actually, to get this photo, i had to do a rather dangerous and stupid freeclimb
The next day we left for Hat Yai, the border town for people crossing into Malaysia. Good for shopping, but as that's something i shouldn't be doing, we escaped into the national park nearby for a climb up another waterfall, this one with perhaps even more spectacular views than the last. After descending, i found another 4 fat leeches all over my feet. Peeled them off, but two of the wounds wouldn't stop bleeding...for about 30 minutes. I think you're meant to burn them off.
this was the moment joel turned and looked at the view
Our hostel in Hat Yai was a classic. To get to our room you have to go down a long empty corridor with dim lights, which looked like something out of the shining. Our room itself had all the cliche 'crap hostel' features; cracked mirror, solid beds, strip light, dirty walls, squat toilet and a sink which just had a pipe which poured out onto the floor. Guests wake up early, and drink early. We saw someone enjoying a beer before 9am, and someone opening up a new bottle of Leon with 2 empty ones already on the table before 10. These arnt just regular size bottles either, 660ml...
Staying there two nights was fun, anymore and i might have resorted to the morning drink as well.
Right now we're on Langwai, in the very north of Malaysia. For some reason, the whole island is duty free, which makes everything very cheap, especially after the massive dent that commercial thailand made in my bank balance. Found a great place to stay, like Silvery Moon in KPN, it comes with an honesty beer fridge. Last night, down the road, we found an excellent reggae bar, with an even better live reggae band playing. Danced until about 3.
In about three days, Bernie, Oonagh, Sam and Ed come all the way from Kuala Lumpur to give us a hug.
more photos to come. soon, hopefully.
5 comments:
Please don't burn off leeches, it'll cause them to regurgitate into your blood stream, and leave their teeth in your skin, so its a 1-way trip to infection central.
Roll em off, rooooooooolllllll em.
Removing a leech
If you are bitten by a leech and are compelled to remove it before it has had its full (leeches drop off on their own when they are done feeding), you can do so by following these steps: Identify the anterior (oral) sucker which will be found at the small end of the leech.
Put your finger on your skin adjacent to the oral sucker
Gently but firmly slide your finger toward the wound where the leech is feeding. Using your fingernail, push the sucker sideways away from your skin.
Once you have dislodged the oral sucker, quickly detach the posterior (rear) sucker (the fat end of the leech). Try flicking the leech or proding with your fingernail. As you work to remove the leech, it will attempt to reattach itself.
Keep the wound clean -- minor cuts in tropical climates can quickly become infected. The leech itself is not poisonous. The wound will itch as it heals.
NOTE: Is it generally not advised to attempt removing a leech by burning with a cigarette; applying mosquito repellent, shampoo, or salt; or pulling at the leech. This can result the leech regurgitating into the wound and causing infection much worse than the leech bite itself.
Take care
T's Dad
I like the mobile phone shadow puppet.
I remember liking the horn/gazzles shped thing on the ends of the temple roofs in Thailand.
Enjoy and be careful.
lots of love
T's Dad
Of course I mean "gazelle shaped"
leeches..
ew.
yeh be careful bonehead.
and ont fall down anycliffs.
or let joes do that 'saved ure life thing'
cos id quite like to see how gd ure tan is before ure hurled off a cliff.
enjoy
love you
lucy
xxx
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