Day 49 of 111 – Day 2 of 3 at sea on the way to Colombo, Sri Lanka from Phuket, Thailand

Day 46 – Langkawi, Malaysia – Beautiful island destination.  Langkawi is an area of Malaysia, bordering Thailand, that consists of 99 islands.  From your perch at the top of the SkyCab cable car you look out for miles in all directions and see steep, lush jungle cascading into the ocean. The cable car is one of the steepest in the world and has one of the longest free spans.  Watching the two cable cars pass on the way up and down as the wind took the one string up and the other down was amazing!  They don’t operate in strong winds. The view was well worth the harrowing ride.  They even have a glass-bottom cable car you can ride in for an extra charge.  I saw it going up empty. From the top you then proceed to the Langkawi Sky Bridge which is truly a marvel. The SkyGlide takes you from the top of the cable car to the Sky Bridge, but the long line caused us to take the steep, winding steps through the jungle. Silly us. Take the SkyGlide! Once at the bridge you have the unique experience of walking over the treetops and peering into the jungles and ravines below. As the bridge sways gently in the wind you get the feeling that the whole world is not quite stable. The glass panels in the walkway allow you to stand on thin air as the bridge gently sways. Those of you who are afraid of heights have probably stopped reading already! Both Ingrid and I loved the experience although Ingrid strode across without hesitation and I more gingerly proceeded!

The 3D pics are from a 3D experience just outside the cable car entrance that was a very enjoyable added attraction where you could take your pics with all kinds of wild 3D backgrounds painted on the wall, ceiling and floors.

Day 47 – Phuket, Thailand 

What a day on Phi Phi Islands. For those of you into pronunciation, Phi Phi was pronounced Pee Pee. That is because after 55 minutes on a speed boat at 30 kts. over the ocean that is all you can think of! In the middle of the trip George gleefully turned to Ingrid and proclaimed, “Our fit bits are recording steps!” Ingrid says there are 14,000 “steps” on the way to Phi Phi Island and back, all without leaving your seat in the boat! Once at the Islands, we had 3 stops, all in a tropical paradise. Our first stop was on a beautiful beach where over 30 other speedboats with tourists had also stopped. This did not diminish the fun as it was nice to see everyone splashing in the bath water or walking the white sand beaches. The lunch buffet was on another island a short ways away and it was wonderful to eat with friends under the steep-roofed, outdoor cabana with a lovely island breeze keeping things cool. The fans helped too. Phi Phi was hard hit in the 2004 tsunami, but things have been nicely rebuilt.  We did keep our eyes out for rising water! We loved the leisurely lunch, but the best was still to come. We were zipped to a third location, among giant, jungle-covered, steep cliffs and allowed to snorkel at the base of the cliffs in amazingly clear bathwater. A little search revealed beautiful coral and numerous, colorful, playful fish. The 45 minutes Ingrid and I spent in the water were very memorable.

Does the exit sign give it away?

Phuket telephone wires look much like some we saw in South America!

Please let me know if the video clip works.  It looks like it uploaded, but it doesn't play on the ship.

Now – on to Colombo, Sri Lanka after 3 days at sea.