I was up in Langkawi to teach a bunch of regional corporate bigshots how to build an artificial reef using Reefball which would benefit the poorer fishing community in Pulau Tuba, off Langkawi. Not only did I hurt my back from those low-roofed speed boats skimming & bumping over choppy seas, I also forgot to get chocolates for Divemuster. We stayed one night & spent the next day roaming the village, observing & talking to fishermen/women & shopping for Christmas presents. Of course, being the city bumpkin that I am, I got acquainted with the ducks, geese & buffaloes too! Not that difficult, just talk to them, shoot & run for your life…!
Life was so laid back that if I had lived there, I think my brain would regress. The pace of life is slow & unyielding. I may be the most hurried person but the Langkawians wouldn’t give two hoots. To get something delivered, you have got to plan days in advance to allow for late delivery. Having learnt our lesson from previous liaisons with the people, we planned this event months ahead. Searching for a masseuse was a futile effort. They don’t work before 10am & you can’t find any in town. The ones at the beach look dodgy & the reggae bar at Pantai Cenang swung to the beat of junkies. Hmmm….is this going to turn into another Koh Tao or Koh Samui?
Back then when life was so much simpler, the only discotheque on the island was D’5 at Delima Resort; ice blended coffee was only available at Pantai Tengah; the wooden & thatched roofed Oasis Bar had good food & great company that ran the Crab Cracking Cruises on a yacht; Mokhtar’s Breakfast Bar had the best fried eggs & roti canai with everyone you know having their first meal of the day; the only traffic hazard was the invisible herd of buffaloes crossing the road at night, the solitary traffic lights junction at Kuah was the marvel of the islanders & visitors and the streets were dark.
Now D’5 is gone, Oasis had become a concrete building called Lighthouse, there are more traffic lights which means more cars and Mokhtar has died of cancer. Sigh….the only remnants of my days in Langkawi as a dive guide are the eagles & the rice fields amidst the azure green sea. Ah, the fishermen remain too….
