THE HOLIDAY THAT WASN’T, PART VIII
7 MAY, 08.00 HOURS
Once again we wake up to a panorama of a tropical island (Pulau Tenggol) clad in lush green, rimmed by white sand and turquoise sea (or at least that is how I imagine it!). I spend fifteen minutes on deck savouring the warm air and gentle swell rocking the Star Clipper. There is a small town so we will go ashore for a walk then a swim – always inviting.
Tenggol Island is an island off the coast of Terengganu, Malaysia. It is the last island in a string of islands that include Pulau Perhentian and Pulau Redang. It is connected by ferry to Kuala Dungun on the mainland. The island was traditionally uninhabited, but now contains hotels.
7 May was a free day in Osaka. There was a tour to Hiroshima but I didn’t feel like the expense – nor the hours spent in bus and train. Instead, I teamed up with two couples to take a canal cruise and a hop-on-hop-off bus ride, only a short walk from our hotel. The cruise was lovely, between banks of brilliant coloured azaleas under a clear blue sky. The bus experience, less so. There weren’t many stops and there was quite a long wait at some of them. Very hard not to snooze. Later, I unexpectedly teamed up with two teachers from Sydney to explore Osaka’s night life, especially the long street crammed with food stalls. I’d never seen anything so vibrant. As a non-red-meat-eater, choice was occasionally limited ,but I must say all my choices were delicious. Wine was expensive but beer was good.