Hey everyone, Ok there's lots to tell since I haven't updated for a while. I have to remember it all and I'm slightly hungover so bare with me! After arriving in Malaysia, we took a taxi from the train station over to Gerogetown, Penang. The taxi driver told us it was a 1 and a half hour drive and agreed a very reasonable price for such a long journey, the fact that we arrived in Geargetown about twenty minutes later and had to pay for the toll fare over the bridge was not amusing! We looked around for a hostel and found The Federal. It was sunday so there wasn't much open but we did manage to find a pub to have some grub! Overall Georgetown wasn't anything special. A bit rundown and not a lot to do. We went and looked around in the shopping malls and found a nice cheap place to eat in the evening, but decided that one night was enough. On Monday we lugged our very heavy backpacks around with us for a bit and hopped on a bus to the beach! When I say hopped I mean we squeazed ourselves onto the bus, which looked like it was about to fall apart any minute and was making a funny noise, and jammed our bags between our legs and sat like sardines for the rest of the half hour bus journey, wonderful! I sat next to a local lady who was really helpful and told us where we could go to find some cheap accomodation right by the beach, which we did. We found a guesthouse called shalinis 'a home from home', and it really was. We walked into there house basically, there were 3 or 4 people sat around a table in the kitchen peeling fruit and veg and cooking, and a dog called Gismo wandering around. The rooms were pretty basic, but there was a balcony at the front of the guest house looking out onto the sea which was about 100 yards away. We spent a lot of time just sitting up there and enjoying the view, and we had all the ammeneties that we needed very close, internet and places to eat , just a short walk. For our first day there we spent the day on the beach, which wasn't as nice as the other beaches we have gone to but still a place to sunbathe! There were quite a lot of water sports going on around us, including a pathetic banana boat, which went about 20mph in a straight line! We hired mopeds out on the second day and went to book our tickets to go to KL. This was an experience, we have hired mopeds out before but on quiet island roads, these roads were not quiet! (I wasn't driving though, just enjoying the view!) After about half an hour of going round in circles (they have one way systems there and we kept missing the turning!) we found the place to get our tickets, and then headed for the snake temple!! This sounds amazing and a little scary, but we were a little dissapointed. The book had said that there would be some hrmless snakes loose and in the trees, and although a little frightened of the prospect, I was looking forward to trying to dodge a few snakes. As we went in there was a cage in the middle of the area and snakes behind glass boxes around the edge, just like the reptile centre in a zoo. Granted nearly all these snakes were deadly poisonous so actually pretty glad they weren't slithering around my feet. The cage in the middle of the floor held a 23foot python, who posed for some pictures for us! (still trying to sort out pictures). The cage next to it with an electirc fence surrounding it held a king cobra, which we could just about see wrapped around the tree. The next day when we were leaving James and Rob saw a bright greem snake on the beach much like the deadly pit viper we saw the day before!! We crossed on the ferry back to the main land Butterworth and had to sit in the station for about 4 hours. Outside the station there were lots of little stalls selling food, where we went and got a burger. The bloke selling them to us collected coins so I gave him a pound with which he was thrilled. After waiting for our train (which was late) we got on the carriage, ours was the only one with no air con because it had broken which wasn't fun for the first couple of hours, but was fixed. When we arrived in KL it was a welcome change. Immediately it was cleaner, more modern and altogether a more bussling city with life to it. On the corner where we stood after comming off the MRT there were three large shopping malls and coffee stalls along the side of the road, and a massive picture of Brad Pitt modelling Tag Heur watches, which always helps introduce you to a new city!! We walked down the main street and asked a couple of people where there was a good place to stay. We found guesthouse called the greenhut, which was amazing. It was the nicest place I have stayed so far in terms of socialising and things to do. The people there were friendly and there seemed to be people comming and going all the time. There were two seating areas, one in front of a TV and another in an adjoining room where they had a selection of books, chess, drafts and the internet. There was also a pool table, where Rob proceeded to thrash both Chapman brothers in their tournament. For the first two nights we stayed in a dorm which was cheap, only 20RM a night each. Then we moved into separate rooms, which had no windows so incidentally, we were getting up t about 11 every day thinking it was still about 6! It was good to have a rest though, travelling around takes it out of you a bit purley because of all the moving around and times of transport etc. We were there for six nights all together and so coukd afford some lie ins! On Friday night we went out into the town, to see what the nightlife was like. Most of the bars you had to pay to get into but we found a good one where we were later let into the club for free! It was much more expensive for drinks here so on the way home instead of going for more drinks we went for an Indian, where Chris, James and Rob ordered a vindaloo and ate it! We went to see the patrones towers on saturday and sat in the park there for a bit, before walking to the bird park. The towers were pretty impressive (you can see them at the back of the photo on the right). The bird park cosisted of loads and loads of peacocks which were wandering around and tried to steal our ice creams when we sat down. There were ostriches, flamingos, owls, parrots, eagles etc. That night we ate in a street just by our hostel, which was fabulous. The buzz was incredible. The whole street was taken over by stalls and all the trees are lit up with dangling fairy lights, which are beautiful. On our third day there we spent an unplanned day in the biggest shopping centre I've ever seen. It had 13 floors and an inside theme park, so while the lads went in to go on the roller coaster, I went and did some reatil therapy! (although it wasn't cos I can't afford to buy anything!) We spent the whole day in there and in the evening went to watch Pirates of the Carribean in the Imax cinema, (also in the shopping mall). We went back to the greenhut where we met various people to chat to, including a couple who were form oz and travelling for 3 years, so gave us some advice. On our last night there we bought tickets to go up to the KL tower, which was amaxing. The viewing point was 290 metres high and the view was amazing. We could see the road where we were staying but also right out over Singapore. We spent about an hour up there just looking and taking photos. We went to eat in little India, which again was incredible. All the restaurants were expensive, and it was not untill we had eaten and walked down to the market that we found somewhere we could have eaten for a quarter of the price! The market was so colourful. There were stalls selling bits and pieces, jewellery, clothes hair accesories, and food. The food overtook everything else. There were stalls piled with pineapples, starfruit, dragon fruit, jack fruit, and the owners would let you test them as you went past. There was sweetcorn being cooked and spices being grounded, the smells were amazing, (unlike the streets of Bangkok!). KL was a cool city would definately go back there. After crossing the border we are now in Singapore, which is emaculate. I have never seen a place so clean. It is against the law to drop litter and they polish the pavements! We have found a good hostel in Little India with a bar downstairs where they have live music some nights. We have been to boat quay which is where there are a lot of restaurants along the river edge, and has an amazing view of all the high rise buildings in the background and the lights of the restaurants along the river front. We went and had a wander around the raffles yesterday during the day, and also the sjopping complexes surrounding it. We walked down to the marina bay and went to have a look at the theatre and concert hall which is a wicked buiding. Two dome type shapes and very modern looking with exhibitions outside and in the foyer. It is the country's national birthday whilst we are here and although we couldn't get into the concert hall then they told us they are having a concert on out last night here which is free to get in to, with live music etc. Last night we dressed up a bit smarter (this just meant that I didn't wear my ripped shorts) and went to the Long bar for a Singapore sling. This set us back 7 quid each but apparently it's the law to have one when you're here! (can't argue with that!!) After this we went back to the Marina bay where they had live music and a fireworks display. It was absolutely packed,there must have been about 20,000 people surrounding the bay, and lining the bridge that connects one side to the other. The band were really good and then we moved closer to the front to watch the fireworks. The dispaly was incredible, 20 minutes of firworks that lit the entire sky up and sent everyone ohhhing and ahhing! After this we proceeded very slowly to Chimes, ehich is a posher place to drink but we have found a small bar with a pool table and cheaper drinks, where we are now called friends by the owner. As we approached last night they were waving to us before we reached the door! So we had a few drinks in there and then a few more and got chatting to an austrailian guy, who bought all our drinks for us although we kept telling him we couldn't return the favour. James decided he needed to go back and told me this morning he fell asleep on a bench somewhere before a bloke woke him up and he finally climbed into a taxi back to the hostel! Me and Chris stayed out with the other James (the bloke we met) and went into a different bar, then sat outside and chatted to him until about 4 o clock, so all in all a good night out!! Anyways I'm knackered and we are hoping to do the night safari tonight (if we can get James and Chris out of bed, it's 4 o clock in the afternoon here!!) so I am going to love you and leave you all and will update again when I have lots to tell! Missing you all loads, lots of love, Flora xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx