50th Birthday on a Tropical Island

Thnx Sara n`Clas, 1st toast was on you Guys

 Thank you guys for all the best wishes I received on my birthday. Cards arrived and a real surprise was the present which Sara and Clas left behind. How did they know I liked a nice drink :)) Shame you two could not be here. The day was fantastic. 1st a nice swim (not bad in December), then a nice stroll to a fishing shop where Fiona treated me to some fishing rods, then we chilled by the sea and had a couple of drinks and a meal in the evening. The best present though I have ever had was to be here! The one thing I always dreamed of.... living on a tropical Island and being completely relaxed, no worries or stress, but sunshine, Palm Trees all around and friendly people. What else could someone want on his 50th? As I am having such a good time I thought I would let you have some of it too, (in cold old Europe) and cheer you up a bit! Look at the photos, lean back, dream and relax. (Click Photos to enlarge) Maybe you can forget about winter for a moment.
Footnote: we were observing Turtles coming up for air every so often, and their diet consists of Jellyfish which we have never seen in Tanjunj Rhu Resort, unlike Cenang or Pantai Tengah. 
 We are off to the Island of Penang soon for a few days to meet old friends of ours, who at the moment are working in China and have come on a vacation to our part of the world. Really looking forward to seeing them and I shall give you more information about Penang when we get back. Penang is a 2.45 hour ferry crossing away and the price is 115RM p.P. return.

Tanjung Rhu Beach

50? No Way :)

Warm water

That`s what I call "The good life"

How is this for relaxing in December and what else could someone wish for on his 50th Birthday??? This is our new home, where we live and what we wanted. I am lucky to have a partner who agreed to make this (not always easy) move to South-East Asia. Ta Fiona 

Visa Run to Thailand and a new Place

In a Chinese Temple, Satun

We have quite a few busy days behind us.
First of all we moved into a different Apartment in the same building as before and then  going on our first Visa run to Thailand.
The Apartment (pics here) is not as luxurious as the old one but a lot cooler as it is situated on the north side and there is always a cool breeze going through. We are overlooking part of the harbour (so still sea view) and the Jungle. The old place was nice, but facing south-west, just got too hot. We must have had about 60°C in the afternoons (no kidding) and just could not use the balcony. Our new neighbours are monkeys, no not the ones in the building, but real ones jumping around and playing in the trees.
The day after we moved we went on our first Visa Run to Thailand, a place called Satun, nothing much there but if you are interested click here
It was a nice break from Langkawi though, but it was just as nice to come back home. The next plan so far is to rent a car on the mainland and visit the Cameron Highlands and the East coast of Malaysia. We shall keep you updated.
If you want to have a good laugh, take a look at these funny pictures taken in Satun.

The hardship of travelling

Sara n´ Clas

There is only one thing which one needs to get used to whilst travelling and that is to say "good-bye" in order to move on.
This is exactly what we did yesterday. Sara (Welsh) and Clas (Swedish) are off to Kuala Lumpur tomorrow and then Thailand, followed by Laos and wherever after that. In the last 7 weeks they have become good friends and it is sad to see them go. I am sure though we`ll meet up again somewhere in Asia and until then we want to wish them safe travels (enjoy)

Pythons in Malaysia

10 meter Pythons are not unusual

There really is not too much to report lately as we have been busy getting a different Apartment ready for ourselves. It is in the same building but on the Northern Side of Sri Lagenda. The one we were in had fantastic views (see pics) but far too hot. We were unable to use the balcony in the afternoons and as the Summer is only about to start here we decided to change. The new place faces North, overlooking the Jungle and hills and monkeys here are a common occurrence (pics will follow)

Catching a Python

So as there is not much to tell you about, I thought I let you have a look what happens in Malaysia, which you would not be as likely to find in Europe. I think you are really going to like it.

Snakes giving residents the jitters (06th December 2011)
THERE has been a strange  phenomenon at Taman Skudai Baru here in Johor Baru  and its residents are hoping for some answers soon.Since the beginning of this year, there have been more than 12 reports of python invasion in the housing estate. With about a catch a month, many residents are worried if there were unreported cases.
 Resident Fairus Azhar Hamzah, 25, said what was worrying was that the snakes often preyed on their pets especially cats and  other small animals.
 Fairus said the size of the pythons caught so far has given him the shivers as the slithery creatures   were  long and big -- at  times more than nine metres long and about half-a-meter in width.
 "Most of the children staying in the housing estate have developed a phobia for snakes and some are traumatised," he said.