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Taylor’s College sent the staff to Pangkor Island this past weekend. Before we went I looked at the map and saw there was a pretty decent highway going north. We didn’t take it. Instead we took the “milk run” and went through every little town between here and the island. The road was paved, but the road bed was thin to non-existent. Erin wisely took her Gravol, but I was reaching for mine before we got there.

The hotel was not exactly as advertised either. The rooms were worn, the walls pockmarked with patches and the beds mostly unmade. The menu consisted of seafood or fish, that is if there was any left. Bill had rice and salad dressing for lunch once. I caught on and started eating with the earlier Muslim crowd. I don’t think I stood out, do you?

The beach was dirty, the water was murky and the tourist town stunk. I don’t mean metaphorically, I mean literally. There was an anchovy store every ten metres and the town reeked of them. Not even durian can compete with the smell of anchovies drying  in the hot Malaysian sun. They offered to leave us there to shop for three hours, but we politely declined.

What was fun was the games and the laughs we had. And it was great to get away for a couple of days. The school paid for our trip, so I really shouldn’t be critical. On the other hand we aren’t booking a return trip anytime soon. We’ve been to some great places since we arrived in Malaysia, but unfortunately this wasn’t one of them. One star.