Chapter 12 Malaysian Moments
If you asked us what has been our least favourite passage of the trip so far, the answer would undoubtedly be the Malacca Straits. Even the fact that two days before we left Singapore, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) had announced that the Straits were no longer considered a high-risk piracy area didn't make us like it any better. So why our disenchantment with this historic trading route through SE Asia? To begin with, cruising up the Malaysian coast is not the most exciting way to pass the hours; it's very flat, and under the still-present smog, sky, sea and land all have a uniform greyness. Wind was a very scarce commodity, usually associated with huge thunderstorms coming off the coasts of Malaysia and Sumatera and meeting somewhere in the middle of the Straits by late afternoon every day. Lightning bolts and water-spouts were not uncommon though mercifully we managed to escape both. The sea was a sort of pea-soup colour with all the detritus of SE Asia floating upon it. Hundreds of fishing boats of all shapes and sizes ply these waters with associated nets, lines, fish traps and pot markers making it very hazardous for yachts especially when under engine which we mainly were. And finally, there were few islands or bays where we could anchor safely at night, let alone anywhere picturesque until we neared Penang.
However despite all these drawbacks we arrived relatively unscathed in Langkawi, an island on the borders of Malaysia and Thailand having had a wonderful time along the way. Here is our account of all the land-based activities we enjoyed along the way. (See Map)
Port Dickson
Singapore marked the end of the Sail Indonesia Rally, under whose banner we had sailed since Darwin. At no extra cost, we signed up for the Sail Asia Rally which went from Singapore to Langkawi, giving us a number of stops along the way complete with organised tours and other rally events.
Our first rally stop was the Admiral Marina, Port Dickson about 145 miles from Singapore (see map) , a modern top-class marina surrounded by fabulous apartment blocks (all of them empty!), a hotel, conference centre, bar and swimming pool. A 5-day programme of events had been organised for us all from which we selected two: a tour of the Negeri Sembilan district and a trip to the historic city of Malacca.
Two coach loads set off from the marina after breakfast and we started the tour of the Negeri Sembilan district with a visit to the army museum where we were welcomed with a formal speech and another breakfast. From there we were driven off to an ostrich farm; strange, you might think, to find such a place in Malaysia! But as a going concern selling ostrich meat and various by-products such as feathers, oil, a range of cosmetics etc., it was certainly doing well Add to this the tourist-attraction potential from riding these extraordinary animals to ostrich racing (only professional jockeys allowed!), and you have a good business. By the way, the socks over the ostriches' eyes keep them docile while being ridden. Amazingly none of our party who had a go fell off but a good laugh was had by al!
It was now lunch time and the coaches brought us to the Sri Menanti Royal Museum which is located in a rather splendid old palace surrounded by beautiful gardens and parkland. Our hosts had laid on a superb lunch for us all and a band and dancing to entertain us while we ate. Malaysia being a Muslim country, no alcohol is served. Instead we had a choice of local fruit juices which we found to be rather unpalatable. Oh for a glass of chilled Sauvignon Blanc! There were the usual formal speeches much beloved of the SE Asians, but they were comendably brief and the dancers and the band were excellent.
After a tour of the old palace which was very interesting we boarded the coaches and rejoined the main road. Very shortly we turned off into a narrow side road and, after 500 yards, came to a halt. The driver had taken the wrong turning and there wasn't enough room to turn the buses round. At this stage we had no idea where we were going next so when we were asked to walk a mile of so down a country road to our next venue, we were somewhat intrigued. Anyway, we were so full of food, we needed the exercise! Our guide led us into a large yard, surrounded by houses, in which a number of large canopies to shield us from the sun and/or rain had been erected and tables and chairs laid out to seat us all. Imagine how we felt when we saw tables groaning under the weight of food. Surely we weren't expected to eat again so soon! But the day's programme had obviously overrun and time was running out. The occasion was to share the 'open house' celebration marking the end of Ramadan in this particular village so there was no way we could decline the food. So we piled our plates high and got stuck into the fourth meal since getting up that morning! Again the food was delicious, and the warmth and generosity of these people were overwhelming. A heavy shower of rain did nothing to dampen the proceedings as the children watched on, hoping for some leftovers.
Meanwhile our drivers had managed to turn our coaches around, and again we were grateful for the little walk back. An hour's driving brought us back to the marina, exhausted after such a busy day but with a better understanding of Malaysia and its warm, friendly people.
Malacca, to the south of Port Dickson, is the old trading port of Malaysia
from which the Straits takes its name. Taken in turn by the Portuguese,
then the Dutch and finally the British, the city is steeped in history with fine
examples of architecture from these periods
of occupation. Sadly its
status as a port was lost when the river began to silt up. Modern
buildings without any thought to urban planning have sprung up willy nilly but
fortunately the area surrounding the old fort has been left reasonably intact
and we enjoyed a morning
wandering around the old government house, now turned
into a museum, and the ruins of the Portuguese fort on top of the hill, with
wonderful views over the city.
In search of lunch, we found ourselves in Chinatown across the river.
This is a fascinating area of narrow streets lined with shops, restaurants and
ornate Buddhist temples. Artisans could be glimpsed at the back of their
shops turning out wind-chimes
,
pottery and other tourist treasures.
Trishaws covered in artificial flowers and ribbons conveyed tourists around the
streets weaving in and out of the modern traffic. Somehow the two modes of
transport seemed to rub along together OK.
And now for a little aside; for those of you who knew us in Plusmark days, you may well remember our financial controller, Monty Colman. Monty retired to Malaysia some five years ago and now lives near Kuala Lumpur. We were delighted to make contact with him and, as Aliesha won over Kuala Lumpur for a place to meet up, we were pleased to welcome him and his friends, James and Ricky, aboard. We were treated to a wonderful lunch at a nearby hotel and got a further interesting insight into life in Malaysia.
Penang
The next rally stop was Georgetown on the island of Penang. Here we all gathered in yet another modern, stylish marina. However, the proximity of a major ferry terminal meant that the backwash from the ferries came scouring through the pontoons at regular intervals sending all the boats rocking madly. It was so bad that at times we thought we might be crossing masts. The water was thick with debris, and marina staff were sent out to collect as much as they could in huge fishing nets. Odours from nearby drains also detracted from the appeal of the place. And some evenings, the severity of the thunderstorms was so great that we couldn't move from our boats until they had abated. But despite all of that, the rally was given another warm and welcoming reception. In monsoonal conditions a complimentary party was given for us where we were encouraged to test our skills at trishaw racing. A competition was held for the person with the hairiest legs and another for the person with the biggest beer belly. Surprisingly no women took part! There was the customary speech followed by a large buffet. Two Filipino ladies with keyboard accompaniment belted out 50's and 60's numbers and we all danced the night away.
We can't leave Penang without telling you about the amazing city of Georgetown. Rather like Malacca, it has been home to many peoples, including the British who built the funicular railway up to the top of Penang Hill some 700m above sea level. Here we found a welcome respite from the heat as well as stunning views across to mainland Malaysia and the Cameron Highlands. We took coffee overlooking the Malacca Straits at a hotel straight out of the 1950's before descending to the heat and noise of the city again.
Chinatown and Little India, reminiscent of Singapore, were only a stone's throw from the marina. "And all life was here" comes to mind when trying to describe them. With so many different cultures and religions coming together, the streets were rich in architectural designs, much of it decaying. Houses ranged from colonial grandeur to what could only be described as hovels. Shops, warehouses, cafes, eating houses competed for customers, and the most incredibly ornate temples, handsome mosques and the odd dilapidated church catered for the inner soul according to one's persuasion. And yet, Georgetown has its modern side too with shopping malls and department stores and all the world-class hotels. Fashions are incredibly cheap in Malaysia and Pam had a field day stocking up on her wardrobe to take her through to the Mediterranean. Well, you have to buy these things when they're available!
Langkawi
And so finally to Langkawi, an archipelago of some of the most beautiful islands we've seen since arriving in SE Asia. The main island is also a great tourist attraction. But the main attraction was the duty-free goods which extended to alcohol despite it being a Muslim country. The last official function of the rally was timed to coincide with the Libex boat show at Telaga. Another comprehensive programme of events awaited us including an official dinner with the ex-prime minister of Malaysia and father of the yachting industry as guest of honour. Sadly for us, we had succumbed to the rally bug which had been doing the rounds of the fleet since Singapore and we therefore retired to a quiet anchorage until we recovered, thereby missing all the festivities.
Among the highlights of Langkawi were Hole in the Wall, a magic riverine anchorage surrounded by tall tree-covered hills and mangroves. In the evenings, we would watch the monkeys come down to the little sandy beaches in amongst the mangroves to fish at the waters edge. Here we could take the dinghy for miles up the various arms of the narrow river as it flowed through the hills. Once off the tourist track, we were able to drift along without the engine, listening to the amazing noises of the jungle and exclaim as brightly coloured kingfishers suddenly broke cover and flew down the river. We saw herons, more monkeys and even an otter. An open-ended limestone cave was just high enough for us to drive through and admire the stalactites. It was a glorious place.
Almost equal in delights was the anchorage we chose to recover in from our colds. Tucked between a small off-lying island and the main island, this narrow channel gave us perfect shelter. For company we had kingfishers, monkeys swinging through the branches and an otter. For much of the day insects kept up a loud high-pitched whistling, sounding for all the world like an alarm. The wooded slopes towered high above us and, apart from an occasional small fishing boat, we were the only people around.
Rebak Island Marina was a necessary stop for us before continuing on to Phuket as we were hoping to haul out there in the new year prior to crossing the Indian Ocean. This marina had been almost totally destroyed by the tsunami two years ago so we were amazed to find everything working normally. Dick talked to Hamid, the man in charge of painting, and to Rizal, the marina manager, and we booked ourselves in for 4th January for a bottom scrub, anti-fouling and a new boot stripe. Attached to the marina is a very pleasant holiday resort and cruisers get a 20% discount off meals and accommodation. We took a look at one of the rooms and decided we would treat ourselves on our return as the hardstand is a very hot place and not really suitable for living on board while the work is being carried out.
A short stay in the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club marina enabled us to load our duty-free stores and provisions with relative ease although it's about a mile from the taxi drop to the end of the pontoon where we were berthed. It must also be the hottest marina in SE Asia which doesn't seem to deter all the live-aboards here who have taken root with satellite dishes and plants on the pontoon! And so on 2nd December we cast off our lines and headed off for Thailand. It wasn't a final farewell to Malaysia as we knew we would be bringing Jon and Jo back here before Christmas, and then returning again for our haul-out. We have enjoyed ourselves very much in this most interesting of developing countries and will hold many happy memories for years to come.
Postscript
As we write it is 26th January 2007. Tomorrow we shall leave the marina here in Phuket with good Internet facilities and be back in anchorages. On 30th January we shall set sail for either Sri Lanka or the Maldives, and after that Oman, the Red Sea etc until we reach Cyprus some time in May. See Map for the route.
We don't know when we shall be able to update this website but be sure we shall do so as often as we can and we will try to let you know when we do.
Wish us luck. The leg from Oman to Djibouti takes us through Bandit Ally and we shall be fervently hoping for a clear passage. Inshallah, as they say in those parts. The rest of the trip should be as good as any we have experienced so far. We are ready for the ocean and looking forward to some fast passages.
