Monkey Troop!

Malaysia! So the best thing about our Malaysian getaway was the wildlife, specifically the awesome Monkey Troop and the super cool 3 foot long monitor lizard that I didn't get a picture of. Once I saw the Monkeys (these guys are sitting on our porch eating bags of goodies from one of our neighbors) I couldn't help but sing Homer's Spider Pig song with Monkey Troop in place of Spider Pig - I must be going insane because I'm singing it right now (and laughing hysterically).

Seriously though Desaru, Malaysia was cool, super nice beach, literally miles of open sandy beautiful beach surrounded by Casuarina pine trees, and some other unknown foliage, and few palm trees, warm, clean-ish shallow water and blue skies. Really can't figure out why it hasn't been super hyped and made into an international destination - maybe it's the Muslim bent towards no alcohol - it was difficult to get a beer and a glass of (sugary) wine. Maybe it's the lack of international investment as the place was run down (think 70's grandeur) and generally full of locals and the odd European family. Maybe it's just that they don't want the rest of us there!

One sad thing - or not depending on your perspective (if you're Dick Cheney), was once you left the beach it seems the whole of southern Malaysia has had its lush rain forest stripped bare and replaced with Palm Oil plantations, which are being planted as fast as possible to supply the worlds need for biofuels. Seems like a shortsighted mistake to raid our food supply for the needs of industry and moving our butts around- and remove untold square kilometers of virgin rainforest in the process. A bit hypocritical to say anything as America certainly got where we are by using our (and others') resources to the fullest extent -but hard to see lessons learned elsewhere not make their way to places like this. -Dave