Everest Base Camp Trek with Kids

Spoiler Alert: Yep, we made it.  Everest Base Camp

When we first threw out the thought of doing the Everest Base Camp Trek to Conrad (12) and Mark (11), they thought it was a great idea. At various points during the hike they certainly had reversed that initial opinion, but at the end felt that they had accomplished something big. We did some research before deciding to go and there were different schools of thought about whether it was a reasonable goal for pre-teen kids.

When in India--PAY ATTENTION!

No, really. You need to be on your game and alert.  If you aren't, you will die (worst case) or at least suffer some other unfortunate consequence. Our month or so traveling through Northern India (while Perry sat at the boat yard) was vastly different from our 6-plus years of cruising, which is typically pretty laid back when it comes to visiting new places. As a visitor to India, it was a challenge to just exist. Every time we left our hotel room, my senses were on overload.

Another year, another haul-out

Perry about to get hauled out on the Sea-lift

We're out of the water again. This time it's at Pangkor Marina and Boatyard in Malaysia and the reason is a wobbly rudder and some planned land travel to India and Nepal.

Penang and the Dump

A view of Penang from Penang Hill

We have finally made it to Penang! We had hoped to make it here for Thaipusam in late January, then Chinese New Year in early February, but kidney stones and a slew of what-nots decided otherwise.

The weather is hot, I fish you were here...

Feeding stingrays at a Floating Fish Farm in Kilim Karst

In the final installment of our whirlwind tour around Langkawi's Geoforest Parks (see part 1 and part 2), we visited Kilim Karst Geoforest Park. We visited caves and fed fish at fish farms, while admiring the dramatic karsts surrounding the river where we anchored.

Land of eagles

Sky Bridge on Mt. Machinchang (Mat Cincang)

With this installment we are currently making everything BIGGER. This is not a result of our aging eyes. Or is it? 

Aptly named, Langkawi has lots of sea eagles. You mostly see them soaring overhead and sometimes swooping down to scoop up a fish from the water. Tourists can even go to an eagle-feeding.

Langkawi, Malaysia

The name 'Langkawi' is derived from the Malay for 'eagle' and 'reddish brown'.

Although we have been to Malaysia before, it was Borneo and not the area around mainland Malaysia. Kuah, on the island of Langkawi,  is not a big city by Malaysian standards but it has a McDonald's and a movie theater (which had 2 movies in English and 3 in Mandarin or Cantonese), as well as a seemingly unlimited supply of duty-free shops.