Last night, my first in Kuah on Langkawi, I decided, as I always do when I first arrive in a new place, to go for a long walk to get my bearings and find some dinner. I managed just over 5km and had dinner in a place that looked really busy, invariably a good sign.
When I got back to the (exceptional) hostel I asked the young girl on reception what time the buses stop running as it must be early as I hadn't seen any. There aren't any, was the reply, there is no public transport if any sort on Langkawi. Well that will make life difficult for me as I never use anything but public transport when I'm travelling. How do people get about I ask. Mainly scooter or motorbike plus cars. Or they take a taxi, you get a Grab (the Asian equivalent of Uber), it's easy with the app. But I haven't got the app as I don't use my phone abroad because of the alarmingly high rates imposed by 02. As for a motorbike, I can't see my insurance company being happy about that!
So for my jaunt this morning a taxi it was.
I decided to tackle Gunung Raya. Fortunately I did little research on it other than its location. The start is not easy to find but some security guards pointed out the beginning of the steps. Off I go, brimming with enthusiasm and a sense of adventure.
One hour later I meet a man who is on his way down. Am I nearly at the top I ask him, absolutely convinced that there's not much more to go. I'm told that if I do another 250 or so steps I'll be half way there! Oh dear, not the news I was expecting. There are a total of 4,278 steps to the top it seems. Oh he says and because it's raining look out for the leeches, they stick to you and can launch themselves at you, oh what fun that sounds. Plus, he tells me, there are several fallen trees blocking the path higher up, the top 75 meters is almost vertical, the observation tower has been closed for 6 months and because of the weather you can't see much up there. You're making it sound very enticing I tell him not entirely convincingly.
So I take another 600 steps and think that's it, I'm happy with what I've done and retracing my steps is the sensible thing to do. So I'm sensible and head down, jolly pleased with myself.
Only because there is no public transport, I do not have a car or a scooter or a motorbike, and I can't phone Grab the only way back to base is to walk! It's seriously hot, there are no pavements, all the drivers think they're Lewis Hamilton but I survive. 8km the first road sign tells me, that's not even 2 parkruns. After 8km I stop at a petrol station to ask if I turn left or right at the big junction as I'm heading for Kuah. Oh, says one of the 2 drivers filling up, it's right here but it's another 6 km. He must have seen the look of horror on my face because he pointed to his friend and said: he'll drive you there, he's off to the bank in town anyway.
So that's what happened, yeah! Shower, change of clothes, about 20 gallons of water drunk, and I felt human again. So much so that I then went out for a big dinner.
A very satisfactory day one way and another.
Photos: not at all sure why the mascot of this island is a huge eagle but there you go, it is. Shots of the bay, and the stairs on the climb. Plus a huge Chinese temple I passed on the way back from the climb.
When I got back to the (exceptional) hostel I asked the young girl on reception what time the buses stop running as it must be early as I hadn't seen any. There aren't any, was the reply, there is no public transport if any sort on Langkawi. Well that will make life difficult for me as I never use anything but public transport when I'm travelling. How do people get about I ask. Mainly scooter or motorbike plus cars. Or they take a taxi, you get a Grab (the Asian equivalent of Uber), it's easy with the app. But I haven't got the app as I don't use my phone abroad because of the alarmingly high rates imposed by 02. As for a motorbike, I can't see my insurance company being happy about that!
So for my jaunt this morning a taxi it was.
I decided to tackle Gunung Raya. Fortunately I did little research on it other than its location. The start is not easy to find but some security guards pointed out the beginning of the steps. Off I go, brimming with enthusiasm and a sense of adventure.
One hour later I meet a man who is on his way down. Am I nearly at the top I ask him, absolutely convinced that there's not much more to go. I'm told that if I do another 250 or so steps I'll be half way there! Oh dear, not the news I was expecting. There are a total of 4,278 steps to the top it seems. Oh he says and because it's raining look out for the leeches, they stick to you and can launch themselves at you, oh what fun that sounds. Plus, he tells me, there are several fallen trees blocking the path higher up, the top 75 meters is almost vertical, the observation tower has been closed for 6 months and because of the weather you can't see much up there. You're making it sound very enticing I tell him not entirely convincingly.
So I take another 600 steps and think that's it, I'm happy with what I've done and retracing my steps is the sensible thing to do. So I'm sensible and head down, jolly pleased with myself.
Only because there is no public transport, I do not have a car or a scooter or a motorbike, and I can't phone Grab the only way back to base is to walk! It's seriously hot, there are no pavements, all the drivers think they're Lewis Hamilton but I survive. 8km the first road sign tells me, that's not even 2 parkruns. After 8km I stop at a petrol station to ask if I turn left or right at the big junction as I'm heading for Kuah. Oh, says one of the 2 drivers filling up, it's right here but it's another 6 km. He must have seen the look of horror on my face because he pointed to his friend and said: he'll drive you there, he's off to the bank in town anyway.
So that's what happened, yeah! Shower, change of clothes, about 20 gallons of water drunk, and I felt human again. So much so that I then went out for a big dinner.
A very satisfactory day one way and another.
Photos: not at all sure why the mascot of this island is a huge eagle but there you go, it is. Shots of the bay, and the stairs on the climb. Plus a huge Chinese temple I passed on the way back from the climb.
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