Langkawi: When Evening Fell

There is an evening twilight of the heart, when its wild waves are lulled to rest. 

-Fitz-Greene Halleck

As the last evening fell on my three-day whirlwind visit to the tropical islands of Langkawi, Malaysia, I was drained. Over the short duration of the trip, I had made new friends, explored this natural paradise, swam till I could swim no more, and seen sights that literally took my breath away. But between a lack of sleep, an overload of adrenalin, and a red hot sunburn, I was feeling worn out.

For our final meal together, Nana's parents had invited us over, and I was looking forward to eating a lovely bowl of her mother's home-cooked mee curry.. After our last official sightseeing assignment, we climbed back into the car and I silently prayed that Arman was heading us in their direction.

But Nana had other plans. Bless her, that woman never runs out of ideas for action and adventure.

Luckily, Arman stepped up to provide a bit of realistic counterbalance for her rampant enthusiasm.

Nana: "Let's go horseback riding!!"
Arman: "We don't have enough time."
Nana: "Let's get something to eat!"
Arman: "Your mom is cooking for us."
Nana: "I know. LET'S GO PADDLE BOATING!!"
Arman: "..... Okay."

I'll be honest. I did NOT want to go paddle boating. I wanted to go sit on Nana's parents' couch, drink a glass of deliciously cold lemonade, and chat with her friendly and articulate father about life in the United States. And eventually, that is exactly what I did. But in the meantime, I swallowed my objections, summoned up the last dregs of my energy, and hopped into a paddle boat.

And you know, it was lovely. The lake was quiet and still, the sunset was sweet, and we found a little patch of water lilies that made me feel like I had wandered into Monet's garden.

Our little paddle boating adventure turned out to be a perfectly gentle way to end a larger-than-life weekend. Like a simple ribbon tied around an extravagant gift, it brought me closure without competing with the grand glories of my Langkawi weekend, and I'm glad I was out on that lake when evening fell.

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Want to read about the rest of my visit to the gorgeous islands of Langkawi? Read these:

Langkawi: Four New Friends
Langkawi: Ode To A Waterfall
Langkawi: In Search Of The Perfect Beach
Langkawi: Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Langkawi: Nothing But Sea And Sky
Langkawi: It's Not Over Yet
Langkawi: When Evening Fell

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To find all the stories of my amazing adventures in southeast Asia, go here:

Me in Malaysia