Easter Weekend

As a skier and chocolate lover I associate Easter with hopes of one last run down the hill followed by an easter egg hunt. This year however, I felt far away from the snow and cold that I am used to.  Not only are easter eggs hard to find in a Muslim country but there is definitely no snow in Asia (at least where I currently live). I decided to go on a last minute getaway with some new friends to Malaysia, after feeling a little homesick for my family and the time they would be spending together at our beautiful chalet up north back in Canada.

Last year, the weather at my family chalet in Collingwood,Ontario was very unique. In the morning, my family and I went skiing in shorts (or Easter dresses) and then hit the beach on Georgian Bay in the afternoon as it was warm out and the ski hill had enough snow base to ski on. 

This Easter however, I was far from snow as I spent 3 days on Tioman Island in Southern Malaysia. I was surrounded with tropical lush forest covered mountains, walking along one small path that separated the sea and the inexpensive huts we stayed in.  As Singapore is connected to Malaysia by cause-way, you can take the city bus from Singapore into Malaysia with follow commuters. You simply pay $1.80 SG and cross the boarder then get back on the bus to arrive in a Malay town just on the other side of the water. 

After the city bus, came the other bus, then the ferry and finally the beach! The travel distance was well worth it as we got there in time for a few hours of afternoon sunset and to settle in before happy hour began.

This was my breakfast at the bus terminal. It is called roti
and is basically a crepe with onion egg and fried. mmmmm

Our room, no aircon, no frills, just a bug net and a pink sheet.

There are nicer hotels on different areas of the island, although most backpackers settle in ABC beach for the happy hour specials and cheaper accomodation. As the pictures show, there was not much offered for our $5 or $30 ringit ($10 for 2) a night little shack. (But then again what do you really need?) The only thing that I found weird was that we had no sink. I literally brushed my teeth into the hole where shower water drains into....this is also in the 1 ft by 1ft closet that also hosts the toilet. At least the shower had strong water pressure and the sea was steps from my bed.

Walking down the "main road" a.k.a sidewalk

I still cannot believe how perfect this secluded beach was.

My friends and I climbed up this pile of rocks with our happy hour beers to enjoy a beautiful sunset. It was so calm, maybe 30 degrees with a slight breeze as the sky changed to rich reds, oranges and yellows. I felt so at peace, with new friends and such a gorgeous surroundings.

Keenan and I (a fellow Canadian)

My friend Sarah  (from Austria) and I.
Her and I instantly bonded over the fact that we both love skiing.
She was even on the Austrian ski team "back in the day!!"

I have really fostered a new addiction to traveling. There is just this rush when you arrive at a new place, learning the way the locals live, getting in a routine with your favorite restaurants and just talking to other travelers about all the wonderful things they have done and seen in their life.

The next morning I got up and went for a run (which turned into a walk as it was so hot). We had bought tubes the day before and after a delicious hearty breakfast we hit the beach. I ended up spending the whole day floating in my tube, meeting some other wonderful Canadians.

green crepe for breakfast?

The island is very tropical and has a big mountains covered in forest. With this comes a lot of creatures. These big lizards grow up to 2 m and were everywhere, even walking right up to the restaurants. I personally was very scared by them although most people did not seem to fazed by them. I think I decided I did not like them when I heard that one had recently eaten a little kitten. I was informed I didn't need to be afraid, and to be more cautious of the devilish monkeys as the lizards would would wander away as a human approached them.

 Later in the afternoon I went for a long swim with my friend Griffin, a knowledgeable fisherman. He told me what all the types of fish and coral were that were bright and flashing before my eyes. The best part of snorkellign here was that I could swim out merely 20 ft and see sea turtles, sting rays and beautiful corals.

We spent on night on the beach having a bonfire with a bunch of other travelers. I felt like I was back at summer camp looking at the stars and playing with fire. It was really relaxing to just relax and enjoy nature.

All in all it was a great vacation spent relaxing, floating in the water and eating great seafood. I never really liked seafood other than Salmon and Shrimp before coming to Asia but now I really do. When I first got here all I ate was chicken and tofu (they call it"beancurd") but now nothing quite compares to the fresh catch of the day.

The goat that lived behind my cabin

I wish that I could have had more time to enjoy the sites and maybe other parts of the island, although as I was off to Thailand in a few days school work was calling my name. Being on exchange has really taught me how to manage my time, I am now a master of sleeping on the bus all the way back to Singapore so that I can cram for a project. Life skills right!?