| 18th March 2006 Made our way to Sepang - the F1 circuit - took about 2 hours on the train and bus! Watched the qualifiers and a porche race - sitting under cover because of the heat of the sun (glad we paid the extra for the tickets), the track temperature was 50 degrees and the air temp was 38 degrees, not sure what the humidity was! Can't believe how fast and noisy the F1 cars are, cannot describe it. We had ear plugs and were still deafened!! Back at our hotel a cold shower was very much appreciated! I then had a night to myself as Terry went to watch the England v Ireland 6 Nations game - quick off wasn't till gone 1.30am - I couldn't be bothered with that!! 19th March 2006 Went back to the Sepang Circuit for race day - so much busier, the trains and busses were packed! We cheered for Jenson Button and he came third - not too bad! All the drivers did a circuit in vintage cars, waving at the crowd. 56 laps didn't last very long, over in no time, but it was a new experience for us! Getting back to the hotel took over four hours - every bus that turned up got stampeded, people were hanging out of the doors, so we decided to wait for the rush to die down, only it didn't and we ended up getting the last bus, but luckily the only one not to be full up!! Once back we had another lovely meal for less than 3 quid and then collapsed into bed exhausted! 20th March 2006 Left bustling KL and got a bus to Kuala Tembling, where we took a three hour boat trip deep into the Taman Negara rainforest to the Nusa camp - our home for the next two nights.Saw waterbuffalo and beautiful blue and green kingfishers on the way. Checked into our 'chalet' and had dinner before going on a night hike to spot different insects. Saw fire flies, a blue collared snake (poisenous), biting ants, giant ants, some huge spiders, bats, another snake in a branch right above our heads...... at least I got to do a night hike after not being able to in Bolivia, but I wouldn't hurry back - me and ants have a love hate relationship!! One member of our group had a leech on his foot after the walk! They're not as big as I thought and apparently it didn't hurt, but it did bleed a lot and left a black hole! 21st March 2006 After breakfast we had a very steep climb up to a viewpoint out across the rainforest. Have never sweated so much in our lives. At the top we rested admiring the view and listening to gibbons in the distance. Steep back down the way we came and then a cold shower before lunch! Then went by boat to the canopy walkway - the longest in the world. It's a swaying bridge made from aluminium ladders bound by rope - a little nerve wracking but great fun and again excellent views! We then went rapid shooting, which was just going through the tame rapids on our long boat - not quite the same as white water rafting - but we managed to soak each other having a water fight. Constantly had to bale the boat out! Back at the camp we stayed wet by jumping in the river on rubber tubes and floating around. Our guide, Asri, painted mine and Sam's (from Upminster) faces using seven different coloured sandstones from the river, he also gave us Malay names - mine was Ayu (pronounced R U) which means flower!! Before dinner we waited down by the river bed to see two hornbills fly over, but they were further away than usual. We saw at least 10 wild boar though just up the bank, making a racket! During the dinner the 'resident' porcupine wandered into camp for his plate of rice and vegetables and a nap before heading home into the forest!! It was so cute, were able to stroke it, but wouldn't fancy one of its spikes stabbing you! There's also a chicken shaped pheasant that comes round for scaps at meal times!!! Played cards listening to our guide and some others playing the guitar and singing! 22nd March 2006 Whilst having breakfast a monkey appeared and stole Chris' toast - hilarious! On our two and a hlaf hour boat ride back out of the forest, I had to ask the boat man to pull over and let me find a bush to wee in!! Shouldn't have had tea with breakie!!!! Once back at the jetty we jumped straight into a minibus to take us to Kuala Besut on the coast, a 5 hour journey, that would have taken a lot longer if our driver wasn't speeding - we even got pulled over by the police and he laughed it off!!! What a roller coaster ride! Then it was straight onto a speedboat for another fast and bumpy journey out to Pulau Perhentian - a perfect desert island - paradise! We found somewhere to stay at Coral Bay - a small expanse of white sand dotted with a few chalets and restaurants! Had the best meal in a long time - with potatoes!! 23rd March 2006 Spent the day on the beach and in the water - great snorkelling! It's a hard life! Actually the heat does make it hard! 24th March 2006 Terry went out diving in the morning and afternoon, so I spent the morning on the beach and the afternoon sheltering from a great storm with a good book - very relaxing!! Another quiet night sitting on the beach front with a good meal and fresh fruit juice (not really any alcohol on the islands, which is quite nice) - would be perfect if it wasn't for the millions of mosquitos!! 25th March 2006 Another day spent on the beach and snorkelling and dodging the occasional shower. Nice to have nothing to rush and do or to think about where to stay or eat!! 26th March 2006 Terry went for another dive while I sat engrossed in the book and he just made it back for our boat back to the mainland! A little sad to leave the island, but we should be on another in the next few days, in Thailand!! Got a taxi to Khota Bharu and spent the afternoon wandering the streets and figuring out how to get to the border tomorrow. |