What an opportunity!
BLUES IN MALAYSIA: Gallery
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I was thinking that I had forgotten to include one incident that really summed up the visit to Malaysia and just how good it was and indeed how lucky we were. It was on the Sunday, the day we arrived in Penang and after a rest a few of us decided to do some jet skiing. We rode out a fair distance off shore, having a lot of fun as we bounced around and then Fev (Brendan Fevola) stopped and called us over. Here we were sitting on jet skis in the water off Penang and Fev in his own way simply said something like:
“Guys do you realize how lucky we are and what a day we have had? Flying to Penang in a sensational private jet and now here off the coast of Penang in beautiful weather enjoying some fun on jet skis. All this on the same day we woke up in Melbourne, how good is this!”
And with that last comment he put the accelerator down and splashed the rest of us as he headed back to the beach. And that pretty much summed up how we all felt – privileged.
Tuesday was a busy day in Malaysia with an early start for breakfast (and let me tell you about the buffet breakfast in the resort another time – sensational) before the bus left at 7:30 for the Bukit Jambil Golf and Country Club near George Town. We played nine holes of golf and had the fortune of local caddies to assist with our buggies and generally helping us with local advice. This was great as we were not only helped around the course but we were able to have a good talk with some locals and find out more about their lives in Penang. Unfortunately for me I sliced one ball out of bounds and onto the roof of a nearby apartment building, thankfully no damage was done.
I don’t know if we ever found out who won the golf but it was a very enjoyable morning although by the time we finished it was getting pretty hot and it was nice to sit down and enjoy a cold water as we waited for the bus and the rest of the tour group (those who didn’t play golf). Once on the bus we headed across the 13.5km bridge linking Penang to mainland Malaysia. In the middle the bridge is 30 metres above sea level and is 101 metres high so it is a very impressive structure and our bus tour guide ‘Yap’ gave us some more information about the channel between Penang and the mainland: at the narrowest point it is 3km wide (in the North Channel) and it is 13km wide at the widest point in the South Channel.
The bridge crossing was part of our two-hour bus on the highway, including a toll section, trip to Laketown Resort at Bukit Merah. While it is a popular destination for the water sport activities we were fortunate to be visiting Orang Utan Island. We boarded a boat and headed across the huge man-made lake with our first stop being at a sensational restaurant above the water where we enjoyed lunch (see the photos). Then back on the boat to Orang Utan Island. We were very lucky to have Dr Sabapathy, the Senior Veterinary Service Manager & Resident Veterinary Surgeon from the Island, take us on a tour of the facilities and it was fantastic. Seeing the babies in the nursery, complete with nappies and a bottle, watching the young orangutans playing on ropes and in the trees and then seeing Mike, the dominant male of the group, it was all very interesting. Of course the funniest part was when Juddy (Chris Judd) was given the privilege of an up close visit with two youngsters.
It is fair to say Juddy was a little apprehensive at first, especially when we were told they were up to 15 times stronger than a human but he was more confident when told he was not to touch them and they would not touch him and a handler would be with them. Obviously one of the two young orangutans was not aware of the ‘no touching’ rule as when Juddy got close he grabbed hold of Juddy’s arm (very gently) and the handler moved the hand. By the third time Juddy said it was ok but the handler still moved it away. Finally Juddy held his hand out, I think in a sign of trying to say it is ok, and as soon as he did this the young orangutan shook Juddy’s hand.
It was a funny moment and while it was not planned and certainly the touching of the animals is not promoted, everyone, including the handlers and Dr. Sabapathy, understood the significance of the moment.
The close encounters with animals didn’t end at Orang Utan Island with both ‘Simmo’ (Kade Simpson) and ‘Gibba’ (Bryce Gibbs) getting up close with a huge python that was one of the attractions at the entrance to Laketown Resort as we were about to get on the bus to head back to Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa in Penang. It is fair to say that not everyone was keen to hold the python.
It was after 4:30pm when we arrived back at the resort and there was no time for rest after a busy day. We had a training session in the grounds of the resort in front of the beach. It was a short session and the area was not as big as we are used to but it was still solid, particularly in the humid conditions. A few of the locals and tourists at the resort stopped for a look, especially when we were doing some skill work with the footballs, and most had to ask our officials what sport it was. Who knows maybe our relationship with Malaysia may just help promote Carlton and AFL in the area and we will get some more supporters.
The day still had more to go with an official welcome dinner for the Carlton tour group in conjunction with Tourism Malaysia. This dinner was held in the grounds next to where we had been training earlier and was compliments of the resort. Officials from Tourism Malaysia had traveled from Kuala Lumpur to attend the dinner.
The dinner included a cultural performance and Silat demonstration. This included five Malays engaged in a mock battle, including a machete battle prior to the dinner with everyone standing around to view the performance. Just prior to the end one of the Malays let go of the 30cm machete and it just flew over the head of a local photographer there to cover the event. Thankfully we were all on the opposite side of the performance and while nothing was said officially we were all convinced he did not mean to let go of the big knife and what may have happened if the photographer had been standing and not kneeling for the shot. We didn’t want to think of what may have happened if it had been thrown our way!
The post dinner entertainment was a little more relaxing with traditional Malay dancers performing on a portable stage in the garden setting. It was great and all the boys were invited up to dance with the performers to finish a night of culture for us all.
Around 9:30pm everyone headed out of the resort for the short walk to the bustling night markets at Batu Feringgi Beach. This was the first night we had the chance to see the markets in action. It was unbelievable, during the day this is a quiet area with a few shops and at night it comes alive with hundreds of stall holders selling virtually whatever you can think of. It was not just about shopping for bargains and ‘discussing’ the price but it was the atmosphere. A great experience! What was a big hit was the Fish Spa where you pay to put your feet in a tank of fish (related to the piranha) and the fish then chew off the dead skin on your feet. Sounds strange and it was a strange experience, especially at first, but was fun. Probably tough for anyone who has very ticklish feet as it did tickle.
Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3
For more information on Malaysia visit the Tourism Malaysia website at
http://www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my
