And so we embarked on our journey to the Perhentian islands or more affectionately termed 'heaven on earth' and what was supposed to be a short overnight bus journey turned into a mini adventure. After missing the last bus to our chosen destination we opted for another bus that would drop us North of the port on which we met some Malay's who spontaneously invited us to their wedding the following morning (hmm, on an overnight bus the night before your wedding!). We accepted thinking it would be a great little journey breaker and a chance to see a little bit more of Muslim culture. It was also to be James' first guest appearance at a wedding. So with heavy bags (on our back and under our eyes) we made our way to a little Malay beachside town where we were treated to shed loads of grub before we dressed for the auspicious occasion. And so I changed, and I changed and then I changed again until they were satisfied that my limbs were safely wrapped in a sarong and cardigan so as not to offend any of the guests! So wrapped and baked we were then scorched even more when we were placed under the burning eyes of the wedding party! Evidently such occasions are not usually attended by us mere western mortals! But it was fun and we certainly got a shock when the food was served minus cutlery (refer to last journal!). So it was that James and I set about eating a wedding buffet of curry and rice with our fingers! It was the comeuppance we deserved for our recent mockery! When we were fed up and finger licked we made our way to the long awaited Perhentian Islands but before we jumped ship we made the discovery that we had no money and the islands had no ATM's; 'What no ATM's!'. 1 mad taxi dash and death defying leap aboard a moving ship later and we had landed upon the spectacular island of Perhentian Kecil; where the sand is whiter. The sea clearer and life is slower than anywhere else on earth. So it will come as a surprise to no one that the island became our home for 9 days. And upon landing we bumped in a girl we had met in Phi Phi; Jen (it was wicked to see you again Jen!), who was quick to inform us that we'd have to pay the price for inhabiting such an idyllic paradise: the bungalows would be stretch for any backpacker's budget! Not that easily deterred I abandoned James with the bags (full to the brim with our duty free alcohol bargains you'll remember) and went off in search for suitable lodgings - and indeed I found us a dilapidated little hut complete with a gecko's nest but with perhaps the best view of the island and, better still, a snip at only 3 quid. After a few days James once again adopted his Robinson Crusoe role and transformed the hut into a jungle palace fir for a queen (all be it a queen gecko and her eggs!), with coconut plants, hanging decorations, shells and the all important hammock. In no time at all we were the envy of the rest of the beach dwellers! And our hut isn't the only thing that captured the Robinson Crusoe in James; we've discovered an abundance of huge lizards that James goes on his jaunts in search of, and these things are HUGE, and they also don't take kindly to an intrepid traveler running after them with a camera! We've also had our fair share of frogs, spiders and geckos in the showers with us but it's a small price to pay when you're here. We've also spotted sharks and turtles in the clearest of clear seas around us. And so our days have been filled sun soaking, sea bathing and trying all the delicious Malay food they have on offer. On that note we met a couple; George and Tenia, who loved the grub here so much that in one sitting they devoured 7 main courses between them! We've also discovered the Malay version of naan bread served with curry sauce, called Roti, and have made it our mission to have it at least once a day. Unfortunately the combination does nothing for James' gases and has led to us dubbing his gastourous outbursts 'Roti Botty'. So a combination of Roti Botty, duty free alcohol and the forthcoming birth of a dozen gecko's in our beams has forced us to abandon hut and we have set sail for the oldest rain forest in the world; Taman Negra where all our R & R will pay off as we'll be hanging from forest vines (Tarzan style) & trekking through the jungle. So it's goodbye from him; Tarzan and Me; Jane, while we get into the swing of things... xxx