Following last night’s prophetic triumph, when I assured Virle that it wouldn’t rain and half an hour later we got hit by a deluge of monsoon proportions on the way to the night market at Kuah, I should have known better than to assure her that there clearly wasn’t a breath of wind before we set off for the Sky Bridge. Sure enough, we arrived at 9.30 (miss the crowds) only to find that everything was shut down on account of wind. Again. “But there isn’t a breath of wind!” I protested, but to no avail. It was windy up at the top, and that was that.
Plan B – off to Sandy Skulls beach. Which was as sublime as before – just immaculate white sand and azure sea, and trees to provide a bit of dappling against the ferocity of the sun – today being the fourth or fifth consecutive day of near-40 degree heat.
After three or four hours on a gentle simmer, we left the beach and headed for a roadside restaurant Virle had spotted on our way in. Where we grabbed plates and helped ourselves from the array of trays – rice, chicken, tofu, spinach, beans – all of which proved to be delicious, and produced (with drinks) a final bill of 17 ringits – about £3.
Then back on the bike and back for one last attempt at the Sky Bridge. Which proved to be open! Hurrah! And pretty awesome toboot. With a cable car that whisks you up high above the forest and – indeed – into the sky. To the Sky Bridge itself – an amazing suspended structure of wire & steel that somehow doesn’t feel entirely terrifying, and offers breathtaking views of the forest, the coast, and islands near and far.
Returning to ground level, we decided to at least visit one or two of the other ‘attractions’ to which our eye-watering entrance fee entitled us, including the 3D Museum. Which turned out to be a series of rooms containing supposedly 3D paintings in which you could pose and take silly photos. Like Virle on a magic carpet. Quite fun, in truth!
Then, when we’d had enough of behaving like big kids, we headed back for a shower and put on a load of laundry, ready for our departure from Malaysia on the morrer.
Thailand here we come!