Balm for the soul

I'm very pleased with my decision to go to Koh Phangan. It has been like a friend of mine would say "balm for the soul" And I needed it so badly. 
I needed some time for my self to do nothing and just be.

Some people say that I think to much and that is probably true. I think a lot...and plan a lot. But I like to have things organized and planed out. I guess that is also what makes it hard, it's just not possible to plan everything, some things just happens. 
I need to stop put energy on things that are out of my reach and beyond my control because it's just waist... 
All the demands I sometimes feel is just something made up in my mind, no one else demands anything, it's just me....  

Well, Koh Phangan was exactly what a needed, a quiet place, not to crowded and with amazing beaches.
I made a try not to think so much.... Yoga, meditation and snorkeling was the main activities for me and it worked.... finally....

Beach time...

When my application for my new passport finally was submitted I felt like I needed some serious beach time and believe it or not a bit of quiet Magdalena time... 
Malaysia was ok but I felt like I never got any time for my self. Many of the men were like leeches and even if they got turned down didn't leave you alone which was a bit tiring. 

I took the first flight I could find from KL to Phuket and Phi Phi islands. 
During the three days I spent there I did nothing but laying on the beach, laying in the water and snorkeling.... Mmmmm... Reward for body and soul...
After three days I got enough, it was a bit to crowded for me and Swedes everywhere. I like us but sometimes it's just to much...
Since I felt like I needed some more Magdalena time I decided to try my luck at Kophangan instead. 

Monkey beach, but where are all the monkeys????

 Snorkeling around Phi Phi

 

Maya Bay

 

 Sunset in Maya Bay

 

Shop until you drop

Oh yes. That is exactly what you can do in Kuala Lumpur. 

I'm as I said before not a fan of big cities, but if you need or want to do some good shopping this is the right place to do it.

Either you visit one of the many markets around town where you can make nice bargains by negotiate the price. Or visit the gigantic KLCC with the twin towers for some more exclusive shopping. 

Floor after floor with shops like Dior, Gucci, LV, Marc Jacobs...

One of the many markets around town.

Picures from Penang

 The bridge between mainland and Penang. I choosed to take the ferry across the strait to Penang.

 The biggest buddhist temple in Penang.

 I don't know why but they had a large pond filled to the brim with turtles. Poor animals... 

The beach was nice and I was ready to jump in to the water to cool down a bit, but when I saw the water and all the dead fishes I decided that to stay on the beach for the sake of my health...

Break...

Haven't updated my blog in a while and haven't really felt for it either....  I was just tired of everything after all the hassles with my lost passport.

So what have happened so far? Well, not much...
I got my emergency passport and left Brisbane for Kuala Lumpur. 
In Kuala Lumpur I went straight a way to the Swedish Embassy to apply for a new passport. But since I arrived on a Thursday and they only have authorized staff for passport applications there on Wednesday I had to wait a week with the application...

So I took my backpack and bought a train ticket to Penang Island. I had been recommended to go there since they have fabulous food  which could be combined with some beach time... me like! 
The food was truly fabulous but the beach or rather the water wasn't that nice. Nevertheless it was nice just to relax a few days. 
Back in Kuala Lumpur I went to the embassy to submit my application, after a few minutes of photographing and leaving some fingerprints I was done. 

We agreed on that the passport would be sent to the Swedish Embassy in Bangkok so I could continue my trip. 

Relieved that things seemed to resolve itself I took the first flight from KL to Phuket to get some proper beach time :-) 

Whitsundays Sailing

If Fraser Island was amazing Whitsundays was MORE than Amazing...........................

 Our boat...equipped with a water slide and everything....  very nice.

 Whitehaven Beach, paradise on earth...

 Stinger suit(protection from nasty jellyfishes), now I know how Catwoman felt in Batman....

 It was a lot of snorkeling during the two days at sea...