Palau Tioman (Tioman Island), Malaysia 8/8-13/2006

Here we are on Tioman Island way out in the South China Sea.  The long dock takes you right to almost the center of this little community.  There is a huge sign at the end of the pier saying NOTICE Section 136 Administration Of The Religion Of Islam And The Malay Custom Of Pahang Enactment 1982 (Amendment 1987) "Any Muslim in any shop or public place sells, buys or drinks liquor or any other intoxicating drink shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding RM 5000.00 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both and to whipping of not more than 6 strokes."  There is no question as to the outlook on drinking on this island!!!!  There are several options of rooms so we go get some breakfast, leaving our packs at the town end of the pier, across from the restaurant.  There was a man who approached us, so we look at his room.  Checked a few and they were too far off the beach for the same price and behind this lagoon that was full of debris and looking disgusting.  We finally settle at Salang Indah Resort, a wooden hut on stilts right on the beach with the waves lapping below for 80RM ($11.14 ea.).  We have an ok bathroom, aircon, refrig, twin and double beds.  I'm in the double near the door and Janeen in the twin by the air.  We get settled in and Janeen is resting.  I go for a swim at the other side of the pier.  It's clean as a bell.  Lots of rocks and coral though and shallow.  I walk back to the room to take a nap.  That night on the bus and the sleep in the marina/ferry station was rough.  Nap for a few hours.  We get up and go to dinner.  They have BBQ going at most of the restaurants.  We go to the restaurant at our resort and have BBQ fish wrapped in banana leaves, prawns, noodles with veggies we didn't care for and fries.  I buy a bottle of wine where they give me a glass wine glass and sit listening to music at this bar.  They open at 6p.m. till 1 a.m. and you can sit at the tables or take away.  The island is Muslim and as you leave the pier there is a big sign warning Muslims of the fine for selling, using or drinking alcohol.  I took a picture of it and that is how I could include the very words in the beginning of this article.  There's another guy who sells beer and his hours are earlier, 1p.m. till 5:30p.m.  It is very strange to me but that is their religion.  Janeen walks down the path back to our little hut while I sit at this open air bar listening to music and drinking my Sauvignon Blanc.  Back to the room with the glass from the bar and my bottle of wine to enjoy a glass on the deck and to sleep.  The water is literally lapping below our hut.  At low tide the water is out about 8-10' but at high tide, below us.  The air has not been working in the room and there is a window with glass missing letting mosquitoes in.  Bothered a bit by them so awake alot.  I get up and go for breakfast.  They fix the window missing the glass sometime today.  Go to the Internet and write Cairns and The Tablelands.  I'm there for 3 hours checking email and have 5.  Bad news from Sally.  Kimber's husband Bobby has lung cancer.  Jen and Nathan are moving to Portland in October.  Amy has more difficulty with the table from India.  Can't believe that mess.  Something about the carton they packed it in they won't accept in Tampa's port.  It's already come into New York.  It's crazy.  Nancy and John are living together in Michigana Shores and her Dad is supportive.  That's all good.  I only answer Amy because the system is so slow.  Back to the room and Janeen and I go to lunch.  Laze around on the deck.  Buy a pair of pants I liked.  While in town shopping the guy from the liquor/music bar spots me because of my bright red hair and asks me about the wine glass he gave me last night with the bottle of wine.  He would not have remembered me except for my bright red clown hair, thanks to Micheal in Langkawi!!!  He lets me keep the wine glass in the room for the duration of our stay with the promise to return it before I leave, which I do.  It's Sage's birthday today but I'll have to call tonite at 7 p.m. before they go to school.  When It's 7p.m. here it's 7 a.m. where Sage is.  I go to make the call and they are not open.  They are on a break till 7:30.  I go check at the other Internet and they don't have phone service.  Go back at 7:30 and make the call.  At first I get the recorder, then Sage picks up.  I ask her how it felt this a.m. to wake up and be 7?  She said she feels like 6!  I couldn't understand her real well.  We talked for a bit, then to Amy, then Sienna.  Could understand her better.  It was 8:45 minutes for $15.  I'll call again as soon as it's reasonable.  Buy a bottle of wine and go to dinner at the BBA and get the crab.  It was very good.  Also 2 prawns.  Back to the room to finish the wine and to sleep.  This night the air works.  Slept well with the air.  Am covered with the blanket in the morning.  Big waves coming in and the sea stirred up.  I sit out on the deck, take some pics and catch up on the journal.  Go to breakfast and have a plain pancake that is great.  Like a crepe and I ask for sugar and lemon or lime.  She brings me the little limes that are orange flesh inside.  Very good on the pancake.  Reminds me of the crepe in Hue, Vietnam.  I'm sitting right on the South China Sea.  It's beautiful.  Go to the Internet and I'm there for 3 12 hours.  It's very slow today and lots of people.  Back to the room and we go for lunch.  I decide to go kayaking or snorkeling and Janeen's knee is bothering her so she lays down.  The snorkeling would be good here but the water is all stirred up so your visibility is not good.  Big coral reef out here and lots of beautiful fish.  I swim for maybe 20-30 minutes and decide I've had enough.  The water is freaky because it's so murky and all of a sudden a big coral piece is below you and you have the feeling your going to hit it.  I go in collect my money and buy a water.  Back to the room, watch the sunset and go to dinner.  I bought some beer and had 2 sitting watching the sunset.  We had walked down further to decide on dinner and they had roasted BBQ chicken so we get a 1/2 chicken for RM 18 ($5), comes with salad and potato.  Was good and now we have left over chicken for tomorrow.  Back to the room.  We have no air.  There was a power outage as I was sitting on the deck after sunset.  Watched the lights leave the pier and then everything.  Janeen goes to ask them to correct the air.  Someone is to come but never does.  I'm reading but too tired to continue so go to sleep. Wake around 7:30.  I have covered in the night so it must have cooled down, but another night without air that we are paying for.  It's very calm this morning.  The sea has settled and the snorkeling should be good as well as kayak today.  Get stuff together to go out on the deck and Janeen asks me if I have the Maori book?  She puzzles me as I thought she was sleeping.  She's talking about the Aboriginal book I wanted to copy the "thou shalts".  I snap at her which I shouldn't do.  Poor girl is bothered again by her back and her knee from the jostling bus ride from Kuala Lumpur to Mersing.  I sit a bit and write on this wonderful deck to our room and then go to breakfast.  Order the same pancakes but they don't have the wonderful little limes with the orange fruit inside.  It's still pretty good.  The coffee makes me think about getting a cappuccino at the coffee place.  Go to the Internet and it's closed.  He's snorkeling and will open later.  Such a life, heh????  Back to the room and Janeen is still lying in bed.  I'm going to kayak and snorkel.  It/s a beautiful morning and the sea is calm and clear.  I stop for a cappuccino, it's great.  Then go rent snorkel equipment for the day.  I rent the kayak for an hour.  It's beautiful.  I should have taken the camera.  I go out and around the little island off shore.  Then across and along the shore of Tioman into the bay.  It's lovely.  Head across the bay to our little hut but Janeen is not out on the deck and she doesn't have the camera.  Head back toward the pie and around and down the rock side of the bay.  There are 4 people snorkeling and have a turtle.  I paddle in to return the kayak and I'm right on time.  When coming from the island to the pier I asked the guy on the pier the time.  It was 11:30 a.m. so I still had a half an hour.  Went snorkeling after the kayak.  It is great.  As good as The Great Barrier Reef but there are no anemones.  Lots of colorful fish, beautiful parrot fish of every color and the coral is purple, green, mauve and yellow.  I saw a few sea cucumbers and maybe one of those funny shaped things I've seen other places.  This one was small an bright blue, electric-like.  I head in and back to the hut for chicken and a beer.  Janeen has seen me out in the kayak.  She's up now and feeling a little better.  Finish most of my chicken for lunch.  I'm starving.  Drink a beer and read.  Then go to the Internet.  Answer several emails and write Nick.  Write Perth on the blog and save just before they loose power.  Checked my bank accounts but could only get the balance on the Indiana accounts.  Couldn't get the sites to open to show the withdrawals.  Back to the room and drink one of Janeen's beers.  The room next to us has been rented to 3 French college students studying in Singapore.  They are with a group of about 9 kids and congregating on our deck.  They are very nice young people.  Janeen has been having a conversation with a Danish girl, French girl and this French guy.  It has rained quite hard and maybe it's the storm that has shut down the Internet.  I still have the snorkel equipment so go for another snorkel.  There are so many fish here.  This time I see sea urchins, the black long spiny ones, more of the funny shaped electric blue with all colors, some kind of a fan coral, very delicate almost like a fern.  It is a beautiful underwater garden.  The corals are amazing.  There is a huge table coral and I see a small anemone.  It was very enjoyable.  I picked up a clean towel en route back to the room.  Buy 3 beers on my return.  We sit on the deck and I finish my chicken and have a beer.  Live is good.  Shower and get dressed for dinner.  I'm wearing my new rayon Tioman yellow/teal pants, probably Indonesian.  The kids are a huge group now, drinking vodka and beers and eating chips and talking.  They are really nice kids.  We head out for dinner and choose Salang Pasaka, priorly Khalid's Place.  They have a BBQ with marlin, king fish, small tuna and another fish I didn't know and can't remember the name.  They have chicken, mussels and snails also veggies for the grill.  I get the mussels, onion, potato and eggplant and Janeen gets the kind fish, green pepper, potato and eggplant.  The king fish is excellent.  I was afraid to try it.  The mussels were very good and the sauce they served was excellent.  Prices a little higher here but they have these wonderful grilled veggies.  We walk back to the room.  Janeen stops to shop and I buy Garam cigs (Indonesian clove).  Sit outside for a bit with a beer I don't finish and smoke a cig.  The kids are gone and all the empty chairs remain.  We sit for awhile and go to bed, read a bit and to sleep.  Kids are noisy later and I wake a few times.  Up about 7:15a.m.  Wake with the light.  The tide this a.m. is way out.  I haven't seen it this low since we've been here.  Maybe I haven't been up early enough.  I wake Janeen to tell her about the tide.  She doesn't move.  I get my stuff together and go to get a cappuccino and write in the journal.  They are not open.  Sit and wait and write.  Soon the guy comes but he doesn't know how to make them and tells me they don't open till 8.  I go to our restaurant and this morning they have the little limes with the orange flesh and flavor.  My pancake is yummy.  I have mixed fruit and coffee.  One of the French girls is here eating and writing like me.  She is a diver and is going today.  We talked about my feelings on diving.  Our Coral Island boat tour is at 10:15 today which claims to stop at Long Beach, Malang Rock and Monkey Bay.  Back to the room and Janeen is up.  We go to meet the group for the trip.  There are 6 others going, all look Indian except Malcomb but they are Singaporean.  There is Jasmine and Malcomb, Jeanette and J and another couple with names I cannot remember.  Jasmine is very friendly and begins conversation with me immediately.  They are all friendly happy people.  J is an actor, Janeen tells me.  He has just finished some film.  He and Jeanette are to be married soon.  She is the prettiest girl with beautiful teeth and smile.  Malcomb teaches soccer or football as he calls it to 8-12 year-olds.  We head out towards Coral Island after getting our gear.  The first stop is at a small beach but they anchor off shore for snorkeling.  The snorkeling is pretty good but I think town is just as good.  I swim off by myself as I am clearly the strongest swimmer.  I see a small school of large parrot fish blue colored.  These fish are all very iridescent in color and beautiful.  I also see what I think is a king fish but the boat driver tells me it was a pirate fish after I told him what it looked like.  He was down on the bottom sort of hiding and then he saw me he began to move.  I swim into the beach which is loaded with coral.  I find a cool piece of beach glass in the coral heaps sticking out a bit.  Sim to the other side of this small bay and get startled by a huge school of very small iridescent fish.  It was kind of funny.  We go onto another site.  The ride over was rough and it jarred Janeen a bit.  We go into a larger deeper Bay where there is a bigger beach.  I snorkel here and see a small black tipped shark.  Again there are fish and coral but not as many or as nice as the bay we're on at Tioman.  I see some anemones on these snorkel adventures and see a type of anemone which was beige and white in color and large, the size of a soccer ball flattened.  I have no idea what it is for sure.  Go into the beach and get the peanuts from Janeen.  I've starved now.  Malcomb is sitting on the log and I go sit by him.  We move over into the shade and we're sitting under this big tree that has a swing on it.  I look over my shoulder and there is this big monitor lizard looking our way and not moving.  I say "look over behind us".  We all scramble for our cameras.  I think immediately of the Komodo Dragons of Indonesia, although they are bigger than this guy.  He lumbers around and finally crawls in the garbage and pulls out a bag.  It's very messy on this beach towards the back of the beach and not at all visible when you land.  Garbage all over.  The island is very thick and junglely.  We stay here for about an hour and a half.  A few other boats come in and there were already some there.  I swim some more and snorkel.  Janeen lies along the shore in the water and I get a great shot of the water's crystal clearness with her in it.  We go onto another spot off shore where there are buoys for the boats to hook up to.  We snorkel off the boat here.  Same story, it's pretty but not as nice as in our bay at Salang Beach.  Head back to Tioman, say goodbye to the group exchanging our room numbers but only see them again about an hour later going to lunch.  We go to lunch at Salang Pusaka Resort, Khalid's old place where we had dinner last night.  We get a seafood sandwich, ice tea which I thought was good and Janeen though was too small and not much seafood. We have such different needs and likes.  Stop for a banana split, walk back to the room and shower.  Sit on our deck drinking beers and smoking garams.  It is really a lovely spot.  The hut is tacky and the septic below is leaky on to the beach, but it is still very lovely.  I was going to go swim again but it's not that hot and I didn't want to bother showering again.  That bathroom leaves a lot to be desired!  I walk down to try and get postage stamps with no luck.  That's my second attempt.  We go to dinner late at the Indah and have crab.  I had checked with Salang Sayang Resort on the best part of the beach where they had grouper and stingray.  He says the stingray is like chicken, the outer wings really crunchy and you can eat the whole thing.  I wish I had tried it.  So I have 2 crabs and satay with yummy peanut sauce, cucumber and some sort of rice cake.  Didn't really go crazy over the rice cake but ate it.  Back to the room to pack up, organize to leave tomorrow and go to sleep.  Janeen was unable to get the woman to lower or daily rate to 75rm because of the problem with the air.  I'm up at 6:30 a.m., finish the pack and organize.  Guy to get our luggage at 7:30, ferry at 8.  The ferry is this long slender bullet shaped boat, cold air inside and mostly like a dungeon.  I go out on the front with a British girl traveling the world and heading for Sumatra and a British couple, young all of them, heading home to Perth from London.  They tell us about the arresting of 21 terrorists at Heathrow and that they were planning to blow up planes somewhere over the Atlantic heading for America.  They have put top security on at Heathrow and you can only take your passport and cash as carry-on.  Everything else goes under.  SCARRY!  I also talked with a French girl who was getting off at one of the Tioman stops to trek over with 2 of her guy friends to the other side of the island.  Sounded fun and adventurous.  She took my picture for me with Tioman in the background at the outside front of the ferry.  We get into Mersing about 10 a.m. and are immediately barraged with taxi drivers to take you where ever.  We find where to buy the bus ticket for Singapore which is considerably cheaper than the taxi, and go get lunch at a cute place right off the ferry dock.  Have a good tuna sandwich, coleslaw, fries and coffee.  The bus leaves @ 11:30......Singapore.....OPPS......change our minds and go to Bintan, Indonesia just off the coast of Singapore.....another island.....Bintan, Indonesia next............