okie. so here is the trip review. as some of u guys alr knoe. I've been to Tioman and back during the weekends. With the good friday public holiday knocking on our doors, my family didn't hesitate in packing up thier bags and leaving for a quick get-away at the nearby island of Tioman. i thought it was a lovely choice anyway i needed a swift break from work.
So after driving up to Mersing from the causeway (we took the 2nd link and tried all ways to avoid the 1st link coz of the ms incident; we were quite sure there was a major jam building up already even though we had left spore at 3am.); we took a 1+ hour boat ride to the offshore island of Tioman. Got off on our side of the island, Paya; and then for a while, we were lost.
nono.. not in terms of direction. just clueless as to the program and whatsoever. But as it turns out, everytime was carried out in a OTOT manner thus we all sorta loosened up after a while and started formulating gargantuan plans about wat to do with our 2 1/2 days on the island. But of course there were still the daily preaching and sharing sessions.. that was the centre of our trip anyway and quiet nights filled with nothing more than mosquito bites and the soft relentless buzzing of flies were uplifted by the presence of God during our worship and congregation in his name. I was severely enlightened during some sessions and not so during some as fatigue set in after a long days activities.
btw, i saw the snake creaping onto us during our first congregation on the beach.. hmph... interesting... first day, we had half the day of which we spent half of it exploring the island. to my dismay.. this island is approximately 1/3 the size of spore!!!! it took us an excrutiating (okie, i exaggerate) 1 hour just to walk to the next settlement following the coastline and crossing a few knolls. we spent the late afternoon dipping in the sea and watching the sun cast its orange glow on the folding waves and also engaged in a game of frisbee which evolved into somewat of a competitve game almost everyday.
the night ended young with a few rounds of bridge, plenty of snooze. all in preparation for the next better day.
and of course... we had much more thrilling things lined up for the next day! coming up, scuba diving and boat trips! but needless to say, we had to bum around first. hehe. this method of attaining head-rest sure works whilst in a big group. just pray the person doesn't shake his head while on ur thigh. it itches like hell... hehe.
But soon, it was time to hit the waters. at first go, the waters were frigid cold in comparison to the sunny hot weather in the atmosphere. But after much activity and swimming around; things started to get a little warmed up. the fishes were plentiful and the coral.. hmph.. devastating. i reckon its global warming.
underwater camera rocks man. yesh i knoe i look stupid in tt mask.
but at least the bubbles are beautiful. hehe.
after hours of diving at different spots and viewing the marine park as well as a quick stop over to buy dutyfree items (i bought liquor again! midori (my fav) and myer's dark rum!.. now can add tt to my collection!) we were more or less tired and ready to head back to our humble abode to seek some rest. here's a random photo though.
Have i mentioned that besides the seaward face of the entire island. the terrain and landscape of the mainland with its giant hills and steep granite cliffs were respectable. Nature was indeed everywhere here. Of course, mosquitos were aplenty because of the same reason, that i hated the most. but oh well...
now that's some real magic ain't it...
okie. fastforward to the next day(coz i really wanna forget about the millions of bugs that we found on our beds and lights the night before. blame it on the rain and the immensely cold weather, the darn flies were seeking refuge in our rooms.. EWWW), we went kayaking after kor spawned brilliant plans to row round the whole island (oh gosh.. look who's complaining after a small stretch of paddling? hehe *woops*)
upon approaching the next jetty along the coastline, we abandoned ship and went by foot in search of some grub to fill our empty stomachs. kayaking sure works up an appetite. After venturing through a golf course, nicely constructed paths and some donkey ranches (?!?!) (during which babe discovered his quaint love for donkeys that is. heh) we finally stumbled upon a pizza parlor in the midst of rich man's land, i meant a really high class hotel as compared to our run-down chalet like resort.
gosh.. just look at how adorable these kids are. Watching them, we sat down to chomp on one of the oven-baked pizzas that we had ordered and saw being made on the spot. It was heaven.. simple toppings on a biscuit thin like crust. *yummy*.
oh.. i forgot to mention that only 4 of us ventured out on land since we were afraid that the kayaks would be stolen. hey! come one dun look at me, i'm not the paranoid one. Hence Kor and weiquany stayed behind to stand guard. being the nice people that we are, the rest of us da-pao-ed an extra pizza back for them. mind you, the walk was not one of simple nature and involved some mini river crossings. It was a tad insane to be travelling with a pizza box at hand. Well, as FedEx would say, 'We live to deliver'; that was what it looked like.
The recipients upon getting their shipments were estatic of course and dived into the pizza. now..gluttony just makes u unglam! shame on u kor. hehe... *sniggers*
and after some vigourous exercise after paddling back to home grounds. we were treated to a wonderful lunch as well as desserts after. now, whats more luxurious then a malaysia-bred ice kachang after activity under the hot sun? trust me.. with bandung spilt over the top of the shaved ice, and milo topping strewned generously over together with the numerous condiments or treasures below the ice. this was a sure winner. and all for the price of $2.50 RM only! hehe. i love M'sia.
not to mention their teh susu is delicious. we had not one, not two, but THREE glasses!
mummy and Velda enjoying their Chendol
you know how time passes so fast sometimes when you're enjoying yourself. Time spent with family was indeed a precious moment for me and i relished every second of it. However, it was time to leave the island and return back to the arms of harsh reality. i detested that. but oh well, all part and parcel of life...
Bye bye Tioman!
Heaven is a wonderful place,
filled with glory and grace.
I wanna see my Saviour's face,
Heaven is a wonderful place!
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