A Slice of Paradise

Clear blue skies, white soft sandy beaches, sparkling crystal clear waters...that could only mean one thing: Tioman

My very first vacation to the East coast of Malaysia was phenomenal. Tioman Island was everything I expected and more. The people were laidback, friendly and it seems as though time didn't really matter there. Everyday was just another day of unperturbed relaxation. But not so much for me. I was there to take my scuba diving license and as of now...you're looking at an officially licensed scuba diver! Whoo-hoo!!!

The diving lessons were okay. We did various exercizes to get used to the scuba equipment and controlling yourself while submerged underwater. They were not as easy as I thought they would be but we pulled it off. I mean like when I was underwater at a depth of nearly 20 meters and when I look up, I can see and even feel just how far am I from sea-level that it's kinda freaky. Everything was so quiet down there and with limited vision due to the snorkel mask plus the pressure I feel squeezing my body, I felt like I was really putting my body through alot. Also, the water down there was like cold and due the the conduction and convection and all that, I was practically shivering in my suit.

And as for the whole diving experiance by the coral reefs...well, you hear about it from people, you read about it in magazines and you watch it on TV, but when you actually go through it yourself first-handedly, it's UH-mazing! Really fantastic. It's a whole other alien-worldly experience. The underwater life you see right before your eyes swimming, living just inches from your skin. It's f-ing unbelievable. There were all sorts of marine life, schools of fish, soft-coral, sea-urchins, sea cucumbers, barracudas, huge ass bumper head fish and more.

Too bad we didn't have an underwater camera otherwise we would have probably taken pictures while on our diving expedition. But the dive instructor did have his and managed to snap a few shots. Let's just hope he sends it my way *crosses fingers*. However, we did snap pictures overwater with a conventional digital camera of Tioman. And I think I prefer to let you guys view the pictures instead of boring you out with my prolonger chatter:

- our first view of the beach.

- hammocks were aplenty to suit the laidback lifestyle.

- our scuba diving gear, which by the way, weighs 20 f-ing kgs. When you strap it on, you can't stand straight otherwise you'll probably tip over. Imagine carrying the gear around on your back for an hour, three times a day for two days. I believe the one on the left with the blue flippers were my set.

- The diving suit: NOT flattering. This was how I had to carry the bloody heavy gear. Just think: I had to lug the damn thing all the way to the beach for shore dives and lug it onto a boat during boat dives. The boat dive was pretty cool though 'coz we got to do the backroll into the sea...the kinda you see on TV. The only thing was that I got seasick on the boat which kept bobbing up and down, swaying left and right in all directions. No, I didn't barf. Note to self: stock up on motion sickness pills.

- My sister and I, by the jetty at nightfall.

- Swaying coconut trees offset by the moonlight.

- Crystalline waters.

- The beach had many picturesque spots.

- Sun, sand, water...what could be better?

This trip would never have been realized with out my sister, who not only planned the trip and drove us there, she also covered all of my expenses for this vacation as my birthday present...so this calls for a big

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THANK YOU JAYME!!! This is probably THE best present i've ever gotten!!!

For more pictures click Here.