0900hrs Pulau Tiga … pockets running on empty. I have to especially thank my life savers here. Thank God for friends.
We woke up to a rainy morning. The disappointment on Mail’s face was priceless, I tell you. However, thank God, it began to lessen. After breakfast, we went to the Snake Island. It cost us RM20 each and the boat ride took about 15 minutes. The goddamn island was full of snakes and our lazy guide, Eddie, only showed us 2.
After Snake Island, we went to this sandy area called the Sand Spit (or something like that). It's just a strip of sand..duh. Ismail wanted to go there because, if I am not wrong, Survivor had an immunity challenge there. Again, whatever. Anyway, though it was just sand, more sand and more sand, we managed quite a few shots.
Cam whores.
In our attempt to look stranded and lost, we looked more like beached whales instead.
Hmm..Enlighten me, guys.
Do you take these shots at every beach? What is the difference?
Unlike the guys who were just posing with the sea as a back drop, Farhana and I were pretending (and failed miserably) that we were Pammy Anderson and Carmen Elektra.
Mail found a stick-like object and fantasised being the sole survivor of a non-existing game. Tsk tsk tsk.
Hmm.
Then we saw the enemies from another tribe.
Quick, duck!
After about 20 minutes at the sandy strip, we boarded the boat (while climbing, my precious Havaianas slipped out and almost floated away. Thank God Lazy Eddie caught it). We then headed to another beach.
We visited Pagong-Pagong Beach ...i think that's where one of the tribes stayed. Bla bla bla. As you can see, only Ismail was interested. Hahahaha. We didn’t go down to the beach because … surprise, surprise … Lazy Eddie didnt want to.
Actually he said the beach was too shallow. We then went to Tagi Beach ..the beach where the tribes merged. Same story. We didn’t get down. Not that most of us wanted to lah, haha, since there was nothing spectacular about it.
So we made our way back to the resort. It was beginning to drizzle again. Anyway, back on land, we decided to check out this place where the Tribal Council was held.
The Tribal Council area was a short walk away from our chalets. The hut had collapsed and all that's left was just a pile of mess ... and oh, many mosquitoes. Here’s a trivia, apparently the resort was made
BEFORE the Survivor show. The Tribal Council area was so near the chalets I began to suspect that the contestants slept there instead.
Vote me off! Vote me off!
On second thought, vote them off.
We got back to our rooms, did a bit of packing and then all of us gathered in my room to play Bluff again. At 1230, we walked to the eating area…feeling super-duper hungry. But, AIYAH, the food was not ready. So we hung out at the Sukau Room..aka the TV room.
And finally, our last meal on Pulau Tiga…which happened to be the best meal I had in Sabah.
Most probably because I was damn famished.
After lunch, the guys went back to their rooms earlier while Farhana and I stayed back a while to just chat. Then at 1315hrs, we went back, showered, packed and by 1400hrs, we were both standing outside the chalets, waiting for the guys.
Time check: 1430hrs. It was time to leave Pulau Tiga and head back to Kuala Penyu Ferry Terminal, then a cab ride back to Kota Kinabalu. When we reached mainland, Mr Amian (the cabby) was already waiting for us eagerly. Strange. I felt happy to see him. I guess, it’s always nice to have someone waiting for you whenever you go on a trip…yeah, that kind of feeling, I guess.
The ride back to town was very very scenic. I sat in front while the rest were dead at the back seat. I tried to stay awake because Mr Amian took us on a different route (into the damn rural villages) and I wanted to see everything outside. Besides, I felt quite bad to fall asleep. I could imagine how lonely the cabby would feel. So I chatted with him…however, occasionally, I did fall asleep for bouts of 5 minutes.
We reached Kota Kinabalu at about 1700ish and Mr Amian said he would pick us up in 2 hours’ time to fetch us to the airport. So we lugged our bags out (we didn’t dare to leave them on the cab) and went for a Kenny Rogers dinner with whatever Ringgit we had left at the Centre Point Shopping Centre. Then Farhana received an sms telling her that our Air Asia flight had been delayed..to 1230am!
I called the cabby driver and we arranged to have him pick us up at 2200hrs instead. Then, we walked around, shopped a little (it’s damn hard when all of us were broke) before we gave up and drank coffee instead. At around 2100hrs, we were chased out of the building because it was closing time. So we hesitantly walked out in search of another
lepak corner.
Weird.
There wasn’t much lepak space outside.
Ah…the irony.
We walked over to Wisma Sabah Shopping Centre (or was it Wisma Kinabalu…we were there on the 2nd day too) and decided to chill at the entertainment area, where there were many karaoke boxes. We had about 45 minutes in our hands and Nazmi, Farhana and I were contemplating whether we should drop in for a song or two. Suddenly, Nazmi dashed to the counter to change some money for tokens and dashed into a karaoke booth. Farhana and I joined in. I think we managed 4-5 songs before rushing down at 2205hrs to meet the cabby.
Hahaha..the four of us were running in a shopping centre, carrying big bags. It must have been quite a scene.
The ride to the airport was only 10 minutes and it cost us RM15. however, we decided to give Mr Amian RM5 more. He was nice to us, lah.
I have to thank myself for being so sociable and chatty with him. I talked to him in a Borneo-esque Indon accent and even bluffed him that my grandpa was from Kalimantan Borneo (He’s not. He’s from Central Java!) just to make more conversations. I hope he didn’t find me TOO talkative.
We reached the dodgy Terminal 2 of the KKIA way too early. The place was crowded and we had no place to sit so we literally sat on a drain…before being chased by the mozzies. Then we found a corner and haha, we took out the UNO cards and played Bluff.
Damn, I looked pregnant!
At about 2345hrs, we managed to check in. In her
kiasu attempt, Farhana made us queue in front of the door and we almost took the wrong flight to *gasp* Kuala bloody Lumpur!!! I couldn’t make out whether to laugh or to cry..but hahaha, it certainly kept me awake.
The wait was super long. When the KL-bound crowd flew off, the hall was filled with Senai-bound ones, all looking dead sleepy.
Time check: Midnight, 13 December 2005
There was still no news about our flight. At about 0015, we were made to queue. 10 minutes into the queuing, we were still in the same place. Damn, I was getting bored and sleepy.
At 1245hrs, we finally boarded the plane. Farhana and I sat together and somehow, we didn’t feel quite well. I guess it was fatigue seeping in. Upon takeoff, we were both looking for barf bags but we couldn’t find any. Since I was seated at the emergency exit, I had a bigger leg room. I was prepared to puke there already. But thank God, we managed to control the gunk and tried to sleep it off instead.
At about 0230hrs, I was jolted by shaky motions of the plane. We should be above Johor at that time. The weather was extremely bad and we were made to put on our seat belts and stuff.
Honestly, I thought it was lovely. The conditions outside..the thunders and multiple lightnings.At around 0300hrs, we finally reached Senai Airport. From there, we got onto a cab (RM60 inclusive of midnight charge) which brought us nearer to JB. There, we transferred into a private car which sent us to Bukit Batok and then Ang Mo Kio. It cost us S60…but we didn’t have Sing dollars (there was no ATM) and so we paid him RM140-150.
We couldn’t be bothered by the fact that we were paying him more. We just wanted to get home. Nazmi and Farhana alighted at AMK MRT with me. Nazmi took cab back to Tampines while Farhana had her dad pick her up.
It was almost close to 0500hrs when I finally reached my door. I went to my room and saw 2 visiting cousins sleeping on my bed. ARGGGHHHHHH! I grabbed my pillows, went to the living room (thank God the brother was on night shift) and found a sleeping space. I didn’t wash my feet, my face or change my undies and then I concuseed.
Next wake up time: 2000hrs.15 hours of sleep and an urgent leave day.
I did drift in and out for a few times around noon to barely answer some concerned friends’ smses. But wow…15 hours of sleep. Champion!
With that….
and the unenviable task of unpacking which the father had done at the end of my 15hr slumber .. my 2005 travelling year ended.
Amen.
###
I was thinking of slaughtering a cow/sheep/goat next month for the festivity. But nah…since Hari Raya Haji comes twice next year, maybe, I can buy the beast next December. Insya Allah. Hopefully, I am working in a better place then.
