Tioman Island Journal

19 Jan
We ate breakfast at 7:45am and arrived on the Island at 5:15. We took a cab to the checkpoint, a city bus to Larkin, a long-distance taxi to Mersing, and a ferry to Tioman. The ferry ride was fun! I slept while we waited for almost an hour for others to board. The ride was very bumpy and I thought for certain I would get sick, especially if it was going to take almost three hours to arrive. We saw a few people going out the door to the upstairs which was open to the air, so Adam, Stepanka and I jumped at the opportunity. It was incredibly difficult to keep one's balance up there but being in the open air and being able to see so many islands in the distance made the ride very enjoyable. Standing on the port side I got very wet, but the starboard side was much dryer. The ride lasted about two and a half hours, I think. We got off the ferry at Tekek, the main village on the island, and walked to the eastern coast via a 7km path up and over the jungle. We had only two hours of sunlight left so we had to hurry.

The path was very strenuous but it felt good to get the exercise. We trekked up the path, which was sporadically paved with steep stairs, and other times was nothing but a faint footpath covered in leaves, twigs, and other debris. On the way we passed a small waterfall but didn't have time to stop and enjoy it. About three quarters of the way to the end the whole path became a steep paved incline to the bottom. I thought about how much my glutes would hurt from that on the way home on Sunday.

We arrived at Juara about one hour 45 minutes later, just as it was getting dark. We walked along the only path in the village to find a place to sleep. We asked some locals where to go but since most places aren't ready yet for visitors few were open. We were directed to a place on the north end of the beach who had no place for us but directed us to a friend's where we could find two chalets for the four of us after about a one kilometer walk to the second beach. We were hungry so we stopped for food first. I ordered fried noodles, and they were quite good! They came with calamari, cucumbers, and a lime. It was just the sort of food I needed to re-energize.

We continued down the path to find the chalets. We found an open one that was quite expensive so we moved on until we found another. It was not yet ready for visitors but the owner said he would prepare one chalet with two beds for us anyways. It is a perfect location: the last chalet on the south end of the first beack. To the north we can see the whole beach, the jetty, and a few small restaurants. To the south, nothing but jungle. We have almost the entire beach to ourselves, too! Currently it is light monsoon season, so it usually rains once a day for a short while (though it didn't rain today) and tourism doesn't normally begin until April. Aside from the locals there are five other people here. Although the waters aren't as clear and the sky is a bit hazy, I like it this way, especially because we have the opportunity to surf! An Australian man named Tim who married a Malaysian woman who's family operates the island lives in the village and loand surfboards. He also gave us a brief lesson this afternoon. We spent the entire day surfing and plan to do the same tomorrow. It was very fun, but difficult! I have trouble not breathing underwater so when I paddle out into the sea it's difficult to dive below the waves. And once I didn't pull myself up on the board all the way and I bumped my nose. But once I get out and am able to catch a wave, I have so much fun! I'm nowhere near the point of being able to stand yet but will continue to practice every opportunity I get.

After another delicious dinner (fried rice with pineapple) we walked to Tim's house for a few beers. We watched a movie about surfing and he taught us a dice game. I enjoyed his company and hospitality, and it was nice to visit one of the homes in the village. People here live so simply. The have TVs and computers, but not much else. They don't need much else, or want it for that matter. The houses are right along the beach, the dinner tables are low to the ground, and the whole atmosphere is very warm and cozy. I think I would like living here very much.

Another reason I like being some of the only visitors on the beach is for night swimming. Last night the four of us went swimming in the sea in our skivvies, and it felt very good! I haven't felt so carefree in a long time.

A whole 24 hours of being in the water with waves crashing into you and a whole day of surfing makes your muscles tired. Even after being out of the sea for a few hours I could still feel the weight of the waves pushing me back and forth. It's a strange and intersting feeling. Though I am a bit tired, I am ready for another day of surfing. We will wake up at 6:30 tomorrow morning to watch the sunrise then surf all morning. After a good breakfast we will surf some more and around 2:00 make the hike back to the west coast via the same path we came in on. We'll spend the night somewhere in Tekek then catch the ferry back to Mersing first thing Monday morning. Big day tomorrow, so I better get some sleep!


20 Jan
This morning we woke up around 6:45 to see the sunrise over the beach. Since we are staying on the east side of the island we had quite a nice view. It was very gorgeous and a wonderful photo opportunity. Afterwards Stepanka and I surfed for a while before coming in for a short nap. I slept very briefly then made sandcastles while waiting for everyone else to wake up for breakfast. We just got back to the chalet and I am resting a while while Adam and Martin surf. Even though I hurt a bit I am still going to surf -- perhaps I will just practice balancing while sitting. That's what Tim told me I should do anyways.

It's fascinating how quickly the beach can change. The shoreline is about 30 meters further out to sea than it was yesterday. It makes swimming and surfing a bit more difficult since several rocks are much more exposed -- I tripped quite a few times when I was out this morning.

Today is a beautiful day! There are very few clouds and plenty of sunshine. I put on some sunscreen but know that if I stay in the sun too long I will get badly burned, so today I will be careful. Just a few more minutes of rest then off to surf again!


20 Jan
OUCH! Today I got sunburned -- bad!! It was a bright sunny day in Juara and I spent all morning on the beach. I didn't surf because there were too many rocks, and by the time we got to the jetty where the waves were better I knew I was already burned. I spend most of the day playing in the sand or experiementing with my camera. (I filled up a 4GB memory card. 700 photos in three days! When I get home I'll need to spend time deleting a bunch.) We didn't leave Juara until almost 5:00, three hours later than planned, but we still made it to Tekek before dark.

I like Juara very much. Although two tourists we met said some locals were unwelcoming because it's so early in the season we did not experience such a lack of hospitality. Everyone we met was friendly and helpful. Two locals gave Stepanka and I a bunch of some kind of fruit that looked like bananas, but were smaller, fatter, darker, and were full of seeds. I thought he said they were called maccans. We also ate some coconut directly from the nut. We found a relatively fresh one that had fallen to the ground and Adam managed to break it open on the rocks by the beach. Stepanka even climbed a tree to pick a fresh one but there was no nut inside. There was some water that we tasted, and it was very sweet.

The children of Juara were especially friendly. Everytime they would ride their bikes past they would say hello and ask our names. Three little girls even gave me coral and sea shells they had picked up on the beach. Tim said there are about 300 people living in the village but it seemed much smaller to me.

The walk through the jungle took a bit longer than the first time, about two and a half hours, but we were in no rush and stopped to take photos and see the waterfall. We even saw a snake that was about to eat dinner, though I was hoping to see a bigger one. Aside from bugs the only wildlife we saw were a few monkeys running through the trees above during the walk to Juara. Nonetheless I still enjoyed the walk and think I lost about five pounds from it. The hike there was certainly more tiresome because there were so many steps and fallen trees to climb over but the hike back was more challenging. The first half was a paved incline that ranged from 10 to 35 or maybe even 40 degrees at some points. The hard part, though, was going down the steps and steep hills without losing your balance. I slipped once and scuffed up my leg slightly. I decided that if I end up backpacking from China to Singapore in May that I will need a better pair of shoes.

Another early morning tomorrow, so off to bed it is!


Expenses
Travel was a bit more expensive than I planned since we had to take four different modes of transportation to the island (taxi, bus, long-distance taxi, and ferry.) Also, we planned on taking a bus for RM10.50 all the way from Mersing to Singapore but it broke down before it arrived to pick us up so we were forced to take a taxi which cost three times as much. Food was very cheap there, I ate two meals a day and still ate very well. For activities and entertainment I had just a few beers and paid for a portion of the surfboard rental. There weren't any shops open to buy any sort of gifts, but I think I've decided to quit buying so much stuff anyways. The exchange rate for a Malaysian Ringgit to a US Dollar is RM1 = US$0.30 which is very good and can get one far. The rate for the Singapore Dollar is S$1 = US$0.69.

Travel + Accomodation ...... US$60
Food ...... US$15
Activities and Entertainment ...... US$10
Gifts + Souvenirs ...... US$0

Grand Total = US$85

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