Langkawi continues (but without photos at the moment)

We visited Cenang beach on the first evening and took in our first real Asian sunset because most of the beaches we had visited were on the eastern coasts and this one did not disappoint us.
First mistake we made was to expect quick service at the beach bar and secondly to expect any alcohol but hey we don't need it do we???

anyway an enjoyable hour was spent watching the jetskis go whizzing past and the sun gradually settling  into the sea eating a passable Malayan sweet & sour chicken(I think it was)....Maureen is getting well impressed with my chopstick handling by the way. And rice too!!

The taxi driver on the way back to the hotel was an avid Arsenal supporter who ran through all their greats of the past few years and had actually heard of Aston Villa.He had opinions on Ashley Young who he reckoned should have stayed there and not gone to Man Ure.Amazing that the real British impact on these people seems not to be leftover post colonial heritage, grumbles and grudges but the blinking Premier League.

The following day we had planned to rent a car and venture around the island but when we arrived at the travel/excursion desk it was not there despite arranging for it the day before.So we rang for a taxi and  Abdul Habib became our driver for the day and we set of for the Langkawi cable car...needless to say the same old issues about charging arose.Now I can understand this in poor countries and would actually approve of it in many instances but these countries aren't full of poor people by any standard so I continue to take umbrage at this discrimination.They also had not opened by the time we got there and the first cars were due to start at 12 so we had an hour or so to kill.The driver suggested some sights that seemed to be of limited interest such as a crocodile farm  so we plumped for the Seven wells  waterfalls which sounded more suitable, so long as there was some water and they had had some rain before we arrived so fingers crossed and off we went.

After an initial climb which reminded us both of the climb to St Anne's well in Malvern, we turned off the main path right into a group of monkeys which looked quite interested in us hoping perhaps that we had food and other goodies in our backpack.Maureen took no chances and marched briskly through them shooing them away. The falls did have some water but were obviously in need of a boost but nevertheless looked refreshing but the warnings of viruses and bacteria in the water , I suppose due to the monkeys put me off from checking it out especially as I had a few open mozzie bites on my legs.
The sight of plastic and the odd old disposable nappy  in the numerous pools also put me off but some kids were happy to slide down the slippery rocks into some shallow pools whilst their parents looked on .

We were making our way back as the coachloads of Russian tourists made their way to the falls, they are very big and noisy I must say.....not the falls the Russians that is.We have seen very few Americans and when we do they tend to be single or in pairs not the coachloads.

Making our way back to the cable car we discovered that they were already open and the queues were  massive, even just to buy the ticket.If you wanted to you could buy your way to happiness and  the front by paying an extra 50MR about ten pound but as most of you know my feelings about NHS/Private medicine I couldn't bring myself to do it.  Besides I would have had to pay for Maureen too!!!

After an Alton Towers type wait we were loaded into our car that held six passengers but there were only five in with us,a couple from Perth WA and a charming little Chinese girl who was Vietnamese.The car doesn't stop so you have to stand in your groups of six to load and move forward at the appropriate time and away you go lurching at first but then very rapidly picking up speed.I had a very strange thought that the way people loaded themselves into these compartments would be an eminently suitable way of mass culling......just transport them to the top and tip 'em out the other side no fuss whatsoever!!        Note to self...must see shrink if  have more thoughts like this.