I have been very much enjoying being back in civilisation
for the last month. I left Belum Eco Resort a week short of my two month
commitment as an artificial reef had been started and the boss seemed to have little
enthusiasm for an environmental education program. Investment funding had also
been secured to do resort extensions and upgrades before the end of the year so
I bailed before the construction started.
I was happy with the small fish habitat areas we created
with old car tyres, broken clay pipes/pots and tree branches. Definitely
something that needs to be expanded but now the owner knows what to do and will
soon start some fish feeding to attract the lake residents to the island to
stay. An interesting thing that happened before I left was the discovery one
morning of a very freshly shed snake skin from a cobra on the path near the
kitchen. That was a bit unsettling as cobras are supposed to be other there in
the jungle, not right here!!
On getting back to Georgetown,
Penang I checked into the guest house I stayed at during
my last short visit and quickly took advantage of being able to chat to other
westerners. Made friends with Marcello, from Switzerland,
who had just arrived from Thailand
to start working in a new guest house and on impulse a couple of days later
joined two others to go over to Langkawi. Cristina, lovely petite Italian lady
from London, and Shane, good looking Canadian dive instructor who has been in
region for last six years, were a lot of fun and people I just clicked with.
They helped me put a huge dint in litre bottle of gin on the second night at
Pentai Cenang Beach which included watching fire twirling at some ungodly hour
at a cool bar opening onto the sand.
Shane was looking for work and scored a job at a dive shop
in Sabah and Christina had other things to do so they
only stayed for three nights while I stayed for eight. I was in cheaper accommodation
than my first visit two months earlier and the season had definitely picked up
so it was a more happening place with glorious weather. Everything there is so
cheap – room $15Aus per night, breakfast 80c, lunch $2, one and a half hour
massage $15, litre bottle of Gordons Gin $10. I could have stayed for ages but
for some reason my laptop would not pick up the wifi at the guest house and as
I had to get onto the Teach English study thought I better come back to
Georgetown.
As they were still setting up, Marcel was able to give me a
good price for a room in the new guest house, Red Inn
Court. But they were only using Penang Free WiFi,
which kept dropping out, so I moved to one of the other guest houses in the
chain a few days later. While at the Court I met a lovely couple though, in
their 50s but with much younger mind sets. Aaron is a Market Economist from Penang
who has lived all over the world and Jill is a Pomm who met him here six months
ago while travelling the world with her daughter. On the Saturday night they
invited Marcel and I to the opening of a friends café, art gallery and guest
house which had music, great food and wine. Met some interesting people there
including the designer of the Langkawi Cable Car and Sky
Bridge as well as a prominent local
artist who was on exhibition in the State Gallery (which I went to see which
will make my friend Conor happy). Drank
plenty of good red wine and was even encouraged to go to a nightclub called the
“G Spot” after. Sunday was quiet.
Other than that I have been getting my Teach English
homework done, exploring more of the sites and streets around UNESCO listed
part of Georgetown and discovering
some lovely little restaurants.
I have arranged my flight to Bangkok
next week and accommodation in Koh Samui from 4 Dec till 26 Dec but am now
undecided about where to next. Is anyone interested in spending New Year with
me in Koh Samui? If I do not have anyone coming over than I am thinking of
spending the rest of the festive season and until after my birthday somewhere
that will be cheaper and less touristy than that particular island. With my
lifestyle lately I could not imagine a full time teaching job but there are
plenty of volunteer opportunities in Thailand
where you can get in a bit of practice teaching as well. So a matter of wait
and see what happens after Koh Samui.
Hope you are all enjoying your Christmas parties. Jill and I
are gate crashing the local Hash House Harriers Christmas pub crawl tonight.
