SE Asia 2014 Day 26

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I sleep like a baby and awake a new man. What a relief, after feeling so lousy for the past few days.

Today is another wasted day, and our last day in paradise. Four of our group arrange an excursion to a waterfall, but we hear from them later that the trek through the jungle is difficult and the temperatures unbearable, so they don't even make it to their destination.

One couple goes shopping for the afternoon. For the rest of us, it's beach life. Even though I make an effort to stay out of the sun as much as possible, I still manage to pick up a burn on my shoulders and back. We are very close to the equator here, and so the sun literally is closer and hotter. Unprotected skin burns in a matter of minutes. The weather is gorgeous, just really, really hot. The temperatures all week have been in the 34° range.

Since I have so little to talk about, a digression about the flora and fauna here. The resort has beautiful greenery everywhere. They favour flowering trees to provide colour, and the result is not only visually appealing but also means the air is always pleasantly scented. The dominant tree has lovely white flowers and grows green fruit. The staff don't know what the tree is called but they tell us the fruit is not edible. An interesting bedding plant is used extensively. It has large waxy leaves, and each stem ends in a flower that looks like a bright red pinecomb. The aromatherapy is continued with strategically placed incense, and the smell of eucalyptus is also common. Beautiful majestic coconut palms sway above the fray and look particularly appealing at night.

Lots of little geckos on the walls, which we have seen before. (Violet makes sure the suitcases are tightly closed each night because she thinks the geckos might get in, although I doubt they are interested in our underwear.) Violet has found a place where a particularly large gecko with an oversized head hangs out, and we see him almost every night on the walk back to our room. I also spied a huge cicada on the wall one night, looking like a grasshopper subjected to a gamma-ray experiment. Large land snails crawl around after dark. I accidentally squished one coming home in the dark one night, to my regret.

And I should mention the birds. The resort enjoys a constant accompaniment of bird sounds throughout the daylight hours. The most in-your-face avian friend is some kind of mynah, I think. It's mostly black, with a yellow patch on the cheek that extends to the equally yellow bill. The body is a bit more brownish, and the wings when extended are black and white. Anyway, these guys strut around like they own the place. "Don't mess with me. My grandad was a dinosaur!" They'll hop right up on your plate when you go for seconds. And they are very vocal, with a wide repertoire of sounds.

We opt for supper on the beach again. Tonight it's à la carte surf and turf, turf meaning a variety of meat. But the majority chose fish. I have tuna and Violet sea bass plus a scampi, a combination called "Dancing on the Beach." Violet wins, but everyone enjoys their meal. We toast our last day in paradise together, then reluctantly head back to our rooms to repack. Have to leave by 8 am tomorrow.

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