We finally set sail today. It was amazing how much more comfortable the air is when you leave the harbor. For anyone who has seen The Beach, I'm told that was filmed on an island just off Langkawi, so that would give you an idea of our surroundings.
We cruised along under sail power for awhile, but since we weren't going far and the current was against us, Dad decided to pump up the engines. These catamarans are amazingly smooth over the water. I had been told the would be, but it was interesting to actually experience.
After an hour or two of sailing, we pulled into a cove for the night. It is amazing. Mountainous islands covered in a hundred shades of green along with striated cliffs that bear a strong resemblance color wise to petrified wood surround us on all sides. These isles are broken up by calm light green sea water. Eagles occasionally sway above, and monkeys along with several species of birds can be heard calling in the distance. Small schools of fish occasionally break the surface in mini feeding frenzies that last a minute before retreating again below the waves. The large island behind us is known in the local dialect as "The Pregnant Lady", both for the profile of its mountains which resemble a pregnant woman lying down and the local legends that a hike into the isle and a swim in the freshwater lake apparently resting within is a cure for infertility.
We have a zodiac on the back of the Silkie. After a little cussing, half an hour of work and a lost wrench we finally got it setup to hoist off the boat and get ready to go. Once in we took a more intimate tour of the outskirts of one of the islands we were parked beside, watching the mangroves and shoreline. Not much in the way of animal life greeted us, but again, the view was amazing.
We returned to the boat, grabbed a bit of wine, and headed for the deck. There are perfect moments in travel, when all is right with the world and you realize how lucky you are to be exactly where you are at that moment. They are moments that stick out as highlights of trips and stick with you forever. This was one. I laid down on the netting in the front of the boat, which as I have said before feels much like a comfy hammock. I had a glass of cabernet sauvignon in one hand and a bar of swiss chocolate that contained a chocolate mousse filling in the other. A gentle breeze blew from above and below the netting while the waves gently rocked us. We watched as the sun slowly sat on the horizon, surrounded by the view I described above. As the sun faded Venus came into view, followed by Orion's Belt, then an amazing array of stars. Over the mountains of The Pregnant Lady the occasional flash of lightning could be spotted. If you turned over and looked through the netting,bioluminescent life lit up the sea water like a thousand fireflies. At one point Dad instructed us to head to the stairs on the back of the yacht where the water was more accessible. Crys swirled the water with her feet, and the ripple effect she created lit up as a brilliant green.
Crys and I spent much of the night lying together in the netting, before the clouds that were creating the lightening began dropping some sprinkles on us, forcing us to Barton the hatches and return inside for the night.
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