Graptolite - Gets a Happy Cat
Graptolite's Sailing Log
Martyn Pickup & Heike Richter
Fri 26 Dec 2008 09:40
Christmas Eve drinks were in the elegant Raffles-era E&O Hotel where the
staff were all in Santa hats wishing all and sundry a "Mellyclissmas". They
apparently have many different hats and greetings for dozens of Western,
Indian and Chinese festivals through the year. Dinner was a wild night in an
outdoor food courtyard with a Chinese comedian and singers.
Christmas Day was mainly spent looking around huge Buddhist temples. It's
all very jolly climbing pagodas, ringing bells and lighting joss-sticks and
it makes the trappings of Christianity all seem a bit dull. I bought a lucky
gold cat that waves happily when you put batteries in.
In the evening we went up the funicular railway up Penang Hill hoping to see
the lights of the city below but the top was in cloud and rain. There were
some damp monkeys around to entertain and I made some phone calls back home.
We are on our way towards the island of Langkawi now which is on the Thai
border. Duty-Free and snorkelling is what it does.
M