Hi Everyone,

  Randal and I spent 3 days in George Town visiting friends and seeing the sights.  Our original reason for going was to get a 2 month visa for Thailand.  But as plans do, ours changed and we will probably skip Thailand for now and instead make a trip to China to see friends. Thailand will wait for another time.  No matter where, we do have to go somewhere before the end of the month because our Malaysia visa will expire.  We’ll keep you posted. 

  Today Randal and I joined our friends Peter and Kathy of Wave Runner and Julia from Papillon for a walk into Matsirat the first small town on the mainland.  Matsirat has many small shops, a wet market, a fairly large grocery store and the petrol station where everyone fills up their rental cars with 10 ringgits of gas.    We know the main driving route to Matsirat but not the back way and I wanted to learn that route.  Peter and Kathy know the way so they kindly agreed to go show us.  Here’s the story.  It does point out that much of what we do isn’t glamorous sight seeing but just day to day needs that become an adventure.

Walk to Matsirat

“Padang Matsirat is a quiet location off the Langkawi International Airport. The beach here is very peaceful and the waters are usually calm and inviting. The airport is the only point of major activity in this area, but if you want more excitement, Pantai Cenang and Pantai Tengah are located close-by.

Historically, Padang Matsirat was once a wide range of paddy fields that were set on fire by villagers during the Siamese invasion in 1821. They torched the fields to prevent the Siamese army from getting their hands on them. If you’re really observant, you might still find a piece of burnt grain on the ground today, almost two centuries later.

http://www.langkawi-info.com/padang-matsirat/index.htm “

So that’s pretty much it about Matsirat. But we didn’t go there this morning for the history. We walked there for the exercise and to go to the local vegetable market. Kathy and Peter from Wave Runner knew the way through the fields and back roads. I had wanted to learn the way and Julia, my morning walking partner, said she would use it for her morning exercise. Randal came too. We caught the 8:45 am ferry from Rebak because it was still early enough to avoid real heat and not so early that Peter wouldn’t want to go.

After getting off the ferry Kathy had to feed the ferry terminal cats.

The cats are very friendly, fairly healthy looking and always want attention while we wait for the ferry back to Rebak.

Peter and Julia start off down the road.

Then you follow the small dirt path through the field or paddock as the Aussies and Brits call it. Kathy has her red “sunbrella.”

Then down another road. It’s actually a lovely walk that took us about 30 minutes or so.

Main Street Matsirat is lined with small shops and restaurants.

In town we went our separate ways; Kathy and Peter to the big grocery store PL Soon Huat and Julia, Randal and I to the small local wet market for veggies.

Main Street Mosque

We had walked by enough roti stands to make us hungry so stopped here for our mid-morning snack

Restoran Nazir Idris was opened in 1946 by the current owner’s grandfather.

Matsirat Roti Man.

I had a plain roti, Randal had an egg roti, but daring Julia had an egg, onion, and chicken roti known as a Murtabak here in Malaysia. It was so huge that Randal and I “had” to help Julia eat it.  It was really flavorful!

Apparently this is the place to eat if you want to hob knob with the highest government officials and have your photo on the restaurant walls. Reminds me of the old “Green Diner” in New Bedford and “The Roanoker” in Roanoke.

Maybe if we get this photo framed it will go onto the wall too.

While we were at the restaurant we met a lovely retired gentleman who lived with his family in Johor. We sat and talked with him for a while but I managed not to get a photo. He also was traveling with his wife and children and his sister and told me that he wanted to give them an opportunity to travel that he had not had as a child. We talked about how that’s the universal role of a parent. (He was in the restaurant by himself at that point so we didn’t meet his family.)

Our next stop was the wet market and I bought tomatoes, limes and onions.

Going home from the wet market.

Julia stayed in town and was joined by her husband Jim. A boat part was needed so he had to come to town and rent a car for a trip into Kuah Town. They went on their way and Randal and I walked back to the ferry.

A good deal of the land seems to be devoted to water buffalo and other bovines.

Sometimes the cows stay in their pastures and sometimes they stroll along the road to the ferry. I took this photo a week ago but during our walk today some cows were just exiting their pasture and getting ready to go for a stroll.

Randal and I missed the 11:15 ferry so sat at the small ferry terminal bar and had iced drinks while we waited for the 12:30 ferry. The terminal consists of some really comfortable shaded seating near the ferry landing and a small bar across the way with more outdoor seating. It’s really just a stop for people coming and going from Rebak. And so ended our walk to Matsirat.