Over-working has been a bit of a theme this year. And today's day off -- only my eighth this year -- was twice snatched from the jaws of death. But it turned out that my book chapter didn't need more work at this point, and I didn't need to bring forward my as yet totally unprepared guest lecture by two weeks. So we went to Genting.

This is worth doing for the trip alone. First the road, winding its way ear-poppingly up. When you get out of the bus you're already at tree-fern level. It's already a tad chilly. And you have a lot of height still to gain.

Then the truly awesome cable-car ride, possibly the longest we've done. Best of all is the birdsong. The forest below is full of little feathery guys, singing lustily. But the views are no less inspiring, as you glide over a succession of steep, wooded, escarpment-scabbed ridges.



Most people go to Genting for the casino, the entertainment, the restaurants, and the theme park (only one at present: the outdoor theme park is a building site, gearing up for bigger, brighter things).

We went for the people-watching and the photo opportunities. Below are stories of piety, labour, wackiness, vision, and fairy peaches parties:





















Finally, this is possibly my favourite photo. Here are the two halves of Asia. Inside, the rich ride antlered floats in a climate-conditioned environment. Outside, the poor brave the elements to build the next attraction. We, of course, are inside...