Juara Beach, Tioman Island, Malaysia, June 6, 2010.
The days go fast especially when you're lost in paradise islands in the far South China Sea, as happens to us right now in Malaysia.
's been three weeks since I last wrote a post in this blog, but it seems like yesterday when we were on the island of Perhentian, Bay D'Lagoon snorkeling and hiking in the jungle island.
After being almost a week in the paradise of the Perhentian, where for the first time we saw giant sea turtles, sharks 2 meters long, clown fish (Nemo), giant lizards and many other types of colorful fish and beautiful corals, let 's island to reach Taman Negara, the national park's most famous Malaysian peninsula.
Taman Negara is a jungle that stretches for thousands of miles in parte'interiore of the peninsula and is said to be one of the oldest forests in the world, with more than 130 million years, they say that has ever been touched by any phenomenon destructive natural (glacial, earthquakes, fires, wars, etc.).. In this forest you can see elephants, tigers, leopards, tapirs and many species of insects and reptiles in Europe that only you can see in some documentary. In Taman Negara we stopped for 5 days, 3 of which we passed in the park sleeping in the jungle. We decided to hike the 25 km walk, the adventure begins early in the morning, we joined together with three Norwegian boys, too, traveling the world. At 10, we take the boat that takes us to the starting point of trekking 20 km away from the park entrance. Of them with the help of a local guide, we set forth the thick jungle where we encounter insects and plants of all types. The flora we see in these places is amazing, huge trees with trunks giant block our passage, large vines down from the treetops or arise from the soil (according to the guide there are two kinds of creepers, those that descend from the top of 'tree, or those that rise from the ground). The first night, after 8 km of walking sleep in a natural cave carved into the mountain, something wonderful. The forest is full of these pits, but one where we sleep this night is incredibly large, could easily sleep 500 people in ... We woke up the next day and after taking a bath in the river there on our way again. That night we stayed in a shelter house on stilts in the jungle while the boys Norwegian and our guide told us we would have left to return home by boat. We decide to stay another night in the jungle and on our way again the next day and get to the village on foot. In the shelter we met a couple of Dutch guys with whom we exchange small talk and a fourth bath in a pond near the refuge. In the evening, as we prepare the noodles, bought a few days before the market as provided for trekking, another couple arrives at the shelter, this time French, who have joined us. Fortunately, the shelter has enough seats for everyone, no problem sleeping. After dinner, waiting, looking down from the stilts, it gets some wild animal. We hear the sounds, noises but nothing. We can see an animal only when we decide to put the pot of noodles from the dinner advanced down the stairs of the house on stilts, half an hour after we see an animal approaching the hut, was a leopard, all remained silent, but with minimal noise made by one of us gets scared and runs away. In the early morning are the first to wake up and affaccindomi the window I see a wild boar near the refuge, but when I leave the house on stilts and start to descend the stairs to see it better go away and beat him, too. The Dutch told us that the day before a Canadian boy saw from the window of an elephant. For us it was not possible to see it but we left pretty satisfied anyway. The next morning we have to go 12 km to return to the village. Trekking to the jungle is not at all easy, you have to fight with the humidity, fallen trees that will block the way, to override the streams, the thirst, in the end we had finished the water supplies, the exhaustion, the especially insects and leeches who deserve a separate chapter. When the earth is moist and easy to meet these unpleasant and annoying creatures who love to suck your blood, your blood and then if they like then you will end up like me, struggle every 5 minutes with a leech on your jumping shoes and tries salirti very easily on the leg until it is a part of discovery and begins to suck. The first day I think I found one in the lower back, an experience not at all pleasant! The tactics to remove them from the body and burn it, then light a lighter and push the flame to the insect trying not to burn your skin. The 12 miles back to the village seem to never end, fortunately we have 2 small breaks to bathe in the great river that divides the park and forest, which allows us to wash the sweat and take a small restore before continuing the walk . We arrived at 5.30 pm, after nearly seven hours of walking to the jungle. The next day we naturally take the rest to recover from the fatigue of hiking, do laundry and relax before leaving for the island of Tioman.
it is here where I am now, another beautiful island where time seems to stand still. In front of me a sea, white sand and green hills around the bay with a tan thick vegetation that a cat could stand to 10 feet of you and do not realize.
Tioman is much larger than Perhentian Kecil, the island where we were before going to Taman Negara. This island is much more developed and organized to reach from the mainland, it takes 2 hours by ferry. The idea, once on the island, was to reach the Juara Bay, the only beach accessible to the east of the island. All other beaches with resorts and guest houses are located on the west and north of the island, but in our guide Juara is described as the most beautiful beaches with the sea richest coral reefs and an environment with fewer tourists then more relaxed. Once in the ground asking to reach the other side of the island but the price of the 4x4 was much more expensive than we thought at the beginning so we decide to stay in the beach called ABC. We take two chalets on the sea, one for Jordi and Joana and another for me and Derrick, a boy known in malaysia journey to the island. Divide the chalet was comfortable with him to save some money on housing (10 € per chalet). For ABC
meet Sarah and Mattieu, the French couple who were with us in the shelter in Taman Negara. With their past 2 days in the western part of Tioman from a trip and a happy hour (beer here is very cheap, 1 euro per can) we know each other better and shake a beautiful friendship.
After 2 days we decided to pass on the other side of the island, the idea was actually mine, ABC did not seem at all a paradise described by guidebooks and brochures found on the islands of Malaysia, I had a strange feeling to be the first time there and the place I liked, I said from the beginning that I did not want to stay there long. So I cling and the other after two days we go to Juara, achieving a good price for the 4x4. Once in
Juara I feel that this was the right place, a great sense pervarse of freedom in me and I feel that this was the place I was looking for.
The mountains behind, the crystal blue water and the ocher color of the sand, make the landscape of this part of the island paradise. The fact of not being a tourist makes it even more special. The snorkeling in this part of the island is not like a little lacking, however, the Perhentian. Here you can swim with sea turtles for more than 20 minutes, I see a huge shark of about 1.60 meters, I see fish of all kinds and colors and swimming in the azure waters of this island away from the stress of everyday life. Here, time stands still, we do not know what day it is, now, what happens in the mountain we do not have internet access, all this makes it even more extraordinary. A Juara know a German woman of 56 years, she traveler, take advantage of the fact that she has done a Vipassana course to do some meditation in the morning. With her, we talk a lot, and a woman with a lot of experience, has traveled to different parts of the world, has experienced so many experiences and we shall forward with an incredible emotional charge and we are all fascinating. A
Juara remain six days, tomorrow it will leave the island but very reluctantly. I really wanted to pause for a bit more time but Indonesia is waiting for us and since we are not caught in Bali and July when more tourists than we get to work to arrive before all the Western tourists in the island assault and prices increase. But before you set foot in Indonesia will go to Singapore, for the uninitiated, is an independent country, then take a flight to Jakarta or Bali, but this will be another chapter of my blog.
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