Rebak Marina; the last dot for now.
Fleck
Thu 28 Oct 2010 14:56
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Thursday, 28th OCtober 2010
Position: 6:17.744N 99:41.913E
Rebak Island is off the southwest corner of
Langkawi. About a mile across, and half a mile from the mainland. A swampy
area behind the Island's beach has been dug out to make a marina: completely
protected, except from insects. The google map should show the arrangement. I'm
on a pontoon close to the office, and there is reasonable internet on the boat.
We share the island with a six (?) star resort: part of the 'Taj'
Chain. Very plush, but we are allowed to use their pool. We yachties have been
provided with our own cheapo bistro bar, between the dock and the hardstand area
(The Hard Dock Cafe). Many boats are hauled out, others are afloat, but shut
down and hibernating. So I think that I've come to the right place: secure
from the weather, and good 'human' security too. The atmosphere is quite
different to the RLYC, and it is much quieter. The trip over here was windless
and extremely hot, but the scenary was quite impressive: little islets scattered
over the sea, often with sheer cliffs, and profuse vegitation on top: pisture
postcard Thailand really, which is what you would expect, given where we are.
Certainly, the coast of Malaysia is featureless in comparison. The mainland (ie
mainisland) is a mixture of old style native fishing villages (wooden huts on
stilts, corrugated iron roofs) interspersed with modern hotel complexes. Lots of
the proverbial white sand beaches. So, yes, not a bad place for stressed out
Malaysian couples and families to rest up and unwind.
But, oh dear, these Muslims: poolside this evening
a young couple: he in tee shirt and trendy baggy shorts, she draped head to foot
in black, just a slit for the eyes. How, in the 21st centuary (deliberate faux
pas), can anyone really believe this stuff. I have just
finished 'Winter in Madrid', CJ Sansom. Quite a good read, and yet again
the Catholics get it in the throat: takes up where 'Q' left off really. Dawkins
idea by the way, is that no child should be exposed any sort of
religion either at school, or especially through their parents, until
they are 18. Such a good idea, bound to be law in a year or two. I imagine
T Blair might have countered the idea by lowering the legal drinking age:
'mix three spoons of SMA with four ounces of gin'. At leat the wee
bairns wouldn't feel the circumcision. Coming back to CJS, the bookjacket has a
couple of gems: I nearly didn't get past 'If you like Sebastian Faulks and
Carlos Ruiz Zafon, you'll love this' - Daily Express. But it was cheap in a
bookswap at a backpackers internet travel agency hostel, so I gave it a
go. Inside I read further: 'CJ Sansom was educated at Birmingham
University....' Excellent!! I have first hand knowledge of that
institution, let us just say that it is an improbable hypothesis. But, come on
now, by then the lad was fully formed, old enough to go to church: where
was he for the first 18 years of his life: why so damned coy? Ah well, its
what we elderly do, get picky.
Incidentally, thanks to the big three
monotheisms I can't now get my boat lifted
until monday, but at least the world should be good and finished by then. I
suppose that, in the meantime, we might just get a free lift from a passing
Tsunami, perish the thought at once, it being hardly in the good taste
that readers have a right to expect from this column. Seriously, I wouldn't
mind going to help in Sumatra, but there is little information in the Malaysian
newspapers, and no pleas for aid etc.
If the beer runs out, or if I finish all my
jobs, I might blog again.... Flight home all booked and confirmed, but a
longish stop over in the Gulf: I could maybe catch up with the
Rooneys, sounds like they're having fun.
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