Malaysia

As Matt mentioned below - we're in Malaysia at the moment, en route to Bangkok - and from there Laos. Excited to be in another new country - and we have really loved Malaysia - and the incredible mix of cultures that can be found here.

We caught a train courtesy of my Uncle Mike (thank you!) from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, arriving mid afternoon. We spent the rest of that day exploring Little India and Chinatown.

Kuala Lumpur

The next morning we headed over to KLCC (KL City Centre), visiting the famous Petronas Towers, and the swanky shopping mall underneath them.

Petronas Twin Towers - surprisingly beautiful

Another tower later (Menara in the forest reserve in central KL) and some lunch we also managed to fit in the National Museum, and the National Mosque... Before jumping on our night train to Penang (also courtesy of Uncle Mike). We both managed to sleep so well with our ear plugs in that we only woke up once we had been stationary at the last stop (thankfully ours) for ten minutes when the guard came by!

In bed, on a train - loved it!

On arrival at Butterworth we jumped on a ferry over to Penang Island, and then decided to spend the day on the beach (its been so long after all...) A lovely day - especially for Matt who thoroughly tired himself out splashing about in the big waves.

Happy Matt

And made himself VERY hungry - hunger satiated by a hawker stall in Georgetown serving up the most delicious pork noodle combo (it even had bits of crackling in it!)

Chowing down

Today has been spent exploring the Colonial old Town - including a fort with canons (Happy Matt again!)

Fort Cornwallis

And then enjoying the melting pot of Asian culture that is Penang, including a Hindu Temple, Malay and Indian Mosques, a bhaji and masala chai from a stall (feeling nostalgic for India already) and then best of all a visit to a Taoist temple complete with incense offerings, followed by the Khoo Khongsi - a Chinese clanhouse with incredibly ostentatious architecture - loved it.

Just outside the temple

Matt and new friend lighting our incense

So peaceful

Amazing stone reliefs

Grumpy monk to the right

Fat happy monk to the left as you enter the Khoo Khongsi

A bit OTT - but you've got to big up your clan after all

A brief trip through Malaysia - but well worth it. We'll definitely be back.

A Chinese Feast

So we're not in China, but we did have a Chinese feast on our wedding list (due to the huge Chinese influence in Malaysia!)

So this is a quick post to say a hearty thanks to Chris and Hannah for what turned out to be a HUGE feast. We settled on a streetside Steamboat Feast. This was the Chinese version of a dish I loved in Japan; Shabbu Shabbu Nabe. You sit around a pot of bubbling stock (we chose a herby broth and a spicy broth), disappearing every so often to fill plates with raw food. It's really sociable, as you then boil up the food and share it. Chatting and drinking as it cooks, so we were there for about 2 hours, eating pretty much continuously! Great to have Chinese sausages, crab, fish, mushrooms, cabbage, spinach, prawns, beef, eggs, dumplings, brocolli, pork, mussels and lots of things which tasted great but were completely unknown quantities. Thanks guys!

About 5 minutes in... happy faces!

And 2 hours in - full faces!

Carnage from our fellow diners

A Singapore Sling

Hello from Asia! We're now in Malaysia and are catching up on a bit of blogging, so here's a quick update from the super amazing city/island/country that is Singapore.

It's VERY different to India! We miss many bits of India (especially the cheap food and cups of chai) but at the same time, Singapore is incredible! Roads are easy to cross, there are pavements, every type of food is available, public transport is easy, you can walk around all day without having to bleach your feet in the shower!

So modern!

A building with a boat on top - why not?

Marina Bay - stunning!

We packed in quite a bit of sightseeing, mall visiting, eating, visiting parks, Chinatown and Little India strolling and all round enjoying somewhere that felt like the future. And boy - does this place feel like the future. Everywhere is so clean, ordered, new and well planned. If we weren't moving to NZ, we'd definitely consider staying here.

Chinatown

The newest and smartest Buddhist Temple in the world (possibly)

Sampling 'Chicken Rice' - very popular dish in Chinatown

Picture postcard perfect in Singapore's Botanical Garden

Singapore is also the place for our next wedding treat - thanks Nick and Kate! We scrubbed up for the famous Raffles Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel, where we enjoyed Singapore Slings (invented at the bar) and too many free peanuts, throwing the shells on the floor! A bit nervous about getting in due to a dress code, but Sarah's smartest dress with flip flops, and me (Matt) in polished hiking boots with hiking trousers did the trick. It was lovely, thanks guys!

Singapore Slingin' it!

Crunchy peanut floor!

 On our final night in Singapore we headed out to Marina Bay to catch the light show over the harbour - it was stunning, and hopefully the London 2012 Olympics can do something similar to what these guys do twice a night, 365 days a year! Fine sprays filled the air that were filled with lasers and moving TV projections with music. Beautiful!

Starting the show to a certain beat...

Mucking about with slow shutter speeds

Sarah getting arty, with the Art Centre!

Looking over Marina Bay to the city at night

The sun sets on India

We spent our last day in India enjoying the beautiful beach at Palolem, before walking back to our apartment with a few stops to watch the sun slowly set.

An amazing day, and a great way to finish off what's been a fantastic month spent in India. We have to admit to being a bit apprehensive about coming here - having heard a few horror stories.. But whilst there have been one or two moments of sheer frustration, we have loved this country for its variety, its drive, its beauty and its food. From Delhi, to the Taj Mahal, the Himalayas to the tropical paradise of Goa - its been incredible. We'll definitely be back!

Me enjoying the waves (and cooling off)

Posing

Palolem beach - gorgeous

Patnem beach just along, and the sun starts setting

The sun getting lower and the beach is empty!

Beautiful colours

Going...

...going

Gone (nearly - spot the thin slither).
Goodbye India and thanks for having us 

5* Goa - Thanks Anton!

Just a short blog to say a big thanks to Anton for some great treats in Goa, India. We'll be putting some photos up from our week in India's tropical paradise; beautiful beaches and sunsets and a scooter safari through nature reserves (and Goan roads, overtaking elephants!)

We were going to grab a beach hut for the week in Goa, but we've come just at the start of low season. The beach huts are gone in preparation for the monsoon! Good news is we picked up a 2 bedroom villa with 4 (FOUR) balconies, all for £10 a night. We tell you this now in case anyone tried to join us in the villa...

Opposite our villa is one of Goa's premiere resorts - so we thought it rude not to indulge on our honeymoon within a honeymoon. Sadly our trekking in the Himalayas was downscaled due to poor weather and the remnants of a harsh winter. Anton - hope you don't mind but we traded in your gift for some super cool treats including beach rentals, pool passes and drinks and a couple of rounds of golf. Thanks buddy! 

By the way, first time I've ever played golf - can someone let me know if it looks a decent course or not? I was the only one on it...

Beach babe!

Most holes I was terrible at (I lost 2 balls, but not in the water) - but hit par on one hole by
hammering it over a Hindu temple onto the green!

Some 5* pool action - loved it!

A Scooter Safari

Super duper brilliant day today - we rented a big moped and headed out into the Goan jungle and backroads to explore. Great fun.

The Lonely Planet had two points of note for motorcyclists: 

     Don't take corners too quickly, chances are there's a cow just around the bend. 

     Watch out for farmers  - the poor ones don't have threshing machines so just spread their wheat on the road for traffic to crush the grains out of the ears of wheat.

Helmets firmly strapped on, stern talking to received and we're off. 

First up we headed into the nature reserve, home to wild roaming leopards, boar, elephants and monkeys. Other people enter the reserve in covered Jeeps. We trundle in on the Hog - to be confronted by monkeys with 5ft long tails within the first couple of minutes. Sarah holds on a bit tighter.

Leaving the Hog on the side of the dirt tracks, we trundled in to the jungle/forest (difference?!) to the tree top hide - rackety to say the least, but we made it to the top eventually.

Don't look down...

Sweaty Bessies at the top

From the hide, we heard a lot of rustling in the trees not too far away, with branches swinging and twigs snapping.

Silently we wait. The 38degC heat makes us sweat. Midges fly round. The rustling comes ever nearer, but never quite near enough.

After half an hour, eventually they emerge. Cows. Glorified cows (Bison, apparently) - but still cows, an animal we've seen more of (but not eaten, though it's tempting to lick them) than ever before.

To be fair, the big Daddy bison when he emerged was mighty impressive.

We let them get well clear before we came down

Charlie's Angels: Honda Scooter Outfit, Limited Edition

The only people in India wearing helmets

We finished off in the nature reserve with some drives around the various tracks and trails - flooring it whenever the monkeys came too close!

Later on we filled up the mini-boot with lots of cold Kingfishers - how Indian!

After the nature reserve, we headed South down the coast to explore various beaches, coves and coastal towns... The traffic wasn't too bad - as long as you keep at the same speed as the majority. People drive with their horns on and the following is the rule of the road:

Most vulnerable  People
                          Dogs, it seems
                          Cyclists
                          Motorcyclists
                          Cars
                          Buses
                          Lorries
Top trumps        Cow.

Although I did overtake an elephant, and that was quite scary.

Calling in for a pit-stop - with a chai, bhaji and some cricket to watch.
Spiffing.

A typical sleepy Goan beach in "low-season"

It was a really great day - buzzing around local, quiet roads through gorgeous scenery and coastline. No pressure, no rush. Super good fun.

It really is a tropical paradise!

We're hoping to do some more motorcycling in a yet to be determined part of Asia (after we've seen how safe it is!) - but Will, this one's on you and there's more left in the piggy bank for Round 2. Thanks buddy!