So the journey begins, get ready this is the first update of many, some great bedtime reading for all!

Firstly we would like to apologise to all the people we didn't get to say goodbye to properly, the last couple of days were abit of a rush, which is strange considering I have been organising for months! We saw most people during our array of leaving drinks but would of liked to have seen a few extra people before we left but didn't get the chance, we hope you understand.

We caught the train at 10.30am Saturday 15th October from temple meads, we had a couple of changes to make to get to stanstead and the journey was pretty much hassle free other than a line closure on the tube in London which meant a slight detour.

The weight of our rucksack became a realisation when we were rushing through the busy London stations! Dan was good enough to lift mine on and off my back, bless him. Hopefully as time goes on I will get used to it, or manage to smuggle more weight into Dans!!

Well we all know Mr Daniel is notorious for losing things and true to form less than three hours into our adventure he realises he has left his hat on the train!! This tickled me as I'm sure it will you but I must admit I have an eye on our passports at all times when they are in his possession!!

So we arrived at the airport in good time and had a couple of beers and a bite to eat before boarding what I can only describe as a very basic 13hour flight! The disappointment spread across my face as we were seated on the Air Asia Airbus. The seats were cramped and basic, the in-flight entertainment had to be hired and to be honest the films were rubbish so that wasn't very appealing anyway!!

The bonus was that there was a seat spare next to us so I spent the majority of the flight squishing Dan against the window whilst sprawling myself out! We napped, read, watched a movie on the I phone and woke for our meals, after 13 hours we both had elephant swollen feet but arrived at Kaula Lumpur. Here we had to catch a connecting flight to Langkawi our chosen "beach Holiday " destination for the first week of our travels.

As we stepped off the plane into the humid 32degree (in the shade) heat a smile creped across my face!!! Sun, heat and travelling was finally here!!

Within three hours we had landed in Langkawi, we got a taxi to our beachfront apartment dumped our bags donned our swimmers and dived in the sea! Which temperature wise could only be described as a giant bath!!

On our first evening we walked along the strip and generally found our feet. I was tired with swollen elephant feet and a rubbing flip flop so must admit not that much fun! We had a lazy night in hope of been fresh the next day. Which we were, poor Dan awoke to me an annoying Christmas morning child at 9.30 wanting to sunbath! We came to a compromise and hit the beach at 10. The sun was blazing and the water is beautiful. We did some bathing in the sun whilst listening to our amazingly cool travel speaker! A craze that has hit the Yatton lady population hard! You know who you are!! We took a walk along the beach and happened to stumble across a fab little place which we soon realised was going to become at 5 oclk local. The "yellow cafe" held a happy hour between 5 and 7 where beer was BOGOF and cocktails had 15%off. We made ourselves comfy and let the beers flow. We have both had to take to drinking lager as cider and Asia just don't go together. Dan has welcomed the change in drink embracing a change from cider. I on the other hand have found it a little harder, I haven't drunk lager since run to the sun! That was a fair few years ago and to be honest I have never really liked it! However Tiger beer is like olives and I will train my pallet!

The yellow cafe is on the beach, as in half the chairs are on the sand and the view is absolutely gorgeous, photos to follow. So we sat boozing in the picture perfect setting and enjoyed a game of head turning Jenga, one doesn't like to boast but the tower got a very respectable height and other people in the bar were commenting! Again not a fan of boasting but I WON!!!

We met a family from Scotland and Dan got chatting to a guy called Phil who has semi retired here and is buying into a business. They began chatting and realised they both lived in Chorley, small world! We had a good first night with many beers and cocktails, the trip had started well.

After all the travelling and beers the night before the next day turned into a real lazy one, I think my brain had finally switched off after the months of planning and finally I could relax. As much as I do enjoy organising, yes Chalk I do also love it, months of flights, visas, money, insurance, jabs, malaria and all the rest of the travelling jargon does take its toll and my brain was defiantly pleased to relax!

We chillaxed and then went back out for another happy hour! Holiday!!

The first few days have flown by, we have now discovered another bar with great food, questionable service and cheap drinks. The entertainment was brilliant Wednesday night, it was a live Malay band, just a group of locals including the bar owner. They played a variety of tunes from Pink Floyd to Lionel Richie and finishes with an ace Reggae set. They can sing in English 5million times better than we can speak Malay!

Talking of speaking Malay we are both trying to use a few Malay words, the locals love the fact you are trying to make the effort and it makes us look less like ignorant expectant English folk.

Dan was taught, "Hari Harimel" which translates into "I want tiger everyday"!! He really is taking the language learning seriously! lol!

Wednesday we went on a Mangrove river tour where we boarded a little light weight boat and travelled down the Mangrove River, stopping at various points of interest on the way.We stopped at a bat cave and walked through looking at the two types of bats whilst hoping they don't fly into you or poop on your head! Our tour guide told us there was loads of different species of snake that lived there including adders, king cobras and banded sea snake! Luckily enough and much to Dans disappointment we didn't meet them!!We then stopped at the fish farm where we watched various fish thrash around and Dan fed the Sting Ray, I wasn't brave enough but he was the first to have his hand sucked at by the deadly fish, again photos to follow!!

We went on to see the Monkeys, everyone was pleased to see the long tailed macaque, as was I from a distance! After being bullied my one of the evil little b*****s last year I have a definite fear/dislike of them! The small ones and lady monkeys are ok but the big evil man monkeys are simply evil and intimidating!! I was not sad this part of the tour was over! After this we stopped at another fish farm and had a nice lunch which included fried rice, veg soup, spring rolls, prawns and fruit. One more stop at a beautiful island beach for a quick dip in the ocean and we were on our way back a few minutes early to avoid the storm that was brewing in the distance!

As I say we have had a lovely first few days and have really settled into Island life, we even had our feet nibbled at by fish,that was a really weird tickly feeling but one we both will be taking part in again no doubt. I did feel sorry for the little fishes eating Dans feet, surprised they are still alive! Bet they had belly ache!!

We have watched some amazing thunder and lightning storms which is another thing Asia does very well!!

We will keep you updated on our adventures, would love to hear from you.

Love and hugs

Jen and Dan

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