In which Diva chooses the easy option.

In Penang, she rejected the one with the trishaw (fast and scary), the one with the snake temple (wild and scary) and the one with the lunch on shore (expensive and scary).

So they went to Penang Hill and Temple. The temple, which was on a scale they had never seen before was still in the process of being built, so it was difficult to perceive the temple complex as a whole. Getting around the site involved a return trip on two inclined elevators, which were crammed with people to Asian standards (scary). And a buggy ride between the two (fast and scary). There was a tortoise pool with many many tortoises (wild but not too scary).

The hill required a return funicular ride (scary but expected). At the top was a skywalk (scary) and lots of monkeys (wild). Diva misunderstood the instructions for the return ride. She thought that the guide meant that sitting in the lowest level of the funicular would be less dramatic on the fast and steep parts. What he actually meant was that this position was the most like a roller coaster and necessitated standing up with arms in air and screaming (fast and terrifying).

It was 34 degrees and humid.

On return, the butlers were lined up outside the Silver Spirit with their 'Welcome Home' banner. The butler manager greeted Diva by name and gave her a cheery wave. La Terrazza is booked for later.

TSH and Diva were thrilled one night to see stars and planets on a scale not possible in light-polluted Cheshire. They couldn't identify them all even with a sky map. One was moving in a very strange fashion so they have now both definitely seen a UFO.

In the Jungle

Approaching Puerto Limon in Costa Rica, parts of a rainbow, tops of mountains and a number of birds (including frigate birds) could be seen amidst the clouds. Fortunately the weather cleared and most of the rest of the day was a pleasant high 20s degrees C, with no great humidity.

The guide described Costa Rica as a paradise on earth, but admitted that the area we drove through, which did not seem to fit his description, was one of the poorest. He claimed that the country has the highest literacy rate on earth and had been judged one of the most desirable places to live. Health care is free, taxes are low on essentials and extremely high on luxuries (up to 100%). Interestingly, a computer and access to broadband is regarded as a necessity. The country has wide bio-diversity in plants, insects and animals. It does have many earthquakes – most are unnoticeable.

Costa Rica does not have an army but it has an agreement with countries including USA, Canada, UK and France to defend it. In return, it sends money, food and expertise to war zones such as Iraq.

The intrepid explorers faced many dangers on the safari, including lots of bright butterflies, enormous ants, vampire bats and a sloth sitting in a tree (possibly a parent and a juvenile). Hunting packs of macaws soared above the group of travellers. Mosquitos in this area potentially carry Dengue and Zika viruses (neither has a vaccination or a cure). Fortunately, the poisonous snakes and frogs were kept safely in cages.  The highlight was seeing monkeys jump from tree to tree high above. One of them hurled a branch at the tourist gondola (like a cable car).

Having returned safely to the Silver Spirit, TSH and Diva had a late salad lunch to put them on until dinner.

Latest chapter of accidents: Diva’s bottle of water leaked in her handbag and TSH lost his reading glasses. The handbag is dry but the glasses are an issue and replacements will be sought in Manta, the next port.

Can anybody smell DEET?