Melaka Melaka

Singapore is the usual flash of futureland: immaculate (on the surface) and way ahead of everything that's around it. We are tasting already the future trip into the deserted Chagos, so the full immersion into a modern city with its malls, subway and technology suits us just fine, considering that next fully westernized country will be South Africa. Preparation involves the usual pesky maintenance and scouring of chandlers and hardware shops. The big item on the list is an anchor windlass, we've been often hauling our ground tackle by muscle for the last two years, too long for any taste. We have a slip in the posh 1° 15 Marina: glass and steel everywhere and a "fish tank" swimming pool, though the main selling point was the free bus into town.
As the crew arrives slowly, the residents of Keturah can also relax a bit, seeing the end of the prep work. We have a chance to stroll around the new casino's amazing but of questionable taste structure downtown and to dine out without the pressure of yet more work.
With great excitement we leave at last after about two weeks, and yet again we zig zag past cargo monsters that can measure up to 400 meters long and be over 90 meters across, we even spot a burned down ship. Timing the tide right means a fast ride to our first night stop by at Pulau Pisang. The night after we enter Melaka marina. We enjoy the historical city, although Penang has a rougher and truer edge, Melaka seems already turning into a disneyfied show&shop-town. Some good temples and perfectly preserved Chinatown, with quite a few unbeatable antique shops. Still the way up the usual stops at the Sembilans, Lumut, Penang, and onwards to our little hole in Langkawi amongst lush vertical jungle and jagged rock pinnacles.
After discovering Ko Lipe and its lovely hideout from the tourists, again we lose all sense of time at Ko Rok, have a dip in Phi Phi, get European foods and a new depth sounder in Phuket just to do it all over again on the way down. Stephanie leaves us in Penang again, where we decided to haul out theboat. The bulk of December is in-fact spent at the Limbongan Batu Maung boatyard trying to get out before Xmas, my 40th birthday etc.
Of all boatyards we here encountered one of the ugliest and most unfriendly places to do work on the boat. The staff was nice but the management horrific.
So after a little rest back in Lipe and a pleasant new year's at our friend Mann's bar we are now back in Langkawi in the last stages before departure for the Indian Ocean. We hope to see Chagos, Rodrigues, Mauritius and who knows what next.