HALLO!
Dear friends,
Its almost end july, & i'll be starting out on travel proper in 3weeks time.
Plenty of stuff that needs attention now, .. ad-hoc work for my dad's co., preparation for travel to tibet & spiiti, springcleaning, time with family/friends.
Next destinations :
Tibet & Sichuan : 16aug-26sep
Himalaya india : 01Oct - 26Oct
Nepal Katmandu : 12Nov - 22Dec
Tibet & Sichuan
To e "Roof of e World". Overland by jeep & truck fr lhasa - mount kailash & lake manasarovar. Mount Kailash is e highlight for most of us (going in a grp of 7 fr singapore, mostly buddhist pigrims)
I wonder what e experience will be, even if not 'spiritual', i'm quite sure it'll be one heck of an walk at 4000m & up.. passing over e 5000+m dolma la!
In Sichuan (this is e connecting city between singapore & lhasa), we will be trekking up Mount Emei, & staying e nites in ancient temples. I am also hoping to do a horse trek to e surrounding area of e Siguniang (4 sisters peaks).
Himalayan India
Hoping to cycle in e spiiti valley, amidst apple, apricot farms!
Nepal Katmandu
This will be a month-long meditation -cum intro to dharma(buddhist enrichment) retreat.
In-between e Tibet, India & Nepal, I'll be back in Singapore. And will be grounded Jan/Feb-06, before another 3mths of travel to Oz & Nz. :)
I'll post as & when i can.. when internet is avail.
Tioman
Whale shark sighting!LY & D saw one her 1st dive to labas! Amazing, ... all whislt i was doing my 1st refresher shore dive in very murky looking waters, where e most interesting marine life was a big puffer.Labas ~ wow,.. what a Place!Pulau Labas.. holds an immense attraction for me.It is a tiny isle surrounded by coral, & semi-strong waves were pounding about its barnacled circle of rocks. Much of it is rock, some whitened by e gunk of e many inhabitants - seagulls!What a wild, windswept, stark & beautiful plc.I climbed on, & explored a little, scrambling & hopping on e safer rocks.Nothing more that i could have asked for..According to Reeno, labas is 7.5km out in sea, & one of e dive guide/master says he kayaked tioman-labas in 2hrs monsoon conditions.i am inspired to Swim! (maybe 6-8hrs!)Beach Resort & TransfersA little bit on e resort life,.. many lunches & dinners in e 'restaurant' by e beach. And rounds of choh-tai-tee on 1st nite. And e many cats waiting under e table for scraps.Getting to Tioman was an unexpected adventure for me: No mersing bus at larkin, .. took e kota-tinggi express, joined 3 others on cab from kota-tinggi to mersing, got conned into a ferry instead of speedboat to tioman (& for rm$35). Finally arrived safe & sound, & the return trip was much faster in D's new 8-seater honda-oddessey.The Dive ShopTioman Reef, run by Reeno & his crew of lanky(1), native(2) divers.Reeno & his jap wife (Kimi?) & 2 kids lead a life out of e urban norm. The 2 boys jump into e diver's eqp washup pool, & play... lauging & guggling in malay! Maybe that's called alternative living..
Trip DATADates : SundayAM (17jul) - Tuesday PM (19jul)
Ppl : D, BF, CP, AL, LY, me. (AL, BF, CP are LY's buddies fr sec sch)
Money :Sin-Tioman : S$30(To kranji mrt ~ $2.50, Kranji-Larkin(via causeway-exp)~ $1.20, Bus Larkin-Kota tinggi ~$1.50/RM3.50, Taxi KT-Mersing ~$7/RM16, Ferry Tioman via Blue $17/RM35Package (Accomodation, Meals, 1short+2open dives, Transfers tioman-sin) = S$290Total = S$320
Endau Rompin
Durian, durian & duriansBLD.. b'fast, lunch, dinner of o.o.o.a. (original organic orang asli) durians at ENDAU ROMPIN!
LY, Alias, myself & 2-rompin guides were at endau-rompin at a time of abundance, helping ourselves to e nerc durian trees (which dropped with a funny whiiish, thud at after dinner times) & Kg PETA Durians (fr e trees of e village).
==Recce trip==
Tue 5jul - Fri 8jul
Activity : Camped at K'marong, trekked to Tasik Biru, Upeh guling & B'sangkut waterfalls.
Total expenditure/pax (split bw 3) : rm230 + s$16 = s$120.
==Nitty grity==
Tue-Am : Train fr sin-kluang. (8.30am-10.30am)Oh, mann... i woke up late & nearly missed this one. Rushed to jb station & luckily, caught e train.Lunch & Transfer to Peta visitor centre. (11am - 2pm)It was a dusty, orange ride in.
Wed : Trek to Kuala Marong. Set camp.Explored Tasik Biru & Upeh-Guling waterfalls. The ikan selar are rm120/kg at e market, rm200+ at e restaurant table.
Thur : Trek to Buaya Sangkut waterfalls & Breakcamp back to Nerc.K'marong-B'sangkut =2.5hrB'sangkut-K'marong=2hrDissapointment as swimming was prohibited, & e guide was 'green' & did not bring us down trail to see e magnificent cascades. We did e waterfalls in good time.Din & Mat were really funny with their determination with e durians! :)
Fri : Kayak nerc-peta. Games & durians at orangasli village.Transfer out to Kluang. LY's friend, Daniel picked us on e way back fr kl. ETA 8pm (45min causeway jam)
-->><><<--
Zen Lunch & a slice of cucumber
Tis i found to be most astonishing - to wash e dishes w just a cucumber slice & 1/2bowl hotwater.
i turned up at e retreat, totally new. Got a briefing & proceeded on to a few meals, using e same set of eating containers. Now i read, it is called Or-yo-ki.
The meal also includes a series of knocking, tinkling, hand-rubbing, palms together, bowing.
At cleaning of bowls , the hotwater is passed around saucer-bowl, all e while using cucumber as to wipe/'scrub'. Finally, part of liquid is drained while cucumber & rest of remaining liquid is drunk. The items r dried, & repositioned into e big white cloth, once zen-master gives the signal, it knotted back into place & ready for next meal.
Efficient, focused & earth(environment) conscious! a bit "unhygenic" though ^ ;) , imho.
==Trip statistics==
June-05
Location: Zen centre, Pengerang
Activity : zen retreat (2/7days)
Total expenditure : $50 + $8 + rm20 = S$68
--<<<>>>--
