Jellyfish Rule

We have reached our northernmost anchorage on Perhentian Island, and with disappointment we are now headed back south. The jellyfish have arrived in great numbers and with their 4 ft. long stinging tails they look quite lethal so swimming will become less frequent. Also, the Monsoon has filled in so the winds are stronger as are the currents which means that we'll not have a very nice trip south against the elements. The Perhentians, 2 small islands with a channel between, were greatly anticipated but we found too many young backpackers and the boats transporting them from cove to cove and on diving trips were very annoying. Our "old fartitis" drove us to an isolated island further north where we had the place to ourselves but could only anchor for the day in safety. We watched turtles swim and the snorkeling was lovely, the equivalent of what we had in the Pacific. Upon return to the island of Redang, further south, we reconnected with the few yachts that we had met on the way north--there are only about 6 or 7 of us in the entire area. Here there is a lovely Malaysian resort, the Berjaya located on a pristine beach, quite isolated. It would be a wonderful place to stay for about $100/nite US. They also have an equally lovely hotel on Tioman island but the location on Redang is better.

Our refrigeration stopped working about 2 weeks ago so we have been limping along with a second system but our stop in Terengganu allowed us to search for a repair person who came aboard, waved his screwdriver in the vicinity of our electrical panel and the fridge starting humming again. The language barrier didn't permit him to tell us what he did but we're grateful in any case.

Ted's 65th birthday on July 20 was cause for a little celebration so we rented a car and drove north from Terengganu to Kota Baru and spent the night in a lovely hotel where, by chance, they upgraded us to the Club Floor and a huge suite that was larger than our boat. We had 24 hrs. to tour the local museums and explore a new city that we couldn't reach by yacht. The local market comprised three floors with a great assortment of fresh produce, fish, chicken and clothing but the overwhelming odor of sewer apparently came from the Durian, a fruit notorious for it foul odor and heavenly flavor. I don't know how anyone can get past that smell to enjoy the fruit and the market almost made us gag. There appear to be separate areas for poultry, eggs, coconut milk and other foods. A local sport is top spinning for which they use large wooden tops trimmed with metal and they launch them with a throw like a discus after a rope is wound around the top. A second person scoops up the spinning top with a wooden paddle and then places the top in a wooden stand and the longest spinning top wins. Driving in Malaysia is not difficult but certainly is stressful as the motorbikes come at you from all directions so a driver has to almost have eyes in the back of his head. The roads are good and we assume the signs (which we can't read) give good directions. Maps, including Google Map, are poorly done and are not much help.