Friday, December 22, 2006
Yesterday was island tour day and first stop was batik factory then en route came across some cocoa, nutmeg and rubber trees. We broke open a cocoa pod & had a taste, alas turned out not to be pure lindt inside, tasted a bit like mango and a bit chocolatey. Then stopped to look at some malaysian houses before heading to the snake temple. Definately a contender in the most commercial temple of the year competition, either side of the entrance temple were no less than 6 gift shops where you could purchase everything snake temple related, then inside after seeing a few snakes we had the opportunity to pay to have our pic taken with a snake, and then was into the attached snake farm, aka snake prison ;-(
Final stop on the tour was a German jewellery facory (?!) where we got to see all stages of jewellery making and an opportunity to purchase some extortionately priced items in the shop.
Today visited the botanic gardens here, where not only do they have an amazing diversity of plant life but they also have monkeys!! Then had a tour of the tropical spice gardens....pics of these to follow...
Xmas is pretty much in full swing here, thought i may escape it this year but no, whereever I go the distant sound of jingle bells is all around....anyway seasons greetings!
Batik making action
Final stop on the tour was a German jewellery facory (?!) where we got to see all stages of jewellery making and an opportunity to purchase some extortionately priced items in the shop.
Today visited the botanic gardens here, where not only do they have an amazing diversity of plant life but they also have monkeys!! Then had a tour of the tropical spice gardens....pics of these to follow...
Xmas is pretty much in full swing here, thought i may escape it this year but no, whereever I go the distant sound of jingle bells is all around....anyway seasons greetings!
Batik making action# posted by Beth D @ 7:45 PM 
