life's adventures This is the story of my wanderings through Asia

Sitting in the airport contemplating the coming hours, I find a sweet peace thinking of getting back to mums house in Howick where I can arrange all the things I have picked up along the way around me, anticipating her shock at the great amount, and wonder at how her daughter has managed to carry it all on her back for so many months. It was not so hefty when I started out I assure you. My washing will be a two-day affair and I will not stop to take a breath as I babble about the places I have been and things I have seen. It is a strange reality where I feel exhausted by travel. No, that’s not quite it, more tired of the style of travel. Backpacking is an energy-consuming feat, especially on a tight budget. Not only are you lugging around a giant pack on your back, but you also are expected to go out most nights, and do things every day, if not sit on a bus or train for hours on end, go out to the tourist attractions and see countless waterfalls, rivers, temples, mountains and lakes. It’s not that I am not enjoying myself, but the energy needed to continue in such a way has been drained from my being. The climax of my trip is yet to come, and I am jittery with excitement to see Fitz and make a lovely dinner for mum, catch up with Dad and Kirsten and go out for Yum Cha, up north to see my nephew and his amazing mother, and breath in the astounding wonder of my beach, the beach that remains always in my minds eye as the ultimate paradise, as it does to most who have ever been there. Kuala Lumpur is a nice city, I like the way it is spread out, big trees and palms along the roads, graffiti colouring the walls and endless markets. Rachel and I stayed in a small room at the Birds Nest backpackers, a quiet little place where iguanas in the cage and two tiny kittens entertained the lazy lot lounging out the back. We did a day mission to Batu caves, majestic but plain at the same time. As we came up the numerous stairs leading to the caves we watched blonde tourists feed the savage monkeys, and at the top we laughed at the guy telling us to ‘releeeease your fear, releeeease your ten ringit’, in the hope we would want to hold one of the three large pythons coiled on the table. I wanted photos so I wandered over and the guy gave me some leaves to feed his giant iguana. The colours and scales on this choice reptile were awesome, all of a sudden the guy asked if I wanted to hold it, he said ‘bend over’, and dumped it on my back, where I was photographed many times by many people, looking over my shoulder at the lizard warily. I also held a snake for a few minutes, they are super cool and if I had less fear oozing through my pores I would have wrapped it around my neck and arms, but the tremble was a bit evident and the photos all terrible. He offered us work there getting tourists to pay to hold the scary creatures, but we had but one more day in Asia. Bring on twelve hours on a plane, then why not another three after that. Hope customs are nice to me and I’ll see you soon beautiful Aotearoa.