Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
February 05, 2014
So I find myself back in KL at Backhome Hostel again having spent just shy of 8 weeks in Langkawi.
Langkawi has been a great experience for me, if not testing at times. It’s a small Island just off the coast near the Thai border and to be fair it’s felt like it’s more of a honeymoon destination for couples who are looking for that quiet beach retreat type of affair. There isn’t a massive amount to do on the Island activity wise. The mangrove trip was cool and the wildlife there is good and diverse….if not a little overbearing when half of it camps out in your bathroom on a nightly basis. There is also a tourist targeted cable car there that takes up you up to a couple of peaks for a view of the island and it has a bridge between the two peaks that looks like a lovely design if only it was open. It’s been closed for some time now due to dis-repair and it being unsafe and it’s a general impression that I have come to feel whilst in Malaysia that such things are disposable. They will build something fantastic at a crazy cost but then not invest any further money to maintain it and keep it in working order. That’s a shame as it seemed to be one of the more well known ‘tourist’ hooks to draw people in. The nightlife is limited but I enjoyed that in a way as it had a more laid back feel in the places I did go out to, certainly more so than Kuta currently does.
What I did enjoy the most though is getting to know the people there. The locals who’s island it is and getting involved in their daily life. That is the side you won’t get to see if you come to Langkawi on a short term holiday basis. Away from the expensive, exclusive hotels and tourist spots as with any place in the world lies an underbelly and network of genuine people who call Langkawi home.
I met some great people during my time there, and if not for them would not have had the rich experience I did. The Chinese Temple festival and walking on hot coals would not have been possible without Jeff being my guide and couch surfing host, of which I am grateful. Experiencing true local home cooking that would never have happened had I not met Dorothy and Jerome and been subject to their great hospitality on many an occasion. Experiencing the smaller, local, cheaper places to eat that sit in the middle of nowhere that although are accessible and within the reach of everyone are a mine field unless you have a local to show you the good ones from the bad. The sub culture that exists among the younger crowd who still manage to have a great time among the limited facilities the island has to offer. To all these people I have met over the past two months a very big thank you for letting me into your lives for a short period and showing me great hospitality.
What does sit in my mind now that I have left is how attached I had become to my daily routine of helping the dogs and cats at LASSie. As you know I adopted 3 kittens and lost two, but it was harder than I thought when I said my goodbye to Custard the other day. She knows no other life at the minute other than the small bathroom she has had to grow up in so far and will soon be released into the big bad world of the wet market with her chances of survival due to disease very slim. When I arrived and for the most part of my time there I struggled to understand the approach that a lot of the animals that pass through the place are put to sleep quickly if no home is found. I now understand the enormous issue the island and clinic faces with strays and how as hard as it seems at the time to subject animals to an early grave the alternative is a much harsher and problematic reality.
I really do wish everyone there the best in the future and appreciate the great work they are doing. I did not realise how much some of the dogs had got under my skin. I’ve never massively been a dog fan having been attacked when I was only 3 but all the dogs there are such great individual characters and have made me laugh and smile on many an occasion. It was hard to say goodbye to them. I left the shelter 5 days before heading back here to KL as I needed the break from what was essentially a 24hr job. Living in a room with a dog and a further 7 in adjoining rooms that howl and bark on a night requires you to always be available for them if need be. Yes I had my freedom to go out but you soon realise once you’ve woken up many times during one night that you have responsibilities in the care of these dogs that goes beyond the day time duties of walking, feeding and grooming. So for those 5 days I still trotted along on a morning to help walk them and enjoy their company.
The 5 days were great for me. Still seeing the dogs but then the rest of my day free to relax with a few drinks, mosey round small back waters experiencing the daily life of the locals and taking in a few stunning sunsets as well.
Eventually it was time to head back to KL ready to meet Dani flying in and the next stretch of my adventure is ready to start. I haven’t done a massive amount of other things since getting back to KL as I need to save the money for the rest of my trip but I have met a few people, in particular one Malay guy who is a drill engineer and was kind enough to pay for my meal of sea snails and fish the other night which was pretty cool. I also was sat outside a bar the other night when one of the lads who worked at the The Temple Tree resort in Langkawi came wandering past and stopped for a drink with me. It’s very small world. He left the resort in December but is now living back with his family in KL just round the corner from the bar I was sat in….what are the odds?!
