China's National Day was October 1, so the whole country spent the last seven days on holiday. As with all Golden Weeks, Chris and I joined other expats in getting the heck out of dodge. This time, we trekked down to Malaysia for a couple of days of scuba diving, bird watching and relaxing by the beach.

We splurged a bit and spent four days at the Four Seasons on Langkawi, which is an island group in northwest Malaysia famous for its beaches, rainforests and mangroves. It was a lovely time. The resort is outstanding (if you ever are in the area). The wildlife on and around the islands was excellent. We saw three sea turtles while diving, loads of red and orange (male) and green and blue (female) crabs, monkeys, lizards galore, birds (babalas, kites, mynahs, sandpipers and others whose names escape me now), mudskippers, stingrays (that liked to be petted - really), and a little red tree frog on the toilet seat at a restaurant.