Desperate to get out of the concrete jungle, we both craved a walk on the beach, with waves lapping around our ankles, followed by a nice lunch in a garden setting; Batu Ferringhi and Shangri-La's 5-Star, Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa, seemed the perfect choice and Tuesday seemed the perfect day.
On Monday, however, we had a yacht project we’d set in motion to complete, given the materials had been delivered; redo the fire retardant sound-proofing around our generator. Like all projects on Paw Paw, although photographs always depict Roy slaving away, Elaine’s efforts are not usually captured, since she is the photographer. However, more often than not, similar to all yachts the world over, these projects require the effort of both of us and Monday’s project was no exception. While Roy scrapped and cleaned the panels, Elaine sized and replaced the proofing; teamwork being the name of the game on board! Elaine, however, needed an afternoon nap afterwards, but woke refreshed and enjoyed a nice chat to her mom in Ireland. She also finished our latest video, “Magnolious Malaysia - Johor Bahru”, but this will not be uploaded until the series is completed. Roy, on the other hand, continued the Testing Phase of his latest major enhancements to the Anchor Plus Application, expected to be released in the not too distant future.
Our plan on Tuesday morning was to get a Grab to drop us off about a kilometre or so further along from the resort, walk along the beach and enjoy lunch at the beach restaurant. Since we’d been to Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa a number of times before, we expected this to be just what we needed to rejuvenate ourselves.
Well, as always, we couldn’t make this up if we tried; the first part of our beach walk was spent avoiding all the debris washed up on the shore, including broken glass and the second part was nonexistent, literally; the entire stretch of this previously beautiful beach had been washed away by a large tidal wave. It was so sad to see! Then, our meal was actually the worst we’ve had in Malaysia and at an exorbitant price; a deep-fried mess of satays, calamari and chicken dishes. Compared to the outstanding meals we’d enjoyed at this resort previously, this was such a disappointment and, in fact, we left most of it uneaten. By the time we got back to Straits Quay, after having to tell our Grab driver twice to please wear his mask properly, we were both very reluctant to venture out again.
It was such a shame really, because we have wonderful memories of previous visits to this establishment, but, given the hotel had just reopened having been closed since the MCO was implemented just after New Year, on hindsight, maybe we hadn’t chosen the best time to visit again or indeed, like everywhere, the impacts on the economy of this pandemic and the numerous lockdowns has chipped away at our “previous world” more than we realised. We may well have to lower our expectations moving forward and simply enjoy the best of the outing, whatever it presents.
Deciding to try and recover our day, we settled down on the patio of Winter Warmers to savour an afternoon beverage. What could possibly go wrong with ordering a cup of tea and a coffee. Nothing, except that Elaine was nearly bitten by a very nasty looking spider that had decided its new home had been invaded. She then barely made it to the toilet, leaving Roy on the patio, before her lunch went straight through her. It really was not a good outing!
An email on the East Malaysia Rally and a phone call from Craig, off Il Sogno during our lunch, also sent our sailing plans in a direction we hadn’t considered before and, by this evening, the World Cruising Routes was out, cruising guides were out, WhatsApp messages were being sent, timelines were being discussed and alternative destinations considered.
Yesterday, however, was spent dealing with far less interesting matters, although extremely frustrating; medical insurance issues, but our day was not lost as we thoroughly enjoyed the first race of the Americas Cup between the defending champions, New Zealand and the challengers, Italy. We’d last watched this historic pinnacle of yacht racing in Fiji when Team New Zealand beat the Americans.
Elaine’s late afternoon walk in a rather fresh breeze, in lieu of watching the Americas Cup in the morning, presented something else she hadn’t seen before in this neck of the woods; kite surfers out enjoying the breeze too.
A video of the grandchildren talking about the coronavirus and how one can contract COVID-19 was another sobering reminder of the world we now occupy, including the fact that it was a year ago today that the WHO (World Health Organisation) declared the pandemic, which has resulted in more than 116 million cases and 2.5 million deaths across nearly 200 countries.
On this dismal anniversary, we decided, however, to do something as normal as possible for our second outing; go shopping at the mall. Roy needed decent sandals and Elaine needed new cotton dresses to wear onboard, as well as to top up her vitamin supply. A delicious lunch was enjoyed at our favourite Dim Sum restaurant, Dim Tai Fung, rounding off a far more successful outing. This, together with another afternoon nap, the news that the Biden Administration relief package had been approved and that more than 150 million doses of vaccines have been administered worldwide to date, are, at least, steps in the right direction and keep us hopeful that life will indeed return to normal at some point. In the interim, we’ll just have to take what we can get!
