A few pics from my phone

Most of my pics are on my computer but here is a mini selection to remind me of how lovely it was.

The day of reckoning beckons.

Weigh in is on Thursday morning and I'm guessing at a solid gain 4, maybe 5 lbs. I'm doing what I can before then to minimise the damage but suspect that I will be almost back to where I started back in Feb/March.

Hey ho. If I hadn't dropped those 9.5 lbs who know where I'd be now?!

I feel energised by our lovely holiday. Determined to get stuff done at work, at home, in my dieting quest and in the garden. Not to mention seeing more of my friends this summer.

Lovely as Malaysia was, going there has made me appreciate even more this country. The changing seasons; the weather which generally allows you to be outdoors and active without melting; manageable traffic and drivers who generally observe the rules of the road; our television and, after 2 weeks in a predominantly muslim country, our pork products!!

I came back to the very sad news that my friend Kerry's mother had died suddenly. She had been ill with cancer and was having chemo but was taken suddenly by a blood clot. Kerry (an only child) and her father are devastated. That too has made me reflect as well. They were such a close couple from small families who had few friends as they really only needed each other.

I can see Rich and I being a bit like that. We spend a lot of time together and think we need to reach out more. It's easy to become an island and not necessarily healthy.

That said, it has been heavenly spending the last fortnight together. We work so well on holiday. No rows, no niggles over what we want to do, just a happy time. And he got on really well with my brother, nephew, sister in law and her wider family too. Such a change from previous holidays with D which became minefields to be negotiated rather than fun-filled breaks.

So, I'm now back to the grindstone of diet and exercise and I'm actually looking forward to it. Wish me luck!!

Bored in Langkawi Airport

We got here early (as you do) and now the flight is delayed. Boooo. It's never nice leaving paradise but hanging around in the waiting room doesn't help anyone.

We've had a lovely few days in Langkawi staying at the very luxurious and exclusive Andaman Hotel on the north of the island. For 4 days it cost way more than we would usually spend in a fortnight but, once in a while, I think we deserve a little luxury. The beach was stunning. A private cove with just 2 hotels at either end. The hotel and grounds were set in protected rainforest so every walk was an opportunity to spot wildlife.

We saw hoards of cheeky macaque monkeys; squirrels, both regular sized, flying and giant (@1 m nose to tail!); several types of kingfisher; hornbills; Brahminy Kites; Sea Eagles; monitor lizards; a sleeping flying lemur; and a big family of wild boar.

Sadly we did not catch sight of the black dusky leaf monkeys with their bright ginger babies (I wanted to take a pic for you Peri) although we did see some adults at a distance on a golf course.

There were numerous, exotic bugs, beetle and butterflies and much talk of snakes having been sighted in the swimming pool (including a python and King Cobra last week!) but, happily, the only snake we saw was a sleeping pit viper from the safety of a boat while on a tour of the mangroves.

It is VERY hot and humid here. We've played 2 rounds of golf and both times I thought I was melting. It tends to discourage you from doing much but we did manage a nature walk and boat trip as well as a bit of a drive round the island as well as golfing, lounging on the beach and dining extremely well on  gorgeous, fresh seafood.

Plane has arrived. We're off to KL!! (Actually we've been here since Friday but I haven't been able to upload this post!)

We're in Malaysia!!

So, no time in the midst of the lounging around on the 9th most beautiful beach in the world (according to Conde Nast....) to chat. But here are some pics I took while golfing this morning. It was roasty hot but the sea breeze and buggy made it bearable. The course was simply stunning - set in rainforest with looming mountains, monkeys on the fairways, monitor lizards in the stream beds,  eagles and kites above and several seaside holes looking out to blue-grey islands.

We are truly blessed to be here.