Author: thelasthurrahsite

Somewhat surprisingly, we didn’t find anything to Bobs’ liking in the market last night but we did find a fine seafood restaurant.

I wanted to order the ‘Hot pot bitter – four with jumping Goby’ but was persuaded otherwise by Bobs. So we left the ordering to the waiter who presented us with barbecued prawns, morning glory and a scrumptious crab dish.

Not the cheapest meal we’ve had but one that would have cost a lot more back in Blighty.

The sun was hot and shining this morning so it was time to top up the tan with a revision session for Bobs in the afternoon as she has exams shortly after she returns to the UK.

As it’s our last night in HCM City I arranged some evening entertainment – a nighttime city food tour on the back of two motorcycles! And what an amazing evening it was too. Apart from overdosing on countless Vietnamese dishes in numerous (5, I think) different eateries,  the motorcycle trip through the centre of Ho Chi Minh City was exhilarating to say the least. Certainly one for the memory bank. Photos should follow tomorrow.

So, that’s HCM city done! Tomorrow we take a short flight to Vietnam’s No 1 resort area – Nha Trang where I am sure there will be more adventures and maybe even a bit of exercise to work off some of the punds that must have been added over the last few days.

Phileas the Fat.

 

 

 

Back in the day, my Thailand manufacturer of bicycle tyres opened a factory in Vietnam just making motorcycle, scooter and moped tyres for the local market. A smart business move I think as Ho Chi Minh City is drowning in such vehicles

which does make crossing the roads quite entertaining – if you have a death wish-

as there seems to be a totally cavalier attitude to red and green lights.

These two wheeled vehicles are not merely confined to the roads.

The pavements are also cluttered with them adding more mayhem to an already chaotic street scene.

In between the general street melee, every once in a while a hint of Vietnam’s colonial past can be found

and I’m happy to say that some of these buildings have been well preserved.

The renovation of this  colonial mansion which now houses the Vietnam Stock Exchange was completed last year and is a fair indication of how communism and capitalism are working well together, further confirmed by some brand new monuments built in praise of the great God Capitalism, close by.

 Never mind about the thoughts of Chairman Mao, I wonder what Ho Chi Minh himself would think about the fusion of these two ideals as he looks down on a group of girls practicing their dance moves to the sound of some very western music!

The written Vietnamese language is quite frustrating as the letters seem quite westernised (as opposed to languages in China, Japan, Korea etc) but are meaningless to those not practised in the Vietnamese tongue. In short, it’s easy to get lost in HCM City.

which we did on a couple of occasions. However, after recharging our batteries with a drink, some spring rolls and a lovely mango salad we watched the world go by for a while

or not as the case may be,

worked out where we were and finally made it back to the hotel.

The staff here are very friendly and in comparison with some of the hostelries I have stayed in, the hotel is excellent value for money. We even have a turn down service in the evening. So there’s posh for you. In fact, the genuinely smiley room boy has just been, done his work and left me with a little souvenir.

Aaaah!

Tonight it’s the night market (in earnest this time) followed by more lovely food and even, perhaps a cleansing ale or two. This sightseeing in The Hot is very thirsty work!

Phileas

 

 

Having fully recovered from the excesses of New Year’s Eve we said goodbye to Allan and Niah (refusing the offer of more alcohol. Well, it was only just after breakfast) and then, courtesy of Andy’s fine taxi service, it was off to the airport for a two legged trip to Ho Chi Minh City. We landed in Kuala Lumpur in the rain (naturally) where a 2+ hour stopover allowed Bobs to do a bit of revision

in some style while I watched the airport comings and goings amid the encircling rain clouds.

On the rare occasions there was a break in the gloom, you could clearly see the Sepang Formula 1 circuit in the mid distance.

The weather was a whole lot better when we arrived in Ho Chi Minh. By the time we checked into our hotel it was time to venture out, have a bit of food  (a meal for less than £10!) and get our bearings. We found a fine market close to our hotel which certainly needs  more exploring but clearly is full of food stalls,

the usual (fake?) branded outlets

plus, somewhat surprisingly, a number of places selling a large variety of coffee beans which I have to say I thought was restricted only to South America.

Back to the hotel there was time for a nightcap on the roof terrace bar (complete with jacuzzi and swimming pool!)

before turning in.

Exploration starts in earnest tomorrow but from what we have seen in the short time we have been here, HCM City seems like a vibrant, colourful and exciting place.

Phileas

Bobs and I joined Allan, his wife Nia plus a mixture of Aussies, Kiwis, Americans, Dutch plus even a few English for a splendid party in their penthouse apartment. It was most interesting discovering how this eclectic gathering ended up living in Langkawi. A love of boats and all things boating seemed to be the common thread.At the midnight hour, an impromptu cabaret was performed by nephew Andy, entertaining us with a pyrotechnical display courtesy of a load of ship’s flares

which was much enjoyed by the reasonably inebriated gathering.

I’m not entirely sure that the Health and Safety Executive would have approved but the totally unscripted event passed off uneventfully and there was a hosepipe to hand if the need had arisen.

Inevitably, it was a slow start this morning although Bobs surprised me by waking at around 7.00 am, just in time to wish all her friends in UK a Happy New Year.

When we finally got going, we headed for the beach which was surprisingly quiet. Those who were there seemed busy Facetiming, Snapchatting or whatever it is.

Bobs, though, had peaked early.and only came to when the inevitable rain started.

Tomorrow we are off to Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon to you and me). I will be sorry to leave Langkawi but a) my liver needs a rest and b) it would be good if we could find some consistently good weather. With my track record, I have my doubts.

Richard

 

Courtesy of Allan and his lovely 35 year old boat, Lady K, we had a splendid day yesterday, chugging around some of the 99 islands in the Langkawi archipelago. Allan is renowned for his excellent hospitality so it was necessary to have a ‘welcome on board’ drink at……..10.50 am, 10 minutes earlier than his normal ‘elevenses’!

The day was a little overcast  but this didn’t deter certain members of the crew,determined to get a tan.

As I have said before, Langkawi is a beautiful place, only spoilt by humans. So, a boat trip to some of the outlying islands is a wonderful way of seeing this area in its unadulterated state.

although the view was not always appreciated by a certain crew member still suffering a little from jet lag.

Navigating in this area is thirsty work so acting captain Brian can be forgiven for helping himself to a little alcoholic stimulus from time to time.

All the sea air finally got to our two lady crew members

so we headed back to the marina

after a wonderful day recalling the words of Kenneth Grahame in The Wind in the Willows: ” Believe me, my young friend, there is NOTHING – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats”.

Poor nephew Andy was not able to join us on this epic voyage as he had work to do. So we agreed to meet him in the evening at the apartment of a friend of his for ‘sundowners’ and nibbles.

A fine way to end a spectacular (and fairly alcoholic) day.

Andy will be busy again today as the 10th biggest ‘super yacht’ in the world is arriving and he has to do the port clearance and help with the immigration for the 50 (yes, fifty) crew members.

There are no passengers on board this 460 ft long floating gin palace, not even the owner – a Russian oligarch of course. It’s obscene!

As 2016 draws to a close, may I take this opportunity to wish everyone who has taken the time to read any of my ramblings a very, very happy, peaceful and healthy 2017.

Until next year,

Richard/Phileas

 

 

I was up early enough this morning to watch a beautiful sunrise.

and then it was off to the airport to meet my beautiful daughter who was not only on time but seemingly quite lively after such a long flight.

After a much needed shower we went for a familiarisation stroll around the apartment’s vicinity and discovered that the strange building I saw yesterday

is part of a new aquatic theme park – if it ever gets finished!

A stop for a snack and a drink was most welcome.

(Don’t worry, Bobs is not on her phone. She is just looking at some photos on mine!). 2 soft drinks plus 2 pancake type things all for £1.50! Another bargain.

On our way back, we tried to venture into what looked like some pleasant shady parkland. Discretion, though, proved the better part of valour

as getting shot on her first day here would probably not be a good idea.

Bobs has now gone ‘for a lie down to finish watching a movie’ (aka: to sleep) prior to us going out to eat, drink and be merry followed by an early night – or so she has requested. We shall see. In the meantime I am just loving sitting on the balcony in a gentle breeze enjoying the view out towards the marina.

There’s a rumour we could be going out on Allan’s boat tomorrow which would be fantastic.

A beautiful day.

Richard

 

We know there are several companies in the world trying to develop driverless cars – at enormous cost, no doubt. Little do these organisations know that the technology already exists in Langkawi.

Is there really someone driving the car in front of me?

I spent a very pleasant couple of hours reading on the hotel’s quiet beach this morning. That is until the Russians arrived. Two families of 3 generations each plonked themselves down about 50 cm from my little oasis.So that was the end of that! Actually, their arrival probably did me a favour as I was feeling far too cushy and soporific and could well have spent the entire day there. But, as I have the use of friend Allan’s car (until he and his wife return from Oz later), I felt that more exploring was in order.

The northernmost tip of Langkawi is very unspoilt. A drive through lush tropical landscape complete with wandering cows, water buffalos and monkeys

brings you to Tanjun Rhu with its beautiful beach and stunning landscape.

I couldn’t help comparing this little bit of heaven with Ipanema and Copacabana beaches in Rio. Each has its place, of course but I know which I prefer.

Tannin Rhu is not totally isolated though. Round the corner in the lagoon there is a veritable flotilla of boats waiting to escort tourists to a whole host of destinations – mangrove swamps, bat caves(!) and the Cave of Legends where, apparently, some princess of China was held captive for some reason or another.

Considering it’s peak season now, the number of boats far outnumbered the tourists that I saw but maybe a few coaches were about to arrive.

And where you get tour boats and tourists you get food and drink stalls,

souvenir stands and lots and lots of hat sellers!

Hopefully this spot never gets overrun with humans. I will remember it as an unspoilt, idyllic piece of paradise.

On the way back to the hotel I had a bit of a reality check when, bizarrely, I passed this.

I really should have stopped and asked whatever induced the owner to give this place, situated on a tropical island in the middle of the Andaman Sea,  such a name. Now I will never know.

As my daughter, Bobs, is arriving tomorrow morning and all the hotels here are fully booked, Allan has not only lent me his car but also a two bedroom apartment  he and his wife own. So I have now checked out of my hotel and am installed on the 10th floor of an apartment block in Kuah, the capital of Langkawi with a fine view over the bay towards to the marina

and a strange new, partially constructed edifice that nobody seems to know what it is!

I have just heard that Bobs is boarding at Heathrow so she is on her way. Yippee!

Phileas

 

 

 

 

On of the many things I love about my nephew is his refusal to act the typical English ex-pat. You know, the type who think they are going native but still prefer their cocktails in the Captain’s Bar in the Mandarin Hotel. Andy is the complete opposite and just loves to get stuck in with the ‘natives’. Last night he and I plus his lovely partner Jay had a fabulous Chinese meal in a most basic restaurant in Kuah town.

5 dishes plus drinks. All for a total of £20. Brilliant!

The breakfast at my hotel is pretty good also and sets you up for the day. There’s a fine array of both western and Asian dishes although the descriptions of some of the latter leaves a little to be desired.

The greeny brown slime in the accompanying pot didn’t look too good either!

As you may well know, apart from breakfast, I prefer to eat outside hotels for other meals as, generally speaking , it’s better value for money plus you get to see a bit more of the outside world. This hotel is trying to fight back though with all sorts of tempting culinary offers.

I will try and look out for a few blushed guests at breakfast tomorrow although the ‘fruits platter’ will not have contained any durian, which is generally considered to be an aphrodisiac,

on the basis that it smells too much. Believe me, it stinks!

Food is a very integral part of nephew Andy’s life so it was very important that we have some lunch together today. Asian style lunches are by no means heavy. So we just had the most amazing chicken noodle curry thing at a simple little restaurant.

The owner and his wife were justifiably  very proud of their culinary expertise

and equally proud of their early 20th century cash register.

They were happy. We were happy. Who needs progress?

Round the corner from my hotel is a little fishing boat harbour full of squid boats.

Squid must be quite stupid beings because all these boats have to do is to go out at night, shine a strong light on the water and loads of squid come up to the surface and are  then scooped into the boat. It seems all too simple but the sight of the twinkling lights of these boats from the shore is quite magical but not ultimately to the squid, though!

The huge quantity of rain that hurtled from the sky last night certainly made everything very wet but didn’t dampen the temperature today. It’s been hot and humid.

Phileas

 

 

 

Ever since I started travelling to South East Asia I have been struck by the orientals love of the saxophone. I recall many, many years ago being taken to a traditional Tea Dance in Tainan, Taiwan’s oldest city. At least 100 couples, all dressed up to the nines moving gently to the beat of a sizeable orchestra, overwhelmingly consisting of saxophone players. The Strictly Come Dancing judges would have been very impressed. The saxophone is, of course, a perfectly legitimate instrument  but it does emit quite a mournful sound which I don’t really associate with Christmas

and yet it dominates the piped music in many places I have been.

What I saw and heard of the Christmas Eve party here did, at times, verge on the hysterical. Bearing in mind that a) this is a Muslim country and b) most of the guests in the hotel are Muslim it must have been quite difficult to please everyone at such event. So the compromise seemed to be some sort of Bollywood dancing show complete with Christmas hats! I’m not sure this was generally appreciated by the guests as when we returned from dinner at around 10.00pm most of the customers had already left.  This gave the Father Christmas clad master (or in the case, mistress) of ceremonies a problem as, clearly, she and the dancers had been booked to entertain until a much later time. So she reverted to the age old trick of trying to get the guests up on stage to join in the dancing. But the guests were having none of it. Nobody moved. The MC’s exhortations to dance became louder and louder which had the effect of encouraging app 50% of the few remaining customers to flee. She made one last attempt to get things going by starting to sing which was her terminal mistake. Obviously, she had not been recruited for her singing talents. It was a truly dreadful noise. Out of tune, out of time and she was seriously out of luck. Her attempt at Mariah Carey’s ‘All I want for Christmas is You’ was  the final straw. It was so devastatingly awful that the remaining scattering of guests left. The whole event was over by 11.00pm! God knows what they have planned for New Year’s Eve but I shall not be here!

Christmas Day itself was understated as you might expect in Malaysia. In fact, very much a ‘normal’ day except for my phone call home which made it special.

Where I am staying is a little distance from Chenang Beach which is the main tourist ‘strip’ on this island. And the difference between the two close locations is quite noticeable. Whereas my location is quite quiet and uncrowded, Chenang is much busier

and much more commercial

The greater difference, though, is in the street directly behind the beach. It is chaotic. In their infinite wisdom, the local government are in the process of widening the pavements (at peak season, naturally) thus seriously restricting the two way flow of traffic. And bearing in mind that the locals seem to have no concept of parking considerately,

traffic jams are inevitable. It can easily take 20-30 minutes to drive through this 1km stretch of road.

What I have also noticed is a seeming lack of prioritisation. Making the place look presentable is obviously understood as you will often see armies of strimming people cutting patches of grass that, frankly, don’t need cutting and yet leaving great swathes of the main drag littered with rubble. The result is a higgledy piggledy mess of shops – some of which have been around for a while

and restaurants.

Don’t get me wrong, Langkawi and the nearby islands are geographically beautiful. I get the impression, though, that nobody, apart from one shop owner, has quite worked out what sort of tourist destination these islands should be. And that shop owner is very clear.

The heavens have just opened and it’s chucking it down plus thunder and lightning, very very frightening . One happy couple don’t care , though, as they have taken refuge by the pool bar!

Such weather conditions often happen at this time of day which means it must nearly be beer o’clock!

Phileas

I don’t think so as there are 2 very heavyweight loudspeakers in the hotel garden close to my room which I assume will be blasting out some kind of music tonight as there is a party in the hotel this evening. It can hardly be called a Christmas one though as most of the guests here are muslims!

I had a bit of an explore today, initially driving up Langkawi’s highest mountain. Unfortunately the visibility wasn’t that great so the view wasn’t exactly inspiring.

The journey on the way down was more interesting. I shunned the idea of trudging down the steps to the bottom as even after all the step practice I had in South America, I thought that 4000 + of them might be just a little too much and I couldn’t leave the car, could I?

Good decision as just round the bend my downhill hurtle came to a grinding halt as it was playtime for a family of monkeys.

I’m not sure if these delightful little creatures were tame (and I wasn’t about to find out as there were lots of them) but they were certainly very curious

as I edged past them. Lovely.

Away from the more westernised tourist ‘strip’, I came across some sort of local village games tournament played, of course, on the  most beautiful stretch of beach.

The football game was just finishing as I arrived but the girls’ netball match was in full swing.

It was, I had to admit, a little strange seeing burqua clad and heavily clothed girls running around – especially in 30c and humid heat!

There was quite a crowd cheering on these ladies which, of course, necessitated food stalls.

Had I not recently eaten I might have been tempted as the aromas were delicious.

On the way back to my hotel I popped in to take a look at a relatively new marina which Mandie and I had visited with Andy when we last came here but had only ever seen in the dark. In daylight, it’s pleasant enough

but like so much else in Langkawi already looks quite tired and old. Maintenance clearly is not something high on the agenda of Langkawians.

In amongst all this marine stuff, quite bizarrely, there is a car showroom selling classic motors.

I vaguely recall seeing this Roller here last time so business can’t be that good.

My last stop was to collect my washing from what I am sure must be Langkawi’s finest laundry.

8 items washed, beautifully ironed and packed, all for £2.50. Bargain!

The opening salvos from the loudspeakers have just started so it’s time to get out of here. May I wish everyone who has taken the time to read my scribblings (plus any friends who haven’t, of course) a very Happy Christmas and a healthy, peaceful and successful 2017.

Richard and Phileas