Here’s a link to a Dropbox file with videos from our Malaysian trip:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/3ydq4chfvho02xk/AABD8GdfEgNjr-_3mrnnnuEga?dl=0

I’m putting all the videos from our Malaysia trip into this file.  Videos related to this blog, and earlier blog posts would be:

1.  “Steamboat” meal, 9/28

2.  Both blowgun videos, 9/28

3.  KL Hotel area, 9/27

4.  Pangkor Laut, bats, 9/29

5.  Pangkor Laut, room, 9/29

We have a 9:00 am departure from the hotel and begin to head down the mountain.  We make several stops as Rahman shows us how strawberries, flowers, and tea are grown in the Cameron Highlands.  It’s a long, curvy drive, and Judy’s begins to feel the effects.  She’s prone to travel sickness, especially on this type of road.

This is how most of the strawberries are grown in the Highlands, in greenhouses. The water and fertilization is all done with computers.

 When we eventually get to the flatlands, it’s still a long drive to the Malaysian west coast (2 hours).  We get to Lumut, on the coast, where we eat lunch and I exchanged RMB for Malaysian Ringitt (2 to 1 rate)  The math’s not too hard, but it takes time to work it out in my head.  To convert to USD (for comparison) when I’m buying something, I multiply the Ringitt by 2 to get to RMB, then divide by 6 for USD amount.  A quicker route would be Ringitt total, divided by 3, but we’ve been in China long enough that we’re constantly comparing prices to costs in China.

At the jetty, Pangkor Laut Resort has it’s own receiving area.  Rahman drops us off, and we get checked in.  The shuttle boat departs around 3:00 pm, and it’s a 15-minute ride out to the island.  There are 15 guests on the boat, along with our luggage.  When we arrive at the island dock, we’re greeted by resort staff, and get a quick orientation (restaurants, etc.).  Following the orientation, we’re walked over to our villa.  It’s a gorgeous setting, with our own deck.  Sometimes, I find myself laughing at it all.  I never imagined anything like this when we started filling out the paperwork to apply for teaching positions overseas.  Now we’re staying on a private island, frequented by Tiger Woods and Luciano Pavarotti (according to the promotional literature).

Jetty area

Check-in lounge area, waiting for the island shuttle.

Leaving the mainland

Enroute

Arriving at Pangkor Laut Resort

Our home for the next four days.

Bath/shower area

Looking out from the bedroom

Later in the evening, as I’m walking to the reception area to resolve some wifi issues, I notice a tall tree, laden with lots of very large fruit.  As I’m trying to figure out what the fruit is (it looks really weird), the “fruit” starts moving and stretching.  It’s bats, really big bats, and a lot of them.  It’s dusk and they’re beginning to wakeup.  It was kinda eerie!  I didn’t hang around.  Check out the video at the dropbox file link.

Back at the villa, Judy had been enjoying the deck in back and then moved to the deck out front (it’s covered), when it began to rain a little.  As the sun settled, she became a target for mosquitos.  She moved inside, but had left the doors open when she was outside, and quite a few mosquitos were enjoying our villa as well.

Because of the remote setting of the villas throughout the resort, the internet access is done differently than I’ve experienced before.  They give guests a “pocket hotspot”.  It has rechargeable batteries and can handle wifi for up to four devices.  We can carry it anywhere throughout the resort, and our wifi moves with us.  Very convenient!