Very sadly said goodbye to Koh Lipe this morning, I really wanted to stay!I'll quickly run through Malaysia as I really want to get up to date with the blogs!For more detail you are definitely best off having a read of Tom's blog and also he's the one whos been good enough to keep uploading photos!

Right so, on the beach of Koh Lipe we boarded a longtail boat, the beach is their port!!This took us out to sea a bit where we transferred onto a ferry.After about an hour and a half we arrived in Langkawi, a Malaysian island.Well not what I expected, there was a Starbucks!!Not seen one of those for a while, had to have one!! Also this was our first sign of the festive season, posters with the Christmas drinks on!After a chat with 2 very sweet Malaysian girls we had a KFC (not seen one of those for a while either!!) and got on the ferry to Penang.This was a freezing journey so we were glad to get off the boat!We arrived about 8pm, just as we started to walk to find some accommodation it started to rain, great, ponchos out!!We went into a few nice looking hotels which were way out of our budget (had a look at the nice Christmas trees in the lobbies though!), so started to look at the more downmarket side of town!Didn't have much luck with this either, some were full and some were just a bit disgusting.Tom was ready to give up and slum it but I really wanted to carry on searching so he stuck it out until I was satisfied with somewhere!... He preferred to walk around getting soaked than have me in a strop all night, very good husband material I have here!!! We settled at the Crystal guest house and stayed in for what was left of the evening.Next morning we woke to the sound of the alarm clock at 9.30, we're normally awake way before this but our room had no outside windows so it still felt like the middle of the night!Today (Fri 2nd December) we walked around Chinatown looking for somewhere to adjust my ring, no luck.We've heard that Malaysians love to shop (maybe I have Malaysian roots!!!!) so we wandered down to see the most modern shopping centre I think I've ever seen!Really strange because right across the road from it there are rows of really old traditional houses.Once we got inside and had a good look around we discovered a bridge across to the shopping centre next door!Slightly older but just as big!We didn't quite manage to leave without spending any money, we bought a laptop!!Wasn't too much of an impulse buy, we have been planning to get one!Next morning we slept in again.Didn't do much all day just pottered around at the guest house playing with our new toy!We did venture out at tea time, had sushi at the big shopping mall and went to the cinema on the top floor to watch the new twilight film!Had a 'couples seat' at the cinema which was a novelty!

Sunday 4th we got up late yet again, too easy when there is no natural light to wake you!After breakfast we went to watch a national bike race which was going on in Penang, watched for a little while and then carried on with our sightseeing.The Penang State Museum was quite interesting, didn't realise Malaysia was made up of immigrants from so many different countries! After the museum we went to the Chocolate mansion, basically a chocolate shop where you get to taste all the different flavours, didn't manage to get out of there without spending any money either!This evening we went to try out the food in Little India, was the best Indian I've had in a long time if not ever!!We strolled back to our room very stuffed!!

Monday morning we got up early, quite a shock after all of the lie ins recently!Got the bus to Kuala Lumpur which took about 6 hours, the bus was great considering what we'd gotten used to, very comfy seats with lots of leg room!We checked into Suzie's guest house, our first time in a hostel although it's a private room.Literally a room with bunk beds and a fan!!Had tea at a food court this evening and then had a stroll around Chinatown before bed.Woke up Tuesday morning and Tom has been bitten all over by something or other, not good!!!!!After our free breakfast of toast, toast and more toast we went to see the Petronas Twin Towers.Had a nasty shock as according to the guide book it was free to go up the towers but the actual cost was 50 ringgit (only about a tenner but that is most of our daily budget!).We paid the money as we really wanted to go up and I have to say it was worth it.I was a lot more impressed than I expected to be! The view was great from the very top and it was cool to be on the bridge that joins the two towers. They showed us the gap at either end of the bridge which allows for the movement of the towers from the wind etc!After the towers we had a look around yet more shops, asked in a few jewellery shops to see whether they did adjustments for my ring.Nowhere did and by this time I'm getting annoyed, I just want to wear the ring on my finger!!!!!!Tom saved the day and bought me a £5 ring to wear for now, he is the best!! Went to look around Little India this evening hoping for another nice meal, wasn't quite the same this time.We sat down, there was no menu and not much English being spoken!!In the end we went up to the counter, pointed at what looked good and hoped for the best!It was ok except my chicken was on the bone (still haven't gotten over that problem yet!!).Wednesday morning we went to the Lake Gardens, the orchid garden was really nice, tried to get some nice photos with the 'flower' setting on my camera!! Then went to another part of the city on the sky train where there were even more shops!Booked our bus tickets to Singapore for tomorrow morning.