Terepi Ikan

I just had fish eat my feet.

No, seriously!

We were walking along Bulik Borang when we saw a sign in a shop window saying "Terepi Ikan" and a poster showing a woman with her feet in a vat of piranhas and it was instant "Say what?" and "Who on earth would do something like that?"

Then Keith pointed out the word "Ikan" and said "That's very like the Polynesian word for "fish"" and then we noticed the word "Terepi" and both went "That's pidgin for Therapy! So it obviously means "fish therapy"."  and we both laughed at such a bizarre concept. Then, right at that moment, an elderly Chinese gentleman came out of the shop and said "25 ringgit. Half hour." and Keith saw my face and said "Don't be such a bloody idiot!" and that sold it for me.

So, for 25 ringgit I stuck my feet into an aquarium full of about 50 of these strange albino Oscars, a type of piranha, and they all dived onto my feet and started eating the flesh.

What it felt like?  Eerie. Strange. Creepy. Uncanny.  At the start, it's all so strange and yuck you can't stop shuddering, but within five minutes ... it's quite pleasant and you just tune out and it's all very ordinary.

And my feet now?  It's like they've never touched the ground or worn shoes or done anything mundane EVER. Feet like a baby's bottom.

So, yes, it's a great thing to do and a really lovely touristy thing to do while in Malaysia, so ... Terepi Ikan all round?

Later:  And just so you believe me, I've gone out and taken a photo, although it's of a sign much closer to hand to save myself the long walk:

  My Terepi Ikan fish were 

sooo much bigger.

A Day Later: P.S. Many folks have sent me photos of themselves with their feet in fish, so I guess I'm the last to know about this.