A memorable island experience, Tioman.

27/10/06 : the journey began...

the drive started at 7.30am, with sleepy eyes n messy hair. yet the mood was excited n jolly good. it was a long drive from kl to d jetty at mersing, johor.

the journey began in a chilly morning...

if it weren't the speedboat, the journey to tioman island was omos perfect. by the time we reached the island, we were totally swept away by the mother nature - the blue sky, the clear sea, the lushes of green, and the chalet with an oceanic view.

here we are...

we stayed at bamboo hill, a resort even with no star rating or whatsoever, but there r something here tht money cant buy - the feel of home. the set up in bamboo hill is modest but every corner of the chalet is thoughtful for the guests. it has only 2 chalets n 4 rooms, all scattered away from each other, providing u maximum privacy n quiet time of ur own. other than tht they r all surrounded by trees n flowery plants, fresh air become something so precious to us here cos it's rare in d city. we took a nap n woke up for a fantastic dinner. wat a long nap, i know.

the view from the chalet.

28/10/06 : i got some fishes!

the best vacation is a vacation without itinerary. we slept until we felt like waking up. we went for my very first fishing experience after breakfast. we spent omos one whole day at the jetty n we didnt hav much luck, but i caught 3 little fishes - first a dory, then a parrot fish, last an unknown black fish. they were too small for dinner, we gav them to the cat. later in the day when the other one were snorkeling outhere, i was looking for some dead coral with funny shapes on the shore. time passed by like sand slipping thru our fingers, our second day ended soon after d dinner...

hey! see my catch!

29/10/06 : the fishing battle continues...

it's close to the monsoon season, it rained every morning. we sat at the balcony n day dreaming there, talking rubbish n often stared at the the mountain which turned omos invisible in the rain...

by the sun came out we were in the fishing game again. we climbed to the big rock by the sea, hoping to catch some big fish from there. i was thrilled by the view up there, n the big sunset right in front of me. we caught a big swordfish n happily brought it to the restaurant. tho it's didnt turn out to be a real tasty dish, but the feeling of eating ur own catch is satisfying n with much triumph filled in our stomach.

30/10/06 : farewell to d land we omos call it paradise.

we couldnt hide the sadness during the last morning here. it's like in heaven where u wake up to the panaromic oceanic view everyday, the sound of birds chirpping seemed to be our alarm clock in d morning. we often spent time watching the rain coming to us from the far away mountain n breathing the fresh air here, even the skin can feel the moist goin into the pores n rejuvenate every veins in the body.

every night we fell asleep to the serenade of the tide washing the shore, n whistling of the wind thru the leaves. life was too good to be true here. it seemed we had a lot of things done here but at the same time we seemed doin nothing at all, it's the freedom of mind. til we hav the luxury of time to be here again, tioman, my first visit here, wil be my memorable island experience.

sunset view up from the rock.



...

signature of bamboo hill.


breakfast.


chilled at the balcony.


scenery.


chilled on the rock.


sunset.


we found a 'dragon'.


n we found a fish, too.


the stray cat took a nap on our bed, we name her Tioman.

Bangkok, am i absent-minded this time?

travelling in one place, mind splitted in two,
1,2,3, i gotta stop thinking of you...

everywhere i go, i thought i saw a familiar shadow,
i turned my head, it was as if a dejavu,

i missed my station, when i was looking for you in my memory,
4,5,6, i think am getting down with a flu...

travelling in one place,
mind splitted in two...

2/9/2006: siamese i was, in my previous life...

it's d best air-asia flight i've ever taken, from the moment it took off til it touched down, the journey was as steady as traveling on ground. tht's wat i needed the most as i only slept for 2 hrs before i went on board. i slept like passing out n i reached the city of angel - bangkok in no time...

the weather was clear and sunny through out. the moment i entered don muang international airport, i could feel the cells in my body started to multiply and getting hyper. i took d airport bus to town centre, after the airport expressway, the traffic slowly built up. i looked out of the window, my heart beat increased its pace... i jus don hav a clue why am so excited bout this city.

am staying at sukhumvit area this time. the long stretch of sukhumvit road is devided into few unique sections - from soi (means lane) 1-3, is with middle east/arabian touch; soi 7-11 got quite some indian cuisines available; pubs and cafe located nearby one and another at soi 21-23...

am staying at soi 57, where there are many japanese/ korean restaurants and supermarkets around the corner (just right for me!). the hotel is more like a guest house, as usual am conned by the pic i saw from the net, (see, am working in advertising but i never learn the lesson. pathetic.) everything is homey and simple, the lobby is like a living room of any other house. the room looked familiar to me, at one thought i thought i was at my own bedroom...

i smelled like a squid so i took a shower before i went on a pilgrimage to everyone's favourite market - chatuchak market. the crowd never subsides at this place, i tried to walk slowly but most of the time i was pushed by the crowd and forced to speed up within the small lanes. i normally hate crowded places and physical contacts with strangers, but in chatuchak, am totally willing to sacrifice for it's variety of goods, and for it's unbeatable price tht u cant be offered elsewhere. i spent omos all my money here, during the very first day of this 4d/3n visit. i find it's a guilt if you don shop in chatuchak market, (well, unless you r born with silver spoon in ur mouth or, a very straight man, like u, ed) otherwise no one could resist the choices and the price range here. most of the shops closed at 6.30-7pm, so i called it a day and headed back to d hotel with bags bags bags in my both hands.

i had seafood omelett noodle for dinner, another item i just blindly pointed at the hawker stall nearby the hotel, so far food communication is my only problem here. the noodle was not bad, but a bit too 'ordinary' for me... u know, everyone expects great thai food when they visit thailand. i returned to hotel with a horrible smell from head to toe. i showered n scrubbed every inch of myself right away. i tought of taking a nap then walk out to see wat's in this area at night, by the time i woke up, it's oredi the next day 5am something.

i woke up with a big hollow in my heart, this time, travelling alone didnt seem tht easy for me anymore...

3/9/2006: a day as a local here, well, omos one.

6.30am, the sky here oredi as bright as 8.30am back home. i took a walk to a local wet market just few steps away from the hotel. the smell from the hawker stalls made me really hungry, they sell spicy and sourish salad, grilled meat and fish wrapped in banana leaves, barbecued skewed meats from early morning throughout whole day, if am here for a long stay, i guarantee i'll be a fatty in no time, who could ever resist tht??? but, but, being a rational person i am, i managed to pin myself down to go for a clear soup fish paste noodle in a restaurant instead.

the clear soup wasnt tht 'clear' anyway, there r some spices and crushed pea-nuts sprinkled on top. nice!

i must say it's d big menu board with all dishes layout neatly with the pics, tht attracted me to walk into the shop, tht was the first time i didnt hav to take risk in wat i eat here, i pointed and said: "this and this." there settled my breakfast on the 2nd day here.

after breakfast i strolled along the street and i saw many people offering food, drinks and flower to the monks. they use holy water to wash hands, kneel down and say a little prayer... it's calming to see this in the morning. i walked all the way up to sukhumvit 35, then i noticed it's a sunday, no wonder it's so quiet everywhere, i was standing at a jucntion, then i yawned.... i decided to go back n sleep again.

giving is blessing, it's always good when u r able to give.

i woke up at 11am, i walked up to thonglor soi. there're lot of japanese and korean restaurants here, plus few supermarkets selling japanese and korean household and food products. i guess there must be lots of japanese and korean expatriates in this area. i went to playground!, a hip and funky store selling cds, books and big range of magazines, there r oso few fine cafes and restaurants inside, a perfect place to hang out with friends and chat for all day long.

i had a strawberry sorbet at baskin robin on my way back, i wanted more, but my sign language only made them understand one scoop, so, i sucked it up again.

nevermind i said, i buried myself into starbuck cafe with my favourite mango frappucino (no one could get this wrong right?). the long walk under the hot sun was paid off after i had my lunch at a japansese restaurant, the grilled salmon set filled up my stomach with no room left. i dragged myself back to the hotel, took a shower and sleep again...

oh i shoud hav shown how clean were all the bowls when i finished this lunch!

woke up again at 5 something in d evening, i have never slept so much n so well back home... i was lying on bed flipping the free magazines i grabbed along the way. spending a day totally wasted, is my ultimate pleasure.

i went to suan lum night bazaar around 7pm. it'll be fun to come with a bunch of friends for there r many nice n interesting f&b outlets here.

the fun fair at suan lum night bazaar - fancy a round upthere?

the stuffs here r similar to wat u can find in chatuchak market, prices r a bit more expensive here n i find the clothings here is not as funky as those in chatuchak market. but if you would like to trade it with the heat and the crowd, suan lum night bazaar can be right for u.

i checked out a few home-ideas stores selling interior decorative items, there r many nice, exotic n unique designs of furnitures available, prices r expensive! i didnt stay for too long, i left for dinner at around 9pm. i had a tomyum ramen at a japanese restaurant.

by the time i was all clean n lying on bed again, it was around 10.30pm. i got a terrible homesick all of a sudden... i made a call home, the voice at the other end sounded miserable too...

lone ranger, can u travel alone again i wonder...

4/9/2006: the shopping finale...

it was a busy monday morning, the street was in a big contrast compared to yesterday sunday morning. i reserved the shopping finale at siam area on monday cos i thought many people would be at work, so i wouldnt have to stuck with the crowd. but my anticipation didnt echo with the reality, the passengers were packed like canned-sardines in d sky train, n many people oredi waited at the square in front of siam paragon. when the security open the main entrance at around 10am, the crowd marched in as if there is no tomorrow...

siam paragon is B.I.G. it comprises 2 main sections:

the paragon departmental store which occupies most of the space in siam paragon, contains numerous international and local fashion brands inside, jus the ladies lingerie department (they call it lingerie salon, how exclusive is tht!) oredi took my breath away, i have never seen so many bras and undies hanged so organisedly in front of me. wat really made me crazy, is the gourmet market n the food halls... i gasped the moment i entered this floor, i walked around for so many ROUNDS, yet i couldnt make up my mind wat to eat! this is food heaven...

the siam paragon shopping complex consisted of many shops in the same building, besides the departmental store. unlike the shopping complexes back home, where u'll find repetitive fashion brands in d departmental stores and d boutiques outside, the variaties here make u dizzy n simply donno where to start the shopping journey. they hav the widest range of world class brand names and designer's boutiques, not only fashion, but jewelry, watches and even optics. normally in situation like this, i only hav one wish in my mind - tht am married to a fiflthy rich man who allows me to shop til i drop.

they hav the siam ocean world in the building but i didnt check it out. i went to watch a movie instead. the theatre hall is grand, the ticketing n waiting hall look like a lobby of a 5-star hotel, n not forgetting to mention the toilet, even the basins look like a designer's item.

the grand paragon cinema

nearby siam paragon is siam square, siam discovery centre...etc shopping centres, this area is a shopping paradise indeed (well, second to chatuchak market) i left with a big hole in my wallet n with my credit card limit burst.

next stop was dinner at the cabbages and condoms restaurant. this is not jus any other restaurant, it has another division which is the resort as well. both restaurant and resort were created to provide financial support for the Population and Community Development Association (PDA) , Thailand's foremost non-governmental charitable organization. Money spent at our resort contributes to Thailand's rural development, education and scholarships, HIV/AIDS education and environmental protection. Our Resort is an environmentally conscious establishment and our endeavors ensure protection of the environment, by recycling wastewater for its gardens and trees (info taken from the cabbages and condoms official website , pls click the link for more detail)

there is a sounvenir shop and a information counter with banners and posters right before the door entering the restaurant. the staffs are friendly, u can ask them any questions regarding the organisation if u would like to understand more about this place.

i ordered mixed veggie soup n baked yam rice with dried shrimp n sweet pork. the food is nice, the service is good, n the price is set at a reasonable range. the overall ambience is comfortable and relaxing, you can dine or chill with friends over a beer or two at the outdoor garden too. this place is worth for a second visit, especially with a bunch of buddies. when i called for the check, to my surpsrise the change came not only with the receipt, but a condom too! ha, wat a nice thought to match this themed restaurant.

i had an early flight to catch the next day. i slept after writing my last postcard at around 12midnight.

5/9/2006: home, am goin home...

if u were like me, who thought of taking the airport bus to save some money, this is a tip for u - better make at least 2 hrs time allowance before your flight, especially if u r taking morning flight. according to the schedule, the airport bus shud arrive in every 15mins, but i waited for omos an hour. i was panic n i decided to take a cab instead. the traffic was bad in the morning cos everyone rushes to work at tht hour, the cab driver was at ease at first then i must hav showed him my infamous fuck-face subconsciously, he sped up n took few short-cuts in the end. i was all prepared to miss the flight but luck was on my side, i checked in at the very last minute before the counter closed. phew!

the goin back experience wasnt quite as nice as the best air asia flight i claimed earlier on the day here, they had some power failure problem n the flight delayed for about 35mins... it was hot n stuffy in d cabin. luckily no one with body odor was on board tht day, i could have died if there were any... my feet touched home ground after 1hr n 45mins later. my beloved furkids, n my dear, am home.

animals in bangkok

i saw cats n dogs along the streets omos everywhere in bangkok. some of them may look dirty and like a stray but i hardly saw any of them in skinny or bad shape. they r all well-fed, secured and contented animals. sometimes i saw one sleeping in telephone booth, sometimes one standing right in front of 7-11 entrance, stealing the cool air in a hot day, some even sleeping besides the customers at hawker stalls. no one wil chase them away. the dogs on the streets never bark at the people, they wont even avoid u when you walk near to them. the cats here r not afraid of people, u call them they wil come forward to stroke their bodies on u. all these need great deal of trust between the animals and the human. maybe this is one of the reason i like bangkok so much, i believe a nation who can tolerate n live peacefully with animals, is a nation with kind spirit.

"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way it's animals are treated."
- Mahatma Ghandi

misc in bangkok


sex change is not a taboo here


hey! has some respect ok? it's my idol doreamon!

!!!

gateway to everywhere.

this is wat i call bold n beautiful.

ooo... slippery.

lotus @ the local wet market.

Bali May 2006 - the breakthrough

i finally made it. here i am at the lcct (low cost carrier terminal) klia, waiting for my flight to bali, alone.

if i were to put things into positive perspective, there r some benefits i gained from the break-up. shed some pounds during the downfall, and goin to experience travelling alone. all these years planning and waiting for trips for 2 but didnt make most of it eventually, i find it's quite a breeze when planning a trip jus for myself. minus the part tht i hav to pay more in everything becos no one is sharing with me, i'm having 100% freedom and pressure-free in exchange.

if there's one thing to complain, i only wish i hav more money to afford at least a business class flight. the lcct is like a better version of pudu raya bus terminal now, ppl talking at the top of their lungs n kids running n rolling on the floor... my mind started counting down to getting on board.

(i hate to fly. feel suffocated and insecure in such a tiny space. in another 3 hrs, i'll be a foreigner to bali...)


getting there
on the way to the hotel, i looked out of the window from the cab, i saw plenty of beautiful wood carvings and stone statues tht would make my house looks stunning. for once in my life, i wish tht i'm married to a millionaire, or even don mind having an old sugar daddy who allows me to shop, shop and shop all the stuffs i want and ship back home in few containers... without negotiating the price. wonderful.

the cab took a big turn to reach the hotel, becos of the one-way traffic here. dewi sri hotel is actually a small cottage, the staffs are friendly and helpful. it has a little garden with few table settings in between lushes of greens, few white men were sun bathing nearby the swimming pool area, everything is humble and down-to-earth here.

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i stayed in room 444. the room is aged and a bit dark, but well furnished with all necessities for my stay. plus, for the price i paid, i shud not be complaining.

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i needed no time to warm up, i grabbed the free magazine i picked from the airport, with some guides and maps in it, i started my shopping walk from jalan legian, all the way up to kuta beach. most of the stalls along the streets offer similar items - large amount of imitations of fashion brands and watches, and lots of souvenir shops with ethnic balinese-designed items. everyone says u must bargain when u shop in bali, i didnt even bother to step into most of the shops in kuta area, not becos my bargaining skill sucks, simply becos these shops didnt arouse my interest. plus at this high tourist area, the prices are really big turn-off. but i must say few high-end shops here do hav nice attires and accessories, i didnt wanna rush myself into buying something i'll regret later, i decided to check out these shops later.

i was back to the hotel at around 7pm. the sky turns dark pretty early here, at 6pm something, it's oredi look like 8pm back home malaysia. i fell asleep soon after taking a hot bath, woke up at around 11pm, i suddenly missed kl very much. i walked to the nearby area, finally found something to sooth my home sick feeling - dining at a japanese restaurant. HAHAHA... i know, am pretty sickening at times.

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8th may, monday
2nd day in bali, i woke up with a super duper puffy eyes (!??!?) after breakfast at hotel, i met dean, the driver of cab charter service i contacted earlier. at around 9.45am, i began my full day out to the destinations i planned last night. we headed to bypass (local refers 'bypass' as our 'highway'), the 3-lane roads are considered as the widest road in bali. i thought of goin to denpasar, the capital of bali but seems nothing much there according to dean, we skipped this place.

the 1st stop was at celuk, the home of silver and gold smiths. the salesperson didnt do it too hardsell, at least they roughly brought me through some silverware making process, showed me their workmanship and crafting, before goin into the bargaining war. eventually i bought two rings and nailed the price at 45% discounted, being not really a expertise in silverware, am stil not very sure if i've got them in good deal...?

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my biggest shop in this trip was at the next destination - sukawati. sukawati is so called the art centre selling mixture of stuffs ranging from fake branded apparels from kuta, stone carvings from batubulan, wood carvings from mas, paintings from ubub, gold/silverware from celuk...etc. u might not get these items in the best quality as promised in the original places they come from, but if you hava short visit like me, and you wud like to hit not jus two but few birds with one stone, sukawati is the place for you.

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i skipped ubub as i didnt plan to buy any paintings, we went straight up to the mountain area, bedugul. dean was telling me if i wanna try tanah lot, for its sunset but i insist goin to bedugul. i must admit am fascinated by the postcards pictures of the temple and the lake, oso i heard the great scenery and cool weather up there is something you must experience in bali where other places are generally in hot climate.

it's raining cats and dogs thru out the long hours drive. i was hoping the weather wud not be too rough up there, but i guess it's just wasnt my day, d rain got heavier after i paid 10,000rp for the entrance fee, and my jaw dropped when i saw the temple was not as magnificient as it seemed in the postcard. i was expecting a huge temple standing in the middle of the lake, leaving mistery on how it was built there tht kind of stuffs... i must say the postcards con me into this. with the rain plus am not really a nature person, we left after snapping few pics. how i wish at least i hav a blue sky in the background as shown in the postcards...

we went to a local restaurant nearby for lunch. we had some simple local dishes, i like the stir fried mixed veggie. the restaurant is called strawberry stop, there's strawberry farm at the backyard. later some other customers came in from the rain and ordered strawberry ice-cream, it's jus a scoop of vanilla ice cream laid on a bed of freshly sliced strawberries. they came all the way jus for the ice cream, in a cold weather like this, i bet it must be good. too bad my stomach was too full or else i wud definately try some.

after the lunch we headed back to kuta again. we stopped by somewhere i cud not recall the name, i bought 2 woven baskets at REALLY low price. tht's the difference between the local markets and the shops at tourist areas. i wasnt too tired, but the weather and the traffic jam omos doze me off. luckily dean is a quite nice chap to chat with. there's saying tht there r 2 things we shud not talk when 1st meeting someone, which r: politics and religion. but along the long drive, we chatted it all, of cos, we did it at the most civilised way. claiming himself as the best driver in bali, dean, is really a reliable one to bring u around the island, and show you the best places to shop at the most valuable price.

by the time i reached hotel, it was around 6pm something. i dove into the bed without second thought. woke up at 8pm, i was hopping at kuta area again after a hot bath. one thing i've never experienced back home - most of the people here mistaken me as japanese (haha, friends i know wat u guys r thinking... but there r some ugly japanese so i guess i must hav fallen into tht category ok?) mayb it's the super duper puffy eyes i woke up with, and my newly straighten hair, along the street i walked, peddlers and taxi drivers started to greet me in japanese: "kombawa. nihonjin desuka?" i answered to one of them: "iie. nihonjin arimasen." he looked puzzled. he must be thinking: "how the hell wud i know to answer in japanese if am not one??" dude, with all the japanese drame vcds, it not hard to learn a line or two...

there r lots of branded apparel (or so they claim) boutiques in kuta area, especially the brand polo, u can find 2 - 3 polo boutiques in a same row of shops. i saw some d&g jeans selling at 85,000rp (around rm35.8), i touched the denim, gee, it doesnt spell d.&.g to me, d.o.o.p.e.d maybe. some souvenirs selling at the matahari departmental store are cheaper than i shopped at sukawati open markets, so if you miss out anything especially little souvenirs to shut your relatives' mouths, you can always drop by here for last minute shopping.

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i walked back to the hotel around 9.30, ordered room service. thought of sleeping early since nothing fancy in tv programme, suddenly i tuned into a channel... wow, hav u seen wong fei hong speaking indon?

wong fei hong: ayah, awak tak apa-apa?
wong's father: saya baik. hhahahahha.....
wong fei hong: ayah, jangan ketawa, nanti batuk lagi pula...

this wud keep me entertained for some time...

9th may, tuesday
my last day in bali. i left the luggage at the hotel reception after checking out. then am off to kuta gallery, located at the north in kuta area. it's further than i imagine, took me omos 45mins walking there (including few wrong turns i took). the place is a big, modern architecture with traditional balinese touch, blocks of shops in between some nice balinese garden landscape. it's quite similar to plaza damas at sri hartamas back home, quite a place for hanging out with a bunch of friends. i guess becos it's located a bit far from the beach, not many tourists visit here. the shops r not fully occupied, only 5-10% of the shops r opened for business.

i rested my omos paralyzed feet at a nice setting cafe nemed gekko, run by an australian. according to ikomang mangku, the waiter who works there, the whole kuta gallery is owned by an indon chinese and has oredi been opened for 2 yrs. i was surprised! i wonder how they can maintain the expenses with such a low tenancy. once proven, d indon chinese here r so wealthy...

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i had my lunch here at gekko cafe. even being the country with the largest muslim nation in the world, they hav no taboo to the pork. they even use the word babi (means pig) in the menu. in malaysia, babi is a very sensative word. i ordered babi kecap ala chinese (deep fried pork fillet, sauteed in sweet soy-sauce with onion n capsicums). it tasted good, jus tht the soy sauce here is very sweet. so whether u hav nasi goreng, mee goreng, stir fried mix veggie or even the japanese food here is a bit too sweet for me... after the meal i chatted with the chef for awhile, since nothing much to be seen here, i walked back to kuta.

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at around 3.30pm, am at starbacks cafe again. it's heaven when i took a sip of the iced rasberry fracpuccino, in a air-con room and listening to the soul soothing jazz music... i actually fell asleep there for about 30mins.

i reached airport at 6.30pm, went for a shoulder and foot massage, costed me 100,000rp for jus 25mins. u know wat? for 75,000rp, i can actually hav a traditional balinese full body massage for one and a half hour!!!!!!! but tht serves me right. human, always hesitate when there's a better deal in front of us, and feel sorry for ourself when we lose it.

"home sweet home, and all my beloved furkids,
i'll be back in another three hours, til then, goodbye, bali."

bali aftermath

despite being not a nature person who enjoys outdoor activities and totally forbia of water sports, i find bali is quite a great hang out place. it wud be better if you travel with few buddies or with family. being alone here, my focus is only on shopping, when i see something interesting, i find it lonely when i hav no one to share my excitement. i guess tht's the part i need to get used to if i wud like to continue travelling alone. let me experience more and i believe i wil hav no problem to conquer tht.

some other pics
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