Pretty uneventful trip - except for a nasty gash across my palm caused by an embarassing accident.
Encountered an inch-long baby squid at night, a huge sleeping humphead, a small lionfish, a few puffers, a full-sized barracuda, tiny little shrimps, lots of clownfish and the usual others.
But what makes this trip note-worthy is not so much what I saw, but what I felt. After 40 dives under my belt, I realise now I am truly comfortable diving. I used to feel a little apprehensive putting on the restrictive mask, that uncomfortable regulator, shuffling around with a tank dragging me down, and the plunge from boat to deep blue nothingness. Even when diving, I would feel a little claustrophobic coz of all the equipment.
Not anymore. On this trip I giant-strided in without hesitation every time, and underwater my body felt no discomfort at all. Only thing that bothered me was the fogging up of my mask and the pounding migraines in my head when I couldn't equalise. otherwise I was totally at home wrapped in a BCD, engulfed by sea, with fishes swimming all around.
Of course the headaches bothered me quite a bit, and the temptation to shoot up to the surface and normalise myself was always there. But somehow as the water slows everything down, I am more calm, more relaxed and able to slowly think things thru. I CANNOT shoot up. i MUST stay below and remain in control. So i ascend up slowly, up to a level where it doesn't hurt, and stay there. I don't get to see things up close as I usually like, but I still get to enjoy being underwater, diving.
I hope these migraines are only due to my blocked nose rendering me unable to equalise properly. Besides that, I am now truly, 100% comfortable diving. Yes, maybe 40+ dives is quite a long way to get here, but look at it this way - it's an entirely different world to get used to.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Saturday, June 23, 2007
My Last Trip to Pulau Aur
Dive trip with company sports club, which i am on the committee.
background: angmoh colleague wanted to be in charge. told him i'd help and suggested a dive shop, plus rates. angmoh colleague didn't even respond to that email.
dive operator chosen was nemo travel, run by angmohs (big surprise). pick up at office was supposed to be friday 7pm. at 8pm a call was replied saying that they were on their way. sg isn't that big, is it?
26 of us got (squeezed) onto a 40-seater bus - 1/3 was already taken up by another group. angmoh colleague later told us he thot only got our group.
and the group got bigger - dive operators regrouped everyone in open water (abt 30) advanced (abt 10) and leisure (abt 10). plus 10+ dive masters/instructors.
1st dive - murky waters, only saw 2 nudibranch. frayed BCD kept slapping at my neck while diving. lost the dive group, and me and my 2 buddies surfaced with a previously unknown french guy.
2nd dive - off pulau lang, still murky waters, managed to catch 1 batfish, 1 hairy nudibranch. then, wanted to review photos so i flipped the play-camera switch, and to my surprise it turned 360 deg. and i saw bubbles started coming out. and i saw water started pouring in. F@^K!!! i jammed the lever down to prevent more water from going in and told my colleague buddy i was ascending - he reminded me to do safety stop, and for those 1-2 minutes (seemed longer) i was damn worried abt my camera and flipped it around a bit to keep the water one side while we hovered. then i managed to catch sight of the rest of the group again and swam furiously to the dive master, who swam away just out of my reach - she didn't seem to have lost us. gave up, and ascended.
floating on surface i opened the casing and poured the greenish water out - and the nice boatman helped me take my camera and the broken pieces of the lever and kept them safe near the boat helm. climbed up, stripped off the gear and examined the camera. the casing was hot and smoke spewed out from the battery compartment, which was wat caused the greenish water. sianz.
tried to dry the camera by stripping it as much as possible and using a combination of serviettes and blower, but it didn't come on even with fresh batteries. my canon A75 drowned.
skipped the 3rd dive doing that, and when it came to night dive, colleague buddy and i were keen. young punk of a dive master said he needed to check if there were torches. disappeared and came back saying there were none for leisure, and furthermore we shd hv informed them we wanted to go night dive before the trip. wat rubbish. leisure dives usually hv night.
ate the famous seafood dinner, but it sucked. crab was far from fresh. not like the previous time when the whole table sat thru 3 plates of pure crab. only satay was good, but not enuff sauce.
tok cock with colleagues quite a bit before turning in. didn't wake up for the morning dive - slept until 930. ate a light breakfast and clambered across rocks to a large flat stone by the water to sleep somemore. long time nv sleep in the sun liao. rather cloudy so sun wasn't strong. nice. in fact, only really nice time on the island.
after lunch, boarded the speed boat back to find that wrestler sized divemaster and his puny gf joined us. not that he wasn't a nice guy (he helped me find my dive mask) but he and his stuff severely weighed down our craft - tilted twds the bow and port side. managed to make it back to mainland, but some of my frens and some of the bags were drenched.
ate my 1st real coffee in 2 days, but it was much too sweet. instant coffee powder on the island had all turned sour due to exposure. sucked. took the same 40-seater bus home watching crappy shows like shrek 3 and music n lyrics. angmoh dive operator refused to let off 2 colleagues staying in the west even though we came from 2nd link. when we got off they were cheery and said bye, but i didn't bother to reply.
- lousy service
- lousy equipment
- try to smoke ppl
- squeeze too many ppl
= no more using nemo travel. period.
- poor visibility
- no more big creatures - no more cuttlefish! :(
- shabby accommodations
- lousy food
- lousy coffee
- bad & sad memories
= no more going to pulau aur. period.
background: angmoh colleague wanted to be in charge. told him i'd help and suggested a dive shop, plus rates. angmoh colleague didn't even respond to that email.
dive operator chosen was nemo travel, run by angmohs (big surprise). pick up at office was supposed to be friday 7pm. at 8pm a call was replied saying that they were on their way. sg isn't that big, is it?
26 of us got (squeezed) onto a 40-seater bus - 1/3 was already taken up by another group. angmoh colleague later told us he thot only got our group.
and the group got bigger - dive operators regrouped everyone in open water (abt 30) advanced (abt 10) and leisure (abt 10). plus 10+ dive masters/instructors.
1st dive - murky waters, only saw 2 nudibranch. frayed BCD kept slapping at my neck while diving. lost the dive group, and me and my 2 buddies surfaced with a previously unknown french guy.
2nd dive - off pulau lang, still murky waters, managed to catch 1 batfish, 1 hairy nudibranch. then, wanted to review photos so i flipped the play-camera switch, and to my surprise it turned 360 deg. and i saw bubbles started coming out. and i saw water started pouring in. F@^K!!! i jammed the lever down to prevent more water from going in and told my colleague buddy i was ascending - he reminded me to do safety stop, and for those 1-2 minutes (seemed longer) i was damn worried abt my camera and flipped it around a bit to keep the water one side while we hovered. then i managed to catch sight of the rest of the group again and swam furiously to the dive master, who swam away just out of my reach - she didn't seem to have lost us. gave up, and ascended.
floating on surface i opened the casing and poured the greenish water out - and the nice boatman helped me take my camera and the broken pieces of the lever and kept them safe near the boat helm. climbed up, stripped off the gear and examined the camera. the casing was hot and smoke spewed out from the battery compartment, which was wat caused the greenish water. sianz.
tried to dry the camera by stripping it as much as possible and using a combination of serviettes and blower, but it didn't come on even with fresh batteries. my canon A75 drowned.
skipped the 3rd dive doing that, and when it came to night dive, colleague buddy and i were keen. young punk of a dive master said he needed to check if there were torches. disappeared and came back saying there were none for leisure, and furthermore we shd hv informed them we wanted to go night dive before the trip. wat rubbish. leisure dives usually hv night.
ate the famous seafood dinner, but it sucked. crab was far from fresh. not like the previous time when the whole table sat thru 3 plates of pure crab. only satay was good, but not enuff sauce.
tok cock with colleagues quite a bit before turning in. didn't wake up for the morning dive - slept until 930. ate a light breakfast and clambered across rocks to a large flat stone by the water to sleep somemore. long time nv sleep in the sun liao. rather cloudy so sun wasn't strong. nice. in fact, only really nice time on the island.
after lunch, boarded the speed boat back to find that wrestler sized divemaster and his puny gf joined us. not that he wasn't a nice guy (he helped me find my dive mask) but he and his stuff severely weighed down our craft - tilted twds the bow and port side. managed to make it back to mainland, but some of my frens and some of the bags were drenched.
ate my 1st real coffee in 2 days, but it was much too sweet. instant coffee powder on the island had all turned sour due to exposure. sucked. took the same 40-seater bus home watching crappy shows like shrek 3 and music n lyrics. angmoh dive operator refused to let off 2 colleagues staying in the west even though we came from 2nd link. when we got off they were cheery and said bye, but i didn't bother to reply.
- lousy service
- lousy equipment
- try to smoke ppl
- squeeze too many ppl
= no more using nemo travel. period.
- poor visibility
- no more big creatures - no more cuttlefish! :(
- shabby accommodations
- lousy food
- lousy coffee
- bad & sad memories
= no more going to pulau aur. period.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Bali 2 (27 Feb - 4 Mar 2007) Part 2 - Sand, Sea, No Sun
Here's part 2. A little less terrifying.
We were driven by Mudik back to Lumbung Damuh at Candi Dasa to collect our stuff. There we limped out of the vehicle, down the sandy paths into view of the dutch lady's local husband. Hearing what we went thru all he could respond was "oh shit". graciously he let us do whatever we wanted in the former girls' toilet. QZ n I related to him what happened in some detail and shared with Mudik what could hv been done better. Then still in my boots (i hadn't dared to take out my feet - it felt like 6 blisters and 5 loose toe nails) we limped back to the vehicle with our bags for more sleep.
I woke up just in time to see us getting pulled over by a traffic cop. Mudik explained tt now bali was like jakarta, had traffic police. He got out and spoke to the cop, who was a little surprised to see 6 comatose tourists at the back. after some discussion, Mudik handed the guy some rupiah, which is casually slipped into his knee high boot. "just like jakarta!" i quipped when Mudik came back in. he agreed.
At Sanur i noticed we were going round in circles, passing a power grid for a 3rd time before i told Mudik which road the Agung & Sue Watering Hole I was on. we passed by a dunkin' donuts before getting there. yay.
Mira, the girl who responded to my emails welcomed us and intially offered us rooms on the 3rd n 4th floors, which wld hv been nice except that we cld hardly walk. i asked and no, there were no elevators. we were then given ground floor rooms instead.
We took our time to shower, unpack, and for some of us, set up a washing line. We had arrived at abt 11am, and told Mudik we wld eat lunch at noon (as the package included our lunch), but only at 12.30 when Mudik n Mira came to ask us abt lunch did we prepare for payment and slowly limp out. We spent the longest time counting out 6mil rupiah, and so did Mudik. I had fun waving the 6mil ard though. it's only abt S$1.2k, but it still feels damn shiok waving 6mil of anything in ur hand.
After ordering lunch (1st wave), Mudik shook our hands, paid, and left. The food was understandably considered good, and after the 2nd wave of drinks, it was time to knock out. strangely, qz, yb, dw & hp went exploring the town. I finally collapsed in airconditioned comfort on a damn hard pillow at 2pm.
Awoke at 5pm with a VERY BAD migraine. popped 2 painkillers and knocked out again.
Awoke at 6pm to hp trying to wake chel from next door. turns out she went out on her own. All of us went for dinner at 7pm - 1st stopping by at Dunkin' Donuts. Dinner proper was the oily-est maggie mee I had ever eaten topped with a hot-oil-fried egg. SHIOK. still think abt tt meal then. with some meat n vege it was abt S$1+ per person. SHIOK. Cheap n good food = happiness.
Didn't stay awake too long after dinner.
Next day we packed and checked out in a hurry to catch the 10.30 ferry to Nusa Lembongan - Prices seemed to hv risen. had breakfast at a stall by the beach and prices quickly rose there too. but we didn't care - we had a ferry to catch.
The ride was mostly boring - upon reaching the other side we were welcomed by friendly local guys who showed us where Pondok Baruna was. nice sleepy place, but the ppl running it (they also run world-diving.com) had the good sense to discourage DW n me from diving. After lunch we went snorkelling instead.
Which wasn't spectacular. Cloudy skies (been that way since we reached Sanur) = low visibility, not a awful lot of fish nor variety of coral, and strong currents. Boatman didn't really bother abt us, except to offer us another snorkel site for more money. This milk-the-tourist campaign was getting on my nerves. we headed back.
The plan was to ride ard the island on motorbikes for a day - meaning we'd have time to practise. QZ was rather enthu abt tt, being the only one who has a license. I was still eager, but hesitant on 2 things - lack of practise n this trip having too much risk involved already. chel, sensible for once, said no to the idea of pillioning with me, so qz n yb rode off while the rest of us ate jaffles and watched the sun set, which was fun and brain numbing. we were joined by a frenly local dog n an unknown number of mosquitoes.
they came back n we set off for dinner - at a nice place (i forgot the name) at the bend between Jungutbatu and Mushroom bays. i had chicken satay w rice n bailey's coffee, and finally a chance to use my tripod. i'm never bringing it overseas again. unnecessary weight n space - i could use any nearby chair or table anyway. back from dinner we tokked cock while i fed our new fren the local dog by hand, but didn't stay awake long - another ferry to catch back tml morning.
I woke at 6.15 and was all packed at abt 7. had breakfast w balinese coffee n we said goodbye to the nice ppl at Pondok Baruna - I wld want to come back again. except for the boat ride we wld encounter - the ticket guy snatched money out of dw's hands and pointed us to an overcrowded boat - locals were already clambering onto the roof. reluctantly, knowing that the indon safety record in transportation isn't exactly award-winning (hey a boat sank during an investigation of how it caught fire. u really can't beat that.), i climbed in and we made our way right to the front.
the ride, once again, was boring. but it was spiced up by a pregnant lady who was constantly throwing up, and who induced her daughter to do the same; a teenage girl on the roof doing the same; the regular pitching n rolling of the boat; and me ready to rush for the windows if the boat actually did flip.
It didn't, but i did get wet anyway. it was high tide when we reached the bali side, and the boat cldn't go near coz of the rocks. once again local men came to welcome us, carrying ppl and bags to the shore. i didn't fancy getting carried away, but i didn't read the black water correctly - i thot the wave receeded but actually it was the boat pulling away - and i landed waist deep in salt water. gross.
we clambered over the rock breakwater and dripped back to Agung & Sue Watering Hole, damn glad i left them some clothes for washing. had a quick shower in the toilet n i felt much better. but after all our exertions, the planned and much anticipated massage was not to be. we took a van to Kuta and there we lugged around our fricking monsters round for... shopping. i can't complain, i bought cheap chocolates for colleagues n a t-shirt for myself (i just had to, after the trek, the tourist traps and the dripping wet backpack). but i still need that massage.
our last dinner in bali wasn't anything to shout abt - i wasn't hungry anyway. we managed to bargain dirt cheap taxis to the airport (much to the cabbies' ire) and joined long queues to get to our plane. valuair surprised me by serving nasi goreng, which wasn't tt nice either. at least their coffee was ok.
so ends another adventure.
We were driven by Mudik back to Lumbung Damuh at Candi Dasa to collect our stuff. There we limped out of the vehicle, down the sandy paths into view of the dutch lady's local husband. Hearing what we went thru all he could respond was "oh shit". graciously he let us do whatever we wanted in the former girls' toilet. QZ n I related to him what happened in some detail and shared with Mudik what could hv been done better. Then still in my boots (i hadn't dared to take out my feet - it felt like 6 blisters and 5 loose toe nails) we limped back to the vehicle with our bags for more sleep.
I woke up just in time to see us getting pulled over by a traffic cop. Mudik explained tt now bali was like jakarta, had traffic police. He got out and spoke to the cop, who was a little surprised to see 6 comatose tourists at the back. after some discussion, Mudik handed the guy some rupiah, which is casually slipped into his knee high boot. "just like jakarta!" i quipped when Mudik came back in. he agreed.
At Sanur i noticed we were going round in circles, passing a power grid for a 3rd time before i told Mudik which road the Agung & Sue Watering Hole I was on. we passed by a dunkin' donuts before getting there. yay.
Mira, the girl who responded to my emails welcomed us and intially offered us rooms on the 3rd n 4th floors, which wld hv been nice except that we cld hardly walk. i asked and no, there were no elevators. we were then given ground floor rooms instead.
We took our time to shower, unpack, and for some of us, set up a washing line. We had arrived at abt 11am, and told Mudik we wld eat lunch at noon (as the package included our lunch), but only at 12.30 when Mudik n Mira came to ask us abt lunch did we prepare for payment and slowly limp out. We spent the longest time counting out 6mil rupiah, and so did Mudik. I had fun waving the 6mil ard though. it's only abt S$1.2k, but it still feels damn shiok waving 6mil of anything in ur hand.
After ordering lunch (1st wave), Mudik shook our hands, paid, and left. The food was understandably considered good, and after the 2nd wave of drinks, it was time to knock out. strangely, qz, yb, dw & hp went exploring the town. I finally collapsed in airconditioned comfort on a damn hard pillow at 2pm.
Awoke at 5pm with a VERY BAD migraine. popped 2 painkillers and knocked out again.
Awoke at 6pm to hp trying to wake chel from next door. turns out she went out on her own. All of us went for dinner at 7pm - 1st stopping by at Dunkin' Donuts. Dinner proper was the oily-est maggie mee I had ever eaten topped with a hot-oil-fried egg. SHIOK. still think abt tt meal then. with some meat n vege it was abt S$1+ per person. SHIOK. Cheap n good food = happiness.
Didn't stay awake too long after dinner.
Next day we packed and checked out in a hurry to catch the 10.30 ferry to Nusa Lembongan - Prices seemed to hv risen. had breakfast at a stall by the beach and prices quickly rose there too. but we didn't care - we had a ferry to catch.
The ride was mostly boring - upon reaching the other side we were welcomed by friendly local guys who showed us where Pondok Baruna was. nice sleepy place, but the ppl running it (they also run world-diving.com) had the good sense to discourage DW n me from diving. After lunch we went snorkelling instead.
Which wasn't spectacular. Cloudy skies (been that way since we reached Sanur) = low visibility, not a awful lot of fish nor variety of coral, and strong currents. Boatman didn't really bother abt us, except to offer us another snorkel site for more money. This milk-the-tourist campaign was getting on my nerves. we headed back.
The plan was to ride ard the island on motorbikes for a day - meaning we'd have time to practise. QZ was rather enthu abt tt, being the only one who has a license. I was still eager, but hesitant on 2 things - lack of practise n this trip having too much risk involved already. chel, sensible for once, said no to the idea of pillioning with me, so qz n yb rode off while the rest of us ate jaffles and watched the sun set, which was fun and brain numbing. we were joined by a frenly local dog n an unknown number of mosquitoes.
they came back n we set off for dinner - at a nice place (i forgot the name) at the bend between Jungutbatu and Mushroom bays. i had chicken satay w rice n bailey's coffee, and finally a chance to use my tripod. i'm never bringing it overseas again. unnecessary weight n space - i could use any nearby chair or table anyway. back from dinner we tokked cock while i fed our new fren the local dog by hand, but didn't stay awake long - another ferry to catch back tml morning.
I woke at 6.15 and was all packed at abt 7. had breakfast w balinese coffee n we said goodbye to the nice ppl at Pondok Baruna - I wld want to come back again. except for the boat ride we wld encounter - the ticket guy snatched money out of dw's hands and pointed us to an overcrowded boat - locals were already clambering onto the roof. reluctantly, knowing that the indon safety record in transportation isn't exactly award-winning (hey a boat sank during an investigation of how it caught fire. u really can't beat that.), i climbed in and we made our way right to the front.
the ride, once again, was boring. but it was spiced up by a pregnant lady who was constantly throwing up, and who induced her daughter to do the same; a teenage girl on the roof doing the same; the regular pitching n rolling of the boat; and me ready to rush for the windows if the boat actually did flip.
It didn't, but i did get wet anyway. it was high tide when we reached the bali side, and the boat cldn't go near coz of the rocks. once again local men came to welcome us, carrying ppl and bags to the shore. i didn't fancy getting carried away, but i didn't read the black water correctly - i thot the wave receeded but actually it was the boat pulling away - and i landed waist deep in salt water. gross.
we clambered over the rock breakwater and dripped back to Agung & Sue Watering Hole, damn glad i left them some clothes for washing. had a quick shower in the toilet n i felt much better. but after all our exertions, the planned and much anticipated massage was not to be. we took a van to Kuta and there we lugged around our fricking monsters round for... shopping. i can't complain, i bought cheap chocolates for colleagues n a t-shirt for myself (i just had to, after the trek, the tourist traps and the dripping wet backpack). but i still need that massage.
our last dinner in bali wasn't anything to shout abt - i wasn't hungry anyway. we managed to bargain dirt cheap taxis to the airport (much to the cabbies' ire) and joined long queues to get to our plane. valuair surprised me by serving nasi goreng, which wasn't tt nice either. at least their coffee was ok.
so ends another adventure.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Bali 2 (27 Feb - 4 Mar 2007) Part 1 - Treacherous Trek
I'd better write something here before i forget or procrasinate, since so many ppl wanna read all abt it.
The trip started uneventfully enough... the usual rush for the plane and boring flight, a long, long ride from denpasar airport to candi dasa. The first interesting event came when our accomodations there, although looked really nice, had no AC. and I specifically asked for AC so that all of us could hv a good rest. but i guess the place looked so nice and the dutch lady who ran the place was so nice and it was so late we couldn't say no. Dinner was 10pm that day... a sign of how rubbery time could be in bali.
i think that nite was the 1st time i slept under a mosquito net... which was quite effective. but still didn't sleep that well... kept waking up, maybe coz not used to sharing a bed with a guy.. hahah. next morning breakfast was very nice, but not filling. after packing, Mudi, the guide who picked us up from airport, came; we were off.
We stopped along the way for money changing, food buying, and lunch... and somehow the time we wanted to save by getting Mudi to come earlier was squandered away - not anyone's fault of coz, all due to the fact we were in bali.
When we reached the start of the trek at 3pm, it was raining slightly. bad. When we got to the shrine of the mountain, i had to take out my jacket coz the rain was getting heavier. BAD. and as the journey started the rain got worse. VERY BAD. so far the trek itself wasn't difficult, maybe that's why i don't remember much of it, or maybe I'm too traumatised by the whole event.
In this part of the trek 2 incidents stand out. 1st one was when we stopped rite beside a black flowing pool created by a waterfall of rain. apparently lava rock on the volcano doesn't really absorb water, so most of the heavy downfall just roars off the slopes in massive flows. and we had to cross one of these seasonal rivers, thus had to stop and wait for the waters to subside.
2nd one was the actual crossing. it was damn slippery, and i was helping yb, with qz in front. all of a sudden qz slipped heavily and started sliding down the boulder - and my immediate thot was i cldn't help him at all, shd he slip all the way down to the sea. hengz he managed to stop himself and get back up, minus a few bits of fingers.
It got dark and I wasn't expecting us to trek until so late, so i had to borrow a torch from Mudi (mine was packed away safe and dry) we finally reached the campsite at 9pm, 3 hrs late, and tired out. as the rest fussed over qz's fingers and chel's open shoe, i plonked myself on my field chair and asked myself why was i still such an idiot to sign up for this. but more was to come.
we helped set up the tents, and it wasn't until 11pm that we were finally dry and relatively clean n warm in one of the tents. but still, we hadn't eaten anything since 2pm and were sitting there hungry while Mudi and the 2 porters messed about with their complex tent. we kinda had to remind them that we were hungry, but once the food was handed out, it came quickly. cold rice, cold weird satay, cold veges, etc nv tasted so good before. They thot of bringing coke as well, which was a nice touch.
giving an excuse that it was cold, the girls wanted to bunk in with the guys. of coz. but 3 guys 3 girls can't lie flat in a 4-man tent - most of us probably didn't sleep much. thankfully qz lead the girls out and i could nap (not sleep) for an hour.
we set off at 3am and for the first part i lagged behind in the darkness - i did some training on my stamina but not specifically thigh muscles. somehow it consistently felt like there wld be at least 10 ppl waiting for me at each ridge, not 7 - my 5 frens, Mudi and Nengah. but it was too dark anyway, so i shrugged it off. along the way at 4+am, we asked Mudi if we could reach the summit for the sunrise, and he replied yes. an hour later, he replied no to the same.
After subjecting our shins to spiky grass, we caught the sunrise on a slope, surrounded by thin wiry bushes bent on impeding our journey up. beyond that were bare slopes of loose rock - there i buay tahan and had to take a nap in the sun. but after that power nap i got refreshed, and hardly stopped for long until i reached the summit.
Even so, it wasn't as straight forward. the end of the slope we saw was always never the summit. we just kept seeing yet another slope up ahead, until we had to go round one of them - then i finally saw the volcano crater and the north-eastern slopes of the same bare rocks. we were damn close. diwei and chelsea reached before me, and were seated near a col at the crater - but i decided i wld go to the top, not settle for a col. So i slowly ascended until a huge rock, and refused to budge. thus everyone relocated to my spot.
Breakfast was a simple but welcome affair of brown bread w butter n nutella, orange juice and mangosteen. at 9+am, the sun was already high and we were 3 hrs behind schedule. we took shots at a higher point (not sure where's really the peak on a volcano), peeked into the crater from a precarious edge beyond a shallow but ominous crack, then painfully made our slow way down.
we walked and slid and stopped and rested - past the bare loose rocks and prickly shrubs, and entered back into the long grass. still, it wld be a long way to go, and lots of loose soil to tread on. we trudged carefully downward, passing by the huge rocks and lonely trees that silently watched us pass upward earlier in the darkness. then the sun disappeared and clouds came in - and we were in the middle of another huge downpour, possibly heavier than the previous day's.
not counting the proximity of lightning, it WAS kinda of a blessing for me though, coz we were dangerously low on water and i was damn thirsty. i saw yb with an open nalgene and decided to follow suit - i cupped my hand to the sky and sucked on watever precious few drops i managed to catch and keep. periodically we wld pause, to ascertain thunder was some distance away after a flash of lightning, or to solemnly watch the temporary waterfalls as they roared hundred metres away from us. if one rode on those rivers, you could probably reach the sea in 5-10 minutes. your other body parts might take a while longer.
Too many hours later, tired and thirsty, we caught sight of the camp site - with 2 instead of 3 tents. at 1st i thot the remaining port had moved the camp site, and stumbled down unfamiliar slopes; until i saw the same altar near our tent, and realised how different the camp site looked in the dark of night. there was a drop beyond the girls' tent which i nv knew. and the slopes which seemed so steep at night were so gentle in the daylight.
We drank ginseng coffee, coke and watever liquids we could get our hands on, packed, and bid Mudi goodbye - he wld be staying to guide another group while Nengah and the other porter lead us down. I was in good spirits - mainly coz i forgot how far we still were from the foot. I was supposed to help chel look out coz now both her shoes had opened up - but i lost my balance and fell heavily twice, the 2nd giving me a large slice across my shin, which still itches as i type this.
recognising a problem, the others had diwei n i switch backpacks. my bulky PM for his compact one. but as darkness fell my brain started messing up and unable to process inadequate light. that was when i saw the taxi stand. it had a pale blue sloping roof, with blue-painted railings for ppl to lean on. and i knew i was right in the middle of wilderness. so i decided to stop. i badly needed sleep, but there was no time. so i was given to Nengah, the lead porter, to be guided down. I thot probably it'll be another 3 hrs, i was sure i could last that long, as long as i was helped. i didn't know the word for hallucination in bahasa, so i just said i had a headache.
the next few hours were a blur. i remember asking nengah to wait if i saw the space-alien headlamps of my companions too far away, or translating when they needed a rest. i remember sitting there between being awake and being asleep, incorporating their voices with my dreams. i remember knowing that i needed energy and licking spilled glucose powder off a nalgene. i remember seeing gigantic chocolate bars along the path where it was dark. i remember thinking that i wld probably be dead before this trek ended, and my greatest regret wld be nv getting a gf. i remember that slipping, cracking and dying hallucination. but for most of the time i remember just whatever my headlamp showed me - Nengah's boots, the loose soil, and overgrown grass. and my mind flying all over the world, like i was on magic mushrooms.
Then we came to a wide river that we had to cross. I was scared but too woozy to protest as Nengah guided me across the slippery boulders with skillful use of my walking stick, and how i didn't know, sat me on a safe dry surface and told me to wait there, while he got the others. i was in no shape to go anywhere anyway. i gave him my more powerful headlamp and he handed me his dying bulb of a torch, too weak to see beyond the nearest grass.
I could see headlamps coming my way down the far away slope, disappearing, then appearing again much nearer, on the rocks. i knew they were my companions, but still felt compelled to ask repeatedly who they were. qz tried to ask them how long more to the vehicle, and with my muddle brain i tried to ask in bahasa, the 2 porters laughed and said something we didn't understand - maybe my question was translated wrongly. qz remarked they could sell us off and we wldn't know, while my thots turned more sinister: they could easily push us off the boulders into the river below and murder us all. such was my lunacy from lack of sleep.
my brain as such, i didn't realise my entire right leg was going numb - and pins & needles seared the whole length from butt to toe, and somehow the pain forced me awake. once Nengah guided me across the terrifying slippery boulders, i was back to normal again. probably adrenaline did it for me.
I told Nengah and the rest i was feeling better, no more "headache". from there, Nengah and I sped down slopes, him moving confidently and me just rite behind, following his every step. I decided i would stay with Nengah on account of his dying torch. for that hour or so we would fly down 1st, then sit and wait for the others and chat in my limited bahasa.
He told me that the river we were walking next to was very long and 20m deep, and that recently 2 locals, out cutting grass, were swept away by a flash flood. he told me he was 30 yrs old, his wife 24, and he had 2 young boys. he also tired to tell me a few others things, but i cldn't understand. he asked if 6 of us were family, and was curious about Singapore and Malaysia. i tried to tell him as much as i could.
This continued as my now-awake brain could feel my now-rumbling rectum and after a stretch of dense jungle, i knew my next release would be more than just a fart. it wasn't allowed to crap on the holy volcano, but i knew if i didn't my frens wld kill me on the way back in the vehicle. so i insisted to Nengah that i wld crap, and he reluctantly pointed out to me a spot left of a small stony stream. I could hardly wait for everyone to pass before i let loose the kind after u drink stale milk with overnight curry. and everyone could clearly hear my relief. it must have been contagious coz soon after yb started puking. besides that, i was glad i showed the blardy volcano wat i thot of it.
i apologised to the porter waiting for me, and hurriedly tried to catch up, and in my haste slipped heavily on the wet stone. thankfully i manage to land on my side instead of my head - guess the volcano got my message. was afraid that Nengah wld be pissed at me crapping, but he simply asked if i was feeling better. After that we didn't manage to talk much as he was busy leading huiping.
the remaining way was still long, but it was now gentle and the path was clear. my brain started to shut down again, and soon i was falling asleep walking and talking nonsense in an attempt to stay awake. i wld really fall asleep on my feet and slip on loose rocks, jolted awake for that second. i dunno how long i stumbled that way until we encountered an old lady standing by the path. then we came upon some man-made structure - we made it.
we sat among the mosquitos and flies for a while, then Mudi's younger brother, (aka Mudik) came and told us some shady story abt the vehicle being 30mins away and we wld have to walk 45 mins out. my tired mind had enuff of this rubber time and i got really pissed, wanted to get going out of the dark never endindg jungle, away from the irritating flies and mosquitoes. but not before huiping reminded me abt a tip for Nengah and in her tiredness she expertly slipped him Rp15,000 - a miserly sum on hindsight, but he was extremely grateful.
In my pissed state i tried to get everyone going, then remembered we hadn't eaten for almost a day, except for the emergency food. so i stormed back to look for the food that Mudik brought. i must have been a confusing sight, but believe me, at that time i was pretty confused, and pissed, myself.
we headed out and walked along a dirt road as more and more daylight came through - then in my stupor i realised huiping was missing. i thot i'd better make sure she was ok so headed back half asleep still. i remember standing on a slightly sloping stretch all alone, then suddenly opening my eyes and seeing huiping with nengah right in front of me, and turning around in a shock to see an elderly man with a load - i was blocking his way, and i wondered if i was in a dream.
we walked until the 2nd porter came on a motorbike to pick us up. i was last to get on and Nengah waited with me, gently reminding me not to sleep and to keep awake i decided to take our picture. then it was my turn on the bike. Nengah handed me the 6 walking sticks to carry while he rode another bike, and holding on to the 2nd porter i remember telling myself i wanted to enjoy this ride out.
my eyes opened to the sound of ppl calling me, telling me to get off. i saw my frens sitting under a roof, and fell asleep again. Mudik had to take away the walking sticks and help me off the bike. i stumbled into an open door of a jeep and fell asleep again. So ends one of the more terrible and terrifying treks of my life.
The trip started uneventfully enough... the usual rush for the plane and boring flight, a long, long ride from denpasar airport to candi dasa. The first interesting event came when our accomodations there, although looked really nice, had no AC. and I specifically asked for AC so that all of us could hv a good rest. but i guess the place looked so nice and the dutch lady who ran the place was so nice and it was so late we couldn't say no. Dinner was 10pm that day... a sign of how rubbery time could be in bali.
i think that nite was the 1st time i slept under a mosquito net... which was quite effective. but still didn't sleep that well... kept waking up, maybe coz not used to sharing a bed with a guy.. hahah. next morning breakfast was very nice, but not filling. after packing, Mudi, the guide who picked us up from airport, came; we were off.
We stopped along the way for money changing, food buying, and lunch... and somehow the time we wanted to save by getting Mudi to come earlier was squandered away - not anyone's fault of coz, all due to the fact we were in bali.
When we reached the start of the trek at 3pm, it was raining slightly. bad. When we got to the shrine of the mountain, i had to take out my jacket coz the rain was getting heavier. BAD. and as the journey started the rain got worse. VERY BAD. so far the trek itself wasn't difficult, maybe that's why i don't remember much of it, or maybe I'm too traumatised by the whole event.
In this part of the trek 2 incidents stand out. 1st one was when we stopped rite beside a black flowing pool created by a waterfall of rain. apparently lava rock on the volcano doesn't really absorb water, so most of the heavy downfall just roars off the slopes in massive flows. and we had to cross one of these seasonal rivers, thus had to stop and wait for the waters to subside.
2nd one was the actual crossing. it was damn slippery, and i was helping yb, with qz in front. all of a sudden qz slipped heavily and started sliding down the boulder - and my immediate thot was i cldn't help him at all, shd he slip all the way down to the sea. hengz he managed to stop himself and get back up, minus a few bits of fingers.
It got dark and I wasn't expecting us to trek until so late, so i had to borrow a torch from Mudi (mine was packed away safe and dry) we finally reached the campsite at 9pm, 3 hrs late, and tired out. as the rest fussed over qz's fingers and chel's open shoe, i plonked myself on my field chair and asked myself why was i still such an idiot to sign up for this. but more was to come.
we helped set up the tents, and it wasn't until 11pm that we were finally dry and relatively clean n warm in one of the tents. but still, we hadn't eaten anything since 2pm and were sitting there hungry while Mudi and the 2 porters messed about with their complex tent. we kinda had to remind them that we were hungry, but once the food was handed out, it came quickly. cold rice, cold weird satay, cold veges, etc nv tasted so good before. They thot of bringing coke as well, which was a nice touch.
giving an excuse that it was cold, the girls wanted to bunk in with the guys. of coz. but 3 guys 3 girls can't lie flat in a 4-man tent - most of us probably didn't sleep much. thankfully qz lead the girls out and i could nap (not sleep) for an hour.
we set off at 3am and for the first part i lagged behind in the darkness - i did some training on my stamina but not specifically thigh muscles. somehow it consistently felt like there wld be at least 10 ppl waiting for me at each ridge, not 7 - my 5 frens, Mudi and Nengah. but it was too dark anyway, so i shrugged it off. along the way at 4+am, we asked Mudi if we could reach the summit for the sunrise, and he replied yes. an hour later, he replied no to the same.
After subjecting our shins to spiky grass, we caught the sunrise on a slope, surrounded by thin wiry bushes bent on impeding our journey up. beyond that were bare slopes of loose rock - there i buay tahan and had to take a nap in the sun. but after that power nap i got refreshed, and hardly stopped for long until i reached the summit.
Even so, it wasn't as straight forward. the end of the slope we saw was always never the summit. we just kept seeing yet another slope up ahead, until we had to go round one of them - then i finally saw the volcano crater and the north-eastern slopes of the same bare rocks. we were damn close. diwei and chelsea reached before me, and were seated near a col at the crater - but i decided i wld go to the top, not settle for a col. So i slowly ascended until a huge rock, and refused to budge. thus everyone relocated to my spot.
Breakfast was a simple but welcome affair of brown bread w butter n nutella, orange juice and mangosteen. at 9+am, the sun was already high and we were 3 hrs behind schedule. we took shots at a higher point (not sure where's really the peak on a volcano), peeked into the crater from a precarious edge beyond a shallow but ominous crack, then painfully made our slow way down.
we walked and slid and stopped and rested - past the bare loose rocks and prickly shrubs, and entered back into the long grass. still, it wld be a long way to go, and lots of loose soil to tread on. we trudged carefully downward, passing by the huge rocks and lonely trees that silently watched us pass upward earlier in the darkness. then the sun disappeared and clouds came in - and we were in the middle of another huge downpour, possibly heavier than the previous day's.
not counting the proximity of lightning, it WAS kinda of a blessing for me though, coz we were dangerously low on water and i was damn thirsty. i saw yb with an open nalgene and decided to follow suit - i cupped my hand to the sky and sucked on watever precious few drops i managed to catch and keep. periodically we wld pause, to ascertain thunder was some distance away after a flash of lightning, or to solemnly watch the temporary waterfalls as they roared hundred metres away from us. if one rode on those rivers, you could probably reach the sea in 5-10 minutes. your other body parts might take a while longer.
Too many hours later, tired and thirsty, we caught sight of the camp site - with 2 instead of 3 tents. at 1st i thot the remaining port had moved the camp site, and stumbled down unfamiliar slopes; until i saw the same altar near our tent, and realised how different the camp site looked in the dark of night. there was a drop beyond the girls' tent which i nv knew. and the slopes which seemed so steep at night were so gentle in the daylight.
We drank ginseng coffee, coke and watever liquids we could get our hands on, packed, and bid Mudi goodbye - he wld be staying to guide another group while Nengah and the other porter lead us down. I was in good spirits - mainly coz i forgot how far we still were from the foot. I was supposed to help chel look out coz now both her shoes had opened up - but i lost my balance and fell heavily twice, the 2nd giving me a large slice across my shin, which still itches as i type this.
recognising a problem, the others had diwei n i switch backpacks. my bulky PM for his compact one. but as darkness fell my brain started messing up and unable to process inadequate light. that was when i saw the taxi stand. it had a pale blue sloping roof, with blue-painted railings for ppl to lean on. and i knew i was right in the middle of wilderness. so i decided to stop. i badly needed sleep, but there was no time. so i was given to Nengah, the lead porter, to be guided down. I thot probably it'll be another 3 hrs, i was sure i could last that long, as long as i was helped. i didn't know the word for hallucination in bahasa, so i just said i had a headache.
the next few hours were a blur. i remember asking nengah to wait if i saw the space-alien headlamps of my companions too far away, or translating when they needed a rest. i remember sitting there between being awake and being asleep, incorporating their voices with my dreams. i remember knowing that i needed energy and licking spilled glucose powder off a nalgene. i remember seeing gigantic chocolate bars along the path where it was dark. i remember thinking that i wld probably be dead before this trek ended, and my greatest regret wld be nv getting a gf. i remember that slipping, cracking and dying hallucination. but for most of the time i remember just whatever my headlamp showed me - Nengah's boots, the loose soil, and overgrown grass. and my mind flying all over the world, like i was on magic mushrooms.
Then we came to a wide river that we had to cross. I was scared but too woozy to protest as Nengah guided me across the slippery boulders with skillful use of my walking stick, and how i didn't know, sat me on a safe dry surface and told me to wait there, while he got the others. i was in no shape to go anywhere anyway. i gave him my more powerful headlamp and he handed me his dying bulb of a torch, too weak to see beyond the nearest grass.
I could see headlamps coming my way down the far away slope, disappearing, then appearing again much nearer, on the rocks. i knew they were my companions, but still felt compelled to ask repeatedly who they were. qz tried to ask them how long more to the vehicle, and with my muddle brain i tried to ask in bahasa, the 2 porters laughed and said something we didn't understand - maybe my question was translated wrongly. qz remarked they could sell us off and we wldn't know, while my thots turned more sinister: they could easily push us off the boulders into the river below and murder us all. such was my lunacy from lack of sleep.
my brain as such, i didn't realise my entire right leg was going numb - and pins & needles seared the whole length from butt to toe, and somehow the pain forced me awake. once Nengah guided me across the terrifying slippery boulders, i was back to normal again. probably adrenaline did it for me.
I told Nengah and the rest i was feeling better, no more "headache". from there, Nengah and I sped down slopes, him moving confidently and me just rite behind, following his every step. I decided i would stay with Nengah on account of his dying torch. for that hour or so we would fly down 1st, then sit and wait for the others and chat in my limited bahasa.
He told me that the river we were walking next to was very long and 20m deep, and that recently 2 locals, out cutting grass, were swept away by a flash flood. he told me he was 30 yrs old, his wife 24, and he had 2 young boys. he also tired to tell me a few others things, but i cldn't understand. he asked if 6 of us were family, and was curious about Singapore and Malaysia. i tried to tell him as much as i could.
This continued as my now-awake brain could feel my now-rumbling rectum and after a stretch of dense jungle, i knew my next release would be more than just a fart. it wasn't allowed to crap on the holy volcano, but i knew if i didn't my frens wld kill me on the way back in the vehicle. so i insisted to Nengah that i wld crap, and he reluctantly pointed out to me a spot left of a small stony stream. I could hardly wait for everyone to pass before i let loose the kind after u drink stale milk with overnight curry. and everyone could clearly hear my relief. it must have been contagious coz soon after yb started puking. besides that, i was glad i showed the blardy volcano wat i thot of it.
i apologised to the porter waiting for me, and hurriedly tried to catch up, and in my haste slipped heavily on the wet stone. thankfully i manage to land on my side instead of my head - guess the volcano got my message. was afraid that Nengah wld be pissed at me crapping, but he simply asked if i was feeling better. After that we didn't manage to talk much as he was busy leading huiping.
the remaining way was still long, but it was now gentle and the path was clear. my brain started to shut down again, and soon i was falling asleep walking and talking nonsense in an attempt to stay awake. i wld really fall asleep on my feet and slip on loose rocks, jolted awake for that second. i dunno how long i stumbled that way until we encountered an old lady standing by the path. then we came upon some man-made structure - we made it.
we sat among the mosquitos and flies for a while, then Mudi's younger brother, (aka Mudik) came and told us some shady story abt the vehicle being 30mins away and we wld have to walk 45 mins out. my tired mind had enuff of this rubber time and i got really pissed, wanted to get going out of the dark never endindg jungle, away from the irritating flies and mosquitoes. but not before huiping reminded me abt a tip for Nengah and in her tiredness she expertly slipped him Rp15,000 - a miserly sum on hindsight, but he was extremely grateful.
In my pissed state i tried to get everyone going, then remembered we hadn't eaten for almost a day, except for the emergency food. so i stormed back to look for the food that Mudik brought. i must have been a confusing sight, but believe me, at that time i was pretty confused, and pissed, myself.
we headed out and walked along a dirt road as more and more daylight came through - then in my stupor i realised huiping was missing. i thot i'd better make sure she was ok so headed back half asleep still. i remember standing on a slightly sloping stretch all alone, then suddenly opening my eyes and seeing huiping with nengah right in front of me, and turning around in a shock to see an elderly man with a load - i was blocking his way, and i wondered if i was in a dream.
we walked until the 2nd porter came on a motorbike to pick us up. i was last to get on and Nengah waited with me, gently reminding me not to sleep and to keep awake i decided to take our picture. then it was my turn on the bike. Nengah handed me the 6 walking sticks to carry while he rode another bike, and holding on to the 2nd porter i remember telling myself i wanted to enjoy this ride out.
my eyes opened to the sound of ppl calling me, telling me to get off. i saw my frens sitting under a roof, and fell asleep again. Mudik had to take away the walking sticks and help me off the bike. i stumbled into an open door of a jeep and fell asleep again. So ends one of the more terrible and terrifying treks of my life.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Fraser's Hill Day 1
We had a long wait for lunch - mine was a mid-sized bowl of bland fried rice - before setting off to Singapore House. at least the coffee I had was good. Along the way, I just had to call home to tell them I had arrived at the place they knew so well. At least for once, they could more than just imagine the places I've been.
Housekeeper was a Chinese auntie, who probably didn't speak english that well, but that still didn't explain her aloofness. Opened our door, asked us for our preferred dinner timing, and vanished. No more info than absolutely necessary, no suggestions, no small talk. Hey, I was in the travel industry for 5 mths - not really the way you wanna treat guests if you want them to keep coming back.
So we washed up, made a plan, and headed out for some trekking along trails which names i've forgotten using a map i can't find anymore. (darn.) The treks were relatively ok, but rust got the better of me - my feet were uncertain, my knees were cautious and my eyes didn't scan enuff. and i realise that only part of the enjoyment comes from the natural surroundings, most of it comes from the adventurous thrill of a trek, the satisfaction of conquering something non-concrete.
by the end of the 2nd trek i was rather tired, and was secretly (not anymore) glad when we saw the 3rd trail was closed (haha oh darn). so we walked back via the winding mountain roads and guided a convoy of lost tourists with our map, passed by the paddock for a recce, all the while snapping photos here and there.
We were still early when we reached Singapore House, so decided to check out Banglo Richmond further up the hills. I had the chance to peer into the closed gates of Kingswood, where my parent and brother once stayed 28 yrs ago. We made frens with a puppy from behind the gates of another lodging, imprisoned by choice - half his body could come out to lick ally but he remained inside no matter what.
All along the way, we were frenly to ppl who we met, and that felt really nice - that I was really travelling, backpacking, not holed up in my own little world. We helped out lost strangers, passed frenly words to local kids. nice.
Back at Singapore House, dinner was already waiting for us - simple chinese style fare, not bad. The singaporean couple staying in the other room were eating already, and left long before we did. There was too much food for 2 ppl, so taking my time didn't help finish it. I felt kinda bad for making the indian cleaning auntie wait, so we helped by clearing the table. Can see that not many ppl do that.
Just before bed, we took out our cans of beer from the fridge, and I had my 1st alcoholic drink in months. The long journey here and all that walking made me very tired, so I fell asleep shortly after that, didn't even hv energy to finish my beer. Ally, on the other hand, drank some of my beer and proceeded to get high. Accounts of that night from him are all his drunken hallucinations.
Housekeeper was a Chinese auntie, who probably didn't speak english that well, but that still didn't explain her aloofness. Opened our door, asked us for our preferred dinner timing, and vanished. No more info than absolutely necessary, no suggestions, no small talk. Hey, I was in the travel industry for 5 mths - not really the way you wanna treat guests if you want them to keep coming back.
So we washed up, made a plan, and headed out for some trekking along trails which names i've forgotten using a map i can't find anymore. (darn.) The treks were relatively ok, but rust got the better of me - my feet were uncertain, my knees were cautious and my eyes didn't scan enuff. and i realise that only part of the enjoyment comes from the natural surroundings, most of it comes from the adventurous thrill of a trek, the satisfaction of conquering something non-concrete.
by the end of the 2nd trek i was rather tired, and was secretly (not anymore) glad when we saw the 3rd trail was closed (haha oh darn). so we walked back via the winding mountain roads and guided a convoy of lost tourists with our map, passed by the paddock for a recce, all the while snapping photos here and there.
We were still early when we reached Singapore House, so decided to check out Banglo Richmond further up the hills. I had the chance to peer into the closed gates of Kingswood, where my parent and brother once stayed 28 yrs ago. We made frens with a puppy from behind the gates of another lodging, imprisoned by choice - half his body could come out to lick ally but he remained inside no matter what.
All along the way, we were frenly to ppl who we met, and that felt really nice - that I was really travelling, backpacking, not holed up in my own little world. We helped out lost strangers, passed frenly words to local kids. nice.
Back at Singapore House, dinner was already waiting for us - simple chinese style fare, not bad. The singaporean couple staying in the other room were eating already, and left long before we did. There was too much food for 2 ppl, so taking my time didn't help finish it. I felt kinda bad for making the indian cleaning auntie wait, so we helped by clearing the table. Can see that not many ppl do that.
Just before bed, we took out our cans of beer from the fridge, and I had my 1st alcoholic drink in months. The long journey here and all that walking made me very tired, so I fell asleep shortly after that, didn't even hv energy to finish my beer. Ally, on the other hand, drank some of my beer and proceeded to get high. Accounts of that night from him are all his drunken hallucinations.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Fraser's Hill Day 0
It all started and ended with a taxi ride. Let's go somewhere, I told ally. diving in thailand or backpacking in vietnam. well it nv got to that, but i wldn't say these 2 options wld be better.
my halfday leave was dragged down by work... at 2+pm i decided to cancel it, coz wasn't worth it anymore. had "no objections" from my manager, who didn't bother to ask me why i still returned to office after work.
so rushed home at 520pm, hurriedly packed, and did unnecessary stuff like showering before rushing out again with hurried goodbyes for mum & dad - their travelling smurf is off again, with his own travelling smurf.
10pm: the bus company was very malaysia style - lots of shouting, lots of chaos. so i didn't feel much different when we crossed over. it took a bloody long time though. we waited a long while for the bus to start, waited to crawl thru sg customs, and took a while to read every bus liscence plate at m'sia customs until we found ours; breathing in plenty of noxious fumes along the way.
at least the bus to KL was comfortable enuff - it better be, we paid $47 for it. ally fell asleep quickly as usual, while my mp3s kept me company until i dozed off. woke up in KL 4.30am, had prata for breakfast, secured our bus tix home with multiple tries, and then read book + newspaper (i always wanted to buy a copy of The Star - m'sia's number 1 tabloid) at the wrong Puduraya platform until signs of life started stirring. then the fun began. we asked abt the bus to Kuala Kubu Bahru and were sent back and forth 2-3 times Puduraya and it's surroundings.
1/2 hr before panic time ensued, ally happened to ask a bus driver who pointed us to somewhere and told us the bus was straight that way. we walked thru the almost deserted streets and came across the bus stop, and was told the bus was further on. luckily we managed to find the correct bus in the end - C S Bus Bus no 43 to Rawang. there we could connect to Metro bus no 36 to KKB. the KL-KKB service was disconnected yrs ago. that's wat happens when ur sole source of info is the internet.
the bus driver and fare collector were very nice, told us we could hv a drink at the kopitiam next to the rd coz they wldn't leave for 1/2 hr more. it was then i noticed something abt KL kopitiams/prata shops/anyplace that sells food. even if u only had a drink, u'd come out feeling as oily as a pisang goreng.
the bus ride was ok... 1 hr and uneventful. at rawang we were directed by the nice bus driver and fare collected to alight, and get bus no 36. i guess ppl are nice when you are. we stood around amidst the chaotic traffic, old shophouses and dug up roads for a while, looking out for 36. soon enuff we got tired of looking and jumped into 7-11 for some snacks, and sure enuff - 36 came along. a watched pot nv boils.
a short, middle-aged man at the bus door asked in cantonese if we were going to KKB, and let us up. couldn't help but notice he had a tiny right shoulder, and his arm was limp. made me think if he had dislocated his shoulder in a really bad way. poor guy. probably no access to good healthcare.
ride was uneventful too - and we got to KKB just nicely, the bus to Fraser's was already there. KKB looked like it nv changed since 5 yrs ago i was there. the bus station still looked like the one i waited for hours in so many yrs ago. the same plastic seats, worn and discoloured, were still there.
the last bus ride was exciting to say the least. smooth PVC seats gave no grip whatsoever as the driver skillfully negotiated every turn in the mountains, keeping the vehicle on the road and from sliding off it, like his passengers in our seats. there was just enuff straight road opportunity to use one hand to take out my jacket, with the other hand strangling the bar in front of me to keep me from landing on the floor. my jacket stopped me from feeling cold, but didn't stop me from shaking uncontrollably.
14 hrs and 5 buses later, we arrived at the iconic clock tower. 15 yrs later, I arrived at Fraser's Hill once again.
my halfday leave was dragged down by work... at 2+pm i decided to cancel it, coz wasn't worth it anymore. had "no objections" from my manager, who didn't bother to ask me why i still returned to office after work.
so rushed home at 520pm, hurriedly packed, and did unnecessary stuff like showering before rushing out again with hurried goodbyes for mum & dad - their travelling smurf is off again, with his own travelling smurf.
10pm: the bus company was very malaysia style - lots of shouting, lots of chaos. so i didn't feel much different when we crossed over. it took a bloody long time though. we waited a long while for the bus to start, waited to crawl thru sg customs, and took a while to read every bus liscence plate at m'sia customs until we found ours; breathing in plenty of noxious fumes along the way.
at least the bus to KL was comfortable enuff - it better be, we paid $47 for it. ally fell asleep quickly as usual, while my mp3s kept me company until i dozed off. woke up in KL 4.30am, had prata for breakfast, secured our bus tix home with multiple tries, and then read book + newspaper (i always wanted to buy a copy of The Star - m'sia's number 1 tabloid) at the wrong Puduraya platform until signs of life started stirring. then the fun began. we asked abt the bus to Kuala Kubu Bahru and were sent back and forth 2-3 times Puduraya and it's surroundings.
1/2 hr before panic time ensued, ally happened to ask a bus driver who pointed us to somewhere and told us the bus was straight that way. we walked thru the almost deserted streets and came across the bus stop, and was told the bus was further on. luckily we managed to find the correct bus in the end - C S Bus Bus no 43 to Rawang. there we could connect to Metro bus no 36 to KKB. the KL-KKB service was disconnected yrs ago. that's wat happens when ur sole source of info is the internet.
the bus driver and fare collector were very nice, told us we could hv a drink at the kopitiam next to the rd coz they wldn't leave for 1/2 hr more. it was then i noticed something abt KL kopitiams/prata shops/anyplace that sells food. even if u only had a drink, u'd come out feeling as oily as a pisang goreng.
the bus ride was ok... 1 hr and uneventful. at rawang we were directed by the nice bus driver and fare collected to alight, and get bus no 36. i guess ppl are nice when you are. we stood around amidst the chaotic traffic, old shophouses and dug up roads for a while, looking out for 36. soon enuff we got tired of looking and jumped into 7-11 for some snacks, and sure enuff - 36 came along. a watched pot nv boils.
a short, middle-aged man at the bus door asked in cantonese if we were going to KKB, and let us up. couldn't help but notice he had a tiny right shoulder, and his arm was limp. made me think if he had dislocated his shoulder in a really bad way. poor guy. probably no access to good healthcare.
ride was uneventful too - and we got to KKB just nicely, the bus to Fraser's was already there. KKB looked like it nv changed since 5 yrs ago i was there. the bus station still looked like the one i waited for hours in so many yrs ago. the same plastic seats, worn and discoloured, were still there.
the last bus ride was exciting to say the least. smooth PVC seats gave no grip whatsoever as the driver skillfully negotiated every turn in the mountains, keeping the vehicle on the road and from sliding off it, like his passengers in our seats. there was just enuff straight road opportunity to use one hand to take out my jacket, with the other hand strangling the bar in front of me to keep me from landing on the floor. my jacket stopped me from feeling cold, but didn't stop me from shaking uncontrollably.
14 hrs and 5 buses later, we arrived at the iconic clock tower. 15 yrs later, I arrived at Fraser's Hill once again.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Kukup Wkend
Had a good time over the wkend. Ate so much my body started feeling funny. this is, of coz, after always eating just enuff in europe. Overate every meal. hahahah
breakfast was along the way from JB, at a place called 88. good porridge, dimsum, coffee.
lunch was at kukup town, seafood 8 course meal.
we then took a boat across the muddy waters of straits of malacca to kukup ayer masin - the kampung on the mangrove swamp. vendor(s?) came by and sold us otah, coconuts, ice cream, while we tok cock and played werewolf card games. then it was time for tea break.
actually i wasn't keen on eating anything more than greenbean soup. but i saw the curry calling out to me to add it to the beehoon. so bo pian. and i had to wash it down with another bowl of green bean soup.
after that we went out with a fishing boat to see see look look. the boat went out to empty 100m long nets, and they mainly caught hair bee, but quite a number of others got caught as well: a small pomfret, a horseshoe crab, a baby octopus, full grown orange/red/black prawns, a myriad of small fish, 1 or 2 small eels and 20 unfortunate HUGE 30cm diameter jellyfish. they die very quickly once in nets, and the fishermen didn't process jellyfish. kinda sad.
then i tried my hand at fishing. didn't hv much success getting a bite, nor holding on to the rod. was getting bored, so let others try. the only fish i saw in the muddy milo-kaukau mangrove waters was a trumpetfish which was right at the surface, but it wasn't interested in the hooked prawn that chased it (as opposed to the predator chasing the prey)
next was bbq dinner. i never had time to feel hungry. best satay i ever had - no fat meat, yet so tender i hardly needed to chew. huge prawns, usual stingray, otah, and so much more i forgot then all. i vaguely remember the usual boring stuff like chicken wings, sausages and fishballs... at most i ate only one of each.
as we were finishing, the otah vendor came by with fireworks. yay. we fooled around with rockets, spinning firecrackers, and had our own mini-ndp-in-a-can. i had so much fun i didn't bother with taking videos. hahhah
then i went fishing again. for quite a while it was boring, watching others catch some fish, setting free those that were caught by others in the afternoon and barely alive, including a trumpet fish (maybe the same one earlier). but not long after i lamented my luck was always low and my line was shortest among the guys, i got a bite!
the fight was short but tough and exhilarating. not that my mind registered it much. and soon i was waving a stingray inches away from my frens' faces. took a photo of it, but no one was going to eat it, so we decided to set it free.
easier said than done. i stepped on her stinging tail and tried to dislodge my hook from her mouth, and somehow something red and bloody looking came out from her belly. initially i thot i must hv stepped too hard and squeezed her intestines out, but one of the guys said she was giving birth. whether she pushed the baby out from panic, i dunno. i struggled with her to pull the sharp hook out of her mouth, and felt her pain. in the end someone else managed to do it. and i, her tormentor, quickly dropped her back into the sea. thankfully, she swam away.
after that, a catfish was caught by someone else, with the hook much deeper in - couldn't be seen from outside. by the time the hook was forcefully yanked from its throat, it was half dead. i kicked it into the sea, and it floated away with the current.
that was it. i had enuff of fishing. pretty soon i kept my line and went to bed. the constant thot was that if i see a stingray when i dive, i wld be estatic! and here i was torturing a pregnant one with a hook. i'm not fishing again.
next morning i woke up, found out we still had abt 3 more hrs, and went back to sleep. after a not-so-big breakfast, packed up and went for kelong visit - picked up urchin, dogfish shark and some small crab to take photos!!
across the milo kau for the last time, we reached back kukup town to hv 9 course seafood lunch. then take van to jusco - did some shopping + dinner. then with some extra ringgit, the driver dropped us all the way at city hall at 10plus.
damn relak wkend. so i wanna bring my closest frens there next time round.......
==================================================================
this entry was half written exactly 1 mth ago, didn't hv time to complete it and forgot abt it until now. tired after work lah, so chop chop finished it lor. hahaha
breakfast was along the way from JB, at a place called 88. good porridge, dimsum, coffee.
lunch was at kukup town, seafood 8 course meal.
we then took a boat across the muddy waters of straits of malacca to kukup ayer masin - the kampung on the mangrove swamp. vendor(s?) came by and sold us otah, coconuts, ice cream, while we tok cock and played werewolf card games. then it was time for tea break.
actually i wasn't keen on eating anything more than greenbean soup. but i saw the curry calling out to me to add it to the beehoon. so bo pian. and i had to wash it down with another bowl of green bean soup.
after that we went out with a fishing boat to see see look look. the boat went out to empty 100m long nets, and they mainly caught hair bee, but quite a number of others got caught as well: a small pomfret, a horseshoe crab, a baby octopus, full grown orange/red/black prawns, a myriad of small fish, 1 or 2 small eels and 20 unfortunate HUGE 30cm diameter jellyfish. they die very quickly once in nets, and the fishermen didn't process jellyfish. kinda sad.
then i tried my hand at fishing. didn't hv much success getting a bite, nor holding on to the rod. was getting bored, so let others try. the only fish i saw in the muddy milo-kaukau mangrove waters was a trumpetfish which was right at the surface, but it wasn't interested in the hooked prawn that chased it (as opposed to the predator chasing the prey)
next was bbq dinner. i never had time to feel hungry. best satay i ever had - no fat meat, yet so tender i hardly needed to chew. huge prawns, usual stingray, otah, and so much more i forgot then all. i vaguely remember the usual boring stuff like chicken wings, sausages and fishballs... at most i ate only one of each.
as we were finishing, the otah vendor came by with fireworks. yay. we fooled around with rockets, spinning firecrackers, and had our own mini-ndp-in-a-can. i had so much fun i didn't bother with taking videos. hahhah
then i went fishing again. for quite a while it was boring, watching others catch some fish, setting free those that were caught by others in the afternoon and barely alive, including a trumpet fish (maybe the same one earlier). but not long after i lamented my luck was always low and my line was shortest among the guys, i got a bite!
the fight was short but tough and exhilarating. not that my mind registered it much. and soon i was waving a stingray inches away from my frens' faces. took a photo of it, but no one was going to eat it, so we decided to set it free.
easier said than done. i stepped on her stinging tail and tried to dislodge my hook from her mouth, and somehow something red and bloody looking came out from her belly. initially i thot i must hv stepped too hard and squeezed her intestines out, but one of the guys said she was giving birth. whether she pushed the baby out from panic, i dunno. i struggled with her to pull the sharp hook out of her mouth, and felt her pain. in the end someone else managed to do it. and i, her tormentor, quickly dropped her back into the sea. thankfully, she swam away.
after that, a catfish was caught by someone else, with the hook much deeper in - couldn't be seen from outside. by the time the hook was forcefully yanked from its throat, it was half dead. i kicked it into the sea, and it floated away with the current.
that was it. i had enuff of fishing. pretty soon i kept my line and went to bed. the constant thot was that if i see a stingray when i dive, i wld be estatic! and here i was torturing a pregnant one with a hook. i'm not fishing again.
next morning i woke up, found out we still had abt 3 more hrs, and went back to sleep. after a not-so-big breakfast, packed up and went for kelong visit - picked up urchin, dogfish shark and some small crab to take photos!!
across the milo kau for the last time, we reached back kukup town to hv 9 course seafood lunch. then take van to jusco - did some shopping + dinner. then with some extra ringgit, the driver dropped us all the way at city hall at 10plus.
damn relak wkend. so i wanna bring my closest frens there next time round.......
==================================================================
this entry was half written exactly 1 mth ago, didn't hv time to complete it and forgot abt it until now. tired after work lah, so chop chop finished it lor. hahaha
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
