Letter from Penang

Dajia Hao,

Hullo to all, hope everyone is well.

Good luck to all those involved with the WTPA Festival. Our thoughts are with you.

Only 2 weeks left of our annual pilgrimage and we're starting to panic.

I can't imagine leaving here despite the persistent rain.

The weekend after we returned from Borneo was a lot of fun.

A group of us spent time cooking up some local curries at the Spice Garden followed by a website building seminar.

The next day we took a boat to Monkey Beach and then trekked up to the lighthouse at Muka Head. After exploring the lighthouse with its spectacular views over the north-west corner of Penang island, we continued on by boat to Pantai Kerachut to view the turtle breeding sanctuary and meromictic lake ( first person to email back with even the foggiest idea of what that is will win free accommodation in Penang for two weeks next year - serious ).

Nazlina, Johanna & Johan

at the turtle hatchery

Trekking in the Malaysian jungle is a wonderful experience. But, if confronted by a tiger it is important to stand perfectly still and sing.

The Malaysian National Anthem works best. If the tiger still wants to attack then try the Singaporean or Thai National Anthems. It may be an over-the-border tiger.

Generally they don't like eating people. Of course, if they're really hungry and there's nothing else to eat, the familiar 'Macca's effect' comes in to play. We start looking like a cheeseburger with fries.

Over the weekend we met a really nice Texan who writes articles and takes wildlife pics for ecology magazines and websites.

He married a Malay girl and they've lived in KL for the past 20 years. He converted to Islam as a matter of course and was asked to select a Moslem name. He chose Razlee Dazlee much to the chagrin of his adopted family.

Enjoyed a funny night out with Jamal ( a Malay friend ) and his wife.

His latest saying is "never late than better". His tales about Arab tourists are priceless. Ramadan has just started so the Arabs have gone back to the desert.

Everybody here is breathing a sigh of relief.

It's holiday time. Appu and a couple of drivers who work with him, their wives, a tribe of kids, Lotus Bud and I, all crammed in a bus and headed for the Genting Highlands.

If you enjoy smoke filled casinos, lots of expensive franchised fast food outlets and soulless Malaysian versions of crass American culture, then the Genting Highlands could be just the place for you.

On the upside, it is cooler if you need a break from the tropical heat and there are some fun rides in the Theme Park for kids of all ages.

Genting is where the Malaysians come en masse to play. It's like a religious pilgrimage. Like doing Haj. They come from every Kampong on the peninsula at least once in their lives.

During a two night stay we didn't spy a single western face.

We stayed in room 929, one of 11,000 rooms that make up the largest hotel on the planet. The whole place looks like the departure lounge of an airport. There is not a single vacant room. Why?

The Malaysian mind is essentially unfathomable.

They're all wearing masks to guard against the media-hyped up H1N1 virus but they are happy to share food and drink bottles, leave stagnant water to attract dengue, smoke themselves stupid into burgeoning cancer wards and never use

soap to wash their hands. I love them but they are a people who have massively embraced 21st century technology only minutes after evolving from jellyfish.

Issues such as caring for the environment, racial equality, women's rights, health and safety have not even blipped on the radar yet.

We are going to Thailand tomorrow for a couple of days for some trekking.

I have to go and learn the Thai National Anthem.

Love to all.

John and Veronica.