Book - Alan Clarke Diarys 1982-1991

I recommend reading 'Alan's Diary' and the 'Life of Elizabeth 1' books at the same time.  Same same.  Men sulking went they don't get their own way.  500 years of zero progress.   What with Brown and now Mitchell running off at the mouth, our technology gets sharper but we humans remain completely wet!!!!

Book - Secrets of Leadership

Well not really,  A hurried romp through the 30 centuries of generals battles, with nothing new to reveal.  All a bit to obvious. Get your followers to love you.  More on tactics used to accomplish a strategic aim. 

Book - The Life of Liz No. 1

Earlier this month there was a rather large book fair in Times Square.  All English.  Amazing value and some really interesting buys, including this one about Liz.  At 550 pages it is heavy read, in more ways than one but well worth the trouble.  Liz was equal to the violent times she lived in.  Two things.   How could Europe have lost the road build technology developed by the Romans?  Lost for other 1000 years.  And these 'Christain' monarchs were not averse to chopped off their citizens appendages if one should offend 'one'.  Write a defamatory pamphlet,  off with his right hand!!!  All very Alice, if you ask me.

East Coast Trip

Kota Baru central market.  I don't usually do foodie blogs but.....

 

A mixture of deep fried everything.  Banana, sweet potatoes

All taken with freshly opened coconut.  Linden, Mei Li and Meow,  enjoy.

East Coast Trip

 Driving north to Kota Baru.

Beautifully empty beaches.

East Coast Trip

 The Crystal Mosque in Kuala Terengganu at sun set.

 After the sun has set.

And to the state museum.  A concrete building based upon a traditional Malay house design

Aside from the artifacts in the main building, the grounds are home to a selection of differing traditional  houses.

East Coast Trip

 

The next day, we upgraded our boat trip to a 2 hour island hop.  Sofas and life jackets!!

 

First stop,  the waterfall but no rain means no gushing stream

Then the island with the herb garden where I partook of 'A Mans Drink' and Gek 'A Woman's Drink'.  

Great setting.  Peace.

It is the end of the dry season and the lake is very low.  In a couple of weeks the rain starts in earnest, giving these trees cause for alarm.

The resort is hid in the trees.  135 large bungalows.  Only the main centre is visible from the lake.  Great piece of camouflage.

East Coast Trip

 Lake Kenyir.  Another return visit.  Love this place.  So peaceful. 

Gek got us a package deal with the Resort which include one complementary dinner as well as a three hour birdwatching walk.  We had to get up real early for the birds and as it turned out, squirrels.  This photo was taken just after he/she had had an altercation with a goshawk over who's branch this was.  Squirrel 1, goshawk 0 ---  but nice try gos.

We did see loads of birds but the real stars were the hornbills.  There were a number of these Oriental Pied Hornbills in the resort grounds.  This snap was taken through the Rangers telescope at about 500m. 

East Coast Trip

Gek, Linden, Mei Li and myself set off from Penang heading east to the far side of the Malaysian Peninsular in a Hertz rented car.  Love to drive!!!  Our ultimate destination was Kota Baru to meet up with Meow there.  A 7 day trip in all. First two nights we spent at Lake Temengor on the island Belum Rain Forest Resort. The resort is under going a face lift and extension.  But just as welcoming as on our last visit with Ruth a couple of years ago.

Bamboo orchid on the drive over to the East Coast.

Malaysia's Blue Mountains.  Rain forest all the way to Thailand.