Xx Bintan Rocks! xXAlright! Returned home from Bintan yesterday evening. Was one helluva great trip, man! This trip definately made the class more united and allowed us to know each other better. Sure, it shagged everyone like hell but it was a superb experience I'm glad I didn't miss!
Day 1Day 1 is quite boring, can skip if you want to.First day was kinda slow and less exciting. Everyone was kinda like dragging their feet to the chartered bus in school. The general feeling was the doubt of the trip's entertainment value. Upon reaching the ferry terminal, we learnt that the ferry was leaving in 2 hours time. Totally turned everyone off. Lols. But hey, we managed to spend those time away well enough la.
The ferry ride was kinda peaceful. Most of my classmates were catching up on some sleep and some others were playing dai-tee, the card game.
We arrived in Bintan about 45 minutes later. The water is rather clear, as compared to Singapore waters. Upon reaching the exit of the terminal, everyone was taken aback by a surprise. We found out that our transport for the next 3 days was going to be an old tin can, not literally though. The bus was super
retro sia. The windshield was decorated with a few stripes and big blue stars. The interior looked like it was going to fall apart anytime. The speedometer was not working at all, always pointing at zero. The windows were like super low and it felt as if our luggage was gonna fly out of the window anytime.
We had a cultural tour of several villages, each featuring its own special handicraft. Rubber-tapping, blacksmithing and weaving. After this, we finally approached our accommodations. It was a kelong chalet, so to say. At first, all of us grimaced at the sight of the attached toilet. There was no flush system, so all of our bodily wastes had to be washed down the small toilet bowl using a pail of water. And yes, the fluids are drained into the sea below, but the solids are probably caught in a net somewhere. That partly explains why none of us wanted to go for a dip in the water. But hey, at least we still had tap water to use and bathe. That's about it for the first day.
Kelong: Houses built on stilts upon the seaDay 2The activity of the day was hiking up the Bintan Mountain. The climb was rather treacherous. The slopes were quite steep and most of the provided rope-aids have snapped. Not even halfway uphill, it began to rain. The rain through the forest canopy was rather cooling but it had turned the trail muddy and slippery. This was when everyone began opening up and supported one another throughout the whole climb. After an hour or so of climb, we finally conquered the mountain. Most of us were expressing ecstasy, by climbing up the peak marker, while others were too worn down and preferred to sit down in the shade to catch their breaths.
The climb down was more mentally tiring rather than physical. Each of us had to think of where to step to avoid slipping. As usual, the gradients of the slopes were steep. Moss-covered rocks and fallen logs blocked parts of the trail, making the descent even more mentally stressful. Barely 10 minutes into the descent, it began to pour. This time, it really soaked everyone to the skin. Yet, this brought us closer as we guided one another to safety step-by-step.
The descent took another hour or so, I think. We were finally greeted splashing waters of the waterfall. It's believed that good luck will be brought upon those who wash their faces at that very waterfall. After lunch, we returned to our lodgings for a well deserved rest.
We had ordered a mini-show of fireworks display back at the kelong chalet. It was a rather humble show but it was still gratifying. Hey, how much can one expect for $2? The rest of the night was spent with late-night mahjong (I don't know how to play though), and star-gazing! We lay along the wooden walkways above the sea and stared into the nightsky. The entire nightsky was filled with stars and it was absolutely mesmerizing. In bright-lit Singapore, you'd probably only see the moon. I was the most efficient spotter of shooting stars among my friends. I had caught sight of around 10 shooting stars, but I didn't make a lot of wishes as I don't really believe in this kinda things. This was the best day ever.
Day 3The last day was filled with a feeling of excitement. As we packed our bags and prepared to leave the kelong chalet, there was a slight sense of reluctance. But hey, we couldn't possibly stay there forever, right? The morning half was spent on a traditional-fishing tour. It featured the old-school ways of fish harvesting. Rather interesting, but most of us were longing to return home. We were then brought to Pasar Oleh Oleh for shopping. The stuff there was rather dirt-cheap. Original Nike windbreakers were on sale for S$21 and other branded items were a good steal as well. Then, it was time to return home.
Upon reaching Singapore, 3 of my classmates and I shared a cab home. We bade goodbye to our other class and tour-mates. And with this, it was the end of the tour.
Thats about it la. Pictures are below. Still feeling shagged even after 11 hours of sleep. Heehee. Forgive my limited language, totally cannot think right now. Lastly, 1AO7 rocks! =D
Till next time, Au Revoir.
Note: I will only send the pics to broadband users as it totals a whopping 140mb. For others, I will give them to you when the new semester starts and when you have your laptop with you. Also, pictures on this blog are of a lower resolution.
Retarded Alvin
Kelong Chalet (Panoramic)
Sunrise I
Sunrise II
1AO7 conquers Bintan Mountain
Guan Yin Ma-wannabe, Alvin
1AO7 and retro bus
// Citizen Erased @ 11:46 AM
