Lately, there have been same questions being raised
by honey, Jan, SK and few of my colleagues. It seems to be that I had been
aggressively participating in run. Yea, why am I being so active? Any precise
reason? Or am I just being nuts? Insane to the extent that I went for Eco
Challenge in Tioman Island unprepared. Questions; How do I get to know this
event? Why was I there? Participate alone?
Alright, story goes like this. I am dying for a trip
lately. Bangkok trip in February being burned due to their political issue, and
exam just finished in April. I just need a place to chillax myself. N Veen went
to Perhentian Island. That was so so so tempting to me. I want to go to an
island also. But, it seems like going to somewhere lying down on the beach n reading
a story book don’t seem to be convincing enough for me. So, I just check some
of the portal on line to see if there is any run or race in any other state. So
long as I can get out of Penang temporary.
And viola! I spotted this race, Eco Challenge in
Tioman Island. So, I go in the portal and have a look. Sound interesting. So, I
was like, why not give it a try. And I had never been in Tioman too. Well, I did
tried to date fews of the guys, but their response were like, too close the
date (only two weeks away!!), haven’t
had enough training yet. Hello, so am i.. I was unprepared too… But ever since
I am dying to go out, I decided to go alone for the challenge. Love to
challenge my limit huh? Haha. And so, this ‘kong kam kia’ from Penang go to
work the next morning and asked the supervisor whether I can go on leave on the
date. Leave approved verbally and so, I registered.
Then only I found SK being my travel partner to Tioman island. Going
into Tioman island was a challenge for me as well. I had only two options in my
mind, Thursday night took a night bus and reach Mersing, or fly in to Tioman.
However, both options seems like not working. There is no flight to Tioman in
May, besides, SK couldn’t agree with the idea of sitting in the bus for ard 10
hours plus plus. So, how did we went in there? We flew to JB, then took a
shuttle bus from the airport to JB sentral, took a local bus to Larkin bus
terminal, took another bus to Mersing, and took a ferry into Tioman. It took us
10.5 hours all in to get to Tioman. Tiring journey.
And here we were, Tioman island. Registered myself and patiently waiting half an hours for the briefing while SK went to check in at the hotel. Upon listening to the briefing, it sounds kinda challenging to me and fun at the same time. Wait a minute, am I here for fun? Haha. Kinda. My battery was running low at that moment and I couldn’t have snap photo about the check point and cut off time of each check point. This should be taken into account for next year. It is critical to reach the check point by time given. （Photo copied from Hansen.. Haha)
7am and I were there at the starting point waiting. Had some small chit chat here and there, and some of the hikers were like so so so worried about me, as I am so unprepared. Well, the portal just mentioned at least a mineral bottle. And this ‘kong kam kia’ seriously just bring myself, bottle of water and bar of chocolate. Had no idea what will be coming up to me, I just went along the journey like the rest. Up and up and up the jungle again.
I had been trying hard to follow someone footstep
close behind, because I am so worried that I will be lost. True enough, I lost
my way for few times when I was alone. There is no footprint nor obvious track
where you can trace. The only way for you to know whether you are on the right
track is by recognizing the marking. The marking is made of the red-white-color
strip tape tying on the tree truck. Every marking is around 20-30 meters away.
Some are closer, some are further.
Half way through the journey I was like: What makes
me like hiking that much? Reason: I had tendency to connect hiking with my
career occasionally. Along the way, there will be companion of hikers with you.
But at times, you will be all alone. Simply because everyone will be moving on
with their own pace. Question: is it wise to follow others pace? I don’t think
so. Everyone have their own comfort pace. You will be catching your own breathe
if you are following someone that have a faster pace than yours. And most
likely, there is a tendency for you to drop those that have a slower pace than
you. Not to mentioned that there will be a lot of obstacle waiting for you
ahead. Fallen tree trucks. Long and sharp leave with spiky torn. All in all, it’s
just an untouched forest waiting to be explored.
How much you can
complete the race is very much depends on your determination and mental
readiness. Imagine, your travel mate was sitting in the open-air restaurant
enjoying morning breakfast, followed by a full body massage while you were
still in the midst of the forest finding your way out to the next check point. Withstanding
body soreness, cut off time to catch up with and imaginative temptation, how
far can you move ahead?
But at times, you really know you can’t make it to
complete the race when you see the ‘sweeper’ aka bomba right behind you
escorting you out of the forest. So, why not sing a ‘hakuna-matana’ song when
you are walking across on a fallen tree and stop by the waterfall, unfasten
your gadget and enjoy the cool and refreshing water flow from the natural? Chillax.
After all, you ain’t chasing to get the gold medal nor the finishing medal nor going
to have the body massage that your travel mate was enjoying at the moment, so, why
not enjoy the moment right in front of you. Upon reward myself with such a close
to nature eh superb duper deluxe ‘body wash’ refreshment, I check in on check
point 3b or 4? The one with “kelapa cukur” station at Juara, being the first
from the last participant that check in there. How honour am I? Haha.. imagine
someone with huge pride and ego bearing a title of that? Not so sweet huh? Well,
at least I lost with dignity.
However, I am glad that I was there. Really glad. Made
a bunch of friend. Had a lot of helping hand along the way. There is weihoo lim
that sponsor a pair of glove and pack of salt to a unprepared newbies like me. Have
a good look at the picture and imagine what would have happened to my pretty
hand without it. Knew a crazy companion that is being sweep away together by
the bomba eh Joanna and Cheah. From being alone from the start of the race
until have a bunch of friend by the end of the race. It means a lot to me. That’s
what I am looking for in a race. Unlike marathon, everyone is pushing their own
limit to finish the race within their ideal time. I felt more warm and friendly
race-mate here. Everyone motivate each other to push ourselves a little bit
further. I just enjoy myself being in the race. I had never been these happy
bearing the title ‘first from the last’. Not to mentioned, crazy girls like me
n Joanne were shouting on top of our lung at the back of Toyata Hilux, on our
way being ‘packed to the starting point’.
Upon finish the race and some photo shooting, I went
back to hotel. It was late afternoon by the time I reached. Clock struck at 4 o’clock.
By the time I had a bath and when for the marine booth, it will be way pass
their last departure time for snorkeling. Still, not to disappoint her, we just
tried our luck there. And again, I proof my communication skill and the
popularity of Tioman eco-challenge programme there. I kinda beg them to let us
went for snorkeling. And here we go, off the boat and we were so close to Renggis
Island, an small island surrounded by beautiful and lively coral bed with swam
of unknown pretty fishes besides. For a girl that loves fishes, this sceneries’,
do satisfy her thirst. However, for a girl that is phobia of water, without a
lifebuoy and exhausted from a jungle trail bearing cuts made of torn across the
thin skin surface, soaking in the salted taste sea wouldn’t be a wonderful
experience though. I gave up again twice in a day, climb up the boat and just
lied myself on the boat sunbathing. However, by looking her satisfied and hyper
look after the snorkeling session, it is worthwhile being pain for a short
while.
It was definitely a
short and memorable trip to me. =)
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