Tioman Rendezvouz - 14th to 15th October (Part 1)

(Left to rite: Mike Dolan, Adeline, Francis and Bambi Lee)

Wow...what a fantastic weekend! I just got home from Tioman, having before that, chatting with Bambi's parents and showing the family all the cool shots I got on my digital compact.

Our journey began on the 13th. Asther had left on the 12th nite with the first group, consisting of Kim, Lim and Eric Lee. Yee Boon and I were dying to get out of the office to make the trip. Francis, Mike Dolan and Adeline was waiting for us, plus, we had to attend a firm dinner...what I call "face showing exercise". Over that, I had to pick Bam up and meet up with the the 2nd group by 8.30pm. YB on the other hand need to pick up his fellow Alor Setarians, Kenny Chong and his dad, Uncle Chong. After a quick bite at Mcdonalds Centrepoint, Mike and I had to meet YB who had left and on route to Ayer Itam, the exit from the PLUS Highway to Mersing, a once quitge fishing village, the point of departure to Tioman Island.

After Ayer Itam, the fun started...two way radios!!! YUP....ALL THE CARS had one and we exchanging jokes one after another... We were all in stiches...I made a wager with Francis that we'd make it from AI to Mersing in 1 1/2 hours...he on the other hand said in 1 hour 15... the stakes...ROTI CANAI for everyone at Tioman the next morning...I WON, but we have yet to have our Roti Canai... *he he*...well anyway, we all reached Mersing about 12.40am on the 14th and crashed for a few hours at the Embassy Hotel...while YB and I proceeded to the nearest mamak to have supper...*grin*...at 2.00am!...naturally...

(Uncle Chong, Kenny and Yee Boon)

Left pic, Yee Boon and Francis exchanging notes and doing some male boding and on the right, Yee Boon as Hawkman

We reached Kg. Tekek in Tioman at around 9 nish the next morning. Diving started about 10.30...checked in at Barbura Beach Resort and headed to sign on for the dive at Tioman Reef Divers, managed and operated by Reeno Chiew and his wife, Akimi...

Bambi and Kim having a light moment...

Upon leaving for our first dive...we left Bam ath TRD with Uncle Chong and Kenny to make their snokelling trip to Pulau Renggis, just a little further down from the resort...accesible by speedboat...that is...it was Bambi's first snorkelling trip...and from what we heard from her after that, we suspect that she was born to do this...

First destination...Ceh Beh island, a small but wonderful diving spot at Pulau Ceh Beh... excellent dive...hardly any current and superb visibility...this dive was really good...lots of pellagic and macro life...my camera's shutters were never idle...YB was amongst one of my favourite underwater camera subjects... not at my own accord, of course...our friend felt like a primadonna all of a sudden... *ha ha*.

In midwater, YB Tan gestured (picture above) for me to activate the video mode on my camera...for a moment there, I could have sworn the said, " there's a sea snail attached to my crack behind"... *ha ha*. Incidentally, we did make some underwater videos...eat your heart out NGC!!

Yee Boon

YB with the Crown-Of-Thorns Starfish

YB and Kim doing some fishing...and judging from the prospects...I guess divers should just stick to diving

After a great dive at Ceh Beh, we sped off to Malang Rock... on route, we met up with Reeno Chiew of TRD (Tioman Reef Divers) to get out fresh supply of compressed air...then, we took like a 30 minute or so surface interval to 'de-gas' after the first dive. In the interim, sandwiches were provided and YB decided to do some fishing with a diving mask...not quick enuff buddy!!! Not even with Kim attracting the multitudes of damsel fishes and parrot fishes...*he he*

Jellyfish

Clown anemone fish

Diving ended at about 2pm and we headed to shore...

During the next instalment of this posting: Bambi Lee, Uncle Chong and Kenny's first DISCOVER SCUBA experience!! (Part 2 of the 'Tioman Rendezvous')

Coming soon....