Can we go back to the beach???

That's what we have been hearing from Aaron since we have been home!!

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So where to begin to tell you about our week away? (don't ask how long this post has taken me to do ... far too long and too many photos, but so much to show!!) We took just over 900 photos (ahhhh the editing! I need to get more ruthless at deleting shots I know I won't use!) and I've put 71 of them in this post. Decided there was only so many beach play photos you really wanted to see hehehee!)

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We went to this resort at Cherating, it's about 3.5 - 4 hours drive from KL (depending on traffic!!). It's VERY close to the beach ... just a few metres walk and was weird hearing the surf during the night ... the first couple of nights I was sure it was really windy!

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So here's a couple of pics of the beach (looking left & right).

and then back towards the resort.
The sand was like this in places.
The surf closest to the beach was like this! (great for exfloliating I tell you!)
Closest to the water there were two layers of sand really - the top layer was the grey and the next later was the coarser golden colour (sort of like crushed biscuits ;-), clung together like soft brown sugar. Was different to NZ sand).
Most days we spent some time at the beach ... usually straight after breakfast till nearly lunchtime and if the kids were up to it then we went back late afternoon before dinner.

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So much excitement!

NO throwing sand! (yeah right!)
Why Aaron felt he needed to pull up his short legs I have no idea ... but every time he was in the water that's what he did hehehee
The kids had turns going out into the surf with Daddy ... Mummy only went in the water a couple of times - the rest she sat with the camera clicking away ;-) hehehee (main reason ... togs were a very very tight fit!! lol)
Sunday afternoon Maddison & I had a snooze after lunch and the boys went up to the lobby and did some internet surfing!
After our snooze we joined them for some ice-cream :-)
Or in Lyndon's case, the hugest ABC that we have ever seen!

LOOOOK at that wave!
Getting that sand in just the right place takes a lot of concentration and ones tongue must be just so!
This was funny, I called out to Maddison to look at me and she looks up and goes "WHAT?" and gives me this look hehehee So I asked her to smile at me!
Ahhh that's better :-)
Burying Daddy in the sand ... Maddison is pouring sand half over his face hehehee
So Aaron helpfully tries to brush it off (and puts it further into his eyes!).
See what I mean about Aaron & his shorts hahaha
Monday morning sunrise (well about 7.50am!) Couldn't be bothered getting up before then ;-) I just took this from our little balcony as I was still in my jammies!

Monday we drove into Kuantan, from memory it was over an hours drive (traffic was busy). Aaron grizzled and moaned the whole way that he wanted to go back to the beach! So was a delightful trip really. We got there around lunch time so just randomly drove around looking for some place to eat. Ended up going to this shopping mall and had to just ignore all the stares! We were the only (I kid you not) Westerners there and it didn't help that 2 of us had red hair so it made us all the more obvious!! I decided I didn't really like being a novelty LOL. We had lunch (chicken & rice) at the food court because there were some kids slides there, so the kids burnt off some steam.

Then Aaron saw this Toyland sign so we went to investigate ... it was really a games arcade, but there were several rides they enjoyed. I bought a sun hat then we headed back to our resort!
Tuesday ... more sand & surf fun :-)


The beach was lovely for digging & playing in, but we didn't feel comfortable about the kids going in the water on their own. The beach is quite steep for the first bit so when the tide is in it gets deep real quick, and when the tide is out there's still an undertow. I sat at the edge of the surf with one of the kids while Lyndon took the other one out to the breakers and (this is where the total body exfoliation comes in! Amazing how much sand could fit in my swimsuit when there was hardly room for me in it!!!) at one stage I got spun around even with Maddison on my knee and we were only in a foot or so deep of water!

Wink wink!
I saw this lots ... Maddison taking hold of Daddy's hand and leading him off somewhere :-)
She was ever so helpful when Daddy was trying to make sandcastles as well! Waiting ... waiting ... waiting ...
SQUASH!!
One afternoon the kids rode their bikes (well Aaron did, Maddison couldn't be bothered!) . Daddy had to fix the wheel on Aaron's bike first though.

So while that was happening Maddison decided she would pump up her tyre hehehee

Bikes got abandoned for a stick fight ... love the expression on Aaron's face heheehe
Ouch ... you got my chest hehehee
Then we discovered this little playhouse :-)
Also had a climbing rope
and swing.
The path we took from our room to the beach.
Lyndon got up a little bit earlier than usual on Thursday & Friday mornings to capture the sunrise ... unfortunately the weather wasn't very co-operative, but he did get some cool cloudy beach shots :-)
Thursday, since the weather wasn't so nice we decided to drive to Kuala Terengganu. What an interesting trip!!! So much to see. Was a bit of a drive - just over 100 kms I think, but took us over 2 hours to get there and more than that to get back!! THANKFULLY the kids slept on the way there so we only had a short way to listening to Aaron moaning! :( Lets just say that at Kuantan we felt a novelty ... well it was MUCH worse at Kuala Terengganu! Hardly any English was spoken and trying to find someplace for toilet stops and lunch was a mission! We ended up having lunch at McDonalds (sigh) but they didn't have toilets! We had to cross the road to this bus station sort of place and pay 20 cents to use these most disgusting smelling toilets!! (I don't mind paying to use toilets if they are halfway clean ... but these were just gross.) Anyway we had lunch, got back in the car and headed back to the resort!

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I just randomly took pics out the window of the car as we were driving along. The traffic was pretty heavy so we only made a couple of stops ... at a place for sale (pic to follow later) and an ice cream! :-)

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Fishing boats.
Construction ... this is a pretty standard sight anywhere around Malaysia. We just look and wonder to be honest! This pic is only showing probably half of it ... I needed the wide angle lens on.
Hehehee ... wouldn't see this on the main street in NZ ;-)
Some holiday chalets ... they didn't look finished actually.
And this was along side ... I'd say this one was past finished!
Flash places like this one would be alongside ...
places like this!
and this ...
Oh and this was for sale, so we drove in :-) Classic ... think it's been for sale ever since day dot! It had access to the beach, even a pineapple tree down the back, but boys was it in a sad state! But think of the possibilities! Kids sleep on one side and parents on the other :-) heheheee
View from the back ... the stairs and verandas were quite badly rotten.
Road sides had lots and lots of these little mamak stalls selling all manner of things, from food, fishing bait, beach toys, hand crafts. You name it you could probably find it along there somewhere!
Country living ...
Friday ... back to the beach :-)
Daddy dug a pit each for the kids :-) hehehee

Aaron's sandy toes.

Maddison has some of Grandma's fossicking genes I think!! ;-) She carted Daddy here there and everywhere up and down the beach and came back with this little pile of treasure :-)

Friday afternoon was kite flying! Oh the excitement when Aaron discovered the kite was a spiderman one!


Maddison's turn ... she's off and look at the glee :-)
Aaron helping get it back in the air again.

This morning ... kids were not happy about going back home, so they spent the time watching Tom & Jerry while we packed up!

And I thought I'd show you the bump at 22+ weeks!
And a certain someone wondered if he looked like George Clooney or Sean Connery with a beard! LOL
If you have made it to the end of this post without falling asleep then you should reward yourself with some chocolate! ;-)

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Right ... on that note I have been here far too long, so off to hang out a couple of loads of washing and head to bed. Might even have to sample some chocolate myself :-)

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Thanks for visiting.