Time for the 'Posh Digs'

I must apologise for what has been an ABOMINABLY long time of doing absolutely nothing in regards to the computer. I have excuses - I've been on course basically every week, and then the last week and a half of March OB shut down internet access everywhere, except in the office. Apparently there has been abuse of the system; I leave the rest up to your imagination.

April, has been FANTASTIC. My mother, after 10 days in Vietnam, arrived at KL International Airport, receiving a huge shock as I barreled into her. I was then regaled with tales regarding the insanity that is Vietnamese driving and watched as she marveled over the sophisticated and ever-so-green Kuala Lumpur where drivers actually follow the traffic lights, even if they do so at high speed.

While I may now be trekker extraordinaire, it appears that the same cannot be said regarding city wanderings - both of us were tired and sore, having walked around for approximately four hours in attempts to follow the Lonely Planet. A word of advice: do not spend time in KL on a Monday led to the discovery that only the fish anfinding the Sky Bridge to be closed to the public, but astonished by the high rise shopping mall beneath, filled with home comforts, such as the much loved M&S. Petrosains, the Science Centre was to be our next stop, though we were turned away with a smile and a point: 'Open Tuesday to Sunday'. Jonesing for lunch, we headed to the 69 Bistro on the promise of bubble tea and tarot reading to find, low and behold, it was also closed.

And our dinner? The restaurant of choice was shut, but we waffled away to enjoy banana leaf. I do not mean we actually consumed banana leaf; our meal of delicious rice, vegetables and mutton, with sauce, was beautifully placed upon the handy banana leaf, which is far nicer than average plates, generally being of larger size with maximum scoop potentiality. Somehow, I doubt the consumption of actual banana leaf would have been as delicious.

But the rest of our trip has proved fruitful, as well as allowing me to spend time in what can only be considered 'posh digs' compared to norm. The beds have duvets. It's honestly astonishing.

So far we have traversed to Malacca - beautiful, historical, with shops that are basically museums within themselves - and Pulau Tioman, requiring a night bus that ended with us arriving at the ferry at 3.30 in the morning. Tioman itself is not a place I would choose to go if I wasn't a scuba diver, having little of worth for anyone who wants to do something - but as a diver, it is honestly fantastic and B&J Divers were great. The Easter Weekend also affords Singaporeans time off, so en masse they arrived, and en masse they departed, filling me in regarding the wonders of life and how if you are sick underwater, throw up in your regulator. Unpleasant, but apparently vital to survival.

On a nicer note, black tip sharks, blue spotted stingrays and the ever magnificent hogsbill turtles, alongside moon wrasses and parrot fish were on show, with fantastic visibility and beautiful sea urchins and coral.

Now, we are off to the Cameron Highlands to partake in hikes, and enjoy the relaxing consumption of tea and strawberries they are famous for; I believe Mum is hoping that time away from sugar will be good for me, after a rather shocking sugar hike that had me giggling for approximately two hours, much to her horror.

Oh sugar, how I have missed you.

Emily