And another one …

Jex managed a spot of coconut tree climbing in between school.

Viewing the Eiffel was a good start to 2010.  We even considered the chilly prospect of joining the lengthy queues to get a better view of Paris before we thought better of it.

Their willingness to pick-up and drop-off interesting looking boxes on the way suggested we were not the only goods. And then it’s on to Penang.

George Town, on the island of Penang, is a great little place. There’s a high Chinese population, an old colonial feel, and it all seems to be fairly laid back (at least, as south-east Asia goes). Perhaps this is what Singapore could have been like in a parallel universe.

Penang has a few notable attractions. One is the precipitous railway up the top of the hill, covered with beautiful colonial residences that appear to have been lifted in from leafy Surrey. Try not to think about the astonishing phenomenon of the British empire when you’re sipping tea in an English country garden looking out over the Malay straits…

Another is a temple draped with soporific snakes (whose main role appears to be photographic rather than at all religious):

Finally, George Town is known for its food. Vibrant dining courts, a multicultural blend of cuisine, and, ah – fabulous satay on the streets.

And it’s en route to one such court that we stumble onto a (fairly gratuitous, it seems) street parade, complete with child-scaring dragon.

Not to mention, more curiously, a troupe of acrobatic flag throwers.

A super town and a few great days.

Heading south from Bangkok, we settle near Krabi for a boutique week or so. Yes, it’s “Man With The Golden Gun” country.

We take a trip over to the left-hand-most of the archipelago: Hong Island. Crystal blue lagoon stuffed with snorkel-worthy fish, precarious limestone cliffs, and sand to die for.

Oh, and a 6ft-long Monitor Lizard who roves around looking for unfinished sandwiches and unwary 4-year-olds.

Heading inland, the island shows its scars. The parties of cheerful tourists who headed to the same beach on 26th December 2004 did not all make it off. Their boats have been left where they landed – up in the rainforest, almost 100 yards from the beach – as a sober memorial.

Full set of photos here.