Hi there, back in Penang, staying not far from where we were before. The lady where booked our tickets to Langkawi convinced us to stay in her hostel on Love Lane. It's actually very nice...
Langkawi was incredible; not really anything exciting to do there, but the trip around the island and the general impression was very good. We had intended to ride around a bit today, but sleep ranked higher on our list of "to do", so we lazed about for the morning. Taking a taxi to the pier around noon, we were able to switch our 5:30 sailing to 2:30 - good because we really had nothing to do on the island. Eating in the food court, Andrew and I bumped into our old friend from Bangkok and Phi Phi, Jayden. It never ceases to amaze me how travelers manage to bump into each other. In Georgetown, just the other day, I ran into a pair of brits that I had met on the bus to Chiang Mai at the beginning of the month. I later ran into them the night of the full moon party on Koh Pha Ngan. Some girls got on the ferry to Langkawi with us and I recognised them from somewhere (I have no idea, but somewhere in Thailand, no doubt). Shows how small this area of the world actually is. Truth be told, there aren't too many travelers that stray from the beaten path; everyone has similar itineraries, just the dates vary.

I just finished reading "The Beach". Makes you think about the impact we tourists are having on the places we visit. Mostly it's harmless, but in the long run, those that seek out new and raw destinations do truly change the face of the travel map. It's a bit dramatic, though, as it isn't that hard to find an isolated beach resort relatively untouched by western humanity. And there are tonnes of islands everywhere that nobody has set foot on. Still makes you think.

So, back in Georgetown, Penang Island, it is Deepavali. I gather it is an important Hindu holiday, so Andrew and I are going to head down to the Little India district, where we ate dinner the first night here, to take in the festival. I remember now that it's Remembrance Day back home, enjoy your days off tomorrow, eh!

Started taking my malaria tablets. Looking forward to the demented dreams that will result. More to come. That is all for now.