Departures, Arrivals And Everything In Between

From the time I woke up until the time I reached the departure hall of the LCCT everything was a bit of a blur. Not cause I wasn't focused but because everything happened so fast. From getting dressed, to saying one last prayer before leaving the house to hugging my sister outside the airport. I suppose it is a good thing though as I am not a very big fan of goodbyes and the anticipation of being thrown into the great unknown would've phased me out. By the time I sat down to take a breath in and have a bite of my sandwich in the departure hall, it was already 11.30 and time for the passengers to board the plane. It was so ironic because just at that moment where the annoucer said 'Passengers of flight 5452 to Langkawi please make your way to p2', I was just finishing off a sentence in my journal which wrote '11.30am -- At the departure gate now. Just bought some food and about to settle down.' Haha, what's life without a little humour i suppose?

As my hopes of being on a relatively empty flight disintergrated into thin air, I realised that the majority of passengers on my flight were Middle Eastern (visiting Langkawi with their ever growing ginormous families) and local islanders making the trip home from a holiday in Kuala Lumpur with their extra luggage and last minute shopping bags. Once settled in to my seat, I started to make small conversation with the young couple sitting next to me. I told them about how I'm a nervous flyer, and how this flight is bound to be a very noisy one. The woman would chuckle politely and the man would agree with most of what i said. To numb down my nervousness of flying I made even more conversation with the couple, pointing out the henna on their fingers, signifying that they were newly weds. They then told me about how they planned to go to Phuket, Thailand for their honeymoon, but was too worried about the riots and also the lack of kosher food around the area; hence opting for their 2nd choice of Pulau Langkawi. They elaborated on how honeymooning here kills a flock of birds with one stone; the food is kosher everywhere, there are no language barriers, the beaches are beautiful and the atmosphere it just as laidback in Langkawi then it would be in Bali or Phuket!

Just before take off, as i dozed off into dreamland, the pilot announced on the speaker that there would be heavy winds throughout our journey, so we should be prepared for turbulence. Well.. that shot down any chances of 'dozing off' or 'settling down' until arrival! Throughout the flight I kept my nerves down by writing out what I needed to do in the next few days in my journal, which subtly turned into doodles, which then turned into tic-tac-toe... and then back into doodles.

45 minutes later...

I arrive in one piece! And now it was just a matter of collecting my luggage and heading to the Bella Vista Hotel in Kuah Town. Scurrying out of the hot sun in between the plane and the arrival hall, I noticed that in the corner of the arrival hall, next to the baggage collection belt is a long row of tour, car rental and cruise booths. And the most interesting thing about it was that the booth staff would yell at you on your way out to get your attention to visit their booth! It was like a night market frenzy in the middle of the day! There is also a Tourist Centre in the middle of the hall where holiday go-ers of can enquire, reserve and research on the many things and places to go to on the Island. At the exit area of the airport is a booth for taxi hire with a very good system where there are no metres and the taxi fare is fixed depending on where you are going. My taxi ride to Kuah costed RM25 and the trip to town was quick (taking about 15 minutes) and scenic.

After checking into The Bella Vista Hotel (which looks like something Mickey Mouse would have designed if he decided to become an architect), i decided to explore the grounds and was enthralled by the gorgeous beach view and the huge recreational arena the hotel has. What this hotel lacked in aesthetics, it made up for in a beautiful location.

My room was of a decent size and had a view of the garden below, and the TV had surprisingly impresive channels including HBO, ESPN, AXN, The Australian Network, NHK and lots more! (not saying you should stay in and watch TV the whole trip, but in the event you do.. this hotel has got you covered!)

After getting some well deserved rest, I took to the streets of Kuah for a photo session and to just do some soft exploring, as tomorrow I'll be checking Kuah out full on. I stumbled upon some interesting finds around the streets, such as Air Kelapa Abg Man, which was a van full of coconuts and a single man cutting them and pouring the juice into an ice and jelly filled container.. yeah it doesn't sound THAT interesting but what made it so was the long, long queue behind his van, waiting just to get a taste of his coconut concoction. Don't know whether it is his secret recipe or just plain ol' Global Warming thats boosting Abang Man's business, but whatever it is, it sure is working for him. Further up the road is the Parade Shopping Mall which houses the only cineplex in Langkawi Island but other than that is just like any other mall, except for a really rad shop on the top floor which really caught my eye called the Exodus Shop which was basically a Bob Marley memorabilia shop that had clothes, books and Bob Marley paraphenilia.

The shoplots which were sleepy and closed in the day time were now wide awake and brightly lit with row upon row of street food and drinks. With so much to choose from and my energy levels running low, I decided use the old theory 'eat at the restaurant with the most people' or in my case the longest line. Reminiscent of the coconut man's line of fan's, 'Burger Pokok Asam' had a line almost just as long but was more pleasing to the eye, with its brightly lit burger camp and pleasing to the nose with the smell of fried onion, egg and burger patty. So with my mind made up and my stomach steering me towards the stall, I proceeded to wait in line with everyone else. But through a stroke of good fortune (or my keen curiosity with the stall, taking loads of photos and 'oooh'ing and every order someone makes), the owner of the shop (who did not want his name or photo taken!) pushed me up to the from of the line and asked me what I wanted, in a very forced, semi-patronizing english accent! While waiting for my Burger Udang Special and attempting not to make eye with the 30 odd people giving me dirty looks for cutting their line, the owner of the shop explained to me how before he opened the burger stall he used to be an accountant working in Kuala Lumpur for a firm, when one day he decided he to quit his job, sell his house and move to Langkawi with his wife and child to start a new life. Mmm a delicious burger and coffee table conversation! The things we can get away with by looking like an utter tourist!

Well, now i've settled into bed, and am feeling a little restless and physically drained. I think I'm going to read a little and then hit the sack. Paolo Coelho's Veronica Decides To Die should do the trick for me. Goodnight and will keep you posted.

Harith The Beach Bum.

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