Of Nature Lovers & Urbanites

I invited my younger cousin to join us at Pangkor Laut

thinking that she being the

fashionista

cool-cat

style maven

posh-panther

Hip(pie) chic chick

(oh wait that's me)

type person that she is,

(or whatever they are calling them nowadays)

she would appreciate it.

I mean,

aren't luxe, beach getaways

always

'in'?

Our taxi leaves Penang at 5 am

We snooze in the back til we get to Lumut at 8

I stretcccchhhhhtch my limbs and say,

" Right, now just the ferry, and we're there!"

"Ferry?" says she, eyebrows raised and alarm creeping into her voice.

Had I been able to see her eyes,

they'd have been widened with fear.

But no,

dark, Jackie-O inspired,

Dior shades keep them well out of view.

"Yes, ferry, 1 hour, why?"

" I don't do ferries, I get sea-sick"

"But Pangkor Laut is an island, how did you expect us to get there?by helicopter?"

"Penang is an island"

she states bluntly, shutting me up.

I hand her an empty garbage bag.

As we enter, the captain cheerfully tells her that,

with a bag that size, she can puke to her hearts content.

She survives the ferry ride.

I bound up the pier steps,

head for the guardhouse

eager to see

the python

that bit dear

Peter

Now I realise the impression it had on my cousin.

First the ferry

now,

snakes?

We headed up to the restaurant

ready to consume copious amounts of good food

then sleep it off at the beach (=

" What are peafowl?" says she

Gesturing to the sign behind me

that says

"Please do not feed the peafowl"

I point out some peacocks and peahens,
that stroll free around the resort.

She puts up her feet up, tucking them in her chair.

When she gets to the room

all she wants is to sleep

but

'NO',

We say,

"how can you come to paradise and sleep the day away?

How can you not want to see Emerald Bay?

Besides, house-keeping coming so we have to be out anyway"

So she reluctantly comes to the bay

Turning her nose up

at the machine that purifies the water in the air,making it drinkable

Nothing impresses kids these days!

When we get there it is magnificent

She finally smiles,

we take playful pictures

Swim...

I am just settling in my deck chair when

a shriek cuts through

the peaceful morning air

"Is there no line here?!!?!!"

My aunt and I had known, but we had not said.

She groans loudly.

We suggest she sleep.

She tosses and turns non-stop

and finally, my aunt says

"What's wrong?Why can't you sleep?"

"The fucking waves are so noisy!"

At this point, I know that it is hopeless.

It still doesnt stop me from trying again later though.

I am walking on the powder-fine sand, sipping from a young coconut when

overcome by the beauty,

the tranquilty of it all

I say," Don't you just feel sooo relaxed here?"

Her reply is a curt 'no'.

The inability to use her phone is driving her up the walls, or in this case, up the trees.

Later when we walk the wooden walkway

set above the water

She walks slowly, gingerly

afraid that the wood will collapse and

the ocean will swallow her up

and hide her in the deepest caves

with the sea serpents.

We have a feast at the Fisherman's Cove

Dining-fine with delicious wine

Her meal ends with an immaculate

Flourless Valrhona Chocolate Cake.

The next morning she's up

happy and bouncy

even coming down

for breakfast early

Thinking she's finally appreciating the beauty

I ask her if she's coming to the beach with me.

"No", she says

"I'm leaving, my friends are coming to get me"

And hence the reason,

the mood's so chirpy.