Bug Farm and Tea Plantation, Malaysia

Unbelievably all thos creatures on the floor are butterflies. Also the rolling hills of Boh, the local brew.

Rose Garden, Malysia

I am inspecting lady shoes and butterfly wings. Jen is joyful and skipping, who wouldn't be? Tulips are in season!

Cameron Highlands Trek, Malaysia

Jen is resting up on a tree because the mountainb climb we are undertaking just never seemed to end! We met a Welsh couple with whom we got a cream tea afterward (life is not all bad). Also, me monkeying around.

lost world park and thaipusam (evening)

The lost world was a water park which also featured animals and some amazing rock formations.

In the evening we followed the Thaipusam parade to the hindu temple - lots of merriment and people. At the temple they offered half a coconut and other foodstuffs to a Hindu divinty.

thaipusam festival, Malaysia

Thaipusam is a Hindu festival which involves 24 hours of parades; dancing; singing and exteme body piercing. The men put a small spear through their cheeks and attached bells and other ornaments with hooks through their skin. The most extreme case we saw was a man with a 2 metre rod through his cheeks - a sabre on one end and an orange on the other. Needless to say, he didn't look comfortable.

The people who took on the piercings also wore large statues on their shoulders.

m-bike 2, malaysia

If you look carefully you will notice a flamingo or two behind Jen - we are in a tropical which also contained a friendly otter and an asian cat-bear

Langkawi m-bike trip, Malaysia

Fortunately, altho the cable car was closed due to it being a friday the petting zoo was still open. Jen found a young rabbit who made him/herself very comfortable. The lily pads pictured were also part of the oriental village that had a cable car. Below see me sliding around above a waterfall at Seven Wells

Langkawi, Malasia

Left: "What a pretty flower"
Below: "We love the Reggae bar"
Bottom: "This is the life"

Penang, Malasia

Left: Fort from when Captain Light discovered Penang island.
Below: Fleurescent decor of our dingy beachside room.

Penang, Malasia

First days in Malasia

Chiang Mai, Train to Malaysia

Jen with a statue of a local woman doing her bit in the home at the cultural museum. They had heaps of info, and spoken info over the load speakers if u pressed a button. A lil overpowering i am afraid. below - overnight trains galore! our first trip was from chiang mai to bangkok. we had reclining seats and a blanket, didn't get much shut eye due to load snores and lack of leg room. Still, we saved on accomodation and were able to sight see during the day. departure 9pm, arr 9am.

Then we were on a train again at 2pm, Bangkok to butterworth, Malaysia. It is on that train that the photo of me considering an article in the guardian sagely was taken. despite my earnest expression, i came to no conclusions.

We had bunks that night, the seat i am seating on folded out and there was a large fold out drawer above my head. jen didn't find an especially comfortable journey despite all the ingenious sleeping arrangements. However, the coffee was decent.