Another Day In Paradise - And It Really Was!

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Phew, Singapore was amazing. Just before we left we visited the offices of the Urban Redevelopment Agency. This is the body responsible for the future development of the place. They had invested loads into informing people what's going on and why, models, maps, interactive computer stuff. They are building up, building out - 20% more land through reclamation and building down, as far as 150 metres. Just got to go back in a few years to see it all!

To get the train to our current location we had to start the journey on coach, to get back into the first town in Malaysia. Doing that saves lots of dosh because of the way train tickets are priced. A 50 Ringet journey in Malaysia would cost 50 Singapore Dollars if booked and paid for in Singapore. (50 Ringet = £10, 50 $ = £25). It only took an hour or so for the coach journey proceed border procedures. Once at the rail station in JB (Malaysia) we had time to spare. Carol was so exhausted from our 3 day jog around Singapore she went off and got a foot massage. The train journey started off one hour late and arrived three hours late, something about work (not leaves) on the track, but they made no effort to tell the travelling public anything about it. The overnight train was pretty comfortable, chairs laid out into beds, with curtains across. So all in all we slept for most of the journey. To get from Tanah Merah, which was the train destination to the coast was a taxi job, but pretty effortless. Then it was a case of a fast boat ferry out to Perhentian Besar a place that really is a tropical paradise. A fairly small island, mostly forested, fringed by white coral beaches which in places had hotel developments. Our room drops right down on to the beach. Today has been pretty much clear skies, 35C, no wind - beautiful. Just off the beach is a wonderful choral reef, teeming with fish. Snorkelling over the reef is amazing, swish swirling around. Most fish move away, but one particular species, I think it was triggerfish seem to like getting up close and sticking in a little peck on which ever bit of your body it fancies, so I,ve had a peck on the leg and back - quite disconcerting when it happens for the first time. Carol had a scary moment of a different type. From the beach we could see a monkey just beyonterraced king ifront of our room, so Carol nipped into the room to get our camera. When she came out the monkescared sat right inffont of the door - picture the scene, small monkey sat still holding Carol at bay, too scared to move.

Where we are staying is a little resort in its own right, but right at the end of the season, since the monsoons start verge very soon. As a result the place isn't too busy. Tomorrow we go on a multi site snorkelling boat trip, turtles as well as fish.

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