Parasailing

When we were kids Mom and Dad would take us to Wasaga Beach for a day. Pam’s family used to go to Ipperwash. When we had kids we would go to Little Beach at Port Stanley for the day, or up to the Bruce Penisula to hang out at the beach for a week. There’s just something about the gentle splash of the water and the sun dancing on the waves that settles into your spirit and just relaxes you.

We have had our share of vacations this term and I wasn’t eager to get away for Deepavali, the Hindu Festival of Light. But Air Asia had a special on for Langkawi at a price we couldn’t resist, so we went for the long weekend, and just got back. We are very glad we went.

Langkawi is a much overlooked little island in the Andaman Sea between the more famous Phuket to the north and Penang to the south. It has been designated by UNESCO as a GeoPark, like the Cotswolds and the Shetlands, so that development is limited and controlled. As a result you don’t get hordes of tourists or overpriced tacky souvenirs. We stayed at a modest little resort with near access to the beach at Cenang, easily the equal of Patong Beach in Phuket, or Batu Ferengi in Penang but much more laid back and undeveloped. We stayed for the entire day at one little spot, drinking club soda and ice tea and knoshing on some very nice green curry for lunch for around 10 bucks for the entire day.

The sea was clean, the beach very shallowly sloped for splashing in and the view was restful and pleasant. We watched the tide recede for the day and watched it come back in again in the evening. We sat and drank our tea and soda and read and chatted away, then came back the next day and did the same thing again. It was such a nice holiday, and a very nice way to spend Deepavali. Unfortunately all that swimming and fresh air wore us out and we had to retire before the fireworks, but I assure you we had a very Happy Deepavali, and we hope all our Hindu friends did as well. May good always triumph over evil, and light over darkness.

Oh yes, there was a little bit of excitement. That’s me in the air above the beach on a really lovely parasail ride over the bay. Great view from up there and a real feeling of serenity. I loved it.