The time you have all been waiting for has arrived... Yes.. it is my... E-MAIL (when reading this read it as if the word 'mail' trails out with an echo effect. Phonetically it would sound: E-MAIL..mail..mai..ma.m..mail~!)

We've left the hustling and bustling of Kuala Lumpur. Hustling and bustling? On our last day we marched off to Puduraya bus station looking for a bus to Penang.

Hustler: Where you go!
Me: *Chuckle*
(At this point I thought he was a hustler for intra-city destinations)
Me: Penang....
Hustler: OK ok ok ok that'll be 54 RINGGIT!
Me: Wait wait.. Show me the bus first
Hustler: Very nice very nice bus. This one. *Points over to an array of buses*
Me: *Chuckle* Which one
Hustler: The nice one
Me: Of course

Hahaha we found ourselves on another couch with reclining seats and another 5 hour bus ride. I've been reading James Freys' A Million Little Pieces.. so I managed to finish the majority of that on this trip. Recommendation? It's a good read. It'd be a better read if you are addicted to addictions. ;) I suppose I am addicted to addictions... Might as well face it I'm addicted to LOVE!

Now that I have created myself a solid tangent. I recommend HAPPY FEET to everybody. Sure it might look like a kids movie... but its a f***ING funny kids movie. Robin Williams is the greatest. Robin Williams plays a little latino penguin, Ramon:

Ramon: I can hear them wanting something...
Other penguins: What?
Ramon: MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

GEEZ. If you didnt find that funny.. then watch it and you WILL. If you did find that funny... then watch it and you WILL enjoy.

Ramon: Let me tell something tou jou.

His latino accent is the greatest.

How are my accents coming along? My Malaysian is slowly coming along.. If I listened to more radio I would be able to get it mimicked faster. The cross-section of accents are wide here in Malaysia seeing that most places that we have been to have a mix of Malay, Indian and Chinese ethnicities. It'll get there and I will confuse my Malaysian brothers soon.

Once we reached Penang we took a taxi to Batu Feringgi on the Island. Batu Feringgi is the most populated beach (and acclaimed to be the best beach) on the island... the battery of hotel resorts dont seem to argue with that claim either. It's not much of a beach but the ambience is great nonetheless. The locals are friendly, there are night markets on the main street through Batu Feringgi and there is this great bar on the beach, the Sunset Bistro.

Escaping the madness of KL I craved relaxation... and the Sunset Bistro gave me all that I needed. Cheap food, cheap drinks, miscellaneous street entertainment and an amazing view. For the last two and a half days Karina and I have been predominantly frequenting this bar... and these photos will explain why:

http://www.statraveljournals.com/klopez/photos/SNV32893.jpg
http://www.statraveljournals.com/klopez/photos/SNV32894.jpg
http://www.statraveljournals.com/klopez/photos/SNV32895.jpg

Very nice!

Along the main beach in Batu Feringgi are a selection of Guesthouses (most of them you will find in your local Lonely Planet). We were taken by our taxi driver to one... and upon arrival it was quite clear that we had been done by a driver who was working on commission with the guesthouse owner. I was quick to accept the place because I was not in the mood to go hunting for a room in a place I was unfamiliar with! I wasnt impressed and neither was Karina:

http://www.statraveljournals.com/klopez/photos/SNV32873.jpg

We shared our toilet with a frog which was thereafter named Flickles! For the first time in my life a frog watched me Pee.

http://www.statraveljournals.com/klopez/photos/SNV32871.jpg

The final straw was at 6am in the morning. Being a predominantly muslim state there are mosques lined with megaphones/speakers. Four or five times a day the mosque busts out into song/sermon.. and yes the first song was at 6am. LOL. It was heavy. And loud. Karina and I quickly found the humour of it all and lay there for close to half an hour laughing. When you thought it had finished... a second or two later the preacher would sing his next note an octave higher! Hahahahaha the pause between each verse became longer and the notes would keep getting higher. I prayed to baby Jesus to have it stop.. but I guess Islam won out this time. ;) The singer took his note so high that the dogs began to howl! As the dogs howled... we howled.. with laughter :)

I have some footage of this mosque and of the singing... fingers crossed that I can find a decent internet connection to upload this all onto youtube.

The following morning I had decided to go looking for other guesthouses but managed to negotiate with the owner of the room that we had been staying in to move into the newly furbished room across the yard. It was MUCH nicer. Air con, hot water, paint on the walls, no cracks in the ceiling, no frogs in the toilet!

I've continued to meet CHARACTERS on this trip... and have continued to meet Australians. Met a fellow Aussie who just happened to stay in the Guesthouse next to us (and was on the run from the Singaporean governement! Hehe):

http://www.statraveljournals.com/klopez/photos/SNV32885.jpg

Look at how white these people are!

We also bumped into the Chinese MASTER... Terry. A masseur, martial arts expert, reflexologist and celebrity who appeared on BBC and now resides in Batu Feringgi, Penang. Karina was lured by the mystical charms of the ancient art of reflexology. She was told she had gas. She was told that it had something to do with her 'pipes' hahahahhahahahahahaha. The Chinese Master is elusive. You cannot speak his name out. I am safe here.. I am typing. But I dare not speak his name. Otherwise he will appear and he will STRIKE you down. I tried to get a photo of him... and this is all I could manage:

http://www.statraveljournals.com/klopez/photos/SNV32897.jpg

Our dear friend Hugo was not so lucky. He angered the Chinese MASTER and subsequently was hexed! The Chinese MASTER, using his ancient philosophies, rationalised that Hugo was to die at 30 years of age (he is 25) UNLESS he was to come back to his studio, pay 120RM (~45AUD) to begin his treatment. DO NOT MESS WITH THE CHINESE MASTER.

I was lucky.
I shall say no more.

We've left Penang and are now staying on Cenang Beach, Langkawi, Malaysia. We'll be here for a couple days and I have started preparing myself for photo opportunities. I have already made some new friends, a Swedish couple... hej markus! ;) They were staying at the same guesthouse in Batu Feringgi and I have bumped into them on 3 separate occasions. Fate has decided that we must get to know each other.

As for the rest of you... I want to get something going. I want to hear whats going on in your lives! I'm here in Asia on my own adventure and I know you guys are on adventures too. Life is an adventure.. and it doesnt matter if you are on holiday or if you are in a 9 to 5. Let me know how things are going. I want to be involved.

Much Love,

Kris