This morning I’m finally leaving Phuket, I know I haven’t been here long but I think it was so difficult to get here and apparently to get out that I was really thinking perhaps I’ll just stay here. Maybe that’s how a lot of expats start out, they come on holiday then never find a decent way off the island!
Fortunately though I do manage to leave the island on a very very early Air Asia flight. I booked the cab last night from Sara’s apartment let’s hope they remember.
Getting up a silly o’clock this morning was a bit of a strain but all of a sudden I see a little face at the doorway which is Nathan who’s woken up just to say goodbye, how cute is that. We chat in very hushed voices for a few mins while I get the last of my things together then his sister wakes up and 5 minutes later Sara’s awake. What a lovely send off I had, although it was nearly a bit more than that as the taxi driver never turned up and there was no one on the reception of their apartment block and of course I didn’t exactly leave loads of time to get to the airport! It’s the whole early morning thing again!
Sara and the kids were busy getting themselves ready so they could take me before school when fortunately a taxi goes by which I manage to flag down, there’s nothing like cutting it fine.
I’m flying into KL and then my plan is to get a bus straight away from the airport to Melaka. I went to Melaka last year when I was in KL with Mick and I really liked it, it’s a very pretty town and at the time I fancied spending the night there so I thought it would be a good stop off on my way further south.
On arrival at KL after some going backwards and forwards, about 4 times in actual fact, between arrivals and departures I finally managed to find the ticket desk and there was a bus leaving in10 mins. So far so good on the timing.
Of course I haven’t sorted out any accommodation in Melaka yet so will just wander around when I get there and see what I find. I always have a couple of ideas of places I’ve seen on the internet but still visit a few places to see which is best. It’s a times like this though that I really wish my bacpac was a lot lighter! I’m already making a list for next time of things not to take.
Once I’d found somewhere nice I headed into town just as the heavens opened. When it rains here it really rains. Melaka is built by the side of a river and all along the roads are gullies where the rainwater collects and then drains into the river. As I was walking along one of the side roads I saw something large move in a shop front area and to my amazement found it was a 4ft Monitor Lizard.
Monitor Lizard
At first I thought it was someone’s pet but it was roaming free and just sheltering from the rain a moment before plunging back into the gully for a swim. I have to say I’ve never seen anything quite like it in the middle of a busy town.
When I dropped of my laundry I was chatting to the guy there and he said they’re very shy animals and will usually run away when you go near them, he also said they’re vegetarian, I’m not so sure about that one.
Hopefully these vids of the lizard will work
The rain finally clears just in time for the night market which was a bit of an experience. The town is very old and colonial and very pretty but the market was nothing really like that, I was expecting good souvenirs but instead it was lots of Chinese tat that people were buying up like there was no tomorrow. Apparently the weekend is when Melaka is visited by hoards or tourists from Singapore. I guess it’s not too far to come and it makes a nice weekend away. I wonder if I can ask anyone for a lift there in a couple of days! ;-)
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