As I sit listening to the Malaysian Rasta sat playing the guitar (very badly) outside my bungalow porchway, I ponder on why I stressed myself out so much working 8am-6pm only to provide for the 'luxuries' to sustain my ordinary life. This man lives on a paradise island called Perhentian on the East side of Malaysia, strumming away his afternoons and takes pleasure in closing his eyes and daydreaming about love and devotion.
Just a month ago, I couldn't stand the thought of sitting at a desk, in a closed cave of a concrete office, typing away all day trying to pleasre the others doing the same. Not even the comforts of home made me forget about the next day of repetitive motions and my only respite was the thought of our new adventure.
I cant even remember how many days we have been away so far or even what day it is today. I am sure if I think hard enough I could work it out. This ability to live without needing to know this is priceless. No plans, no one breathing down your neck to meet deadlines, nothing. My morning starter on the hammock on our front porch whilst saying goodbye to Terry as he went diving for the day and left me alone to read and sunbathe.
Whilst relaxing and reading an okish book about the Russian Revolution (yes, lack of choice on this remote island and the need to read and entertain the mind results in random choices of literature) I noticed a 1.5 metre long and then a 2 metre monitor lizard walk out in front of my porch. Interestingly, it seemed these two lizards lived under our chalet as they kept appearing randomly, to either scare off another lizard or to just have a look around. They move so gracefully to enjoy the sunshine. Another set of priceless, will never happen again moments as they were within touching distance from me and where we slept each night.
I interviewed yesterday (yes I remember it was yesterday) for a job in Christchurch when I was on the mainland. A small snip of the reality we've become accustomed to in the Western World poked into my escape to Malaysia. This reality check took place after a stay on one paradise island (Tioman) and before a stay on another (Perhentian); both requiring a speedboat or ferry ride to a jungle clad-white-sand-beach-crystal clear water rock in the middle of the ocean.
It was funny walking around a market in the mainland town of Kota Bharu to find suitable attire for it as it was a video/Skype interview. Aha, 5 pounds later and a very unfashionable, primark-esque shirt with an unmatching collar and buttons. Oh well, it was better than my usual travelling clothes. We opted to move from our 30ringgit / 6 pound a night, 'hostel' to an 80ringgit / 16 pound a night hotel in order to locate a good internet connection and a bit more peace and quiet. After many hotel visits, and wifi tests, we arrived at Sabrina Court.
After persuading our family run hotel to let me use their office and their internet connection at 06:30 when it was their day off (!!), I sat, jean shorts and 'shirt' and met my interviewers on Skype. Thirty minutes of impressing them and a clear connection and then disaster strikes. Skype fails as the internet connection was so bad so I had to play the 'can you repeat that again game for about 20 minutes'. After agreeing to email the last questions on the call, needless to say I didn't receive an email reply. Nevermind. Who was I kidding, finding a reliable internet source, its semi-rural Malaysia!
We left Tioman Island after a great stay. Panuba resort was lovely. It was actually a great upgrade to our usual travelling digs. With a huge balcony facing the sea, a/c and a clean bed (lol) we sat watching the ocean come and go for 2.5 days. The weather wasn't fantastic so we walked and took a snorkelling trip for a day before we left. It was incredible. Turquoise blue ocean reflecting the jungle high over it, palms gently swaying and white sand beaches drawing you in. We stopped in about five different snorkelling meccas and saw an amazing amount of fish, 2 black tip reef sharks and turtles. I thought it was the best snorkelling of my life until we arrived on the Perhentian.
On the Perhentian islands, you simply have to walk from your beach chalet onto the beach (all of 30 seconds) to begin your adventure into what can only be described as a tropical aquarium. Bright, colored coral metres long and wide, reds, purples, greens with fish long and short, small and large swimming around you. And that was just straight from the beach!
We saw huge angel fish, a family of nemo's, trigger fish, puffer fish....the list is endless (and quite frankly I dont know the names of most of them!).
We snorkelled in the warm tropical waters on two different days during our 5 day stay on the Perhentians in two different bays. Paradise.
Terry arrived back from his second day of diving and said the ocean was amazing. He'd now done his deep dive, underwater navigation, an awesome wreck dive (Sugar Wreck) and another fun dive to the Police Wreck site. He'd seen sharks, rays and a whole host of other fish as well as finishing his advanced Open Water PADI course with Matahari Divers. Hes totally addicted again and I dont mind. I'm enjoying soaking up the sun, reading, drinking pure mango shakes and swimming in the clearest ocean I've ever seen.
The generators have just turned on now for our 3 hours of electricity during the day so I must go shower and get the salty water out of my matted hair.
My only wish would be to have you all here to enjoy this and to share this little slice of paradise.
Star gazing again tonight.
Just a month ago, I couldn't stand the thought of sitting at a desk, in a closed cave of a concrete office, typing away all day trying to pleasre the others doing the same. Not even the comforts of home made me forget about the next day of repetitive motions and my only respite was the thought of our new adventure.
I cant even remember how many days we have been away so far or even what day it is today. I am sure if I think hard enough I could work it out. This ability to live without needing to know this is priceless. No plans, no one breathing down your neck to meet deadlines, nothing. My morning starter on the hammock on our front porch whilst saying goodbye to Terry as he went diving for the day and left me alone to read and sunbathe.
It was funny walking around a market in the mainland town of Kota Bharu to find suitable attire for it as it was a video/Skype interview. Aha, 5 pounds later and a very unfashionable, primark-esque shirt with an unmatching collar and buttons. Oh well, it was better than my usual travelling clothes. We opted to move from our 30ringgit / 6 pound a night, 'hostel' to an 80ringgit / 16 pound a night hotel in order to locate a good internet connection and a bit more peace and quiet. After many hotel visits, and wifi tests, we arrived at Sabrina Court.
After persuading our family run hotel to let me use their office and their internet connection at 06:30 when it was their day off (!!), I sat, jean shorts and 'shirt' and met my interviewers on Skype. Thirty minutes of impressing them and a clear connection and then disaster strikes. Skype fails as the internet connection was so bad so I had to play the 'can you repeat that again game for about 20 minutes'. After agreeing to email the last questions on the call, needless to say I didn't receive an email reply. Nevermind. Who was I kidding, finding a reliable internet source, its semi-rural Malaysia!
We left Tioman Island after a great stay. Panuba resort was lovely. It was actually a great upgrade to our usual travelling digs. With a huge balcony facing the sea, a/c and a clean bed (lol) we sat watching the ocean come and go for 2.5 days. The weather wasn't fantastic so we walked and took a snorkelling trip for a day before we left. It was incredible. Turquoise blue ocean reflecting the jungle high over it, palms gently swaying and white sand beaches drawing you in. We stopped in about five different snorkelling meccas and saw an amazing amount of fish, 2 black tip reef sharks and turtles. I thought it was the best snorkelling of my life until we arrived on the Perhentian.
On the Perhentian islands, you simply have to walk from your beach chalet onto the beach (all of 30 seconds) to begin your adventure into what can only be described as a tropical aquarium. Bright, colored coral metres long and wide, reds, purples, greens with fish long and short, small and large swimming around you. And that was just straight from the beach!
We saw huge angel fish, a family of nemo's, trigger fish, puffer fish....the list is endless (and quite frankly I dont know the names of most of them!).
We snorkelled in the warm tropical waters on two different days during our 5 day stay on the Perhentians in two different bays. Paradise.
Terry arrived back from his second day of diving and said the ocean was amazing. He'd now done his deep dive, underwater navigation, an awesome wreck dive (Sugar Wreck) and another fun dive to the Police Wreck site. He'd seen sharks, rays and a whole host of other fish as well as finishing his advanced Open Water PADI course with Matahari Divers. Hes totally addicted again and I dont mind. I'm enjoying soaking up the sun, reading, drinking pure mango shakes and swimming in the clearest ocean I've ever seen.
The generators have just turned on now for our 3 hours of electricity during the day so I must go shower and get the salty water out of my matted hair.
My only wish would be to have you all here to enjoy this and to share this little slice of paradise.
Star gazing again tonight.
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