Perhentian Island Challenge Part 2

My mom and dad picked me up from the airport that night and it was nice seeing them again. The next morning, my mummy, back in her mummy mode filled up my CamelBak and made a champion breakfast - rice beef stew and half boiled eggs.Mummy filling up my CamelBak
Champion breakfast That's right , beef stew for breakfast because she and I knew I was going to be famished in the 3rd hour of the race. After an amazing breakfast, we all drove down to Kuala Besut like those days again when my parents would send me off to the airport or bus station when I was in my teens. Today, I love the fact that they still see me as their little boy and I take full advantage of it.Mom and dad and I at Kuala BesutI went through another mini ordeal at the Kuala Besut jetty. The PIC organizers were late in sending the boat to me and I ended up arriving at the starting line 30 minutes before the race was flagged off.

Anyway, my partner, Natalie Ng Poh Fang greeted me at the island jetty and was pretty worried about my arrival from the looks on her face. She's a sweetie pie. Natalie gave me a quick rundown on this year's course and I was quite suprised to see the organizers add another route to this year's race.Race Course
Natalie and I
At 1030am, we were flagged off and there was a mad rush to grab our canoes. As usual I couldnt find the kaayak nor could I find Natalie in the process. Apparently, someone pushed her and she fell but a few seconds later, I saw her on the other side looking for our kayak as well. We finally got our kayaks and off we went. I hate kayaking because I do not know nor possess the technical skills to kayak and the current kept pushing our kayaks off course.It takes a great deal of effort to set it back straight again only to have it veered off course after 20 seconds by the current. There was a part where we veered off course entirely that we had to make an about U turn. Natalie and I kept our cool and paddle by paddle , we reached the shore at Perhentian Island Resort.

After a short water break, off we went for the jungle trekking session.
Jungle trekking
It was a torturous second leg because the hill was bloody steep. So steep, I saw
a few people vomitting along the way and I guess it's from the kayakking session.
Victim of PIC
After an hour or so, we arrived back to the area of where we left the kayak. We love this part the most because we're running along one of the most beautiful shorelines on the planet.
Also, whenever I run by the chalets, I would give a shoutout to each and every chalet [Mama's, Watercolours, Tuna Bay, etc] as well as to the tourists urging us on.
We reached the end of the beach and our task was to pull a bag filled with sand from the sea. Since I've been suffering mini cramps, Natalie stepped up to the task. Amazing woman she is. Here she was, struggling to get the bag out of the water while I was taking pictures of her.My rock of PICSorry Nat
It was back to the jungle trail after that and this route now takes us back to the kayaks where we had to kayak ourselves to Pulau Kecil.
Getting the kayak ready.
The distance looked bloody far. With fatigue setting in, we gave each other semangat talks and paddle by paddle, Bubu Resort looked nearer and nearer. By that time, I had already drunk 5 cans of Red Bull. I was more hyperactive more than semangat actually. I kept replaying the song "I Need A Hero" by Bonnie Tyler to keep my semangat on.

It was such a joy when our kayaks touched the shores. After a quick waterbreak,
our next route was to the gargantual windmills of Perhentian Island.
Windmill Natalie and I chatted about personal lives while we clambered through rocks, roots and fallen tree trunks. After 45 minutes, we reached the 65 degree inclination path which leads up to the windmills. By that time, I was extremely exhausted and laid down to rest
but Natalie was encouraging me to not rest and soldiered on. She said she'll let me continue with just my Speedo's if I started moving now. Hearing that, I jumped up and that's just what I did.View from the top of the hill
I checked the time and my watch showed 445pm. It's been 6 hours since we were flagged off. Since we participated in last year's race, we knew that after returning to Bubu Resort, there would be another path that leads to the finishing line. In within an hour, Natalie and I walked across the finishing line. We were dead tired but we were more proud we completed it. And let me add this, I couldn't have done it without her. She's my PIC rock. En route to the finishing line
I had fun again like I did last year. But this year, it was more special for because I achieved two objectives. I completed the race, had fun and I beat my arch nemesis, Mr Raj. Arch nemesis

SEMANGAT