The time was up on our Thai visa, so we headed to the island of Langkawi, Malaysia. We anchored Chandrika up a river on the north east side of the island. Every morning, we would awake in flat water to a view of lush green river banks and to the sounds of sparrows. Squeak was in heaven. Rowing up the river we explored nearby beaches, a cave full of bats (that formed an archway over the river), and viewed the abundant wildlife. We saw Monitor Lizards (similar to the Komodo Dragon), Crab-eating Macaques, Spectacled Languars, and two different kinds of sea eagles (Brahmini Kites and White-Bellied Sea Eagles). Various tour boats would run wild-life viewing trips along the river. We would watch the eagles feed as the tour boat operators threw chicken skins in the water to entertain their clients. The considerate Malaysian boat drivers would slow down as they passed our dinghy, so as not to kick up wake.
Spectacled Languar
Crab-eating (Coke-drinking) Macaque
photo taken in Thailand by James Pullum
Eagle Feeding
Water Buffalo Crossing
After our river exploration, we brought Chandrika to the town of Kuah. It was nice to stretch our legs and to explore more of the island by bicycle. Kuah also served as a nice place to provision with food and to buy a few odds and ends for the boat.
Next we headed to the large city of Penang, about 60nm from Langkawi. Our stay in Penang was brief. We applied for Thai visas at the Thai embassy while we waited for our chain and anchor to be re-galvanized by a galvanization company. In the mean time, we enjoyed the culture of Penang and visited a number of both Chinese, Thai and Burmese Buddhist temples.
Our sail back to Langkawi from Penang was fast with 15 knots abeam the entire way and calm seas. We caught a 3 foot Spanish Mackeral (which looked just like a Wahoo). When we arrived in Tulaga Harbor on the west side of Langkawi, we cut up the fish and offered pieces to a couple of cruisers nearby. The sailors we met were shocked that we had caught a fish. The waters in Thailand and Malaysia are so overfished that these sailors had never heard of a sailboat catching a fish before in this area. I guess we were lucky, because we have yet to catch another fish.
Tulaga is beautiful. Again Squeak was in heaven. Every morning, he would salivate while watching the fluttering sparrows gather on the nearby abandoned sailboats in the anchorage. We would awake at dawn listening to his little paws scampering around the deck with excited glee. Tulaga (which means “Well” in Malay) has a number of beautiful steep jungle hikes, cascading waterfalls, and 7 wells along the river. One of our hikes took us up a concrete stairwell through the jungle, to the top of Mount Chinchang (the second highest peak in Langkawi). One can also ride a cable car to the top, but we found that the hike made the view more rewarding. At the top, we bought ice creams and then rode the cable car back down to save the knees. Another hike brought us to a gorgeous crystal clear swimming hole right in the middle of a waterfall. On our hikes, we again saw abundant wildlife, such as monkeys, lizards, hornbills, and a few leeches that were clinging to our ankles.
Graham having too much fun
View of our previous day's hike to the cable car summit
Crystal clear fresh water swimming hole
Nothing beats a cool swim in the tropics
During our time in Tulaga harbor, we discovered a much simpler and safer method for climbing coconut trees. We now will gather about 20 green coconuts at a time. The green coconut water makes for a refreshing electrolyte drink after a sweaty day of hiking or climbing.
Tropical Aid Climbing
We look forward to seeing more of Langkawi on our next visit and to exploring its neighboring islands. November – December 2010