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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Europe Photos at...

http://rockieshoots.multiply.com/
enjoy.

There And Back Again - A Traveller's Tale

I'm home. Been so for almost 12 days now.

What I never fail to start off with is to explain why I ended earlier. The story of the evil fren and the unforeseen abandonment.

But what I remember is:

- The wonderful breakfast we had on the 1st day at Frankfurt
- The magic mushrooms from Amsterdam flower market
- The hailstones near the Eiffel Tower, and the indian touts that swarmed all around it
- The shifty backpacker place, the pickpocket, and the maze of streets at Florence
- The Colosseum, Circus Maximus, and the homely Bed & Breakfast at Rome
- The surprisingly comfortable (super) ferry rides to and fro the Adriatic Sea
- The disgusting incident at Athens
- The gloomy beach & friendly people at Schinias, and the frighteningly deep "hot" spring outside Athens
- The brownish-green waters of crumbling Venice
- The wild rugged scenery at Slovenia and Croatia
- The perplexed border guards at Slovenia and Croatia, thanx to a never-before-seen red passport
- The stripping of a CPU in Zagreb, and the unfinishable carbonara
- The beautiful studio apartment and old city centre at Split, and my 1st fish in weeks.
- The clear blue waters off Hvar, an eyeful
- Feeling lost and helpless on the way to Munich
- Feeling free and relieved on the way to Innsbruck
- Being shocked that I'm staying at the 4star hotel
- Feeling very lonely in my 4star room
- The totally unprepared hike up the 1st mountain I saw from the road, and the lovely couple who brought me down
- Cowmine!
- The sterile, characterless hostel at Vienna, and the unhelpful staff
- The rickety, cramped, dirty but fun caravan at Innsbruck
- The guided hike round the valley, thru flower-strewn meadows, gravel slopes, conifer forests
- My first touch of snow
- My hesitancy bunking in with a friend at Frankfurt
- My sadness when I was about to leave
- The children I played with
- Making up Chinese characters and hoping I wldn't get found out
- Getting immensely bored of cities
- Feeling horrified to know I was cooking the ENTIRE dinner for my friend's family, and not 1 or 2 dishes as I earlier thought
- My relief when they loved my cooking

Paiseh, all these must be very boring to read. Especially when there's so much, and all in point form. But be relieved that I'm not going to sit you down and talk about everything that's happened - it is definitely more than this list of highlights.

I leave it here for me, so i don't have to strain my eyes to read the infinite scribbles in my journal.

I come back, hopefully, a better person. more thankful, more appreciative, more kind, i hope.

Amazing what good 5 weeks, and some money, can do. Compared to 5 years, and a whole lot more money. hahah.

I'm glad I've gone away, coz it makes things back here seem so much better.

Its like an enlightening dream. It doesn't really change anything, but you see everything with new eyes, and hopefully better equiped to deal with a new day.

Time to wake up.

Abandoned In Austria

Well... I DO feel kinda that way.

Now i´m travelling solo, and cutting my trip back by 2 weeks. Details of my flights:

Frankfurt - Bangkok
29 June TG 923

Bangkok - Singapore
30 June TG 411

will probably touch down 2-3pm SG time.

What happened? I´m not too sure also, coz it all happened so fast. Let me try to recall here...

Yesterday in Zagreb, after signing off from blogger, I went to meet zo and jo for dinner. There zo didn´t know how to tell me but told me anyway, she wanted to go home. For those who dunno, Jo´s flight is today. I asked zo if she had decided, and she said yes. She said she missed home, her bf, tired of travelling, mum is sick, blah blah blah... sounded just like a lot of excuses. Of coz i was pissed lah. but how to argue against a ´parent sick´reason? I don´t doubt she´s lying, but maybe there´s more to it.

Anyway the night train ride from Zagreb to Munich was tense... I didn´t sleep much, coz of the uncomfortable seats, the rowdy world cup supporters, making sure no one disturbed the 2 girls and feeling very very lost.

We had it all roughly planned out, and I was looking forward to travelling with one fren instead of two acquaintances, u know how its like when 2 good gal pals are together. the odd guy out is totally ignored. And suddenly i was being abandoned. I really didn´t know if i shd continue with the plan or go back with her.

I was feeling lost all the way until at Munich airport, where zo was queueing up to change her air tickets. I looked at the plan and realised some places just wldn´t be fun alone. So to save money also, I decided to cut Poland and Hungary out, and cut Vienna really short.

So now i´m staying in Innsbruck for 2 nights, going to Vienna for 1 night, then back to Innsbruck for another 2 nights before Frankfurt 2 more nights, then flying home.

Once i got a plan out, i didn´t feel so lost anymore. And actually after i kinda told zo off abt pang seh-ing me so last minute (she did ´hint´that she was homesick but never explicitly said she wanted to go home except once, when she seemed like she was joking), and after i ended our trip together on a less sour note and bid goodbye to them, i was feeling great. I don´t have that much time alone, yet i can go see the stuff i wanna see in austria, without needing to take care of the girls and put up with them. they do irritate me sometimes.

But now, sitting here banging away on the hotel´s laptop in an absolutely swanky room (the website must have made a mistake - this is a 4 star HOTEL, not hostel), with TV, fridge, bathtub, 4 cupboards, 3 chairs, etc etc etc (better than Bangkok´s Asia Hotel, misa) i can´t help feeling lonely and missing them. a month together, and now i´m all alone. sigh.

send me an sms now and then, ppl.

Zagreb Again

Does anyone even read this? Hahahaha make some noise leh!! Else i might as well just stick to a pen & paper journal.

Been rushing around a lot. will have more internet time in Austria, where hopefully its not too expensive.

Zagreb Unplanned

Paiseh ah, long time never update. After Rome I went to Athens, Venice. Internet Access at these places damn expensive, and not much time to play also. short entry here coz internet cafe going to close soon

Now in Zagreb, an unplanned stop at capital of Croatia. coz we missed a train, gotta take overnight one.

Internet guy told us they're closing liao. so gtg liao. hahahah

photos will only be up when i'm back home.

In Rome!

I'm in the city which once conquered more than half of Europe and parts of the middle east and north africa - Rome! Unfortunately no one wears togas, little leather skirts and carries pointy spears around anymore.

How Do You Reconcile 3 Different Objectives?

To Zo, Rome means the Vatican City - the heart of her religion. To Jo, Rome means Shopping! + a must see landmark called the Colosseum. To me, Rome is the heart of a once great empire, of which only the Colosseum is left.

How do you explain to them that it is more that another landmark in a city far far away, that in your pre-teens you had raced chariots, fought gladiators, and clashed with armies outside its walls? True, it is only a computer game, with poor graphics at today's standards - but you learnt so much, felt its ancient glory, read up on life in those times half a world away. When you played, you were here, 2000 years ago.

And now all that are left are ruins. Abandoned, accidentally damaged, purposely pillaged. Once magnificent gleaming marble stripped from its walls, exposing ugly bricks and mortar. Rusty iron clamps grip pillars tightly to prevent them from crumbling further. And half of the outer walls totally gone. And that is just the Colosseum.

The Roman Forum, where Caesar was murdered is just an empty field littered with old marble pieces. The palace at Palatine Hill has, at most 20% of its walls still left, with only 1 corner giving some clue of its 5-7 storey height. Its Roman Baths are taken over by weeds and moss, with warnings around some structures to vacate once there's rain or strong wind.

I was surprised and delighted that the Colosseum guide told me there was a good view of Circus Maximus from the Palatine Hill - The venue of the famous chariot races of Rome. But when i got there, I could only stare at the empty bowl of grass and rocks - Worse than the Colosseum, worse than the Forum, worse than Palatine. It was completely gone. I think i had a ticklish feeling at the back of my eyes. All Gone. stripped of its marble, iron, bricks and mortar; its stands, its statues, its walls. and built over many times at the years passed.

I felt 2 thousand years too late.

===================================================================

Worry is The Most Exhausting Emotion I Know Of.

Yesterday Zo and I went to the Vatican City, leaving Jo to do her shopping. I wasn't as interested in the Vatican, but since I'm here, might as well accompany her and see the place. The day started pleasantly enuff. We queued for the Vatican Museum for a short half hour, and chatted deeply quite a bit; something that's harder to do in a grp of 3.

The Museum wasn't that impressive though, but maybe coz we're sick of Museums already. The only astounding stuff we saw were the Raphael Rooms and Michaelanglo's works. Too bad no Leonardo, Donatello, Splinter and Shredder stuff. HAHAHAHAH!!!

But seriously. One of the best paintings I've seen to date is Raphael's School of Athens. In it you see various Philosophers arguing, debating, writing about what they are famous for, all in various poses - diversity in the same act. Raphael even did a self potrait in a corner of the painting. I like little touches like that.

But nothing beats the Sistine Chapel. Serious. Using light and shadow effects, Michaelanglo tricks the eyes into believing the flat surface of ceiling and walls, cleverly covered by paint, is 3 dimensional, filled with cornices and statues of angels, with intricate hollows filled with statues of popes, and carving of men and women on the ceiling in uncomfortable poses. Even the tapestry painted on the lowest walls look real at eye level until you touch it. Now that is what painting shd be about. Perspective. Not those crappy modern art thingys.

I stumbled out with an aching neck and boggled mind, tired of trying to figure out what was real and what was not. I didn't see Zo in the chapel, so I assumed she went out before me. I staggered thru the remaining long, boring corridors in a blur, pausing now and then to rest my legs and see if Zo would show up. When she didn't I figured she must have gone on ahead.

So I went to the cafe and called her - no response from her hp. Smses went unreplied. I started to worry. So i searched the courtyard where we said we wld hv lunch, the cafe, and even backtracked to the Sistine Chapel (which was not allowed), all the time getting more and more worried. Maybe she got tricked and kidnapped? maybe her problematic knee peng san and she cldn't walk?

After abt 1-2 hrs of searching I made my way out and waited outside the museum exit, reading my book to pass time and staring hard at any pink top for signs of her, half expecting her to show up with a sheepish grin on her face. But she didn't. I had no idea how worried I shd be - she's able to handle any normal situation, but what if the situation wasn't normal?

After 2 hrs of sitting, endlessly looking out for her, and pacing the area, she called me. Her hp had totally no reception in the Vatican, and she was making her her back to the hostel after going thru the museum AND St Peter's Square. Well, she WAS very apologetic. I was too - I shd hv stayed with her thru out.

I turned towards St Peter's Square, but after so much worrying, i was exhausted. I couldn't even remember how we got here by bus. I turned and headed to the Metro instead, stopping by for coffee and a very late 5pm lunch, which i couldn't eat with all that anxiety earlier.

But somewhere between her bus ride back and to the time I got back, Zo changed her mind abt the incident. She was nonchalant abt it, and we both had conflicting versions of what transpired - we supposedly were outside the museum exit at the same time. And i didn't get to see St Peter's Square. Exhausted and slightly irritated, i flopped on to bed and slept for 1 1/2 hrs.

Oh well. at least the nice chinese dinner we had warmed things up again. anyway its under the bridge - today is a new day. And hopefully the day i see St Peter's Square.

Bloody Italian

I'm burning away Euros coz i cannot understand the farking italian words on this computer. 2 hrs and i only burned 1/2 my photos. CCB. Frustrating and tiring. but i MUST not vent it out on the girls. I will get coffee to sooth my frustration.

Yes... coffee later... ahhh.... can feel myself calming down already...

Paris & Florence

In a bustling internet cafe in the main bus/train station in Florence, Santa Maria Novella, struggling with unfamiliar keyboard and with a CD burner that's frustratingly long to burn.

Might as well start from Paris.

Took a train via belgium to Paris, and checked in at this rather ulu budget hotel - the nearest stop is at the end of the metro line. but its ok coz metro is pretty fast. like any city, paris is easy to navigate. Went to eiffel Tower 3 times in 3 days, took numerous photos. Actually the best day was when the 2 girls went to disneyland. I woke up slightly later, had a relaxed breakfast, went to see the historical sights i read about, and took my time getting the right settings for photos.

Heh, guess cat is right... I àm quite a different person from anyone else... so being alone is enjoyable. I feel more freedom, no need to wait for anyone, no stress of anyone waiting for me... i can get a cup of coffee whenever i want, linger as long as i want. But i guess its different when ppl are more significant.

Unfortunately, cant rem much abt paris liao. hahhah... just that the ppl are mostly nice, although there are some idiots who will give u a hard time if you dun speak french, and surprisingly theyàre all in the tourism/service line. 1 ticket seller shouted at a poor jap girl because she cldnt speak french OR english... and she gave us a difficult time as well. Another one was a usher at the eiffel tower. I asked her about ticketing and she said, in perfect english, "i'm sorry i don't speak english." stupid bitch... who u think u're going to kid?

Anyway, Paris does have many many wonderful monuments, easy transportation and it's still a living city, more locals than tourists, unlike Florence. Most ppl are nice too, and i managed to learn a bit of French. It's a damn cool language lor... If i go back, i wanna learn... hahah. Pity things are damn expensive here... S$8 for a cup of coffee!!

Saw: Eiffel Tower, Napolean's Tomb, Mona Lisa, Bastille, Obelisk of Luxor, Arc de Triomphe, etc etc etc.

Florence:

it's so damn irritating to burn CDs when the whole interface is in italian.

we couldn't get the train we wanted out of Paris so we had to take an earlier one. which is good since Paris is so expensive. The night train was ok - we shared a 6 bed cabin with 2 canadians, the girl was frenly but the guy wasn't. Later, they bickered abt where to get off. I was supposed to take the top most bunk (3rd from bottom), and i jokingly objected, then the 2 girls decided the top was fun and took the top 2 instead. they shdnt take me so seriously sometimes. but oh well.. on top was safer, so I didnt kick up a fuss. but on top does seem quite fun.

The hostel we got in Florence actually kena piping system problem, and sent us an email which i didnt check. Heng i had called to change the booking to 1 day earlier when in Paris, and all the guy said was yes yes ok ok, so he cldnt back down on us liao. So he explained on this 1st night, we wld sleep here, 2nd and 3rd night wld move somewhere else.

All doors that open to the streets in Florence are HUGE - at least 2 storeys high. looks grand but coz the buildings are old, inside is actually quite shabby. our dorm had 6 beds from different sources, all squeezed together in the room with minimal space for moving, and no lockers were provided. kinda in secure, and there was no lock on the dorm room door, nor the toilet. the guy changed the sheets of the bed while we watched... the room was messy and littered by the previous guests. i didnt trust the sheets so i slept in my sleeping bag that night.

We met Zo's fren and her frens, a group of 9 who were told upon reaching that they didn't hv a place to stay after that night, coz the hostel had to be closed for repairs and Florence was full of tourists. So they had to travel off to somewhere else. heng we change dates and called the hostel 1st!

We are REALLY lucky due to the change in itinerary - we reached on Italy's national day, public holidays mean all museums are free! so we spent 3 hrs queueing at 2 museums - 1 held Michaelanglo's David, the other had an exhibit solely on Leonardo da Vinci. fascinating, but too many museums + too little sleep = brain over load. I stumbled thru the final quarter of the da Vinci exhibit, down all the hallways to find the 2 girls waiting for me near the exit.

The next day, which was yesterday, we took a break from all the museums. After moving our bags to a new place, which wasnt ready yet, we went to the hill side over looking Florence - magnificent views of the city and the mountains beyond - the city is in a valley. The view of red roofs, grassland, farmland and distant peaks under clear blue skies is damn tok kong! too bad no time to climb the hill crests... had a nice dinner on the hill top, bought cheap groceries, and visited a small cosy church. Just outside the crowded city but very very different, much more real - more locals less tourists.



Getting really damn frustated at burning italian CDs.


Met a beautiful italian girl near the church, with a gray haired father. She caught my eye and smiled sweetly but shyly, and pretended not to notice. She hestitantly walked to the church steps and sat down, and played with her hands. Her father saw me smiling at her, and smiled back at me as well, to which i asked if i could take her picture. As soon as the shutter clicked he said "500 euro." and we both laughed. To my question, he replied that she was 2 years old.

Today we slept in late, and went to the other hill side to take more photos. then went around look for internet cafes until we decided on this one. so now still frustratingly trying to burn CDs.

BTW, we're making use of the honesty system in buses to go around florence for free. here u buy tickets in advance and then get them stamped in machines on the bus, which are front, middle, and back. of coz we always board from the back, and stamp the already-stamped-2-3-times tickets away from the driver. we are so evil... maybe this slow CD burning is my retribution from Florence.

Lesson learnt: dont take so many photos! (yah rite)

Another lesson learnt: i am seriously addicted to coffee. before i get it for the day, i can be cranky towards the girls and confused about streets and inattentive to wat ppl say. i guess no hope liao... hahhaha

Frankfurt & Amsterdam

I'll start from the beginning. Day 1

Short flight to Bangkok followed by waiting at Bangkok airport KFC and waiting area playing asshole taidi. Followed by an absolutely boring 11hr flight to Frankfurt. If I''m not going back home, it's coz I can't stand another 10+hrs sitting in a tiny seat, blocked from the screen by a big head of hair. At least the company made it bearable.

Reached frankfurt at 8pm, but it's still bright here until abt 9-10pm, and sun rises really early. it's bright at 6am, although i hvn't woken up at dawn yet. Took train to Frankfurt city from the airport, where a really nice lady working in a pastry shop showed us all the way to the ticket counter. Vunderbar (wonderful in german). Made arrangements to go Amsterdam the next morning, then checked in at the budget hotel 50m from train station. Actually the place is rather quiet and safe. Ate a pizza for supper with Zo, at a place run by indians. turned in as early as possible, after catching a bit of South Park in German.

Day 2.

We ate a hurried buffet breakfast and caught the morning train to Amsterdam. Played taidi but soon the weak coffee wore off and had to sleep. stoned for most of the 4 hr train ride. after some failed attempts, decided not to get frustrated in trying to take photos of scenery. Reached Amsterdam but forgot to book tickets to Paris at the train station, too busy getting to our budget hotel by tram. Again, in a quiet and safe part of the city.

Quite an enjoyable day in amsterdam. Went to the flower market, where i bought a present for mum, and some *ahem* magic mushrooms. Then went to the largest park here, Vondel Park. Then went to the market area to buy dinner, then went back to hotel, ate mushrooms (Jo didn't like the taste, so I ate most) and ate pasta for dinner.

As dinner was finishing the walls started to move a little. I lost appetite. I don't really remember exactly the sequence of events after that, but I felt cold, sat in bed, scribbled in my journal abt wat i was experiencing and sent out a number of inane SMSes. Laughed a lot, behaved stupidly, while Jo laughed and Zo sighed. Didn't help that i have low tolerance for anything unhealthy, guess i lost points with them liao. oh well. It's all about the experience, that's y i'm here. After numerous attempts at falling asleep and not thinking too much abt it, i finally did.

But one main thing that kept my mind going was: should I be so concerned about control? when should I start loosening up a little? but if i make myself loosen up, isn't that still a form of control? If i keep to my natural controlling self, I'm not controlling myself too much, am i?

yup. magic mushrooms make you think like that. Go try.

Day 3.

woke up with slight hangover. slept some more and woke up 10am. went to train station after a bread brunch and forgot to bring train tickets to book tml's train to Paris. once again, lack of coffee made things worse. Pissed with myself, and too stoned to make things better. Heng the counter lady was understanding enuff to go thru with the reservation.

Went to countryside to see windmills, canals, marshes, ducks, sheep, cows, chicken, ate free cheese samples, drank not-bad coffee, ate nice apple pie, took lots of photos. cheered me up a little, cheered up even more with coffee.

Then on the way back Zo & Jo mentioned they wanted to go clubbing in Paris, maybe with their fren and her bf who were already there. that got me kinda worried, and my dad's words of warning (which i brushed off) went thru my mind: "you going there with 2 girls ah? liddat you got a lot of responsibility u know." I thot it wldn't be a problem coz they seemed well travelled.

So i'm worried, not that they can't control themselves, they seem sensible. but i'm worried that these blardy ang mohs can't. esp when asian girls can be considered exotic, while asian guys can be considered outcasts. somemore they so big and fat, I don't hv a v good chance against anyone aggressive. My main tactic wld be to grab their balls HARD. So i'm worried because, in spite of what they say, i DO have a responsibility towards them and if they go clubbing, I HAVE to follow, if only to protect them against unwanted advances, and getting hospitalised in the process.

Oh well. I do hope they understand my concerns and not go, but from what they said to me i doubt it. So i can only hope we don't attract too much attention. If this blog isn't updated in the next 3 days, do send me an SMS to check if I'm still ok. if not, you can look up the singapore embassy in France at www.mfa.gov.sg.

Anyway the rest of the day was spent wandering into an old church to see world news photo exhibition, the red light district (in the day) and wandering thru the confusing streets and canals of amsterdam. sat down and enjoyed the quiet, then watched inane MTV in the lounge.

signing off now, take care guys. tomorrow morning, Paris via Belgium.

remember, 3 days.

A Green Turtle Approaches...

...Levels Out...

...And I Swim Alongside

Unicorn Fish

Unicorn Fish Up Close