Ko Samui and Bangkok

27/02/09

Nice long sleep and out for breakfast (not included in the accommodation price this time) so it was time to eat less and therefore, spend less! Joy had a tasty pineapple and banana pancake with syrup - we think it was cooked in salt though! Greg had a fruit salad. Out on the beach for the morning - the sea is not as clear here but it was very deep so we had a swim. Lunch at our resort, overpriced toasties and sandwiches! Reapplied our suncream as our skin was getting a bit red and we enjoyed a few more hours in the sun. Before heading back in we had a walk on the beach and found a few cheaper places to eat. Enjoyed a lovely dinner of grilled meats at Hi! Noon on the main road then sat on a couple of loungers by the sea before bed.

28/02/09





Up for our day tour of the island. At 10.40 we waited in the blazing heat for around 20 minutes until the minibus eventually turned up. It wasn't much cooler on the bus as the air con was broken so we had to sweat it out! We stopped at a view point to see the island's coastline and then on to 'Grandmother' and 'Grandfather' rocks - shaped liked female and male genitalia! On to see some monkeys collect coconuts from a tree and then continued to see a mummified monk. The next stop was Namuang falls, although it was still boiling hot the water didn't seem to tempt Joy but Greg risked it - although not for long! It wasn't like the fresh springs in NZ or Oz. We enjoyed a juicy corn on the cob from a street vendor and then back on the bus to Nathong, the oldest town on the island where we did a spot of shopping. Next stop was Big Buddha, a 12m high golden buddha statue and finally on to some Chinese temples and to see the Chinese lady monk statue Jow Mae Kuan and a big statue of happy buddha smiling away in the sun. We enjoyed a chocolate crepe here before getting on the bus home around 4pm. Eventually had a dip in the sea to cool off. Red and Green curry tonight at the 'Garden Restaurant' on the main road - It wasn't the best but was still very tasty.







01/03/09

Lazy day today. Back to Hi! Noon for our brekkie. A morning on the beach, heat broken up nicely with a cloudy sky - still hot though. Omelette and Salad for lunch in the resort next to ours which was cheaper, then an ice cream treat from the shop up the road. As it was still cloudy we left the beach for our balcony to read. Back to the beach for a game fo bat and ball before getting ready for dinner. A Chang on the balcony before walking along the beach to 'Smile Restaurant' for a lovely yellow curry for Greg and chicken and baby sweetcorn for Joy - a nice break from spice. Sat on the beach lounger again watching lanterns rise in the sky. Greg stayed up to watch the carling cup final and wished he hadn't, but Joy was too tired for that and fortunately drifted off.

02/03/09

Up at 7.30am to the sound of rain. We wondered if our boat trip might be cancelled but it was OK. Free breakfast of toast, jam and coffee at Coconut Calm Resort and then on to our speedboat. We got sea sickness tablets as we set off, so that was good. We sat at the back to reduce the effect of the waves too. Approx 90 mins later we had our first snorkel seing lots of fish, but still not as good as Fiji. The rain had stopped too so all was well. A short boat ride to our lunch stop. It was only 11.30 but we had some fried chicken, omelette, curry and fruit. Next it was on to Koh Nang Juan for another snorkel on the picturesque beach and corals. We had a drenching as the heavens opened just as we arrived, but luckily it only lasted around 10 minutes. Had a walk to the viewpoint at the top of the hill too, scrambbling over the rocks at the tip to reach the summit. 2 hours later it was back to the boat for our 90 minute return trip. It was very bumpy and the splash from the boat soaked us a few times. Not too much sicky feeling so that was a relief though. Got back to Bophut Beach around 4pm for beer and crisps. Back to Hi! Noon for dinner. Joy's fried fish, rice and sweet chilli sauce was good, but Greg's king prawns and noodles were not so tasty as the noodles here are thick and jelly-ish - must remember that in the future.

03/03/09

Nice sleep and along the beach to a little restaurant for breakfast. We were expecting muesli but what we actually got was hot porridge, just what was needed on a hot sunny beach, but it was actually quite tasty. We made the most of our last beach day and lazed on a lounger all morning. Back along the beach for lunch before hitting the lounger again for the rest of the afternoon. In the evening we had a walk along to Fisherman's Village - narrow streets of shops, bars and restaurants. Greg bought some extra mozzie repellant as he'd forgotten to put some on and we were surrounded by them in the beach view bar whilst having a beer. On to Smile Restaurant again for a treat. Starter of spring rolls, prawn cake, chicken satay and cashew nuts. For mains Joy had a delicious chicken Panang curry and Greg had an equally delicious beef Massoman curry. Feeling stuffed and with our taste buds tingling, we walked back along the beach and sat on a deck chair to digest our dinner, saying goodbye to the beach before bed.

04/03/09



Breakfast at the resort next door. Packed our bags and at 11.30 set off for the airport. We were able to get on an earlier flight so we only had to wait about 15 minutes before boarding. Just over an hour later we were in Bangkok and our bags were too - we'd been a bit worried about them getting on our flight on time. Whilst picking up a free city map the lady behind the counter encouraged us to book a city tour so tomorrow we're seeing the temples and some of the old city. Got a taxi to our hotel and had a relax in our pretty room before a wander along the streets of Thewet. The streets were busy with lots of people selling things by the roadside, lots of fruit and veg, and the fish in the markets still alive and wriggling around in their buckets. Back for a go on the hotel's free internet before heading back out to a restaurant by the river. Plastic chairs, wooden pier floor and formica tables, lady boy waiters (not dressed up), but lovely food. Back in our hotel hoping the man we can hear on the loud speaker from a nearby temple ends his prayers before too long as he has been going since 4pm.



05/03/09



The man in the temple finally shut up at about 10pm last night. It wouldn't be so bad if he was actually singing or something but he is just rambling on. Lucky for us he woke us up again just after 6am too! He stopped just after 8am though. We had a final snooze and got up for a lovely brekkie of stuffed scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, pancakes and maple syrup. We were then met by our tour guide and taken on a trip to see some temples. We saw the reclining Buddha and the place where traditional Thai massage was first taught. We saw 2 more temples but they all pretty much rolled into one. We saw lots of Buddha statues too. We drove past the Grand Palace and the home of the King and learnt a little about Thai culture. The year here is actually 2552 as they follow a different calendar. Also Thai men have to go away for 3 months to become monks before they are considered good marriage material. The tour then took us to the obligatory jewellery shop and tailor - typical! Got dropped off at the MBK shopping centre and had a walk around. It was pretty big and most shops were little cheapy ones. We then went to Siam Centre, a regular mall with proper shops. Greg spent up on a jacket and trainers but Joy didn't buy anything as she was hoping for bargains at the market. Our legs were getting tired but it was too early to go home so we headed to Jim Thompson's house - no relative of Joy. He is famous for re-invigorating the Thai silk industry. Looking for a cab to get us home, we found only Tuk Tuks. It was more fun than a regular cab, but maybe a little more expensive on this occasion. We tried not to breathe in too many car fumes along the way and kept our elbows in as we squeezed past the other cars and busses on the busy road. Back at our hotel, the blinkin temple man was at it again. We asked to change rooms to the other side of the hotel on hearing that he'd be going on for 10 days. We could still hear him but its wasn't so loud. Our room was bigger too, with 2 bathrooms. Not as pretty though. Greg modelled his new purchases and as we were too tired to go out, and not really hungry, we went to the 7/11 for crisps, nuts and beer for dinner. Threw most of our prawn and pizza flavour crisps away though as they tasted odd. Joy got some pineapple from a little stall to keep her going.





06/03/09





Strange breakfast of savoury rice, herb salad and melon in coconut milk. Had a walk along the markets on and around the Koh San road and bought gifts for ourselves and some to take home for others too. Lots of westerners around this area. The cafe where we had a drink was full of 'pinkys.' Had a nice chicken in pitta for lunch and after a few hours of shopping we walked home, shattered after traipsing in the hot sun. After a good lie down we went out for dinner. Walked to the nearest pier to catch a boat unsure which went where. We got on the first one pointing in the right direction but we were wrong as it didn't stop at our required destination. We hopped on the next boat back though along with several others who had made the same mistake. We found a restaurant we'd read was good and got lucky as all the tables were reserved but one couple lost their reservation as they were late. Greg had a starter - chicken and peppercorns in banana leaves. Joy had a green curry and Greg a red one. On the way home we had a banana and chocolate roti which was very tasty.





07/03/09

Woke up early, around 7am and were wide awake. A tasty but strange breakfast - pumpkin soup, mushroom crepe and salad. Packed our bags and waved goodbye to our last hotel room. Got a taxi to the big weekend market. It was massive and HOT. We managed a couple of hours before the heat became too much. We got a couple of cushion covers, a little lamp, a vase and a couple of gifts for people. Got a taxi back. First one we approached tried to charge 300B, we managed to get one for 150B though, even that was a bit expensive. Once back we had a much needed drink and a snack of pineapple. Joy then dragged Greg back out to where we were the previous day. Joy wanted some bangles that had been at stall after stall yesterday and thought there'd be some at the market - but no. Found the bangles and also found out that they were well expensive so didn't buy them after all and went to get some jewellery that better suited our pockets. Typical, all that walking in the heat, but at least we got some nice gifts in the end. Walked back to our hotel, just making it before our feet gave way. We were sweating buckets. Joy had a last Chang beer whilst Greg lay down on a bench as he couldn't hack the heat and shopping. Headed out for dinner around 6pm to a nice seafood restuarant, where of course we ordered meat! When it came it was cold but at least the surroundings were nice. Back to the hotel for a very quick showeer before a taxi to the airport. The driver tried to swindle us but we stood up to him ha! Feeling a little sad, but looking forward to home too. Did our last bit of shopping in the airport before a plate of sticky rice and some peanut butter ice cream.

08/03/09

The plane took off at 00.15 and we got stuck into the films. A dinner of chicken and pasta arrived as we were watching our first one. A couple of hours later we tried to settle down for some sleep. Greg managed about 2 hours, Joy got a bit more. We landed at 6am and headed off to get our bags. They were already there waiting for us when we arrived! We then zoomed through passport control and customs before Mr and Mrs Sanders picked us up around 7am. We ventured out into the freezing English air for the first time, man we'd forgotten how cold it was. We got back to Burnham around 9.30am and after pottering we settled down to some breakfast and gave out presents. In the afternoon we had a proper Christmas dinner - yum! Up to bed at 8.30pm, knackered!

ENDS

Railay and Ao Nang

21/02/09



Terrible night's sleep due to the noise from the local Thai boxing club and the fact the Greg had a fishbone stuck in his throat! We were also woken up at 5.30am by a random bloke singing - probably chanting for prayers to start. Anyway we scarpered after a breakfast of muesli in the shed and caught a longtail boat to Railay. Joy was more than happy to see the smiling welcome, tiled floors and clean surfaces of 'Sand Sea Resort.' Our room wasn't ready so we chilled on the beach. Greg had the worst caesar salad ever before checking into our room, which was nice. We had a chill by the pool and sussed out the other restaurants before a downpour. Back to the room to clean up but the shower didn't work. A man came to fix it though and we headed out for dinner. The sunset was awesome but we missed it with the camera unfortunately. Greg's ginger chicken was nice and Joy's beef was too - until she ate a whole mini chilli by accident, numbing her tongue!



22/02/09



Fried egg on toast and some banana fritters for breakfast before hitting the beach, we read for a couple of hours and then went for lunch. We both had fried rice, Joy's was tasty but a very small portion and Greg's wasn't great - shrimp paste....urggggggghhhh. After lunch we went exploring and had a look at a cave, the tide was quite low so we didn't have too much trouble getting there. We then crossed some rocks on our way to Ton Sai beach which is where all of the rock climbers stay. The sand wasn't that great and it wasn't possible to swim at low tide so we were relieved that we weren't staying there. We came back for a dip in the pool and then played bat and ball for a while before showering and out for a delicious pizza each.



23/02/09




Omelette for breakfast before the same routine of beach and reading. We had a nice roti for lunch with some ice tea and then headed out to sea in a kayak. We had a great time weaving in and out of rocks, covering about 2 miles in just under 2 hours and then came ashore for some more bat and ball - we were much improved today. Beer on our terrace before a curry dinner.

24/02/09




Omelette again! Greg went a bit over the top on the extras though!! We chilled by the pool until about 2ish when we got ready for a walk to Railay East. It wasn't that great there and we were therefore even more relieved about where we ended up. We trooped back to our room to chill before a pre dinner beer, then we shared pizza and pasta - the Thai's cook great Italian! On the walk back, Joy accidentaly stood on a toad, leaving it lying on the path unable to move! Feeling bad, she got no sympathy from Greg who was otherwise occupied, still trying to get the fish bone out of his throat!



25/02/09

The toad wasn't there this moring - hopefully it made a recovery. Big brekkie, then chilled in our room until 12pm check out. Caught a longtail to Ao Nang. Once there we had to find somewhere to stay as there was no way we were going to go back to the Laughing Gecko - which was our original plan. It was so hot and with our bags, we couldn't be bothered to wander about too much so we pretty much went with the first place we found - 'PK Mansion' We'd heard of it too, so felt ok about it. At £16 it was twice as expensive - but more than twice as good so we were happy. Cooled down in our room before heading out for a wander to the shops. Joy bought a bangle before a salad for lunch at 'The Last Cafe' on the beachfront. We then continued shopping and bought some table mats and nibbles to go with our pre-dinner drinks later. Once back and changed, had a beer on our sea view balcony then walked right to the other end of town for dinner, stopping at the 'Full Moon' bar for another beer on the way. Enjoyed some curries in the 'Luna Restaurant.' Walked back into the centre of town and had some beers and cocktails in a couple of bars. Think some of the cheap cocktails were flavoured with meths and petrol - they were lethal!



26/02/09

Woke up feeling ROUGH! Urgh, the thought of cocktails! It'll be a long time until we have another. Caught a taxi to Krabi airport. Once there we enjoyed free drinks - non alcoholic - courtesy of Bangkok Airlines. We boarded our small plane and thankfully got a free lunch of a sandwich which was much needed for our hangovers. Arrived at Ko Samui at 3pm, what a lush airport! We were met by a driver from our resort who took us to 'Cactus Bungalow.' Not as posh as Phi Phi or Railay, but it does the job nicely. Only troulbe is the patio door that's wobbly and doesn't lock well. Had a wander along the beach via the minimart and tourist information shop, where we planned a tour of the island and a day trip to Ko Tao. Our hangovers ever present we headed back to crash - finding Die Hard to watch on TV. Had dinner at our resort and a sit on the beach before bed time.


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(Thailand) Phuket, Phi Phi and Ao Nang

14/02/09

Up for another big breakfast but no rice pudding and Joy had been looking forward to that too. Got a taxi to the airport which was quite far away, we were in the LCC - Low Cost Carrier terminal, so there was only 1 tiny duty free and 1 little chemist/food shop. We were delayed a little and had a wait of 2 hours before our flight took off. Just over 1 hour later, we were in Phuket though. Took a while getting through slow customs, but once we had our bags, we spotted our names on a pre-arranged taxi signboard and we were off. Glad we had sorted the taxi as it was a bit hectic at arrivals. Our hotel in Phuket town was about 30 mins away. It all looked a little shabby so we were pleased with our posh hotel. Our room was big and airy with another massive bed and free mini bar - no alcohol though, just water and pop. Went for a wander around town, checking out places to eat for our valentines dinner. After a couple of hours, we were worn out, but had found a nice restaurant. Had a shower and went for a cocktail in the hotel bar - a bit expensive at £2.40! We then headed to the China Inn Cafe for a Thai meal and it was delicious - the best meal we'd tasted so far. Stuffed chicken wings with prawn and pork for starters got our mouths watering and our curries, Massoman for Greg and Penang for Joy for mains were superb. A large beer for £1.50 topped it off nicely. With full bellies we walked back, too full for another drink we just crashed.

15/02/09

Breakfast of cereal, fruit and toast on the hotel roof, and out by 11ish for a wander along the streets, spotting a temple here and there and a nasty smell of waste here and there too. Went to a little internet cafe to check out places to eat for the rest of our trip and soon it was time for lunch. We planned on getting a roti from a little shop, but when we got there it was closing up, as were all the other shops and businesses. We managed to find a little cafe at a hotel just down the road. Joy had an omelette and Greg had a very hot and spicy beef salad. Back to our hotel for a shower as we were hot and sweaty. We then went to the Raintree Spa next door for a massage. We both had a foot scrub and then sat in a very hot steam room where we sweated out all our toxins. Joy escaped a little early as it was too hot. A cooling shower followed where Greg cut his finger and leg on a broken soap dispenser! We were in the same room and had an all over relaxing oil massage and cleansing heat pad treatment - it was lush. A few clicky joints and a small chest area violation if you ask Joy, and 2 hours later we felt relaxed and not battered or bruised a bit. We finished our afternoon off with a hot gingery tea and a little pastry. After another shower we went out and had a beer in our hotel bar then walked to the 'Natural Restaurant' which was recommended. The place was lovely, like a big treehouse and we ordered our beer and food. An hour later we were at the bottom of our bottles and still no food. Luckily just as Greg went to the toilet (we decided to leave if it hadn't come by the time he returned), the food arrived. We both had spicy meat - beef for Greg, pork for Joy, and a plate of egg noodles. It was lush and almost worth the wait. Walked back to our hotel, glad we hadn't eaten much. Joy fell asleep quite quickly, she must have been relaxed after the massage.

16/02/09

Lovely breakfast of cereal, fruit, scotch pancakes and syrup. Leisurely packed our bags and mooched until our 12pm check out. We had a last wander around town for some final snaps and to see the Chinese temple next to our hotel. We think there was a funeral as there were loads of people and a couple of little trucks covered with flower garlands and wreaths, everyone seemed in good spirits though. A minibus picked us up at our hotel just before 1pm and we headed to the pier to catch our ferry to Phi Phi. There were lots of people and it was a good job that we arrived early so that we could get seats together. We arrived 2 hours later and weren't quite sure what to do. We rummaged through the enormous pile of bags for ours and joined the throng on the pier. We were accosted by a longtail boat driver who took us on a short trip to Paradise Resort, one of 6 or 7 resorts on Long Beach. We dumped our bags and wandered along the beach, having a swim before getting ready in our beach hut for dinner. Went to our hotel restaurant and enjoyed a beachfront table. Joy had BBQ chicken and Greg had garlic chicken which he had finished before Joy's was even cooked! A seat on the beach swing before bed.

17/02/09

Not the best sleep as working out the right temperature for the air con was tricky! We went from too hot to too cold to finally just right. The longboats arriving and departing on the beachfront were noisy too which didn't help. Fruit, cereal and fried eggs for breakfast, just managing to get some eggs after all the greedy foreigners took 2 or 3 each - blinking tourists! Spent the day sweating on the beach, breaking for swims and lunch. Greg finishing his lunch before Joy's had been served again (not his fault as they took the wrong order). Had a beer on our terrace before dinner and the pattern continued with Greg finishing again before Joy had been served!

18/02/09

Up early and had brekkie before a boat trip to Phi Phi Lay island. Just Greg and I in the boat, which left our resort at 8.45am. The journey was just over 20 mins and we had a few snorkel stops. Saw lots of fish and some barracudas in the clear waters. We also passed a little house in the caves - no sky TV or automatic dishwashers for these residents. Our last stop was Maya Bay home of the film 'The Beach.' I'm sure if you took away the dozens of boats in the water and the dozens more people on the beach it would look as beautiful as it did in the film. It was good to see though and we had a nice long snorkel there too. Got back to our resort 3 hours later and relaxed on our terrace before lunch. Back to our hotel restaurant for baguette and chips for Greg and Thai pork salad for Joy - they arrived at pretty much the same time too - bonus! We then went for a walk to Lumadee Beach just the other side of the island. It would have been quite a short walk if we had found the right path straight away. We finally made it and dipped our sweaty bodies straight into the sea. It was shallow for ages, so not much of a swim; just a sit in the turquoise water. After relaxing on the beach we headed back and got ready for a night out. Had a beer on our terrace then went for a Thai curry at the restaurant at the resort next door - the only other one on Long Beach directly on the sand. Our red and green curries were very tasty and washed down nicely with some Thai beers. We treated ourselves to cocktails for pud and then walked along the beach to a little bar at the far end. Had another beer while watching some fire dancers and got some good pics. One final take away beer which we drank on our little swing before bed.

19/02/09




Good nights sleep, probably helped by the beer. Up around 9am for breakfast then hit the beach, sticking to the shade today. Nice and relaxing , Joy nodded off a few times. Went for lunch around 2.30, back at last night's restaurant. Greg's spicy mushroom soup was nice, Joy's mushroom and cashew dish was OK. Went for a walk to the main town, getting hot climbing up a steep hill - the path just a dusty track. Once down the other side it was a bit better. The town was a bit tacky - bars and souvenir shops mainly, glad we weren't staying there. Got some bats and balls for the beach, some sun cream and some cash so it was a successful trip. Walked back and rewarded ourselves with a dip in the sea followed by some fruit smoothies on our terrace.

20/02/09

Good breakfast of hard boiled eggs before checking out around 11am. Spent the morning on the beach, going in the sea whenever we got too hot. Had an indulgent lunch of chocolate brownies and ice cream, banana milkshake for Joy and a chocolate oreo and banana one for Greg. Feeling not too healthy, but our sweet tooths satisfied, it was time to say goodbye to Long Beach and the shouts of 'Boat Boat!' as the taxi drivers touted for business. We arrived at our ferry to Ao Nang early but we could still board and at 3.30pm we were on our way, passing a picturesque Railay en route (tomorrow's destination). We arrived at Ao Nang and luckily the ferry company provided a free bus to the 'Laughing Gecko' our home for the night. We piled onto the open sided bus and a short ride later got off and dragged our bags down a short dusty path. The first building we saw was our reception/dining area/bar/sitting room/shed! We were vaguely informed that the owners weren't around, but would be back soon. We waited, and Joy was already missing the treats of clean floors and general niceness! We were only here for one night though - and it was dirt cheap - we could see why! The owner soon came back and showed us our bungalow. It was much like the first bures we had in Fiji but with our own 'bathroom,' consisting of a room with a hand made bed, and a bathroom with a non flush squatting loo, a shower head that may/may not have worked, and a bucket with water in to flush the loo and presumably wash hands. Joy thought she had done her roughing it in Fiji, at least they had flushing toilets, oh well, we had a place to sleep and thats all we needed.

Had a wander into town - not too much to see - mainly places to eat, and cheap shops. Got back to 'Laughing Gecko' at 19.30 as they did an authentic Thai meal we thought we'd give a go. We had some beers to get us through the dinner, and actually enjoyed the meal, although we had to wait nearly an hour for it which was a shame as it meant we had to spend longer there!! We soon escaped to our bungalow to play scrabble and Greg discovered that he had something stuck in the back of his throat!

Singapore, Melaka, Kuala Lumpur

08/02/09

Woken by Greg Slater at around 6am as he got back fom a night out. Loud music and chattering until 7am! Up at 9.00, then woke him up, ha ha, for a lift to the airport around 10.00. Finally got the chance to watch 'Australia' on the plane, it was brilliant, and a perfect goodbye to the country. We arrived in Singapore just before 6pm, and Stuart (Emma's dad) met us at the airport and we jumped in a taxi to his and Sue's apartment. Spent the evening drinking wine, eating lasagne and idly gossiping.

09/02/09






Up around 9am for a lush breakfast of fruit. muesli and toast. Caught the bus to the CBD and wandered along the river to Boat Quay, reaching it through various shopping malls. Had a walk around the 'Kampong Glam' area - Chinese/Islamic and Hindu influences, passing lots of fabric and carpet shops. Went into the Sultan Mosque - the biggest in Singapore. Had a look at Raffles Hotel but couldn't go into the lobby as we were under dressed. Back to Stu and Sue's late afternoon for a dip in the pool before getting ready for dinner. Went to the Boat Quay again for Indonesian food. Joy's choice from the menu wasn't available so she ended up with an average BBQ chicken. However, Greg really enjoyed his beef Rendang. Walked to Suntec City to see the light display at the worlds biggest fountain. After seeing the Bellagio, we weren't overly impressed and also wondered if 'worlds biggest' was an honest title. Walked back to Raffles and ordered an overpriced, but tasty Singapore Sling (it's the experience you pay for, not the drink!) Enjoyed our drinks whilst shelling peanuts and casting the empty shells all over the floor.







10/02/09

Lie in until 10am, breakfast and out on the bus to 'Vivo City,' a mall by the main port, to get the monorail to Sentosa Isand - Singapore's Island theme park. Not having the budget to go to underwater world, dolphin lagoon or the tiger sky tower, we did the luge, where the balance was restored in luge riding! (Greg disputes this as Joy used underhand tricks!) Did a nature walk, but the main things we saw were diggers and machinery as they were developing another resort on the island. We then walked along the man-made beaches and went to the southern most point of continental Asia before a chillax on the beach. Didn't venture too far into the water as it looked a bit murky. Not surprising as the multitude of boats and tankers weren't too far away. Dinner with Sue and Jackie (a friend of Sue's also visiting) at home so saving pennies, rounded off with cheese and biscuits before bed.

11/02/09





Up at 6.30 to catch a taxi to the bus station. Sue waved us off and gave us some provisions for our journey. It has been nice being looked after! Bus left at 8.30 and what a bus! Massive reclining seats each with its own monitor to watch TV and play computer games. The supposed 5 hour journey only took about 3 1/2 and we arrived at a huge bus station in Melaka at around midday. Bought our bus tickets to Kuala Lumpur for 12RM each (about £2.50). Got a taxi to our hotel and thought we were being fleeced by being charged 15RM but our hotel told us it was the correct fare, so we felt better about paying, but guilty for doubting the taxi driver. Our hotel was nice and had a good view of the river. Had a quick stroll then took a river cruise along the brown and murky water - definitely woudn't want to fall in. We then wandered around Chinatown and grabbed some lunch at a small cafe, the bill coming to 8RM in total - around £1.60! Walked through the lantern lined narrow streets, perusing the shops and sights whilst trying not to get run over as there were lots of cars and often no pavement. We then did a whistle stop tour of the historic city and enjoyed a can of 'Kickapoo Joy Juice!' on our way back to our air conditioned room around 5pm. One shower later and we were back out. Had a Jaz beer in a little bar/cafe on the riverside and enjoyed a tasty indian for dinner. 2 starters, 2 main, one rice, one naan and 2 very tasty mango lassis, all for a whopping £8 (sorry, we won't talk about the prices again after this!) Feeling stuffed we walked back to our hotel to crash.









12/02/09



Up for a cooked breakfast then chilled out in our hotel until 11am. Got a taxi back to the bus station and quickly checked emails and info on Kuala Lumpur in the indoor market. Hopped on the 12pm bus and arrived in the busy centre of KL at around 2.30pm. Didn't want to start to work out how to get public transport to our hotel, so we jumped in a taxi. The sprawling city is a mix of run down shops/cafes/houses and posh high rise hotels/offices and shopping malls. Our hotel was very posh and a nice change from our little hostels. Went to the shopping centre directly below out hotel for some lunch - some strange crepes and buns from a bakery which we ate in our room. Read our city guides trying to make some sense of the train maps which differed in each book. Worked out a way to get the Petronas Towers and dragged Greg away from looking whistfully at the hotel pool. Managed to get there in one piece - it was easy! Had a look and made our way back. Didn't have a map and didn't fancy working our way aimlessly across the city just for the sake of it. Got back to the Mega Mall and had a quick look around, having dinner in the Chinese/Thai/Vietnamese food court. Back to our room at 7ish for a lush shower and relaxing in our free slippers and enormous bed.

13/02/09





Woken up from nice sleep in the huge bed and dark room by the alarm at 7.30am. Had a lush brekkie - cereal, rice pudding, toast and some creme brulee! Saving the hot stuff for tomorrow. Picked up at our hotel just before 9am for our trip to Batu Caves. Before seeing the caves, our tour guide took our massive group - consisting of only the two of us, on a drive through the city seeing some of the different hosues, various embassies and sultan palaces. Visited a pewter factory and had a go at bashing patterns on a piece. Had a look in the gift shop, it was all nice, but a little expensive. Next stop was a batik factory where we saw how fabric was printed and watched a demonstration on how to wear scarves etc, then funnily enough, the chance to look in the gift shop. Although the lady followed us around, we didn't buy anything. We then battled the traffic - glad we weren't driving ourselves, as there didn't seem to be many road rules apart from push in and go. The fashion seemed to be to have dents in the car too. We finally arrived safely at the Batu Caves - a temple inside a cave at the top of 272 steps. There had been a big festival/pilgrimage the week before with 3 million people visiting and the clean up operation was still in slow progress. Inside the cave was lots of rubbish, a smell of waste and wee, and chickens pecking at the litter. Outside there were lots of monkeys, we kept our distance as their teeth looked big and sharp! So basically, it was not the cleanest of places, but nice to see and experience something different. On the way back to the hotel we were fortunate enough to be taken to a watch shop - just what we needed! Again we were hounded by the people inside, but we chose to ignore the wares in front of us and left empty handed! Stopped for lunch in the Mega Mall. Joy wasn't so hungry and opted for a 'curry puff' - chicken curry pasty, which for 30p, was deelish. Greg tried to line his belly with some random chinese style things - some looked deep fried, others ???! They were put in a bowl with water/soup and came with rice. Joy was glad she wasn't too hungry as it didn't get a glowing report from Greg who couldn't work out what anything was even after eating! So he too decided to go for a curry puff to take away the strange taste in his mouth. Spent the rest of the afternoon lounging by the pool, swimming and lazing. Had a little wander around the mall and ate a lush dinner of chicken pittas and chips in Nandos for £6 between us (sorry, couldn't resist), and watched 'Slumdog Millionnaire' for £2. Rounded off the evening with some tasty pastries and eclairs from a little bakery, yum yum!