Half-Baked Efforts

DO people generally become more cynical as they grow older, or is it just me ? I can't help constantly analysing a situation over and over again if I think something is really wrong. Maybe it's just a need to question in me. 


Like when the state of local tourism upsets me, I complain. No, really. It even makes me angry and I'm quite embarrassed sometimes for all the products which are bundled-up in sub-standard packages when they have such great potentials among local and foreign tourists. Couple of weeks ago, I was on a local tour in the Kuala Langat district for some reason. Not exactly a place I'd voluntarily want to hang out but in that one day of going about the area, I noticed that efforts to promote the destinations were really just what you could term as half-baked. I visited a museum which had an exhibition space that was probably smaller than a jail cell (Okay, I'm exaggerating but really, why bother with it when it doesn't exactly WOW you. I was disappointed). We also made a stop at a rather iconic palace, which, if given the right care and attention, could be turned into a top attraction. I disliked the half-baked efforts by the authority in handling the tourism and restoration side of things with that one. 

Notice the stickers on our clothes 

And guess what. It happened again in Langkawi! We took an island-hopping tour on Sunday. Waited for the pick-up at the hotel. It came and dropped off a group of us at a jetty. No introduction of where we were headed to, and mind you, the van load of people were just not Mich and I, but also tourists from other parts of the world who spoke NO Malay. We were given the Tour Company stickers to stick on our clothes for easy identification and were later shoved into a boat. Tour guy started the engine and boat sped off. Where the hell were the life jackets ? Suddenly he remembered and turned around hastily to pass some over to the passengers. He noticed two passengers without seats, so in no time, he stopped the boat in mid waters and literally transfered them into another passing boat from the same company! 


We reached the first island - Dayang Bunting (Bunting literally means pregnant), and the tour guy turned around and asked in Malay if we saw a hill in the shape of a pregnant belly. No little stories of interest of the place or the courtesy to speak in a language like English for the benefit of the foreigners. The fella, then, proceeded to drop us off at the jetty, and left. Mich and I had no idea of what was on that island or how long we had there. It was about 10am. Oh well. We did go around and saw what we had to, and then waited. No idea of where or when we'd be picked up again. I had to randomly ask people who were equally lost about the pick-up! By which time, I was hungry and thirsty, and there was not a single place selling water. However, I did find a lady selling sling shots, yes sling shots! to keep naughty monkeys away from people. I can just imagine some random kids using those to target practice on the monkeys. It's a repulsive thought, isn't it ?

This is the Dayang Bunting's freshwater lake. It's cool because
you have this free fish spa here. Only thing is the fishes
that bite away your dead skin are not the standard 2-inch species.
Here you have full grown cat-fishes biting at you!
Yikes. 

These are the sling-shots to keep away monkeys!
Maybe I should send this to Peta or WWF or something. 

These two kept us company while
we waited for the boat pick-up
at Dayang Bunting. 

There was no announcement of a second stop. The tour guy, who returned to pick us up pass noon, took us to this mangrove area where there were plenty of beautiful seagulls and eagles flying low. I learnt from another local tourist that it was our second island. No, there was no hopping off here. Less than five minutes later, the driver made a U-turn and headed to the third (and final) island - Beras Putih. It was pretty idyllic with clear waters and fine sand. This time, I asked the man in charge how much time we had at this beach. One hour. So we played in the sun and sand, and to wash off, I looked for a bathroom when someone told me that there was no toilet there! Can you imagine that? You bloody bring in tourists here by the boats, and there are no toilets for any sort of emergencies? 

It's gorgeous at Beras Putih

But where is the loo? 

So we were pretty glad to be back at the hotel, free and easy at our own pace again. Personally, I believe that tour management and tour-guiding make a whole lot of difference in defining one's holiday. I'll always remember some of my tour guides in my best holidays because they've made it all the more meaningful for me in some ways. It kind of makes me sad when I experience lack of information, hospitality and bad tour management in the tourism sector. That aside, this break has been quite different for me in the sense that I was actually on a land where booze was cheaper than a can of Coke but all I had were two Mojitos in four days. I guess the constant sound of waves and beach breeze to my face gave my body and mind the supplement they needed. 

Heading back home. I guess to retire with the sea waves in
my front yard, I'd still need to go back and work in the city,
possibly for a lifetime :)

Otherwise I'd always have
that cabinet well stocked up with more
than just cans of Coke !