Even with the very best intentions in the world I dont think there’ll be many people who can say they managed to stay away from calorie laden chocolate eggs et al this past weekend.  If you did then I send you the most heartfelt congratulations (and just how the heck did you manage it!!!).

So I thought we would dedicate this weeks blog to one of the worlds favourite indulgencies. First of all I’d like to run a few facts by you for good measure….

It is thought that Cocoa is a mis-spelling of the Mayan word Cacao meaning ‘God Food’ originating over 2500 years ago. It was held in such high regard that it was even used as currency.

17000 people in Belgium work in the chocolate industry.

It takes up to 270 cocoa beans to make up 1 pound of chocolate.

Almost half of the worlds chocolate is consumed in America.

More than twice as many women than men crave and eat chocolate and it has been observed that no other sweets or candies can satisfy the craving – just the chocolate itself.

Chocolate notes crop up in fragrances with quite some regularity, and apart from the obvious choices such as Thierry Muglers Angel series of perfumes, which are seen as the quintessential chocolate scents, there are quite a few others on the shelf that may surprise you.

Ralph Lauren launched Big Pony (for men) which has a winning combination of velvet musks and dark chocolate.  Armani Diamonds for men is another best seller, but this time the chocolate is hidden away in the base notes, and so leaves a subtle trail in your wake.  If  just a hint of indulgence is required, then Lacoste Elegance (another male fragrance) combines chocolate with spicy nutmeg and fresh top notes for a surprisingly light scent.

Womens scents include Gucci Flora Glamorous Magnolia which uses a subtle cocoa hint to anchor the citrus zest and green leaves that make up the main composition. Boutique desinger Annick Goutal used creamy chocolate notes to balance girlish playful blackcurrant buds and luscious vanilla pods in her Eau de Charlotte fragrance.

We have a good range of chocolate and candy fragrances to curb that craving without the calories – and you cant say fairer than that can you! How about a chocolate lime or a chocolate orange, or even good old fashioned sweets such as peardrops, lemon bonbons and strawberry laces.

If it all gets a tad too much, it has been noted that a splash of vanilla across the wrist does a sterling job of sating the appetite. Well thats all from me, I’m off for a penny chew or two

Arrived in Penang after setting off a tiring 28 hours ago. I have been assured that it will take less than 45mins to get to the hotel, and that elusive soak in the bath! As I set foot out of the airport, the first thing you notice is a peculiar aroma that pervades the air wherever you go in Malaysia and Indonesia outside the cities. It is a mix of heat, durian fruit and rokok, and once you have been here and smelled it, then you instantly associate the smell with the Far East.

Durian fruit is the Eastern version of Marmite – known as the King of Fruits, you either love it or hate it. Some people regard the durian as fragrant; others find the aroma overpowering and offensive. The smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust, and has been described variously as almonds, rotten onions, turpentine and gym socks.Most shopping malls refuse to stock it at all, as the fruit odour is so pungent that you begin to smell it a good 5 minutes before you even see it! Animals can detect the smell of the Durian up to half a mile away.

The Rokok are the local cigarettes, and even for a confirmed non-smoker as myself, the intense flavoursome mix of cinnamon, cloves, dark chocolate and smoky woods has a pleasurable aroma. You dont even need to get too close to the actual smoke vapour as the whole atmosphere is pervaded.

I have been watching Nothing to Declare in readiness for my trip – a ‘behind the scenes’ show of customs in Australia, and as I walked through the green lane, I could see people lined up with open suitcases and rows of packet foods ready to be confiscated. You’d have to be mad to try and smuggle anything into the country here and to be fair, they do give you fair warning on the plane – our captain told us as we landed that any drug trafficking automatically receives the death penalty! Well, that was enough to persuade me that the free peanuts I hadn’t eaten could stay on the airplane and so I fished them out of the pocket of my handbag and left them firmly on the seat tray!

I slept really well, the bed is very hard, just fine for my back! Woke up to the sound of rain lashing against the window, and sure enough a storm was rolling in….but its hard to feel hard done to – I can just make out the vague shape of a mountain range across the sea vista…..the sound of the sea crashing onto the beach below my window is a sound to savour no matter how wet and wild the weather outside.

I think its time to don a loaned sou’wester and go for a wild n windy walk!

I saw a lizard! I swear it was one of the komodo types, properly swaggering in the distance, but the moment I tried to find it amongst the rocks it completely disappeared! (when I mentioned it to Wong later, he thought i had been very brave to try and find it, brave warrior woman that i am!)

Tonight was a litte surreal, we started off with a trip to the Hard Rock cafe for our evening meal – which was fine in its own way, quiet though, and they sat us underneath Noel Gallaghers guitar, I mean come on, I’ve only just left Manchester – at least give me an American…. but hey ho, they did make an amazing Mojito

The evening ended with Nat n I waltzing on the dance floor to Pitbull, leaving poor Wong holding his head in his hands in complete despair!! Well – you only live once…..

Dont forget to stay tuned next week for my further adventures down in Kuala Lumpur.