OK I’m back for Part deux….
Abdul’s Chalet however basic it maybe ….it’s really interesting…imagine staying at a 6 star butler serviced luxurious hotel in the roughest part of Bogota….Well, Perhentian is the exact opposite….what the nature provides is heavenly….the chalets and infrastructure needs help..
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| A typical fisherman's castle on Perhentian Island |
Most people just want to tell the world that whenever/wherever they go for a holiday they would stay in a superb world class resort. Not a place like Abdul’s Chalet. For them, announcing to the people at a dinner party you stayed at a no frills Abdul’s Chalet is like telling them you've got the ebola virus and you're about to sneeze. Not me…I would not have enjoyed the nature as much if I was staying at the Perhentian Island Resort.
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| Just a few feet from our Chalet |
Water as clear as crystal, to my amazement, all sorts of marine creatures immediately gathered around my crotch area until I realised……. I had a piece of bread in my pocket. No wonder Stevie Wonder lah!!!
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| The life jacket is a saviour |
So we did not waste time the very next morning as we prepared to go with a guide on a small boat snorkling around the islands.
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| Just to show that every single corner is beautiful.... |
What was promised to us by the guide were the gloriously beautiful corals and marine aqua safari, but the biggest attraction by far would be the black tip sharks and sea turtles…Boy!!! I was so excited and can’t wait to get myself wet….I was like a Nun in the Carrot section at Tesco’s !!!
My parents were planning to just roam the Big island and maybe skip across to the Small Island for some localize bonding. It has been and will always be my fathers’s hobby to explore the local market of the world….anywhere he goes in the world hot or cold, high or low, dry or wet, the local markets are to him the most interesting of places… even though History was his major at University as far as he is concerned, a tour to the Museum is as interesting as reading the obituaries on a Sunday morning. I….fortunately have caught on the same bug!!
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| They're everywhere!!! |
The best dive sites was around the east side of the Big Island, that’s where we saw Giant Clams, loads of corals and soft corals housing families of Clown fish which were not nearly as funny as Merlin or Nemo.
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| Giant Clams |
It is here that I had my first encounter with a 7 foot black tip shark which actually gave me the heebagajeebees as it swam just below me….I was soooo shocked that I’m sure I pissed in my pants!! So during the period I was there, I hereby would like to apologize to all the other tourists if the seawater seems a wee bit more saltier than usual!!
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| A typical Black Tip Shark |
This reminds me of a story my friend once told me about his experience of getting caught…. He got caught pissing in the swimming pool one day.The lifeguard shouted so loud that he nearly fell in!!! Muhahahaaa….
The area in front of the Perhentian Island Resort is where u can see the turtles…apparently this area is where sea grass are abundant..a favourite snack of the turtles of Perhentian..I wished I had an underwater camera with me…cause the French and Italian ladies swimming around me in their skimpy Speedo’s were gorgeous!!!
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| Turtles of Perhentian |
We then proceeded to the northern part of the Small Island..past the famous Bubu Resort…here the freshest spring water flows straight into the sea…. The cold fresh natural mineral water is soooo amazingly sweet, cool and refreshing…maybe its just mind tricks after hours of soaking in the overly saltish water of the ocean (No thanks to the shark…)
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| Natural fresh water spring...flowing into the sea |
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| A picture speaks a thousand words. But with photoshop it tells a thousand lies...I photoshopped myself over Brad Pitt's little toe...u missed that didn't you?? |
We visited the main town at the Small Island for a snack and to stock up with some supplies….to our surprise, we found our mother relaxing at the jetty with a cold drink in her hand, talking to the locals. Surprise, surprise…my dad was already missing in action….upon tracing his footsteps, with the help of a local man who pointed confidently with his slightly bent index finger to the direction of the local MARKET, we found him deep in conversation with a couple of fishermen.
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| The Jetty at Small Perhentian |
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| Local kids deprived of PSP, Xbox and Playstation... |
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| Dad back from the market..... |
They hailed from Newcastle! aka Kota Bahru, the capital of Kelantan, the neighbouring state and as tradition for over 100 years, Perhentian has always been the shelter for these ships/boats from bad weather. Being the natural sociologist with a statesman persona, Dad had struck a deal with one of the fisherman to take us out for Squid fishing or ‘Mencandat Sotong’ in Malay. They were on a rest period and instead of sleeping away for another night, he agreed to accept a couple of hundred ringgit while we would have a time of our lives….so I thought…
good one!
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