Beez to 23/12/18
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Sun 23 Dec 2018 23:57
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Beez to 23rd of December
2018
  Monday 17th. Having rung Penang
Immigration last week, I knew for definite that our ninety-day Visa would be a
day over by the time we flew to Hong Kong (booked last January). We have heard
horror stories about people being ‘told off’ as only severe folk in a
position of power can and do, with the ultimate risk to us of not being allowed
back in the country.......... Overstaying can also run to a hefty fine and or
prison.......... The lovely lady I spoke to in Penang told me to go to our local
office and ask for a one-day extension as it was a genuine mistake. Visas here
run from the minute you get them, so if you arrive at 23:59 that is classed as
day one of the ninety. If you use a computer model (as I did), type in a date
and add ninety – all is well but when added up the authority
way.......
We took the nine-thirty shuttle
ferry, The Rawlies (Scott-Free) came to lend moral support and as usual
Mr Din met us over the other side (Port Cenang) where he handed over
the requisite ‘dodgy’ car. Half way to town Bear decided to open the
window a little then a little more, it won’t go
up. Mmmm. Now why, knowing it was stuck, would he open it all the
way.........still stuck. No - - - -
Sherlock....... Once parked there was a bit of
fiddling, then some serious
surgery.
   It ended with much
tugging, eventually there was quite a pile on the ground and gubbins was exposed.
 I busied myself studying the nest stuck to the radio aerial but by now my already taught
nerves needed a coffee and cake, off I went with Chris leaving the boys to their
vehicular surgery. They joined us as we were chomping into a naughty, sweet
stuff. Some time, it seemed later, we stood in front of a tiny Immigration chap
(looked about twelve) who told us to go to the main office six miles back the
way we had come..... Once there we were told to go to the third floor where we
were told to go to the first floor. Number taken from a machine, we sat waiting.
I practised my best downhearted look and a lady called us forward. “My boss is
off station, I ring him, not promise but I try, no sure, not promise”, all
delivered with much head shaking. More sitting, more gnashing. Ten minutes later we were filling in a form and told to
come back at half past two “you pay fifty ringgit at window, I process”. YAY.
 Now one o’clock we may as well find
somewhere to eat. Err no. Bear turned the key, nudda, nunca, nope. Bit of fiddling under the bonnet – makes a change from taking the
door to pieces one may think. Mr Din was telephoned and the tooth sucking,
flat-footed provider of mostly bangers just hanging on to their sell by dates
and every one of the soon to be ‘one careful owners’ arrived. Engine left
running of the steed he brought he nimbly swapped the batteries over and off he
went. We headed back toward town, stopping at our favourite hardware shop just
to get our equilibrium back.
  We found a tiny eatery and whilst I
stuck to simple chicken rice the other went for pork belly, rice a dodgy looking
brown thing that turned turtle became a hard boiled egg and some plasticine stuff in the corner
that turned out to be tofu. Very nice indeed. Now time to return to
Immigration.
  At a quarter to three we had handed
over ten pounds each and were proud possessors of Visas
that not only took up a whole page but instead of the one-day we had
asked for, but for thirty-six......... Time to finally hit the
shops.
 The rest of the week was spent with
Bear working the mornings on servicing the compressor (hopefully to sell) and me
pottering and planning a tour of India. Lunch anywhere up to two o’clock and
pool at an average of four o’clock. When we briefly parked on A dock there were
fourteen boats beyond us, one parked, one sold and the rest for sale. On B dock
there are a few for sale and a couple of one careful owners and this lady that looks very unloved.
 Thursday night we had The Scotties
over for a few pre-Christmas mudslides, s+s chicken, now known as stainless
steel chicken and a game of Mex Train Doms. Bear was seen swinging about with
a bag of rose, bought in Australia and now very
cloudy. We all refused his offer and left him to it. A really fun
night.
   Saturday 22nd. A busy day and the
evening saw us gather for a cruisers pot luck, this
enabled a good excuse to use all the salad in the fridge and take as our
contribution. I settled with a sherbet or two and we
all enjoyed sunset. A good turnout.
 It turned into a
really pink sunset.
  Chris
(left) and Steve (right) brought the best tasting
satay chicken ever in the world because the sauce was simply perfect and sooooo
peanutty. We headed home at eleven having enjoyed the evening enormously.
Sunday 23rd. Bear pottered and put
his tools away whilst I did the washing and did housework as on the morrow we
are off to Hong Kong.
ALL IN ALL ANOTHER ACTION
PACKED WEEK
THE UPS AND DOWNS OF A SKIPPER IN A VERY PLEASANT
ENVIRONMENT |