Turquoise sea

On my birthday I always try to do something memorable & different to normal days of the year.  On my 38^th birthday I achieved that.  On 29^th September this year I woke up at 6.45am on Koh Samui, Thailand & 13 hours later after a van taxi, ferry, mini bus - including border crossing where the border guards gave me a smile when stamping my passport on my birthday, I arrived in George Town, Penang, Malaysia.  I was so tired I wanted to go straight to bed (I guess that’s what happens when you’re nearly 40).  I was only allowed to after cutting a surprise birthday cake-which I nearly missed if it had not been for Yvonne telling me to get back down the stairs sharpish & not put on my pj’s.  The birthday cake was a great gesture & I thank Teresa for arranging it.  A good 38^th birthday.

 

On Mon 30^th Sept some of us took a wander around the UNESCO world heritage old part of George Town, got a view from the Komtar tower & looked in two massive shopping malls.  The day was rounded off with drinks bought at local shops to enjoy on the roof still celebrating my birthday.

 

Mary Anna Mahala James

Tue 1^st Oct started with a 5am get up for an 8 & a half hour journey onto Pulau Besar, one of the Perhentian Islands.  The coach driver stopped off at a KFC for lunch.  The weird thing was seeing the upstairs set out for a banquet.  As we were eating, about 200 school children came in with their teachers for lunch & were all waited on by the KFC staff.  A bit different to school dinners in the UK.  (Photos were being taken by the teachers so I think it was a special occasion & not the norm).

 

The final part of todays’ journey included a 30 minute speed boat to the actual island.  Fantastic.

 

Water taxi from the speedboat to beach

In no time at all we were out snorkelling from the beach.  During the early evening there was a massive thunderstorm with torrential rain.  The wet season was arriving.  The Perhentian Islands were closing in 2 weeks due to the rain.

 

The next 2 days I spent on speed boat trips snorkelling.  Fantastic.  Just like swimming in a tropical fish tank.  The water was about 30 degrees & crystal clear.  Clean, crisp, dark blue in the deep & turquoise at the beaches with the help of fine white sand.  I saw tropical coral, fish & turtles.

 

 

Fri 4^th Oct we had to leave the island & carry on our journey to Kuala Lumpur which took 11 hours.  The last hour spent trying to get back to our hotel we had just passed.  The one way roads seemed to take us right out of town before we could turn back.

Julie Andy & I at the Petronas towers