Nadal would've missed the trip completely had we not called him.In fact, he would love to skip the trip as he kept complaining that he's suffering from "fatigue" because of too much travelling.What the hell?3 days of rest from your previous trip to WhoreLand(Thailand) not enough?
DAY ONE
The big day has finally arrived!The night before,we had planned to meet up at the Clock Tower at 8 AM.As usual,not all were punctual.Gino gave me a lift and we reached the place sharp at 8 AM.Only a handful of friends could be seen waiting.When walked up to them,they all asked me the same sarcastic question,"Don't tell me you brought your fishing rods?".I brought my VFOX hard casing bag and also my Rapala cooler bag along which resembled me going for a fishing trip.I don't blame them for asking but at the end of the trip,they will then realize how grateful were they to have an angling friend in their trip.
5 minutes later,eight more friends were still no where to be seen.Of course,the actual boarding time was 8.30 AM but with friends with such great "punctuality",a 30 minutes spare time were greatly needed if not many will definitely miss the boat ride.
ALL BOARD!I was surprised to see the boat they used to charter people from Penang to Langkawi was actually pretty big.With such enormous size,blazing through waves would be easy as its design was built for speed.
"Oh,come on guys.The ride will be smooth as baby's bottom.We're not on a sampan anyway.",positive words from a relatively experienced sea angler(hehe).Taking no chances,Keong and co took Sea Sick pills to prevent feeding the fish in the sea with their "porridge".
Everyone were in a great mood.First trip together for the year and the trip with the most participants.
13 people of us altogether.We'll definitely try to turn Langkawi upside down.HeheThe sea was calm the other day.Taking the ride to Langkawi feels more comfortable than in a car actually(in terms of bumpiness).The trip took us 2 and a half hours from Penang to Langkawi and we managed to take a peek at Pulau Payar as our boat stopped by Pulau Payar to drop a few passengers.The crystal clear water and sandy white beach of Pulau Payar were phenomenal.A place like this were nowhere to be seen anymore in Penang.Finally,I understand why Pulau Payar is one of the best place to go snorkeling or scuba diving as I had seen it with my very own eyes.
View of Pulau Payar from out boat.
I will definitely come here in the future.
Upon reaching the Langkawi jetty,we called the car rental service number given by my college mate(Ching Tee,thank you very much) and were given the direction to the counter.The initial plan was to take two Avanzas or Unsers to accommodate the 13 of us but sadly,the price were not right.In the end,Auntie(the owner of the rental service really an auntie with oversized sunglasses - like Nadal's Oil Drum) gave us a cheaper and better deal where we could rent a car for RM50 a day.Hey!That's a great deal!We took 3 cars for 3 days.1 "sports car" and two Iswaras.
Knowing many hotels were fully booked,we asked Auntie if she could help us with the room booking.Any room at that moment will do.Be it in the hotel or in a motel.If not,we would be in Langkawi stranded for 3 days without a room to sleep in.Thank God Auntie managed to get us an apartment for RM350 a night with 3 bedrooms.At such cheap price during the festive month,we were all well prepared for the worst.
Knowing many hotels were fully booked,we asked Auntie if she could help us with the room booking.Any room at that moment will do.Be it in the hotel or in a motel.If not,we would be in Langkawi stranded for 3 days without a room to sleep in.Thank God Auntie managed to get us an apartment for RM350 a night with 3 bedrooms.At such cheap price during the festive month,we were all well prepared for the worst.
Our "Ferrari"
"Ferarri" pit crew
Presenting to you our Lino Raikonnen.After a few kilometres of driving trying to find a good place to have lunch,Auntie called and we can now check in into our apartment!Jian then came up with a brilliant idea."Let's change the car.It's way too uncomfortable with the car's air-conditioning not functioning properly."We went back to Auntie's place and replaced our "Ferrari" to a Wira with better air-conditioning.Never mind the RM10 we chipped in for the petrol.It's the comfort that counts!
Auntie drew us the map to our apartment.Sadly,all we could see was a few lines and loads of scribbles.Even a two years old kid can draw better!The map was as good as giving us a blank paper so we just drove around trying to find an apartment near City Bayview.We then saw an orange building with loads of algae on the walls near our landmark."This must be it.",all of us smacked ourselves on the forehead in dismay.Keong and I will definitely get fired terribly if that's the place we're staying as we were the ones who acquired for the room.
We drove up to the entrance and the name of the place were different from the name of our apartment which was Condo Istana(sounds good,better be good!).Phewww!A while later we finally reached the entrance of our apartment.It seriously looks good on the outside and we were all very happy with the apartment we rented.Of course,Keong and I received loads of credits for our daring effort.Hehe.
When we first opened the door of the apartment,that was what all of us were looking for.A place where it could accommodate the 13 of us all under one roof.There three bed rooms with two toilets and were equipped with a kitchen and a TV with Astro!Man,a seriously good choice for a vacation like this!
Tailo Gino collecting money for the room rental and car rental.This guy got the looks to make it big next time.Hehe
By the time we finished collecting our room and car rental money,our stomachs were growling for food.Lino took us to Pantai Cenang(the most happening place on the island) to search for a place to eat and we were spoilt with choices.There were typical Malay stalls up to luxury Indian restaurants.Of course,we el cheapos always go for something in the middle.We went to Palm View Seafood Restaurant to have our lunch.
Everyone tried to put up a smile.We were dead hungry!WHERE'S THE FOOD?!
Ritchie was definitely not happy about having to wait for his food.
The aftermath.
After having a not-too-bad-tasting lunch,Lino(our travel guide for the trip) suggested that we go for a cable car ride.Hmm...What's so nice about it I wonder?
One of the duty free shops.
One of the decorations around the park.
As we walked to the ticket counter we saw kids drifting in their battery controlled jeeps and some were wheeling with their super bikes.Whoa...Schumacher and Rossi in the making?Over exaggerating a bit.Hehe.
As we walked further in,we stumbled upon a pond where there were plenty of fish in it.When I took a closer look,I saw plenty of Tilapias in it.Damn the Management!Tilapias are alien species and the public are trying their very best to eliminate these pests.These "smart" people however making profits out of people by selling a cup of fish feed at RM1.Sickos!
Soon we were queuing up at the cable car station awaiting our turn to go up the hill.The cable car can only fit a maximum of 6 person per trip so we split up to 3 cable cars.
The queuing area.
Soon we were queuing up at the cable car station awaiting our turn to go up the hill.The cable car can only fit a maximum of 6 person per trip so we split up to 3 cable cars.
The queuing area.
Baboon says he doesn't need the cable car to go up the hill.There were plenty of trees leading up the hill.Hehe.
Durian Cap Tangan promoters.
Ever wondered why Wai Kin was so happy?He will soon have a higher place to jump down(He broke his back while trying to portray Superman a year ago.He's yet to learn from his mistakes I presume)!
The cable car that we took.
View from the cable car itself.
Our destination.
We arrived at the first station.As you can see,we need to hop on the cable car again before we could reach our destination.The cable car ride was fun though.The speed that we were going in the cable car was definitely faster compared to the cable car ride up to Genting Highlands.The acceleration before being hoist up was sudden and made most of us jokers who were standing fall.
View from the second station.Beautifully constructed suspending bridge.
Another shot of the bridge while walking down the stairways leading to the bridge.
Aaaahhh...The fresh air and sceneries...Nothing beats looking out far and start reciting poems(like the people in olden days movies)
A sight to behold...Did the shooting of Lord of The Rings took place here?
Many then took the opportunity to make full use of Goh's ultra-zoom binoculars as the sceneries around the bridge were simply breath taking.
Baboon checking out the island's view.
Lino saw his favourite dish.
Let me count the number of steamed Groupers I can make with the amount of Groupers in there.
Nadal with his trademark tongue-sticking pose.Checking out some good stuffs.
You bet they are good stuffs!Just what he needs after a "fatigue" trip to WhoreLand
Jian could not keep his eyes off the binoculars.Some bikini clad girls?
NO!It's the Heineken(our official beer for the trip) selling at RM2.30 at the Duty Free Shop below!
Keong cunningly smiling away as he saw something spectacular.
He saw two CHICKS!One with the camera and the other with the white lingerie!Haha
Now that we've went down to the bridge using the stairway,we had to get back up again to the station.Poh certainly not happy about it.Boo Aik still fit as ever.I was huffing and puffing my way up the stairway.Blame the thin oxygen level.I'm still fit!Haha.Keong on the other hand,breathed more than air.An average looking girl walked pass us and he said she smells good.We then asked him how did the white girl in white smelled like.Orchid?What about the white girl in red?Like Rose Mary?Only his sensitive nose could tell.Haha
We were at one point at the peak of the hill.The Sun was shining on us but it was not hot as the air was cooling.
Battle of two tennis superstars.Who will take the Maachas Closed title?
The DBADians(Diploma in B.A.)
Group photo.
We Machaas are one big family.Glad to have you guys!At around 5 PM,we were undecided on what to do next.Many were tempted to watch the sunset but our Master Planner Lino decided we should head down to Telaga Tujuh(Seven Wells) which was rather near to us to check out the beautiful waterfall.
He did it with the Fish.Now he wants the Bear.
Before heading to Telaga Tujuh,we stumbled upon the deer farm which was at the foot of the hill.Admission was free so we all agreed to go check out the place.
Baboon doing a gender check.
Ritchie needs thicker glasses.Even the deer knows where the camera is.
Deer smooching.Still no confirmation on the gender.Are they gay or normal couples?Only Baboon knows.Hehe
Now these 3 perverts checking out the Ass
"Ahhh...what a way to cool off".
"Uh oh!They are going to grab me!"
"Aaahh...not to bad with this guy".
"Please,please don't harm me!"
"Why take a picture of me?!I haven't wipe my ass yet!"
"I can't escape!Help!"
"Nooo!Why take a picture of my B*lls!"
"Holy shit!A tranny!"
"Oh no!I am so dead!"Moments later, a white lady approached the guys and demanded them to stop the holding the rabbit by grabbing its ears.Isn't that is the way how the Malaysian pet shop keepers hold them?As you can see from the picture below,Lino's eyes were directed to the white lady.She must be one of PETA members.Hmmph...
"Pheww!What a close shave!"
"Since you've been such a good guy by not carrying me,I will let you take a picture".
By the time we finished molesting the animals,it was rather late already to head down to Telaga Tujuh.We went in the Duty Free Shop near the cable car station instead and bought our "drinking water" for the trip.Heineken at RM2.30 per tin!Dirt cheap!If you are a drinker or smoker,Langkawi is the place to be!We were a bit moderate though as we only sailang a carton of Heinekens and also a 2 litre Asahi beer(this beer taste real good) for our personal consumption.Money is always a problem.Haih...
At around 6.30PM,we finally reached the apartment again after a long tiring day.With only 2 toilets,waiting for your turn to take a shower takes forever.I personally had to wait for an hour before I can bathe.Thanks to slow pokes like Nadal.You are fast on the court,but why so slow in the toilet?
Once everyone finished bathing,we went out for dinner.But before that,we had to "work"!It was a Wednesday night and that means there will be plenty of football matches.In order to get to our "work place",we first had to go to Starbucks which was located near the jetty.Lucky thing Gino brought his laptop if not all of us will be absent from "work".We "punched card" at 8.00 PM and we were already done "working" for the day at 8.05 PM.Who wants to join our company?Fast cash!Let's get rich or die trying!Hehehe
After we were done "working",we went across the road to dine at KFC.It sounds so wrong isn't it?It took our ass more than 2 and half hours to get to this island and we're here eating KFC?I was hoping for some local delicacies but nevermind.I'm flexible.
While we were on the way to Starbucks from our apartment earlier,we passed a night market so after dinner,we all decided to give the place a visit.When we reached,the stalls were starting to pack up already.Therefore,there were nothing much to see or buy.Lino bought a watch to remind himself that he should always be on time.Nadal bought cakes that looks like pao.But the highlight of the night was a stunning looking girl.Spell after me.S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G.At first when the guys told me about it,I couldn't really be bothered because from the back,she looks like quite a meaty girl.But when I saw her face,she's resembles a Goddess!She's of mix parentage possibly from a French Canadian parents.Very sweet looking lady with the potential to be the next top model(minus her body figure of course).Slowly...she walked away and far beyond our sight.All of us could only dream that she'll spend the next two days with us serving us ice chilled beer in the bikini.Sadly,good things don't always happen in life.Keep your chin up and life goes on Brothers!
We went back to the apartment not long after that."Aaaahhhh.....the comfortable couch!",I said that as I sank my butt onto the couch.What better way to relax yourself after a long tiring day other than an ice chilled beer,a great football game on TV,and of course,great friends as company.
After we were done "working",we went across the road to dine at KFC.It sounds so wrong isn't it?It took our ass more than 2 and half hours to get to this island and we're here eating KFC?I was hoping for some local delicacies but nevermind.I'm flexible.
While we were on the way to Starbucks from our apartment earlier,we passed a night market so after dinner,we all decided to give the place a visit.When we reached,the stalls were starting to pack up already.Therefore,there were nothing much to see or buy.Lino bought a watch to remind himself that he should always be on time.Nadal bought cakes that looks like pao.But the highlight of the night was a stunning looking girl.Spell after me.S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G.At first when the guys told me about it,I couldn't really be bothered because from the back,she looks like quite a meaty girl.But when I saw her face,she's resembles a Goddess!She's of mix parentage possibly from a French Canadian parents.Very sweet looking lady with the potential to be the next top model(minus her body figure of course).Slowly...she walked away and far beyond our sight.All of us could only dream that she'll spend the next two days with us serving us ice chilled beer in the bikini.Sadly,good things don't always happen in life.Keep your chin up and life goes on Brothers!
We went back to the apartment not long after that."Aaaahhhh.....the comfortable couch!",I said that as I sank my butt onto the couch.What better way to relax yourself after a long tiring day other than an ice chilled beer,a great football game on TV,and of course,great friends as company.
The cursing and cheering can always be heard throughout the game.There was once when Cristiano Ronaldo was about to take the free kick,Jian said to Nadal,"If Ronaldo scores,I give you RM100".BOOM!Ronaldo struck it in!The atmosphere in the room was electrifying!Nadal demanded the RM100 from Jian but Jian with his usual "Indian Style",didn't pay up in the end.Who would really think that Ronaldo will score at that time?Haha.
Lino who bet RM1000 on that match looking very worried while Poh who bet RM2000 looking very relaxed.Half of the group that went Langkawi with us were not football fans so they did not watch the match.Feeling bored along with their itchy hands which were not scratched since Chinese New Year,they opened up their own mini casino and the reception was hot!The room was soon packed with people and the gambling was intense.Sailangs and Show Hands were very common as the gambling intensifies.Those who were watching football came in to join the game as their cards gambling urge had surpass beyond their control!
They tried to hide the cards while I wanted to catch them red handed.Boo,you forgotten to keep the deck of cards!
They continued the casino's operation again as soon as they thought the coast was clear. *SNAP SNAP* Woon the mastermind of the gambling operation caught in the act.
While we were shifting the mattress(bringing it down to the ground to make more sleeping place) during the afternoon,I could feel the hardness of the bed's wooden frame.Whoever that sleeps on it,will definitely have a very rough night ahead.Not taking any chances,I purposely go to bed early and reserved the sweet spot for myself.Many thought I couldn't stay up any longer for the night but I guess they finally understood why I slept early when almost all proper place to sleep on were well taken up by others.So evil of me.Nyek Nyek Nyek...While I was going to sleep,Goh came in and complained he was feeling unwell.Jian asked me earlier to sleep like a starfish(to reserve a place for him) but seeing Goh feeling uneasy,I gave him a share of the bed.
Mid way through the night,I woke up when I heard a very familiar voice.I turned my head to the left and I saw Nadal speaking to Goh."Goh,since you're sick,you better go sleep over there".Note that "over there" means the rock-like bed.Though I felt bad for Goh,but I couldn't be bothered as I went back to sleep.Hehe
DAY TWO
When I woke up,it was already around 10.30 AM and I caught Nadal doing his morning prayers.
Keong is such an animal loving person.First the Fish,then the Bear and now the Baboon.
What a loving sight.Will not be long before they start sharing their "bananas"
Ritchie with a new breakfast menu to be recommended to PFS's mamak.Bread with Asahi beer!
Nadal with cheap maggie mee.Very hardly you can see him eating anything less that RM20.Like the night before,I was the last one to shower again.By the time we left the apartment,it was already 12.30 PM and our stomachs were growling for food.
We head to Rootian Cafe somewhere near our apartment and we ate chicken rice to keep the cost of the trip down low.YEAH!!!El cheapos like me love it that way!The chicken rice was not too bad and it was not long before we finished our food.
Saw this white Altis when we were walking towards our car.Pretty extreme modification.
The back part looks like a Proton Putra to me from far.Our first destination for the second day was the Kilim Eco Park.Actually,Telaga Tujuh was planned as the first destination of the day but as we drove pass the turning to Kilim Eco Park,we changed our mind as it was highly recommended by many that the trip to the Eco Park is a must try.After checking out the price,we all agreed as it will cost around RM26 per person only.
FISHING?Friends didn't let me bring my rods!Sadness...
As usual,team photograph to be taken first before showdown.Team Christopher Columbus.
Team Captain Jack Sparrow.
Christopher Columbus and his co-captain surges ahead.
Captain Jack Sparrow took another route.
Hehehe.Team Christopher Columbus will win.We will take the shortcut!
Christopher Columbus lost his sense of direction after taking a short cut and passed on the captaincy of the ship to his co-captain.Deckhand Wai Kin preparing the anchor while Green Horn Goh balancing the boat.
Saw a ghost ship along the way.
Scouting for mermaids.
"Look!Someone's calling for help!"
Feeling lost and stranded at the middle of nowhere,they cried for help and we kindly offered our navigation services.Ever wondered why Christopher Columbus was not the first one to reach Americas first from Europe?EASY!He's bad at navigating!
The victory sign of Team Captain Jack Sparrow.
The losing team.Not very happy indeed.
Two teams allied in the end.
Sceneries along our journey
Local fishermen with their long boatBeautiful surroundings.Wished Penang still have such untouched surroundings.
Trees leading the way towards the open sea.
Some of the rocky areas.Reminds me of KenyirAround 20 minutes later into our boat ride,our boatman stopped by one of the caves(as part of the itinerary) to do some sight seeing.
Before we entered the cave,we had a very welcome from one of Baboon's relative.Lucky thing it didn't give us a free shower.
As we approached the cave's entrance,we were greeted by the "fragrant smell".The smell was horrible!But then again,we adventurous peeps will continue our journey at all costs.
We started out by crawling under a very tight path to get to the middle of the cave.In order to see well in the dark,we were supplied with two torchlights so the key to surviving the tough ordeal was to stay close to one another
The smell intensifies as we move in closer into the cave.Formation of stalactite and stalagmite can be seen everywhere.Mother Nature is really good in creating these!
Walahh...The culprits of the nice smelling stink bomb!Thousands of them generating poop every single day!
Nadal with his night vision goggles which made his vision like an earthworm's
Gino had his vision improved also.
Keong with the worst eye sight.
One piece of advice - do not wear shirt when coming to such places.Freaking warm and sweaty!
I could see the light at the end of the cave!
All were very glad to make it out alive.Note the Heineken in my hand.It was an ice chilled one having stored it in my Rapala bag ^_^ Now that they finally realize how useful my bag was with 4 cans of Heineken and 3 bottles of mineral water covered with ice in it.
Christopher Columbus and his co-captain claimed that they discovered Langkawi
Mangrove roots as spotted from the bridge.After we had enough of inhaling the "fresh air",we hopped on to our boat again and our boatman said our next activity will be the fish feeding session.Alright,I've fished with hooks,rod and line but haven't actually fed a fish on purpose.So this will definitely be a whole new experience.
One of the many fish farms along the estuaryBefore we reached the fish farm,I actually had doubts over the size and species of fish that they rear in the fish cage.To my surprise,there were around 5 units of 4-5 kg GTs,a 6-7 kg super lazy Triple Tail,small sized Batfish and plenty of sharp shooting Archer Fish.There was once when I sticked my camera in the water to have an underwater shot of the GTs before the guide came and told me there's a huge Barracuda inside.What the hell?!Thank God the Barracuda did not take my hand away as its lunch because of the nature of this fish which will whack about anything that's shiny in colour;which in this situation was my camera.
The passive creature that killed the great Steve Irwin.Make commotions on the water and the ray will come to you.
Take a small chunk of fish meat and it will gulp in whole
There's one of the cages that have Horse Shoe Crabs,Oysters and Shellfish.Poh who has a fetish for shellfish,could be seen here day dreaming that the shellfish already in his mouth.Right when I'm starting to have fun with my camera,"POOF!".The display screen on my camera indicated that there were no more battery left in my camera.Damn!I had to rely on Wai Kin as the photographer for the day.
We then proceeded to the Archer Fish cage right after we finished molesting the mollusks and alien looking crab.The guide asked us to stick a small piece of bread to the wooden frame of the cage.A few seconds later,"Pssttt!".The piece of bread fell onto the surface a group of Archer Fish could be seen charging towards the prized snack."Whoa!These guys are good!",the guys were in awe;so am I.So exactly how good were they?Let's just say,they NEVER miss?We were observing their shots after shots and they never missed even once.Now that's what I call by SERIOUS SHARPSHOOTING!After some time,the Archers were no longer in the mood to display to us their shooting abilities.Many hid under the walkway and refused to come out to play.I guess they were too full from my feeding(I gave them a whole piece of bread.Hehe).We hopped on the boat again and went to another spot where we were suppose to feed the eagles."How are we going to feed the eagles?Using thick gloves and putting the bait on our hands while waiting for the eagle to swoop down and grab it?",the excitement mounts as I kept wondering how the feeding process will be like.
My boatman who sports a pony tail,sped the boat like a Mat Rempit on water as we approached closer to the feeding spot.He drifted the boat,continued accelerating and then circled Lino's boat,making us feel as though we were in the 2 Fast 2 Furious movie while leaving behind a very choppy water.Lino's boat were seen swaying from left to right and there was a huge grin on the boatman's face.How cheeky of him to disturb them.Haha.The ride was definitely one of the best boat ride I've sat before and also the committee of the Eco Park should really award him with the Best Boatman award.It has been so long since the trip and yet I'm still talking about him.Hehe.
OK,back to the feeding process.So how did we feed the eagles?Actually we DON'T!That's the only major turn off of the trip.What the boatman did was he dumped a packet of chicken liver to the back of the boat where the engine was,started the engine,and he began grinding the chicken liver into small chunks using the motor's blade.Water shot up real high as the grinding continued and soon the boatman shifted the boat a bit further away.Few minutes later,an eagle could be seen nose diving down with its eyes fully locked onto a piece of chicken liver.Hovering just inches off the water surface and then,"Swooppp!".Off the eagle went with its prized meal locked tight in its sharp claws.While it was flying,it bent its head towards its claws and ate the liver right away.Was that a new meaning to "Drive-Thru"?Hehe
Picture taken from the floating pontoon at the eagle feeding ground.
After seeing enough of the eagles,the boatman then took us to a cave named the Crocodile Cave.We were all very curious to know whether the cave lived up to its name.Sadly,when we asked the boatman whether we will be seeing one,he said that it was long,long time ago when the crocodiles used to terrorize the mangrove area.So why were we here?We looked straight into the pitch dark cave(still on the boat) and that was it!What kind of attraction was that?Again,the boatman's boating skill put me in awe again.There were plenty of stalactites covering the main entrance of the cave but somehow the boatman managed to stop the boat right before hitting it.Again,let's give him a round of applause shall we? *Clap Clap*
Lastly,the boatman took us out of the mangrove area to the open sea.He went out for probably 500 metres then made a U-turn back to the jetty.What the heck for?Sigh...After two hours or so,the sight seeing was over.It was a well spent trip with plenty of "Ooohs..." and "Aahhhs..." that we brought back to jetty.Before we left the place,we checked the price of food at floating restaurant named Hole in The Wall Seafood Restaurant(located along the mangrove river) at the inquiry counter.The price of food was reasonable so we booked a table for 13 person at 7.30 PM.Yahoo!Fresh seafood!
After a few photo shoot before we left the place,I checked the watch and the time shows that it was already 4 PM.Lino suggested that we should go to the Underwater World which was situated somewhere near Pantai Cenang.It was now another side of Langkawi so therefore we had to move quick if not we would not be able to make it for dinner on time.Getting to Underwater World were not easy.We took a few wrong turns every now and then.With a bit of luck,we finally reached our destination at around 4.45 PM.
The admission ticket was priced at RM25 and I was not having really high hopes of seeing big fishes for the trip although the press stated that the Underwater World had restocked its fishes.
As we took our first giant step into the indoor dome,we were greeted by a 5-6 footer Arapaima Gigas.For a moment,I thought it was a fake as it stayed still without moving its tail at all.As I take a closer look,I could see its tiny fins were actually moving!"Uh huh...fish ain't that small after all",I thought to myself.
With such introduction,one will definitely have sky high hopes of seeing bigger specimens when you venture further in the dome.Here's a piece of advice,DON'T BOTHER THINKING!The more I walk,the sicker I get.Firstly,the path we took led us towards the Fresh Water section.My God!How I wished I didn't walked here!The fish that were displayed were not exotic at all and they were all so tiny!There were the Sebaraus,Belida,Jelawat,Pacu,Patin,Lampam,Temoleh,RedTail Catfish(imported species) and a few freshwater rays.Kelah being the only species that caught my eyes while Tomans could not even make the list.How sick was that?
Birds in Underwater World?They have gills?
We spotted two otters having their forty winks.Finally,we were out of the Fresh Water section after a very eye sore experience.We were then greeted by a group of cute looking African Penguins at the Sub-Antartic section but we didn't stop by to take pictures of it as we were rushing to the Three Dimensional Movie Theater.
While we were rushing to the theater,we walked pass a group of Harbour Seals at the Temperate section.Though we were late for the show,one of the seals caught our eyes.It appeared to be sleeping with its eyes closed but the funny thing about it was,it kept rolling over and over again near the surface of the water.While rolling in the water,the seal would at times stick out its nose from the surface for a quick and short breath and then it will continue rolling again.Was it stoned?Or was it "Rolling On the Floor Laughing"(ROFL) at us?Whatever its intention was,it was certainly entertaining to see such a weird act from an animal.
Time continued ticking as our movie were scheduled to start at any time soon.Without wasting any more valuable time,we rushed to the theater while passing a group of penguins with really cool eyebrows.Never mind the penguins.We were late for the show!
Upon reaching the theater,we were disappointed to see the note that were pasted on the door.It stated that the 3-D Glasses were not available so we will only be viewing the show in 2-D.Aarghh!!!What the crap?!Because of that,we decided to explore the whole of Marine Park before the next showing which were due to start at 6.15 PM.
First stop,the Sub-Antarctic section where the Rockhopper Penguins with yellow eyebrows were.When we arrived at the place,many were seen standing still while enjoying the cool air blown out from the air conditioner.The others on the other hand continued sleeping while a few were caught squirting their milk-like poop into the water tank.Nasty,nasty!They were pretty well trained though.They only poop into the water and not onto the rocks that they use to sleep on.Very smart indeed,but wait!Doesn't that mean they now swim in a pool of sh*t?Now that's really uncool!
After checking out the "Happy Feet"'s penguins,we went to the place where the more ordinary looking African Penguins were.The tank were once used to store giant Groupers but because of the recent poisoning of the place,it is now used as the holding place of the penguins.When we arrived at the place,one of the penguins were standing on a platform which was very near to the glass window where we were standing.The penguin seemed to be very interested with our present and were not shy at all to let us take ample of pictures.While we were talking about it,Lino pointed his finger and the penguin suddenly turned his head to where his finger was.Lino then tried swaying his finger left and right and the penguin followed every single movement of his finger.Feeling amused,Lino sped up the swaying process and it didn't take too long before the penguin started seeing stars before falling into the water.Undeterred,the penguin came back for revenge and were soon to be bullied again by Lino.A Left,a Right,and a Left again and his downnn!The poor little fella fell into the water again and climbed straight up to the platform again to pick up another fight.We then decided it's enough for the penguin.So who was the winner of the duel between man against penguin?The penguin of course!Hehe
We soon proceeded to viewing other marine life after we had enough of bullying the penguin(or were we the one who were bullied).Again,I was left very disappointed with the marine life that the authorities had put in.They were so small and tiny that it was not worth spending 5 seconds to even look at it!Yes,I fully understand that they had just restocked the fish and it takes time for the marine creatures to grow but with the amount of tax we were paying all these while,was it really hard to invest part of the nation's income to make the Underwater World as one of the world class tourist spot?The Government seems to love the idea of letting the money go flying in the space more I guess.
It was almost time for the 3-D movie so all of us started walking towards the theater.Da...da...da..da.....when we were seated,we were told that there were no 3-D glasses for us.What the heck?!Isn't this a 3-D movie?Nevermind.Hopefully the movie is good then.
To our horror,it was the worst 3-D movie I've seen in my entire life!The story goes like this.There was this "Gelama" looking ancient bait fish which died and turned into a fossil.The producer then recalls back how did the fish died.Big funny looking fish chased it everywhere and in the end,didn't managed to catch it as this Gelama outruns it.Then came the underwater volcano or something which kills all the marine creature.The End!What a bloody waste of time!
Feeling dejected with the movie,we then rushed out from Underwater World to head over to the restaurant.The thought of fresh seafood salivates everyone as we were dead hungry.
We managed to reach the restaurant on time and we ordered a variety of seafood.Prawns,crabs,squids,fish...You name it,we got it!
The crab that we had were the mangrove type and it does have a slight mud smell.Nonetheless,we devoured every little bit of its flesh.Hehe.Surprisingly,the price of food was relatively cheap.Each person had to fork out only RM20 for the huge amount of food that we ate.By the time we head back to the apartment,it was around 9.30 PM.Feeling fresh after a good night's rest the previous day,I invited the boys for a round of card playing but to my surprise,all of them were so exhausted.Haha.Serve them right for staying up so late the night before.
DAY THREE
Day three marks the last day of our stay.We woke up rather early and headed down to Telaga Tujuh as suggested by Lino.To get to the waterfalls,we had to climb up a series of stairs which clearly tested the boys' endurance and stamina.It was not the toughest of routes that I took before but definitely not the easiest.As we reached the waterfalls,we were amazed by the beauty of it.Of course it could not match the Niagara Falls but to see a waterfall of such size is a great privilege as Penang only have small streams.
Such beauty should be left untouched.Yet human love to intrude such places.People can be seen bathing or swimming in their trunks and swim suits along with a bar soap in their hands.Contamination of water!Argh!
Nature at its best.
Notice the white lady at the center of the picture?She's one hot mummy! =P
Woi Nadal!Put back your shirt on!You're spoiling the picture!
The boys that made the trip.Bruvas for life!After checking out Telaga Tujuh,we then headed down to the Duty Free Shops to do some last minute shopping.We bought various kind of things such a liquor,chocolate,cigarettes and etc.Then we finally went to the jetty and took a boat ride home.Even good things have to come to an end.We went back home with plenty of memories together and certainly looking forward for more trips together in the future.
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