Christmas Eve | Langkawi Skycar (Cable Car)
Rose early (7am) and left in our second hired minivan (8am) to get to the Cable Car with plenty of time to beat the crowds and to purchase tickets to get in a cable car up to the top of the mountain. We felt like the Griswolds in Wally’s World – thinking they were the first people to arrive at the theme park, but it was closed. It was a bit funny because we arrived, and there was still a line up!
So we lined up, already quite a queue of local Malay holiday makers to contend with as it was now their school holiday break and unfortunately got into line number 3 that unfortunately didn’t move all that fast due ticket printer issues. Anyway, we finally got the tickets, 4 adults 2 children and foreigner prices (we pay more than Malaysians). We had to wear a wrist ticket that had a barcode printed on it, which was scanned as we walked through. We had the tickets and that was it? Nope. We discovered another lonnnnnnng line of cable car goers after going through the first check point. It took us another 2 hours to get through and board an actual cable car! Some foreigners who were in much smaller groups, like couples, were being plucked from the line and brought to fill up places seats of 1 or 2 or 3 in cables cars. The girls looked at the man plucking people from the line up longingly, hoping that they would need a group of 6 straight away, but that wasn’t going to happen. The cable car sat a maximum of six. We were in the line until the end.
It was a great cable car – steep and extreme angles up the mountain in a small round cable car, listening to the whistle of the wind the higher we climbed. Unfortunately when all of us got inside the cab, there were some issues with certain people standing in others way (ie. Dacey stood up to get better GoPro footage from her head-cam which pissed Ash off). The way up was a much less pleasant experience with the crying that occurred and we all endured. At least the way down was quiet. Just glad no one else was in our carriage!
I’m really not a lover of heights, even a flying fox gets me feeling unsure, and the girls were laughing at me as my fear of the height looking outside the window made me feel uncertain inside the cable car. Some of the cable cars have a glass bottom that you look through but you had to pay more for that experience (I was happy without that one). We got out at the look out at the top. There was a café up there with over-priced food and drinks (of course) – tea, coffee, juices, food. However, the view was magnificent looking across the ocean and the surrounding limestone mountains that peaked out from nowhere covered in greenery and rock.
For another 5R (adult) and 3R (child) we walked out onto a suspension bridge. This was quite something (and yes my tummy and head got a little shaky). It was built in 2004 by the then Prime Minister Dr Mahathir. It’s a large concrete bridge suspended by long pylons that reach down into the crevices of the mountains and straight up into the bluest of blue skies. The wind was quite strong out there and we felt a slight movement in the bridge (that’s when I felt like collapsing). An eerie feeling for me, quite an adventure for the girls and Steve. At certain points along the concrete stretch was a square of clear Perspex which we stood on and looked down to the very bottom of the mountain crevice. Agghhhh…
A highly recommended experience to do while in Langkawi, but be prepared for long wait times in the queue. Regular photo opportunities are presented too with no real option to say no to the photo (very pushy), but there’s no obligation to buy. We ended up purchasing our ‘cheesy’ photo – a group shot of us superimposed over the mountains with a cable car in the background. It was a booklet that cost 40R ($13), but with the Griswold theme still lurking in our heads, we chose to get it just for the memory.
Breakfast Bar, Cenang Beach
We got back to Cenang Beach, and stopped off at our most favourite haunt so far here in Langkawi, yes The Breakfast Bar. Opens early and closes 2pm every day, we have been ordering fresh fruit drinks, Island pancakes and eggs on toast for brunch each time. It’s all at very reasonable prices which suits us and the food is very much enjoyed by everyone in the family = win:win.
At the Breakfast Bar we have met up with a friendly Malaysian man who takes guests orders for breakfast and sketches people on quality paper and hands them out to them as take away gifts (I think I’ve already mentioned him in a previous post). We are now connected on Facebook. He took a liking to our large family which was nice, and today he completed the whole family’s sketches and he sketched both Steve and Ash. His partner (mother of his child) is German who lives in Holland. He says he can’t handle the cold weather, so he spends 5 months in Malaysia when it’s too cold over there. Not sure if he’s divorced/separated or what the exact situation is, but that’s how it rolls here – bits and pieces of information that you need to thread together to make sense.
Xmas Eve Dinner @ BBQ Grill (open 24 hours)
We returned to the BBQ grill restaurant, which according to Ash makes the tastiest Padthai dish she’s ever had (so she has ordered that for the third night in a row, takeout if required). If you don’t get a table there out the front facing the street, you’re delegated to the back stalls of the restaurant where it’s quite warm and the air is thick from the heat and smoke of the grill. Charlie felt unwell at the end of the night there, so we left to get an ice-cream and take a stroll around the streets again. It seemed a lot busier than other nights too. Then a series of fireworks started from a neighbouring hotel rooftop so we crossed the road to watch and record them. Such a great atmosphere to experience on Christmas Eve night.
The girls went off looking at shops down the main street together, while Steve and I went to Starbucks to get some quality wifi and attempt to book our Indian train tickets from Cochi to Goa. It’s been a really difficult task booking them. But thank goodness for my good Indian friend Dr Moses who I have called on for advice and help along the way, and now was no different. He’s offered for us to use his savings bank account details and his log in for the train website (as they won’t take international credit cards). We nearly had it but the internet dropped out as we were about to pay. So we’re coming back tomorrow to buy another overpriced Starbucks drink and get some more wifi so we can book train travel tickets.
The joy of do it yourself travel, but it’s part of the whole experience.
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