Island Hopping.

"All we have is time and what we don't have is money" (The Gang, 2007)

I vividly remember this understatement that The Gang made during our trip to Phuket last year. The companion was great, the time spent was great but definitely not the long bumpy journey. Not a good idea for someone with slight motion sickness (for long journeys) like me.




Thank God for MAS -- who finally offers low fares (like Air Asia but better services). Looks like its quite a tight competition between them, nevertheless we're the one benefiting from it.





To be truthful, this is my first time flying with MAS. It has always been Air Asia before this. What to do, what I need is to get to another place and what I don't quite have is $.





The Gang managed to book the zero fare ticket. Meaning, we just pay the airport tax. RM 152 for to and fro, how blessed! This definitely spared us the agony of taking the 8-10 hours bus/train ride up north.

The 40 minutes flight was as good as 10 minutes ride with the companion of a good book (special thanks to xuewen) and flight snacks. I felt as if my seat was not even warmed when the touch-down announcement was given. How fast!


This time, The Gang (6 of us) along with 5 other guys went for island hopping at three beautiful islands at Malaysia East Coast --- namely the Perhentian Island, Redang Island and Lang Tengah Island. They're all very beautiful.

We took the morning flight from KLIA to Kota Bahru (Kelantan) and from there, we were transferred from the Kota Bahru airport to Kuala Besut jetty (Terengganu) and this journey takes around an hour. From the jetty, we took another 30 minutes speedboat ride before we reach Perhentian Island.





Taken from speedboat while tried balancing ourselves -- the calm blue sea as we were nearing the Island










The crystal clear water at the beach where we landed, with the reflection from the oh-so-glorious sun





Perhentian Island








This is the chalet that Yikwooi, Yikwooi's friend and myself lodged in.






This is the view from our chalet. Everytime when I open my eyes, this is what I see. . How majestic and calm






This picture was taken behind my polarized Ray-Ban shades. The vivid colour separation of the sea water and sky -- actually made me go oo and aa-ed at their colour combination



Another shot of it, beautiful isn't it?



The girls.




Jean Nee & washing machine girl May Jean




Yik Wooi & Ah Sian



Group shot.



Sea cucumber. Heaps of them at the seabed!




Tammy with the pillow starfish.


That's the shark's pillow. Okay, just kidding. Like the name suggests, it is a type of starfish that resembles a pillow, a very hard and heavy pillow.




Another group shot.


Tan, the tour guide brought us to four different points to snorkel -- namely the Coral point, Nemo point, Green Turtle point and the shark point. These points were named according to what they're rich in. For example, we saw alot of Nemo (clownfishes) in anemones at the Nemo point.



The guys gaying. L-R: Soon, Hon, Adrian and Asou Jun




Yikwooi & her friend




Ah Sian, Mayjean, Yik Wooi & Tan (behind)

We came back around 5 something on the first day and had our late brunch cum dinner then. The lifestyle there is a little laid back kind, slower pace. Its a good getaway from the city hustle lifestyle.





It's just wonderful to just enjoy the breeze, reading your favourite story book with a cup of coffee maybe? (chocolate milk for my case) while relaxing.





Or you know, just plug in your Ipod and relax!

Everyone was so tired that they wanted to go to bed at 8pm. It's so weird to sleep in at 8pm! Gosh! Then Tan came over to wake everyone up for dinner. We walked to the bistro.

There were no streetlights there, we were practically walking in the dark and our paths were directed using the dim light of our mobile phones. The stars greeted us glamorously from the sky. It's so amazing (at least it amazed me) on how God created them and placed each one of them at their place and named each and everyone of them by name -- so many of them, almost like a galaxy! (And babe, great message interpretation skills you have there huh, cough.)


Redang Island

Early next morning after our breakfast, we took the speedboat to Redang Island. About 45 minutes ride from Perhentian. It's definitely another beautiful island!



The beach.









White fine micro sands and the different water tone colours -- very well balanced.



Sunburnt yikwooi. Ouch, I feel for her.








A very familiar place, the more more tea inn.





It is the place where the movie (Summer Holiday -- led by Sammy Cheng and Richie Ren) was shot back in 2000.



Asou & Tammy




The Gang.










A random shot. I suddenly realise that my hair's quite long edi ehh (they grew!!), agree?? =D



Compulsory poser shot. (Similar shot in Phuket)


And oh, how interesting that the Majlis Perbandaran in Redang uses a motorboat as a garbage 'truck'






And a diving school insisted that their student should bring in no sands, no slippers and they should COME NAKED! =O

They sound desperate, don't they?





We then collected our snorkeling gears from the boat and swam towards another place to snorkel. Tan showed us different kind of living creatures in the sea, and that includes the black-fin shark. We swam near them.

According to Tan, out of the 2000 different species of sharks, only less than 5 species actually attack human. That also only when they need to protect themselves. Menstruating ladies, your blood will not attract the sharks because they're all poikilotherm (cold-blooded) while we're all homeothermic (warm-blooded). So, its altogether a different diet. In other words, they find human yucky and doesn't taste good. They only eat stuffs smaller than them, eg smaller fishes.


When it was time to get back to the boat to adjourn to another place for lunch, I swam (like how I normally swim with my head sticking out from the water) and no longer snorkel, my right arm got stung by the stupid jelly fish!


The sting was so painful and when I looked underwater (with my mask on), I saw a jelly fish there swimming away. Dang! It was very painful and to be truthful, I kinda lost of my mood that time on and didn't wanna snorkel anymore. I just held on to my arm, pressing on it (while dipping it in the cooling water) hoping to lessen the pain a little but to no avail, it isn't working.


By the time I got on the boat, I notice my upper arm was all swolen already. Applied some oilment given by Tan. I heard its fatal, thank God its not that poisonous. One of the cure is to pee on it. Ahh, I'll rather let it heal on its own.





Notice the raised welts? My body responded (by showing allergy reaction) to the venom injected by the tentacles of the stupid jelly fish. It's quite a disgusting sight but the pain was intense and somewhat slightly beyond what I can tolerate. Blame it on my low pain-tolerance.




A supposingly clearer shot of the raised welts.

Not obvious? Now compare with this (to get a picture of it):





When compared to the original shot, its undeniably disgusting looking right? The pain lasted for almost a day plus, close to two. Now I'm left only with scars and slight pain when the I brush my hand across the surface of the skin there la. Like how Joy aptly put it, that's one to strike off the things-to-do-before-I-die-list. I agree! LOL.

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Lang Tengah Island


This island is approximately 15 minutes away from Redang Island. Lang means 'Eagle' and Tengah means 'Middle'. Hence, this name suggests that there were once alot of eagles there and this island is located in the middle between the Perhentian Island and Redang Island.





In this place, same thing -- we snorkeled. Somehow, the corals seemed to be more beautiful here. Maybe because its not as popular as the other two islands hence the ecosystem here is not that disturbed.



Yik Wooi & May Jean




Tammy & Sian




Soon & Yik Wooi





May Jean & Rain Hon



Asou & Tammy.



Adrian.




Clam from seabed.



Sea cucumber (again!)



Clam, May Jean & Tammy.


In this island, I finally gave a try to swim without the life jacket. Its quite bothering with the lifejacket as I cannot move as freely as I want.



Tammy.

According to Soon, we can swim and stay afloat with or without the lifejacket but to stay afloat at one position in the water to clear our blurred mask would be a problem unless we can swim and 'kick water' since its really deep.



Soon.

Suffice to say, I made it! =) I mastered the skill of 'water kicking' straight away and stayed afloat in the water as I want. Without the life jacket that restricts us to make sure that we're afloat, we're all happy divers and touch the sea corals. It was indeed a wonderful experience!


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Back at Perhentian in the evening, all exhausted.




Typical sand burying with huge erection.



The orgasm picture of Hon (can beat yours, Jo Kien!)



Buddies.



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Got up early for breakfast on the last day. Went kayak-ing!
















Checked out and left back for KL at 12pm. Touched down at KLIA around 5 something. Stayed back to send Ming Hui, Jing Tien and Shing Ying off for Melbourne at 930pm.



Jing Tien.

It was one of the longest and sincerest hug I ever got, I was glad that I didn't follow your advice to go home and stayed to see you off.

Got a ride from Ming Hui's dad to KL sentral (still very paiseh) and then train back to Klang. Reached home around 11 something.

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The sun shone so gloriously that my skin got burnt from it. There are two distinct tone colours between my skin on my back, following the alignment of my singlet. We all resort in sleeping with our back faced up for several days. And did I mention bathing with warm water is a torture? Especially when the warm water touches the sunburnt.

Now, they're better. Turning into a snake soon, a skin changing snake. Haha! It was a great trip nonetheless! =)