Inpenetrable Boulders

In my previous blog(http://yateoh.blogspot.com/2009/07/nature-escapes.html), I visited this enchating paradise in the East Coast. Last weekend I went again in hopes of getting through the boulders that lay in between me and what I hope was the ultimate paradise because from Google Earth, the view was amazing. Large pools and numerous numerous waterfalls. Check this out from Google Earth.

Remember the whirlpool in my previous blog?
Awesomeness after the boulders
The boulders, some as huge as a 2 storey high building strecthed as long as 150metres. In between, there were rapids. Some were strong and some were mild. Natural caves form when these boulders are atop each other and more. Beautiful sky in the background
There were four directions I attempted. The first was through a jungle trail and it led me nowhere. Plus I really hate jungle trails that has not had any human activities before. Next, I tried the most left hand side of the boulders. This too proved futile as the rocks were stacked in an unbelievable position for any humans to get across unless ...you work in Cirque Du Soleil as an acrobat.
Getting a grip
Finding a way through!!!
The middle section too proved impossible to get through. On the outer most right section, there's an awesome pool and 2 mini waterfalls. Awesome pool in between some boulders
I took a dip, rested and strategized on my next move.
and pretty much found what I hope was a clearing to the other side of the boulders. I did not proceed further as the day was coming to an end and my bagpack including my tent were ridiculously heavy after being soaked.Pondering my next move
Meditating.Notice the smoke rising from the rocks
Rejected and humiliated by nature, I trudged back to my previous campsite and this time I brought along a fishing rod. In my entire life, I've only caught one fish and it was an Ikan Duri. Ikan Duri is a fish nobody wants to catch and is a waste of bait. The last time I went fishing was 8 years ago in Kuantan, Pahang. The bait I used were crickets and fettucini. Yes, fettucini. I made fettucini pasta for lunch and because fettucini pasta shapes looked like wriggly worms, I thought I tried them out. And what do you know. I caught a fish for the second time in my entire life and it was a beautiful Malaysian kelah.
My second fish in my entire life
Kelah?Any fish will do
Here's a short video on more fishes I caught.


Words cannot express the feeling of reeling in a fish. In my case, I was estatic. However, I always release the fishes after I catch them. Watch this video:
Catch and Release Program

I should be going back on one of these days and this time, I'm inviting any of you readers of my blog out there to join me in this expedition. So if you think you have the stamina and semangat, drop me a line and we'll see.

Egypt

Egypt- The alphabets that form the word "Egypt" is already mind blowing. What can I say about Egypt except YOU MUST GO THERE AT LEAST ONCE IN YOUR LIFETIME!!! And how timely it is that Air Asia is now flying to the Middle East starting next month.With that route from KL, visiting the Pyramids is a step closer. Really, a god damn step closer. Once you arrive in Abu Dhabi of the UAE, you can take a low cost flight to Cairo which is like flying from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu.

Anyway, Cairo is simply amazing and awesome. I landed in Cairo around midnight and the smell of the desert and sand hits you immediately. I took a cab to the hotel and I couldn't see a damn thing not because it was dark but because my cab driver drove like a madman. In the morning, when I looked out my hotel balcony, this was what I saw : Nile River
Early morning Cairo street before the nighmarish traffic
My first itinerary - The Pyramids. What else right? When I first laid eyes on the Pyramids from my taxi, I was speechless.Literally. Apparently, the initial sight of the Pyramids will give you that. I spent a whole day touring the three Pyramids and also the Sphinx. View the photos guys.
Mr Sphinx
Love my tripod
Excavation still on going
Three Pyramids In One Shot
I used Cairo's subways to get around and it was pretty easy and cheap. Do take note that the subway carriages are segregated-men and women. I mistakenly hopped onto a woman's only carriage and was surrounded by Egyptian beauties. No harm done. A little mistake by an Asian Chinese tourist. Cairo's Subway
My destination was Khan El Khalili, a major souk in the Islanmic district of Cairo. More disorganized than The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. This souk has been operating since 1382 and we're in 2009 - that's 627 years of operations.
What's cool over in Khan El Khalili is the constant vibrant movement of people and livestock and maybe a terrorist or two.
Falluca at The Mighty Nile
The Nile River. The mighty Nile river. Don't sign up for the huge and expensive Nile cruises. In the cruise ship, there's a buffet spread, loud disco music and belly dancing performances which is not my cup of tea. Instead, take a stroll down the river, ask any falluca owners if he'd be interested to take you down the river for a fee and he will gladly do so. I paid my falluca guy 50 Egyptian Pounds and got a personal cruise down the Nile. Cruising down the NileYay....the Nile

In the next few days, I went to the British Museum, Coptic Churches and took a 2 hour train ride to Alexandria. I went to two beautiful Citadels. One in Cairo and the other in Alexandria.
Citadel in Alexandria
Citadel in Cairo

There's a whole lot of others places that I went and it's just too many to list them all here. Enjoy the pictures.

Perhentian Islands 2009

I was in Perhentian Island last week to do my Advance Open Water course with Seahorse Divers. Also, I was trying out my new wetsuit which I bought for a steal in a crazy 80% sale. Trying on my new Mares wetsuit
Briefing by Nurul the divemaster on our ship wreck dive
Geared up
Let's go let's go
This time, my dives will take me to a ship wreck fondly named Sugar Wreck by the Perhentian Island people. Maybe it was carrying sugar when it sank. When I descended into the surroundings of the wreck, it was pretty scary I have to admit. Huge beam structures, the cargo hull, the stern all covered with corals clearly screams eerie. I saw my first shark species on this dive and also some lion fishes and a mother and daughter cuttlefishes. How do I know their sex? I don't. Eerie looking wreck
A MARES walking advertisment
Later, I had to clean a fish pond as part of the Advanced Open Water syllabus. This is tough!!!!!
What a hassle!!
Poor fishy.You'll be in soonJust kidding. I clean the fish pond voluntarily. No such syllabus in PADI.

At 3pm , I went for another compulsory dive which is called the drift and deep diving. This dive brings me to the deepest depths of my dives and was given some mathematical equation to solve when I was at 32metres underwater. This was to test my logic and rational thinking at that depth and also to see how affected I am with my
nitrogen levels. I solved this mathematical equation underwater :


After passing the test, my dive instructor and I went to look for seahorses. They're as big as your normal stapler(in length and width) and so adorable. I think I can identify with seahorses because they're always a solitary creature. Everywhere I go, I only see a seahorse and their home is not even in between corals or anything like that. Imagine the seabed filled with sand and nothing else and then you see a lone little pinky finger size coral, the seahorse will be there. When I peered closer to look, I think I heard the song "All By Myself" by Eric Carmen.When I Was Young, I Never Needed Anyone, Making Love Was Just for Fun, Those Days Are Gone....All By Myself..Don't Wanna Be All By Myself....

By 5pm I was done and I hung out with my rubber duckie by the beach. That's what a man needs - a man and his rubber duckie.
A grown man and his rubber duckie
Rubber duckie and his new found friend

The next day, on a bright sunny morning, I practised my juggling skills which I had long abandoned. It was really fun to juggle the 3 balls in a wide open area and the surroundings were just awesome. Apparently, I'm still not too bad in my juggling skills. Check it out : Juggling in Perhentian

On the way back, I saw this solar phenomenon. A halo type ring around the sun. I caught it on video and coincidentally, it was also the papers. Check it out: Rare phenomenon

Finally, I am going to introduce my travel agent when it comes to my trips to Perhentian Island. I've been using the services of Mr Sani of Perhentian Sunny Travel Sdn Bhd for the past 6 years and I've never had any failed speedboat and accomodation arrangements so far. Sani is reliable and will be there even if you take the 730am boat. Use my name if you do business with him and for that, he will buy you a teh o beng while waiting for you speedboat.
Call Sani at 0199444563