Hello from from Koto Bhaur and my last few days in Malaysia,

I've spent a couple of days in Kulua Lumpur, a few too many in Penang and not enough on the blissful paridise island of Pulau Perhentian Besar. KL city is not all that exciting.... China Town full of markets selling cheap electronics and rip off designer good, Little India full of markets selling saris and roti and of course there are the Kuala Lumpur towers which were unfortunatly closed the days i was there. Having found my feet i set off on a bus from KL to Penang.

Penang is a strange little island off the west coast full of culinary delites and lots of europeans backpackers (that have been away from home too long) hopping over the boarder from Thialnmd to renew their visa. I spent a day hoping from Burmes Temples, to Chinese Temples to Indian Temples and collecting my luck by rubbing buddas bellies, banging bells, touching the gold....after a day in George Town i headed over to the quieter corner of the idsland and spent a day chilling on the beach in Batu Ferrigu and another walking through the National Park to Monkey Beach....a beach full of, would you believe it monkeys! It was here in Penang I had be first experience of bed bugs! Bloody things!

Then it was off to Kuala Besut for a boat to my dive resort, BUBBLES! Recommeded by some friends i met in Australia....and what an amazing place it would be to chill out of the beach for a few day and an even more amazing place to learn to dive. They are heavily into their conservation. While I was visiting they had around 15 volunteers ranging from a 55 year old retired Australian guy to a 17 year old Britsh girl that had been in a trouble back home and was failing school who'd been sent off by her Mum. My little hut was right on the beach front and came complete with the soothing sound of waves crashing, geckos and 4 legged spiders! Being a solo traveller I was welcomed with open arms onto the staff table, where i was privilaged to free food/ beer/ vodka and all the goss I could handle before crashing out exhhasted at 10pm evry evening. As for the diving WOW! I was told I am a natural. A show off but a natural.....water babe, thats me! We had our theory sessions sat on the beach, did out skills in the shallow water just off our beach with the odd turtle and our first open water dives over some amazing coral and in water that was 31 degrees! After the first dive I knew i'd be hooked, but it was confirmed when I was told you burn 1000 calories per hour while diving! 1000! Sod running i'm going diving for an hour every day! Oh and Dad...I think you'd like it here.....you have to wash your feet of sand before you enter any of the buildings!

So although I've notseen all that much of Malyasia i think it is a pretty good country to travel to....a place i'd perhaps like to come back to.

The plan now is off to Cambodia in a few days to meet Kate and Dale who I'll be with for a couple of weeks.

Love 'n' kisses
Ellen