Langkawi - Island of Eagle

Currently working in emergency department, a very hectic and busy place, where housemen work everyday, literally, unless if you take leave. Flying off to the Island of Eagle - Langkawi with four friends of mine during secondary school. Bought the air ticket 8 months ago.

 

According to Wikipedia, "Langkawi means island of the reddish-brown eagle in colloquial Malay. The Malay word for eagle is 'helang' - which is shortened to 'lang', while kawi is the name of a red stone used as a chalk to mark goods."

View of Langkawi from the airplane.

Day 1: Sky Cable and Sky Bridge

After we arrived and checked in into our hotel, we went for a cable car ride.

 

At the top of the hill there is a bridge call Sky Bridge, basically a bridge built across two hill top.

  For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways,

 they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

(Psalms 91:11-12)

 Viewing down from the Sky Bridge.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

(Psalm 139:9-10)

Behind our hotel is a beach.

  You rule over the surging sea,

when its waves mount up, you still them.

(Psalm 89:9)

He will rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.

(Psalm 72:8)

We went off for dinner at a western restaurant called Yellow Cafe. The name derived from the owner's nickname, Yelo.

 

  From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,

the name of the LORD is to be praised.

(Psalm 113:3)

 Day 2: Island Hopping

On second day we went off for Island Hopping. We took a motor boat and travel from one island to another, hence the name island hopping. But we literally hopped 2 island only.

  As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, 

he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, 

for they were fishermen. 

"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 

At once they left their nets and followed him. 

(Mark 1:16-18)

Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, 

and it was completely calm. 

The men were amazed and asked, 

"What kind of man is this? 

Even the winds and the waves obey him!"

(Matthew 8:26-27)

First island is Pregnant Maiden Island. The name derived from a myth, where two elves fell in love, the female elf get pregnant and delivered her child on this island, but the baby died seven days later. She buried the child on this island. Here we can see the hills of a mountain, which looks like a pregnant lady lying down, with the abdomen in the middle, followed by the breast, then the head on the right side.

You saw no form of any kind the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire.

Therefore watch yourselves very carefully,

so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol,

an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman...

(Deuteronomy 4:15-16)

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now

- Hillsong -

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in Thee.

- Augustus Montague Toplady -

 

In his heart a man plans his course,

but the LORD determines his steps.

(Proverb 16:9)

On this island is a huge lake in it, called as Pregnant Lady Lake.
 

Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee.

Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down.

(Matthew 15:29)

 

One ride - RM 30. Ouch!

Next we went for eagle feeding. a very brief moment for us to witness eagles.

Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles,

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

(Isaiah 40:31)

After seeing some eagles we drop by at Beras Basah Island, literally it means Wet Rice Island. The beach here is clean, with finer sand, unlike the beach at other parts of the island.

 

I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.

I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, 

so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting 

men may know there is none besides me.

I am the LORD, and there is no other.

(Isaiah 45:5-6)

The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

Come, let us bow down in worship,

let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. 

(Psalm 95:5-6)

He stilled the storm to a whisper,

the waves of the sea were hushed.

(Psalm 107:29)

Your path led through the sea,

your way through the mighty waters,

though your footprints were not seen.

(Psalm 77:19)

This reminds me the about the story of the footprints on the beach,

which Lora told during bible study.

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. 

(Hebrews 6:19)

Praise the LORD from the earth, 

you great sea creatures and all ocean depths.

(Psalm 148:7)

I will surely bless you and make your descendants

as numerous as the stars in the sky

and as the sand on the seashore.

(Genesis 22:17)

"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."

"Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat,

walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

(Matthew 14:28-29)

After finished hopping island, we went off to visit Pantai Pasir Hitam, literally mean Black Sand Beach. The sand is not exactly black, you can see the usual sand is mixed with dark sand. There exists huge amount of minerals called Tourmaline and Ilmenite in the granites of Gunung Raya (i.e. Mount Raya). These minerals are run down by the spring water from the mountain and cause the color of sand to turn black. But rumour says the sand is polluted by the cement factory nearby the beach, which you can see in the photo below.

Before we head back for lunch we drop by the Seven Well Waterfall. It is so named because seven natural pools have been formed at different levels by water streams that flow down the second highest mountain of Langkawi - Mount Mat Cincang.
 

 

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.

- Robert Robinson -

 

God’s grace is ever cascading over the waterfall of the present

from the inexhaustible river of grace coming to us from the future

into the ever-increasing reservoir of grace in the past.

- John Piper -

Last Day: Leaving

Before we left we drop by the Tubotel, a portmanteau of "tube" + "hotel". Literally the room of the hotel is made from a big tube. Not sure how it is looks like internally, but the scenery out side of Tubotel is surely beautiful.

  

 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad,

let the sea resound, and all that is in it.

(Psalm 96:11)

There is this particular fat cat lying around in the hotel that we live. Cat always reminds me of Frank, who is allergic to cat. "If you want to kill me, you can just throw a cat on to me".

 ____________________

They say no matter how busy is our life, we always can have a cup of coffee, 

or in this case, a cup of English tea. 

"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 

(Exodus 20:8-11)