Something familiar, something new; Skype in an Indian classroom and farewell to rally friends

Being back in Langkawi felt a little like going home. Everything felt quite familiar and comfortable – which shops to go to stock up, where to hire a car, where to leave the dinghy, the place to buy the best bread, the cheapest place to buy wine, where to have dinner, where the quietest and prettiest beaches were etc etc. 

There were still new things to explore however – a great restaurant with rally friends Rita and Dave, the Langkawi eagle, and The Langkawi Cable Car which takes visitors up to the peak of Gunung Mat Chinchang, to name but a few. 

One of the highlights of our stay  in Langkawi this time was participating in two Skype sessions with the Genesis School, Noida, where our daughter teaches drama, Western vocal music and English as a Second Language. 

The students had been learning about rain forests and we were asked to talk to them and answer questions about the importance of rain forests. 

Such a strange feeling being at anchor, talking to classes of 25 six and seven year olds, with us projected onto a large screen in their schoolroom. 

The children were delightful, asking really thoughtful questions and delighted to be shown round the boat and to see the sea around us and the tree covered hills on land. 

With wild weather predicted we decided to take a berth at Telaga Harbour Marina for a few days rather than battle high seas, strong winds and lashing rain. Fortunately there was a berth going spare. 

The daily charges are quite modest compared with some marinas and it is in a lovely location, conveniently located near the offices of the customs/ immigration/ harbour master. 

However, the marina is rather run down, with missing cleats, broken and rotten boards on the walkways and a generally disheveled appearance. 

The delay in leaving meant we would have to make a last minute dash for Phuket as our friends were due to arrive in just a few days time. As usual the trip to Phuket would be a bit rushed and rather fraught. 

However, we were pleased that we made the decision to avoid the predicted bad weather because it meant we had time to catch up with Sara and Chris who had sailed their boat Tulu for the last time, delivering her to her new owner at Telaga.