Friday 13th August 2004 - Day 334/365 - George Town, Penang, Malaysia.

I do feel uncomfortable around ordinary tourists. I've always had a sneaky suspicion that it just wasn't me. I find nothing relaxing about sitting round a pool or on a beach.

We did a tour of the island. We expected a tour of the island in a luxury coachs with loads of other tourists. We got an old taxi and a driver who didn't speak very good english. What followed was a drive around the whole island, passed the butterfly and fruit farms and the fishing. After 1.5 hours of total silence in the taxi the driver pipes up with "Do you want to see the Snake Temple". At which point point Dad replied. "Yes and we're supposed to stop at a fruit farm, a butterfly farm and a fishing village." Talk about bolting horses.

Anyway the snake temple was a terrible disappointment. I expected snake pits Indiana Jones stylee. Instead we got a couple of little 'venomous' snakes on branches, no doubt doped to the eyeballs.

Like good Englishmen we didn't complain, but we whinged like hell.

Today I'm feeling much more relaxed about the whole travelling in Asia thing, which has come a great relief.

I worked out that I had eaten squid. I couldn't work out what had done me and was beginning to question myself.