Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Hi I'm back!
2-4 Jan: work ( again, if i get it )
I was looking forward to this trip since i signed up. In the beginning, i thought this trip would be physically draining as it was meant for students in sports CCA. However, to my relief, it was not very taxing physically, though it did get very dirty and uncomfortable at times.
The journey to Bintan was uneventful. My only complain is that my bag was stuffed to the brim -- with food. Okay, i may be exaggerating, but i had the notion of having not enough to eat on this trip. Luckily for me, this notion is not true. Unfortunately for me, i had to bring all the food back as i could not finish all of it. Also, i reckon that i gained quite a few pounds after this trip. The food there is simply irresistable! With all the seafood and fresh vegetables, it was mouth-watering (this is a huge compliment coming from a person who doesn't like seafood).
Other than the food, i absolutely enjoyed the accomodation there except for the first night whereby we slept in tents without even bathing. Also, the trips to the local schools were an eye-opener. I gained a huge sense of satisfaction seeing the smiles on the cute faces of the children there. It seems like a long time whereby i see children happy at the sight of balloons, biscuits and titbits. They treasure our everyday food. It makes me feel lucky for my lifestyle. I remember one afternoon whereby we sat near a charcoal factory eating our lunch. The village children were playing around us. By offering them a small portion of our lunch, we got a huge smile in return. It seems like a worthwhile trade to me. Also, the mangrove reforestation was not as horrible as i thought it would be. At least the hight of the mud did not reach my knees.
Now, to the portion of the journey which i did not enjoy as much. The mosquitoes and sand flies there were unbelievably irritating. Not to mention the cockroaches. I wonder if i could have survived without my mosquito repellants. Not forgetting the 'toilet' --which i merely a hole-- on our first night at the island. It stinks, literally. To make it worse, we had to take turns to cover the toilet with sand before we left the island. Well, there has to be a first time in everything.
Also, i absolutely loathe the feeling of wearing wet socks and shoes. To my horror, my feet were in this situation for at least half the jouney. Well, i guess there is always a flipside to enjoyable events. Not forgetting the journey back to Singapore. It was horible. The boat almost did not stop rocking. Moreover, I sat at the top deck, which makes the rocking seem like viking rides. To be optimistic, at least now i know that my motion sickness problem is not as bad as i thought. At least I did not vomit.
Finally, back in Singapore. Although i did not enjoy the whole experience in Bintan, I would not trade it for another.
DREAM OF ME! 9:45 PM ;