At the moment I am sitting on the fast ferry that will transport me to the island of Langkawi. I am pretty peeved because on the boat there aren’t any outside terraces to sit and view the ocean plus the completely misted up windows, which means I can’t see a flipping thing! Considering that there are lots of small islands on the way, I had envisaged taking excellent photographs and seeing something more interesting than a Kung Fu style film that the captain of the boat must, without a doubt, have dragged out of his great grandmother’s attic!

I am looking forward to going to this beautiful island with white sandy beaches and just chilling out. The mere fact that someone has informed me it is pouring down with rain has nothing to do with it! I shall don my bikini, sit on the beach under an umbrella and live in hopes of getting a great suntan!!!!! Don’t be surprised If anyone tells you, that they saw a weird lady sunbathing in the rain. Well! You will know it is Backpacker Granny!!! God, it’s going to be a long three hours of nothing to see and nothing to occupy me sea trip. Thank Google for my blog.

Uuuf! I hate to have to admit this, but after all that moaning about the film on the boat I finally, ended up watching it. I am such a sad soul at times. But for want of something better to do.. as they say, “Can’t beat them! Join them!”

I have now been in Langkawi for two days and ….Well, would you believe it?? The weather is just fabulous; the sun is out in all its splendour, and oh it is more than boiling. I feel as though somebody has thrown me into the sauna and turned the temperature up to maximum.. phew. Lots of lemon tea with loads of ice! (Did I say not to take any ice in drinks?) Please do not say a word! And If I die.. just notify the family to throw me on the local rubbish dump in some enchanting part of Thailand.

My first day on the island was spent exploring the beach and visiting Laman Padi.. which is practically next door to my hostel. Well the beach is actually in front, and Laman Padi is next door.. just to make it clear. Padi being rice fields and as I have alway been fascinated by them, I wasn’t going to miss a visit.

Laman Padi was not something I would have expected to see in the centre of town so near to my hostel. Here, one can see a long stretch of beautiful lush green paddy fields, infusing a sense of freshness and at the same time, bringing one closer to nature.

You will notice from the photo on the right hand side, the fantastic line of scarecrows, which adds a touch of authenticity to the paddy fields. I kept thinking of my grandchildren and how they would love those big life size dolls. At the same time, I doubt very much if these scarecrows would scare any of the beautiful multicoloured birds flying over the paddies.

They also have a fabulous museum with an amazing assortment of the original tools used to work the Rice fields in days long gone. By visiting this museum, I learnt how the locals traditionally planted the rice, without relying much on technology and machinery.

Langkawi Permata Kedah translated Langkawi Jewel of Kedah is an archipelago consisting of 104 islands in the Andaman Sea, approximately 30 km off the mainland coast of northwestern Malaysia. The Jewel of Kedah is also famous for its stunning sunsets. So with this in mind, yesterday evening I made my way to the beach to verify the fame of the setting sun. I would like to say that I have been witness to many beautiful sunsets, but the one I beheld this evening, blew me away. Although I have tried to capture this miracle on my camera, I feel sure I could never recreate something so incredibly sublime in a photograph, regardless of however good the shot may be! Such awesome beauty from Mother Nature makes me stop – reflect and respect the very existence of a superior Creator.

Just off the record, I have been showing off on Facebook, commenting what unusual weather I’m having, and of course, a bit of poetic justice has taken over! It has been pouring out of the heavens none stop today. What does one do in a Robinson Crusoe island when it’s raining?? Yes of course! Eat, sleep, and Blog blog blog!

Yesterday I teamed up with two super girls from the hostel whose names are Karen and Louise, and we hired a car to go and explore the island. What a great day we had, These two crazy adorable nutters are such a laugh. Firstly we went to the waterfall “The seven wells” needless to say I kept calling them the “The seven veils” nothing new for sure.

Seven Wells Waterfalls, known locally as “Telaga Tujuh” and are a marvel of nature. Freshwater streams plunge from seven pools into this magnificent waterfall creating an impressive and mystical sight. “Don’t miss a visit to them.” It was pouring with rain but still worth getting soaked to the skin

Pantai Pasir Hitam Beach

Our next stop was the Black sand beach, and I promise you it was the colour of coal, incredible and very strange. According to local information, it is due to the tin and mineral ore deposits which wash up on the shore. The beach darted with brilliantly painted boats and coupled with the old fishing jetty made for some great photos. Two very friendly fishermen who were sorting out their catch from the days work, gave us a freshly caught blue crab and yummy prawns. We didn’t have any bags to put them in, so much to the amusement of the locals, we ended up walking back to the car carrying the seafood in our bare hands

One thing that Karen, Louise and I have in common is that we all adore eating.. our favourite pastime. So imagine the three of us let loose in the haven of gourmet food. Obviously, our next port of call was to stop and eat.. The girls informed me that they have put on loads of weight since being in Asia, but have the perfect solution! They are going to use the “Food poisoning diet” Very simple and very easy to follow: you get food poisoning, you’re sick, regular visits to the small room, can’t possibly eat a thing and hey presto! After a week or two, you emerge with a stunning sylphlike figure! So now you know how to get those extra pounds off.

In the meantime, we all tucked into an enormous bowl of Tom Yam soup originally from Thailand but also served all over Malaysia in different varieties. A clear soup scented with lemongrass and lime leaves, soured with lime juice, and spiked with fresh chillies, to this can be added a selection of noodle of your taste, loads of delicious vegetables, and a choice of prawns, or pork, chicken, tofu. If you are not used to spicy food, prepare a few tissues to wipe eyes and runny nose and have plenty of cold water to drown the burn on your tongue. By the way, it’s scrumptious! After having consumed all this, Louise insisted that we had to have a “Palette Cleanser” which is crucial after a heavy meal! It consists of fresh coconut juice freshly blended with coconut ice-cream and mountains of ice! What a wonderful way to cleanse the palette! I will have to tell my dentist that he has it all wrong on mouth hygiene.

And so we continued our leisurely drive around the island. Experiencing the beautiful countryside and peaceful landscapes of the rice fields. Some of Langkawi’s most rustic and memorable views are along the road that circles the island. We passed small villages with a wooden house set amidst palm trees, with old men smoking and chatting or taking a nap on an old wooden bench or small children pedalling their “has seen better days bicycles.”

Our final stop before heading home was to Tanjung Rhu beach. Deemed to be one of Langkawi’s best beaches, Tanjung Rhu is approximately 22 km in the distance from Kuah. Fringed by tall casuarina trees just adds to its enchantment. During low tide, it is possible to stroll across a sandy stretch to the awesome rocky outcrop of Pulau Chabang. There are also several caves and mangrove swamps to see.

We had a brilliant day. I would like to say; A Special Thank You to Karen and Louise for making it so much fun. x