Blog: Redang Island
Elaine
- Just a quick post entry for Pulau Redang, off Terengganu, Malaysia.
Started as a long (understatement) night ride from Golden Mile Complex all the way to Terengganu. That ass cramping, body twisting 9-10hour ride. But it was a good night ride, with good company to chit chat with and eventually the darkness of the night and a sky full of stars.
"i glanced out my window into the darkness and upwards i turned my gaze to lay eyes on countless stars dotting the blackness that is the sky and in this moment i wish only to share it with you. for every wish of happiness i've ever made upon the stars, every one of them came true in you."
Dawn arrived, we arrived and sappy feelings aside, the group of us had breakfast then headed on the bumpiest, most overloaded boat ride to the island. My amazing intelligence aside, I bummed my friend aside so that I could sit on the front of the boat. And in that 40 minute ride, I managed to learn some common sense. That is, everytime the boat crashes against a wave, droplets or splashes of water will make their way upwards and onto the unsuspecting front passenger. And so i ended my little boat ride a little (much) saltier than when i began the ride.
Fast forwarding many parts, we managed to do 3 snorkles.
The first comprises me swimming off alone as far as I could searching for the elusive turtles (which i've come to feel is just a scam). But I went to redang determined to see turtles out in the open, considering i missed seeing turtles twice at the great barrier reef the last time around. So there I was, terribly frightened of the unknown that is the sea, looking around hoping to spot some signs of life. I started the snorkle with some harmless flip flap of my legs, visiting sparodic patches of corals inhabited by passing fishes. But I didnt quite go all the way to redang to see fishes whom I can visit at my nearest aquarium. Sound wisdom: turtles are shy creatures and definately wouldnt be lurking in the vacinity. And so I headed to the outskirts of the reef. Besides some passerby fishes, i pretty much saw about 2billion grains of white sand and blue waters surrounding me. Just as I was getting desperate floating atop the waters looking around hoping for a turtle, I spotted something from the corner of my eye. I turned and low and behold, the god damn it biggest fish i have ever ever ever seen swam merely 3meters away from me. A streamline white body around the size of, well, me. That after a few seconds, quickly disappeared out of my visibility. And as much as I hate to seem cowardly, I freaked out. Lets call it piss in your pants kind of freak out. I've never quite imagined fishes to be anything beyond those small little things we keep in fish tanks and (sorry) fillets on my dinner plate. Out in the ocean, fishes appear to be another game altogether. I instantaneously stuck my head out of the water, spotted the next nearest person and swam like crazy. And lets just say the nearest person wasn't exactly very near. And so there I was in the middle of the blue, feeling so alone and vulnerable, swimming as hard as I could for shelter. Occassionally I peeked my head underwater just to make sure I was alone, or at least appear to be.