Racing in mangrove river

On our last day in Malaysia we did a Mangrove trip to the northern side of Langkawi.

We drove around the rivers and did several stops.

The first stop was to a bat cave.

We also went to see some fossils that were approximately 400 million years old.

Elisa's new friend :) we got to feed monkeys in the boat.

Visiting a lake with our guide, we were propably his favorites of the group ;)

Feeding huge fishes at the fish farm.

Enjoying the boat ride with the wind blowing in our hair!

We also had a break to enjoy a paradise beach.

Jump, JUMP!

We were so high on life that we started levitating.

Hard life

Although we are having a great time most of the time, some situations just aren't that enjoyable...

Laying on the beach all day can be quite exhausting as you can see.

Drinking water on your stomach while laying on the beach is another difficult task. 

Worst welcome so far.

Sleeping in a disgusting 'the only one available' motel.

The ice-cream melting before you have finished it.

Having sand everywhere when you leave the beach. 

Forgetting to ask your fruit juice to be made 'without sugar'.

Getting an even tan is a challenging task when you're constantly in the sunlight. It requires skill, right kind of equipment and good timing. And even then you don't always succeed. 

Finally something about food. Even though most of the local delicacies have been delicious, we have made a few errors, especially one. Meet Durian.

This is a before picture. There is no after picture and we are desperately trying to erase this memory completely. Worst taste ever, seriously don't try it!

(Edit: We did not find wifi yesterday so this post had to wait until today, which led to a few new experiences. 

1. Today's lunch, random parts of chicken

2. Spending the night in a hotel that seems more like an abandoned mental hospital. (As creepy as in horror movies.)

Tropical glitter

On Thursday morning we left Georgetown by boat and headed to Langkawi. We had heard stories about the ferry being known as the "vomit comet" since lots of people get seasick from of the waves, but thankfully the boat ride went well.

The weather turned out to be perfect and we enjoyed the sun and fresh wind on the three hour ferry ride.

When we arrived we took a taxi to Zackry's guesthouse that we had looked up on the internet. But the man in the reception turned out to be the rudest person we've met on this trip, and he suggested that we go somewhere else (a real businessman!). Puzzled by his attitude we left looking for another place. Fortunately we found a way much better place to stay for the same amount of money!

We have spent our time relaxing and enjoying the amazing beach and reading some books.

Sunset on Pantai Tengah beach. 

We found paradise! :)

Temples, turtles & tattoos

We continued exploring the island of Penang by taking a funiculaire up to Penang Hill. 

Here is a panorama view from the top of the hill. You can see George Town next to the shore, and on the other side of the sea is the Malaysian mainland. 

We went to see the Khoo Kongsi Clan House.  

Some scenes were taken here to the Hollywood movie Anna and the King (2004).

In the afternoon we went to see the Kek Lok Si Temple. It is the biggest buddhist temple in South East Asia. On the way to the temple we saw turtles!

Found the Dragon statue. We are all dragons in our chinese horoscope :)

Wishing ribbons. You choose one wish and add it to the tree. Ours were Constant Happiness, Family to be safe and Attaining eminence step by step.

We continued on our exitement with Indian culture and took henna tattoos.

Tattoo time! ;)

Gourmet street food; springrolls, satay, noodles and banana milkshake.

And drinks with Emmi and Sami :)