The final post from the 'Pearl of the Orient'!
Well, it is time to return to Europe after a fantastic year in the Far East. We shall miss our life here but happy to be nearer family and friends and feel ready to move onto the next stage of our lives. Would recommend an adult gap year to you all. It is rejuvenating and fun and can be done on all budgets. We booked most trips ourselves using Lonely Planet, Trip advisor and personal recommendations as our guides. We have visited Bhutan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, India, Nepal, Tibet, Hong Kong and Macau, Singapore, Indonesia ( Sumartra, Kalimantan, Bali and Lombok), Borneo, (Kevin also visited N Korea) and we have seen a lot of peninsular Malaysia and its islands. We have walked, trekked and travelled by trishaw, train, metro, tram, coach, taxi, car, tuk tuk, minivan, chauffeur driven limo, motorbike, boats and planes galore, raft, horse and cart, bullock and cart, elephant and camel! We have interacted with so many different people, learnt about Buddhism,Hinduism and Islam and eaten and drunk many new things. You experience and see so much that it changes the way you view life.
Georgetown, Penang is a wonderful place to explore. We shall miss the multicultural mix of people, the street art, the temples, the cultural activities, the festivals especially Thaipusam and the Hungry Ghost, the street food and our favourite places to eat, the coffee shops, wandering around past all the Chinese shopfronts, listening to Bollywood hits belting out from Little India, the climate (both the warmth and the amazing tropical storms), the colourful trishaws, the skilled artisans (liked the wooden sign maker best), Howard Tan's wonderful photography, lovely massages (and manicures and pedicures) and last but not least the lovely E and O Hotel, Georgetown which has been a home from home for us for 12 months. It has been a fantastic base with lovely rooms, pools, boat service to Straits Quay,great food and above all staff who have looked after us so well. It will be sad to say goodbye tomorrow but all good things must come to an end. Thank you to those that read our blogs and l hope that you enjoyed the journey with us. Back to reality and hope to catch up with many of you face to face very soon Xx