals, wish to run around drunk and basically naked, get f*cked up, end up in jail or just carry on like a pork chop". 

I hope the parents of the girl on that show who got totally wasted, stripped off and ran around in Kuta by herself in just her bra and undies, completely out of it, are mortified by what she got up to. It was disgraceful. That is asking for trouble - she was lucky she had a semi-responsible friend looking for her! I hope she doesn't behave like that in Australia and I bet she doesn't, so why would she think that behaving like that in another country would be acceptable?

That is NOT the Bali I know.  

I spent two weeks in Ubud and two days in Kuta, Legian and Seminyak. Give me Ubud any day.  It's safe, relatively clean, nice, quiet (except for the motorbikes), peaceful, wholesome, pretty, cultured and free from the stupidity (mostly) of naive yet feral tourists. Yes, there were still some incredibly arrogant, demanding and rude tourists (mostly from Western Europe). But 98% of people there were responsible, mature, well-mannered and well-behaved. My kind of town! 

In Kuta, I spent twenty minutes on Thursday afternoon in a cafe watching Aussie after Aussie schlepp past in their jandals, with a large bottle of Bintang in one hand, a ciggie in the other and a mouth on them that would make their mother blush as they yelled at every other Aussie who went past, who was also wearing a Bintang singlet and boardies (or frequently much less). It was so bad I was proudly telling every Balinese person that I'm a Kiwi and trying to explain that most Aussies don't behave like that. OMG.

Lessons learned - creatures observed in their natural habitats - Kuta visited - Bombing memorial viewed - shocking bogan behaviour witnessed. 

Funny that it has taken four years out of NZ and a trip to Bogantown to work out that it's good to be a Kiwi. That's the journey. 

I will be going back to Ubud - definitely for my Level 2 yoga teacher cert next July - and maybe for Bali Spirit Festival in March/April. Maybe. Not Kuta. Legian maybe. I didn't get my trip around the island (I have explained that in an earlier post) so I have to come back!

Right now I am sitting at KLIA2 Airport typing this post, mulling over my adventures in yoga town, everything I have seen, heard, touched, eaten, smelt and witnessed over the past three weeks. I feel stronger, lighter, more balanced, smarter, more wise and incredibly grateful that I gave myself this opportunity. 

My yoga asana practice has indeed developed, but it is the gift of teaching yoga that I am most appreciative of. 

That is the journey which has no destination.

Friends, flowers, food and fashion

Double post today, because the previous one deserved to be recognised in it's own right.

Today I was finally able to catch up with my friend Jane, a KL/Cheras native. I literally just missed her last time I was here, so it was good to finally have time to just hang out!

We decided to do the lake gardens, Thean Hou and a bit of shopping. The lake gardens were pretty cool and aside from a dead squirrel and a dead outboard motor, the wildlife (including two half-naked  fellow tourists) was a sight indeed. We ate ice cream, checked out the Orchid kiosks where Orchids were on sale for as little as RM6 a plant (that is $2 AUD) and posed in front of fountains and bridges. 

Next stop was a major mall in Cheras, where Jane and I looked at pretty clothes and shoes, checked out Daiso (Japanese $2 style shop) and had all kinds of drinks at a place called Boston. Wetalked about  everything from Religion to travel to politics, then had dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant there before cruising towards Thean Hou. The chicken curry was great - spicy and the chicken just fell off the bone!

The traffic was pretty bad and we got to Thean Hou just as it closed, which Jane was very apologetic for - not her fault at all! I can come back another time, no big deal! Jane then dropped me back at the hotel and seemed to like the Kangaroo toy I brought her from Melbourne!

So, here I am at the hotel and in need of a good night's sleep. I will download the photos off my camera and post them up here when I get time and WiFi.

Flying into fear

I had the distinct privilege of flying into KLIA2 this morning - the shiny new budget carrier terminal at KL International Airport. And what an airport it is! Sure, there's some bits that still aren't complete and there is masking tape still stuck atround some window frames, but it is PRETTY so who the heck cares?

The flight over was relatively uneventful. There were a couple of bouncy parts in the usual places (over Indo, as expected), but I slept most of the 8 hours by taking little power naps. I woke up from the last one just in time to hear the captain say we were 200km from KL, coming in quite ahead of schedule and that we were beginning our descent. I barely had time to pack up my travel pillow and duvet (Air Asia calls them Duvets, by the way, not Doonas like we do in Aussie), put my shoes back on and freshen up a bit. 

On arrival, we were greeted with an air bridge(no more tarmac strolls for ten minutes in the pouring rain) and a flash new empty terminal that seemed to go on forever. It's all white and steel and glass, as is the airport fashion of the last decade. The signage seems half-cut (signs on one side of a light box but not the other) in some places and totally lacking in others, but the carry-on luggage trolleys are too cute for words! The skybridge was pretty cool too - it had fancy bins, lots of plants and good views of the piers where the planes are.

We went up what seemed like the world's longest escalator (matches the ones at Parliament station in Melbourne), walked a bit more, went through immigration, then spent over half an hour waiting for my suitcase. Flipping heck - I thought it was bad at the LCCT but seriously, baggage services here overpromise and under deliver in a big way. And it was almost literally the last bag off the carousel, bar one. 

Once I got my bag, it was off to have it scanned by customs before being let out into the arrivals hall. I collected my thoughts, found Old Town White Coffee, had breakfast and then went for a look around the new Gateway@KLIA2 mall that is connected to the KLIA2 terminal.  I bought a pair of sandals andjumped on the express train to KL Sentral via a stop at KLIA. 

With the recent MH17 and MH370 disasters fresh in my mind, I felt the need to confront my grief and sorrow head on. Yes, I had a bit of a cry at JB Sentral when I saw the wall of condolences back in April, but this time I needed to go to the source. 

I stopped at KLIA - the main airport terminal at Kuala Lumpur International Airport and was overcome with sadness. I wandered around the terminal in a trance-like state; viewing the check-in counters where the passengers on board MH370 would have been happy and excited to check in for their flight. I viewed the departure gate where the passengers and crew would have walked through to head for the plane. I visited the arrivals area, where the MH17 families would have been waiting for news of their loved ones. I felt empty, sad and helpless. 

What really upset me was that there was barely any acknowledgement of either flight having ever existed, save for an empty table with banners saying "justice for MH17" and a small scrolling notice on the TV screen in the food court, which said that the MH17 family and friends reception area was at a counter on level 5. Wow. Just wow. 

As a New Zealand Citizen who lives in Australia and travels to Malaysia about twice a year, these two disasters have been a triple whammy. I've grieved for people from three countries, twice. I will say that MAS and Prime Minister Najib have handled MH17 a lot better than MH370, partly because very sadly, MH370 was the road map for how to handle a crisis. Clearly the lessons have been learnt and applied, as the communication has been eleventy billion times better with MH17. 

I know PM Najib cares. I know the Malaysian people care. I know people all over the world care. I know the staff of MAS cares, are deeply saddened and are deeply hurt by these two huge losses. The new transport minister (sorry, I forget his name) is doing a quiet but good job. It does seem as though Malaysia Airports are doing a good job of trying to sweep these two disasters under the rug - this is just my opinion, based on my observations today. 

Tourist numbers are massively down and have been since MH370, but more so since MH17. My own flight over last night was half empty - people seem to be taking their grief and fear out on Malaysia as a destination, which is grossly unfair. The gate lounge of the MAS flight over which left about 40 mins before mine was proof that people are staying away from MAS in droves. There are noticeably less westerners rolling around town. Word on the street is that they don't feel safe travelling here.

Well, all the more Malaysia for me. Malaysia needs us tourists now more than ever. So many people here rely on tourism for an income. Please don't stay away from Malaysia. They need us. 

Selamat Datang ke Malaysia dan Indonesia!

Okay, so I'm not actually in Malaysia or Indonesia. Yet. But I will be in KL tomorrow morning and I know I'm welcome there. 

I am very excited to get back to KL and spend an afternoon tomorrow with my friend Jane Lee, who is a KL resident. We're going touring - Thean Hou temple, maybe Taman Orkid (orchid garden), etc - then we're going to drink Teh Tarik (pulled tea) and hang out. 

First stop on landing thought is to check out the fancy schmancy new KLIA2 airport (technically it's a terminal, but with it's own runways and control tower, I call that an airport). It has a mall attached, with 24/7 food court and shops. Will be good when I'm back from Bali on 15th August at nearly 1am and need food and drink for the airport hotel room I'm staying in for two nights! The plan is to shoot into the city again, or at least to Putrajaya (like Canberra) for the day. 

The new airport connects to the old airport by a brand new rail link and I've decided its time to confront the horror losses of MH370 and MH17 head on by going to KLIA and facing it at the airport that these flights left from and were meant to land at. No more avoidance - a direct link to the airport means a direct link to face these tragedies, so that's what I'm doing. 

On a happier note, Monday and Tuesday are public holidays in Malaysia for the end of Ramadan, so the streets will be deserted and I'll be able to move around the city very easily. I fly to Bali Wednesday arvo so not a lot of point in doing anything much in the morning a so back to the airport mall again to chill in the food court and enjoy the free WiFi!

Meanwhile, it's time to go double-check which counter I'm checking in at, so ciao for now!

Another adventure comes to an end

It's a sad, sad day. It was the last day of this trip and as I type this, I'm sitting at the LCCT airport for the last time, folded into here pieces while trying to type this post under a bench. To cut a long story short, the charging station is chockers and I've had to squeeze myself at foot level under a three foot high bench to get a) a power socket and b) five inches of room!

Today I continued my epic quest to find sandals. I ran around Bukit Bintang a bit more and finally got a pair that look kind of like Birkenstocks, but aren't. And, are probably not going to work for my feet. After another quick lunch of gosh-only-knows-what, it was time to head back to the hotel, grab my bags, taxi it to KL Sentral station and then express train and bus it to the airport.

I can't wait for a direct connection to the new KLIA2 budget carrier airport terminal when I'm back in July. I also can't wait for a new airport terminal in general. Seriously, the LCCT sucks and if it wasn't for the Old Town White Coffee there, I'd have gone totally bonkers here!

It has been an awesome trip again indeed. Highlights definitely include the sailing trip, yoga retreat, mangrove trip, cycling trip and the fact that I'm never coming back to the LCCT ever again!

I've learnt so much about myself and about yoga on this trip. I'm returning home to Melbourne wiser, fitter, stronger, more comfortable in my own skin again and happy with who and where I am in my practice, for now.

The next trip is of course my yoga teacher training level 1 course in July/August, when I'll be back to KL on my way to and from Bali. And, I'll be flying in and out of the new fancy schmancy new KLIA2 and staying at the brand new Tune Hotel there too. Not to mention, I get to go to Ubud and hopefully avoid all the crazy of Kuta - because I just don't like what I've heard. Apparently there's a TV show coming to a small screen near you that will show us all what really happens in Bali. Quite frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn about Kuta, drunks, drinking, partying or the like!

So jumpa lagi, Malaysia, I will see you again soon!

Pyramids, lagoons and sandals

Today I had the displeasure of visiting Sunway Lagoon, a supposedly awesome water park about 30 minutes out of KL. I'd gone on the recommendation of a member at my gym who was here around Christmas. Clearly it was much better then, as I was bitterly disappointed today. 

The mission to get there should have been off-putting enough. I had to take the monorail, then a train, then a bus. I am however familiar with the transport arrangements as I've been to Sunway twice before. It's a long ride and a bit boring. There is however a good supermarket thingy at Kelana Jaya station where I purchased a "1 Malaysia" badge and was going to purchase an umbrella, but decided to do that on the way back - and forgot.

I'd purchased tickets online for Sunway Lagoon and the first hurdle was redeeming them. Major mission completed, the next step was to add credit to a flimsy wristband so that I could purchase food, drink, locker rental and souvenirs inside the park. The park is cashless, which is awesome, but they don't put your wristband on tight enough. I spent the whole visit paranoid that I'd lose it and not be able to get back into my locker (you scan the barcode at the locker kiosk to get into your locker) and then I'd be stuck there forever. LOL.

Finding the locker rental was a major mission all of its own. I was directed down three stories via escalators to lockers by the water park - I later found out when leaving the park that there were lockers by the entrance. When I got there, no signage was present to tell you what to do. The staff were surly and unhelpful, the queues too long and the lockers bloody expensive. 

I got changed and headed for the pools, looking forward to dipping my hives-covered legs in some chlorinated water, as for me, this totally nukes the itching. Signs everywhere directed parents to actually mind their kids but there were few parents in sight and bucket loads of free-range children everywhere, dive-bombing unsuspecting adults trying to enjoy the overpriced day of "fun" we'd paid for (i.e. me). The wave pool was closed. The "fun" activities like the zip line, etc, were way overpriced and half the free rides were closed for maintenance. The pool at the "beach" area was only calf-deep and it seemed like the only thing to do was eat!

Food was abundant but way overpriced and incredibly unhealthy. I had play lunch at Marrybrown before deciding to check out the rest of the park. I wasn't too bothered with the rides in the amusement park area as most of them were closed for maintenance, so I went and visited the animals. The bird aviary was blah, the reptiles were blah (apart from a red iguana) and the poor big black cat looked incredibly stressed out. It may have been a panther; I can't tell you for sure as there were no signs! 

I wandered up the hill, took a few random photos, had an ice cream, wandered back down the three stories of escalators, bought a waterproof phone/camera pouch, got changed and got the hell out. I'm in no hurry to come back - the park was more expensive than the awesome one on Sentosa in Singapore and The Lost World of Tambun. Hopefully the water park at Legoland will be better, when I go back to JB again next year. 

Next stop was Sunway Pyramid mall, which you have to traipse through to get to the Lagoon in the first place. I had a coffee and some cake thing, to cool my frayed nerves after spending ten minutes fighting with the lockers outside the Lagoon. I wanted to stash my wet gear while I looked for a new pair of sandals, but no matter which RM5 note I stuck in the machine, it spat it straight back out again. Grrrr!

I had lunch in the mall for about half the price of the Lagoon. I bought a notebook and pen set, some t-shirts for $3 AUD, a couple of roll up travel vacuum clothing bags at Daiso Japan and a book.  I then decided to head for the AF Club at Puchong. I caught a bus to Subang Jaya and figured I'd just jump a cab to Puchong, but the weather had other ideas. I ended up having to shelter in a mall for over an hour due to a massive thunderstorm. I couldn't find any sandals and was running out of patience. I went to the next mall and same thing - no sandals. 

It wasn't a lack of sandal thing, it was a suitability thing. I can't wear sandals, jandals/thongs or anything else that has a bit that goes between your toes. My toes just don't like it, so I kept leaving stores empty-handed. I also wasn't prepared to pay more than I would in Melbourne, so I left and headed out to the street. The traffic was hell, Obama is in town and his bloody motorcade keeps jamming up the already over-congested roads, so I decided to head for Mid Valley Megamall. 

I'd just hit the Subang Jaya train station when Stormageddon hit - KL's answer to a tropical monsoonal horiztonal thunderstorm. I was stuck under a metal awning (oh what fun!) with the lightning just a few hundred metres away. Fortunately the train rocked up quickly and as the lines have changed or something, I had to go all the way to KL Sentral and change lines to go to Mid Valley.

By this stage it was nearing dinnertime, so after dinner of some chicken thing at some place on the basement level, a fruitless search for sandals and more time spent being stalked by shop assistants, it was time to head for Berjaya Times Square (BTS) Mall.  I caught the train back to KL Sentral, hopped on the Monorail to Imbi and then hit BTS. I was delighted to find my sunglass lady is still here and I stocked up on sunglasses for myself and a friend for $3 AUD per pair. After two hours of wandering aimlessly, I finally found a pair of sandals! They are a bit bling-bling but are very comfy.

After a coffee and a naughty donut, it was very late and my feet hurt, my bags were heavy and I was over it. I jumped in an executive taxi with a meter (a rare treat for me) - who actually used his meter - (a rare treat for all visitors to KL!) and arrived back at the hotel just in time to dodge the English git from last night. Phew.

I've spent the last hour repacking my bags as I'm flying home tomorrow night, so I am now pretty compliant with my luggage. I know I have a spare 2kg in my suitcase if I do see something I like tomorrow, like scarves for the little girl of a member at my gym - she has leukaemia and is mortified about being bald. 

Antihistamine and English Gits.

Today was my last day on Langkawi and after furious packing, ditching and suitcase weighing, I am proud to say that I've hardly bought a thing and my suitcases are still under the extra allowance I bought. Phew!

I had a 2pm flight to KL, so after breakfast at Old Town White Coffee Cenang, I bid the Worst Star Resort farewell, got my RM100 deposit back and headed to the airport in a cab. It's been a fun 12 days here but I'm over this island for now and need some civilisation, even if it's not civilised!

The flight to KL was late. Really late. As soon as we could board, it hosed down and the clouds were looking more ominous out to see, on our flight path. I wasn't worried - I was seated next to an Indian couple from Melbourne (OMG!) and behind us were the three most annoying Chinese people ever. The guy with them kept grabbing our headrests and getting in and out of his seat. Once the plane took off, we'd been up about four minutes when we hit some turbulence and a nice big air pocket. The plane plunged and the Chinese all screamed. I laughed. It was magic!

My roti canai with hot chicken curry and mat kelapa arrived not long after the air pocket and my small lunch was very pleasant, if not a bit spicy! The flight was short and niggly, we landed into the LCCT at KL and I set about finding my suitcases. Half an hour of waiting later, my suitcases arrived, so I stashed the one I'd packed to capacity at the left luggage service and caught the bus to Salak Tinggi station to grab the Ekspress train to the city. 

I'm pleased that this will be my last domestic flight into the LCCT and that after I leave Malaysia on Tuesday, I won't be flying into this glorified aircraft hangar ever again! This airport is a bloody joke and a blot on the horizon. The LCCT is like a cross between Avalon and Palmerston North airports, but with touts, touts and more touts. People are rude and jet lagged, uncooperative and pushy. I can't wait for some order and some facilities at KLIA2.

The new KLIA2 opens later this week and although I'm sad I won't be there on opening day, I'm glad I won't be there on opening day as it will be a three-ring circus! It will be good to fly into KLIA2 later this year on my way to Bali though, as I'll be able to catch the train with none of this sh*ttle bus pandemonium. I'd call them shuttles and not sh*ttles, but I'd be lying! The Ekspress tren to the city will have it's own station and the Tune Hotel will be on the airport itself, along with some fancy backpackers and lots of shops in an actual mall. Strewth! I love airports but I may never leave KLIA2!

A word on the airport trains. To catch the train to KL Sentral from the LCCT, you've had to endure a 20-minute bus ride to Salak Tinggi. Once at Salak Tinggi, it's RM12.50 to KL Sentral. You can of course catch a bus to the city (I stupidly did that last year when I arrived in KL the first time) but it takes at least 1-2 hours and the traffic is crap. I'd been warned that Obama is in town and his motorcade is creating chaos. Air Force 2 was parked just next to the LCCRT when I arrived today, so moving around this already crazy city will be that much worse until he leaves tomorrow night. I'm sticking to trains and the monorail!

Arriving at KL Sentral, I bought my taxi coupon and was happy that the price hasn't gone up. It was RM10 when I came to KL the first time in 2007 and it was still RM13 today, as it was last year. I grabbed a cab with a nice Malay driver and arrived at the Downtown KL Tune Hotel. I wasn't expecting service, but I actually got it today! There was toilet paper in my room and, as a bonus, the staff were all friendly and smiley - not the surly trolls I had last time, that's for sure! I love this hotel because the location is awesome, the beds are comfy, the showers are great and it's cheap. I can now add "and because the staff are friendly". 

After dumping my bags and changing, I headed to Giant supermarket across the road for supplies, then hit the shops in Maju Junction Mall, before heading to the Pharmacy in Sogo down Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (TAR). I found zyrtec, RM10 for 10 tablets - much cheaper than Aussie and they are the 24 hour ones too. I whacked down a tablet with an iced tea from the food court upstairs which took ten minutes to get! Never again.

After a walk back up Jalan TAR, I stopped in at Pizza Hut for dinner and was going to go to Berjaya Times Square but I was just too darn tired. So, I went back to the hotel and did a load of laundry instead. I met a nosey English git while waiting for my clothes to dry, who apparently was an extra in Underbelly Squizzy. When I informed him that I hadn't seen it as I don't watch TV, the git was quite put out - clearly I'd thrown him a bit with this revelation, so he left. Hopefully that's the last I see of this clown. I'd have told him to "sod off", but I was too tired!

So, with clean clothes and a trip to Sunway Lagoon on the cards for tomorrow, I'm off to sleep now. 

I'm on a boat

Today I spent seven hours on an amazing 40ft catamaran, The MV Rampant. I've always been a water baby and although I'd never entertain the idea of getting on board one of those floating coffins (aka a cruise ship), I love yachts and speedboats and sailing. I booked this trip a few months ago based on TripAdvisor recommendations and as usual, the good people of TripAdvisor were right. This was the highlight of my trip to Langkawi!

I had to be at the marina at 9.45am sharp, so I grabbed breakfast at The Loaf and jumped a cab to Resorts World Langkawi, formerly known as Awana Porto Malai. It's a massive resort with it's own marina and a couple of pools, from which I splashed some chlorinated water on my poor itchy hives. Yes, they are still nasty this morning. Boo!

I walked around and took a couple of photos before parking up by the gates to the jetty. Within seconds, Carel found me and took me out to the Rampant on a tender (that's a fancy word for a rubber dinghy with a pretty good motor). 

I climbed on board with Bea's help and sat down to enjoy my breakfast while chatting with Bea and listening to Abba. Carel is from South Africa and Bea is swiss. They met while working on yachts, bought their own yacht and sailed off into the sunset-drenched waters of Langkawi, where they have been running their amazing tours for the past several years.

With the other guests on board by 10am, we set off under engine power towards Pulau Dayang Bunting, Pregnant Maiden Island. You can read more about that island in my posts from my July/August 2013 trip to Langkawi, so I'm not covering it again here. Passing Dayang Bunting, we got into the Langkawi Fijords, a mass of limestone islands of all sizes. This area is just stunning and I took some pretty awesome photos.

Passing through the Fijords, I saw an eagle overhead and decided since I was on a boat, it was time to bust out boat post and eagle pose. Flora from Singapore joined me for tree pose and the photos are pretty cool! It was hard work balancing on a  trampoline criss-cross net on the front of a boat in open water and we fell a few times, but it was way more fun that on dry land!

Bea and Carel let loose with the Jacuzzi net shortly after our yoga on a boat session. Having not swum a single stroke since blowing out my shoulder three years ago, I was pretty apprehensive about jumping off a perfectly good yacht and into a net - in case I missed and ended up being the "soul overboard". With the help of another guest, Terry the Englishman, I was soon in the net and enjoying some very warm water (a saltwater jacuzzi!) while sitting in a fishing net being pulled along behind a 40-foot yacht. 

Back on deck half an hour later, we sunned ourselves while heading for a private bay where we enjoyed sea kayaking, swimming with pool noodles and sunning ourselves on the deck. Carel found a nasty-looking fire worm thing which he swiftly confiscated using his trusty net and dumped it into a bucket of seawater. Creepy part was, it was about 30 seconds after I'd jumped off the stern for a swim and about two feet from where I'd hit the water. Ugh, so very creepy!

After a bit of sun, it was time for lunch. We had rice, satay chicken, grilled chicken, four or five different salads and all the icy cold drinks we could consume. I don't drink alcohol, so I enjoyed lots of water, iced lemon tea and pineapple juice to keep my fluid levels up. 

After lunch, we pulled up the anchor and set off into the open water heading for an island with a private beach where we could swim and do an optional jungle walk with Bea. Rampant has been calling at this island for years, but sadly some people decided to just sail in one day and build a restaurant on the beach. Some tour operators take their clients there for lunch, but the guys that run it really don't seem to give a rats continental about the environment and have basically trashed the beach. 

The monkeys on this island now rely on the scraps from the restaurant for food, like they rely on tourists to provide snacks at Dayang Bunting. Bea warned us not to take any plastic bags on shore as plastic bags are like the spruikers at Queen Vic Market, so I packed my water and camera into my dry bag and jumped into the tender for a trip to shore. I had the option to swim in, but since I haven't being doing the swim thing since 2011, I decided not to push my luck. Besides, I didn't want jellyfish cuddles. 

Once on shore, we went for a short jungle walk. Bea showed us all kinds of flora and fauna, including geckos, crabs, fig trees, spiky palms, mud lobsters and more crabs. Fortunately we didn't see any snakes today but I know they were in that jungle.

After the jungle walk, we came back out onto the beach and had the option of swimming back to the boat. Again I declined, but I will seriously need to start swimming again when I get back to Melbourne. Bea took another couple of photos of us moseying on out to the boat. 

We passed a floating fish farm on the way out and were lucky that the storms you can see in the photos above decided to blow straight on past us. We had a few spits of rain, but nothing like what the clouds were carrying.

After the island stop, it was time to head back toward the marina. Carel was very closely monitoring the wind, in the hope that we could maybe, possibly, hopefully raise the sails, kill the engine and actually sail back. The winds played with us for about half an hour while we ate the freshly cut fruit that Bea brought us on cute platters, but we finally managed to get enough of a breeze to raise the sails!

 

Before long, the wind dropped again and Carel sadly had to pop the engines back on. We did manage to actually sail for about 10 minutes on our way back to the marina, which was great. It was so quiet and peaceful, just staring at the water and the islands. Well, until we were in fits of laughter when Bea told us the legend of Wet Rice Island (Pulau Beras Besah). I'd been here on the island hopping trip last year, but just for a swim. I didn't know the story behind this Island and the ones nearby!

Of course, there are a couple of versions of the story. One version goes along the lines of some fisherman being capsized with their boat on the island in a terrible storm. Miles from main Langkawi island, they were soon starving after a few days. They stumbled upon some barrels of rice, but when they opened them, the rice was all wet and mouldy. They were so hungry that they cooked and ate the rice anyway - but the rice attacked them and gave them terrible indigestion, the effects of which created two islands nearby - Pulau Kentut Besar (big Fart Island) and Pulau Kentut Kecil (small Fart Island)! Bea told us that these islands are now called Big Diamond and Small Diamond. 

Before long, we were back at the marina. Carel ferried us back to shore in the tender and we passed through the jetty gates. Terry the Englishman very kindly gave the couple from Finland and me a ride back to our hotels in his rental car. All the excitement of the day took it's toll and after a final swim at Cenang, I had a nap. I was just exhausted and as I'd been itching my hives all day, it was time for a shower and some more magic potion of gamut and bite gel, washed down with an antihistamine. 

I woke up a few hours later and feeling hungry, jumped a cab to L'Osteria, the best Italian restaurant in Tengah which actually has an Italian chef. I ordered spaghetti alla carbonara, as there were no onions or spring onions in it (I even said, saya tidak boleh makan bawang - I can not eat onions), but when it arrived it was covered in spring onions! I sent it back, explaining again saya tidak boleh makan bawang and ten minutes later it came back, tidak bawang (no onions). Yay! I had demolished the grissini while the dish was being re-fired though.

I decided to have another massage and headed over the road to Alun-Alun Spa in Tengah as although I love Noi and the girls up at the Cenang branch, I just couldn't be stuffed going all the way there tonight. I stopped in the tropical resort gift shop first and grabbed a cushion cover for my bed and some soaps and trinkets for my staff. I was lucky to enjoy a one hour traditional Malay massage with special oils as I showed the girls my hives. They whacked something special together for me and sixty minutes later, I was relaxed, oily and itch-free. Amen, sister!

I walked out of the treatment room on puffy clouds for feet, to the sight of sheet lightning outside. The girls arranged for their driver to take me back to the hotel, which was over 30 minutes walk away. Just as well, as the second I jumped out of their van it started to rain massive raindrops. I got into my room and one of the most spectacular tropical thunderous downpours hit Cenang. The poor party animals at the beach bar next door had to stop their Swedish House Mafia and run inside. Ha ha! 

So, I'm exhausted and about to hit the hay and enjoy this storm. I'm leaving Langkawi for KL tomorrow and still have to pack, so it's goodnight from me and goodnight from Larry the Lizard who is STILL in my room!

Anzac Day, Horsies and Hives

It was an odd experience being outside both Australia and NZ on Anzac Day. The streets of Langkawi are quiet as can be today, but that is because it is Friday - the first day of the weekend here in Kedah state - not for any other reason. There's no Anzac Biscuits, Dawn Parades (unless you count the Kampong cows, cats, chickens and random insects moving up and down Lorong Keramat) or ceremony. I feel very strange today.

Back at the shala, after neti, pranayama and meditation, it was time to bid Marc farewell. I really like this Irish yoga teacher. He and Meng Foon work so well together and complement each other so sincerely - it's so cute! They really are well suited and I would say perfect for each other. Marc has written a book that I will get my hands on when I'm back on the mainland, or back in July.

After my final class with Meng Foon, I got a little teary. I absolutely adore her and Marc, they are such fantastic, generous, kind and caring people. I can't wait to come back.  Hopefully next year!

So, in the blink of an eye, eight days of yoga retreats are done and dusted. I leave the yoga shala today stronger in body, mind and spirit; with sore muscles, a few bruises and a broken sandal - but far richer for having had this amazing experience and sharing it with two amazing, wise and experienced teachers. Om shanti.

After a nice lunch of heck-knows-what again, I went to the beach for a swim and the obligatory narcoleptic nap. I decided I'd be far more comfortable in bed so I retired to the hotel for a better nap. I woke up about 2pm, had a shower, threw on my riding gear and caught a cab to Perdana Stables for some horse riding. Perdana Stables is owned by Dr Mahathir (gees, this guy owns half the darn island) and has some very, very pretty horses in the stables. They breed racehorses and equestrian horses, with nice pedigrees. 

I haven't been on a horse in about 20 years (almost to the day), so I was pretty concerned about coming off and buggering up my recently fixed shoulder. I wasn't worried about the horse taking off, just about me coming off said beast of burden. I really shouldn't have been too worried. I had Layla, a fairly placid plodder of a horse. She was very pretty and apart from a couple of random but fairly violent tail flicks, a few sarcastic snorts and a "who they heck are you?" look, we got along fine. 

Layla carried me confidently through the jungle at the back of the pack, until we hit the beach and she decided it was time to gallop! I didn't get thrown off, but she sure as heck wasn't happy with my desire to go slower or stop for photos. We had to chuck a guide rope on her to get her to stay still for photos as she kept moving!

It was a pleasant ride and a nice experience, but not one that I would repeat in a hurry. Give me a roller coaster or a boat any day over horseback. I'd rather be on a Harley than a horse. The only horse I'd like a crack at these days is a '69 Mustang Fastback convertible! The staff at Perdana are lovely, friendly and helpful - just like everywhere else in Malaysia. The stable cats and kittens were more to my liking and there was a tiny kitten who I wanted to tuck into my backpack, but sadly I couldn't take him home. Boo, hiss.

After returning to the hotel by taxi, having a swim, drink and shower then throwing on something a bit nice, I decided to walk up the beach and watch the sun set. I parked up outside one of the fancy resorts in Cenang and enjoyed the colours of the sunset with some peanut butter and cheese crackers (totally gross but my blood sugar levels were heading towards subterranean depths so I had no choice) and a bottle of 100 plus. It was a nice warm evening, not too humid and not too hot. The sunset wasn't the best I've ever seen, but it was still pretty good. 

I decided that tonight I'd hit Tengah for dinner, so I got in a cab and figured that Star would be a good place to eat. Their menu had plenty of white man options and their mocktail selection was pretty good too, so it was game on. I ordered the chicken cordon bleu with fries and as the menu picture didn't show any tomato and I was dog tired, I didn't bother asking for it with no salad.  I ordered a Virgin Pina Colada (I don't drink alcohol) and as soon as it arrived, I was being dive-bombed by pesky flies.

I moved inside with the assistance of a nice and very tall ladyboy (!!) and my meal arrived just in time. I'd already smashed down the bread basket with some nice NZ butter and I was starving! 

I had to pull the turkey ham out of the plastic cheese they'd used to make the "cordon bleu" (more like cordon bleugh!) but other than that it was pretty edible. I finished my meal and walked back to Cenang.

I got about 20 minutes down the road and my legs started to itch just below my knees on the outside of my calves. I figured I'd been bitten by something so did my best to ignore it. Once back at the hotel, I was getting REALLY over the itching, so i rolled up my trouser legs and discovered that I had...HIVES!!!

I sent my friends Karena and Jay (a nurse and an advanced paramedic) a text with a photo so they could help me diagnose them. It was now almost an hour after they came up and nothing else had happened, so I popped my strongest antihistamine and sat on the bed to monitor them. After another two hours, I still felt fine and nothing else had occurred, so I decided to swathe them in burn, bite and sting gel. This cut the itching a bit, so then I topped them off with some gamat (LOL) and now they are just there, all red and angry, but just being there.  

The hives this time were huge so I wasn't overly convinced that they were hives, but since I was in the tropics and in the stinking heat and humidity, anything was possible. The last time I had them was in NZ and they were tiny, everywhere and incredibly annoying. The fact that they didn't burst when I scratched them (and they kept on itching) tonight sealed the deal. I had HIVES!

My Facebook status about it says "Broke out in what I think is large angry hives about an hour after dinner - either that or a jellyfish cuddled me on both legs when I wasn't looking about two hours before dinner - my money is on the dinner having caused it. There was salad on my plate but no tomato and I ate around the salad anyway. I have antihistamines and epipens, it's all good; so don't panic people, I'm fine!".

Apparently a few people still worried, but there was nothing we could do. The nearest hospital to deal with this was a helicopter ride away and I WAS fine - but I'm never letting another salad touch my plate again, EVER!