TravelStream™ news feed for member xuanargi on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/xuanargi en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:05:18 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/14/1246975787/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/14/1246975787/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/14/1246975787/tpod.html Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:05:18 -0500 June 2008 : Rest & Relaxation in Pulau Perhentian Kecil, Malaysia

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Pulau Perhentian Kecil, Terengganu, Malaysia

23rd June 2008Watercolours Impiani Resort, Pulau Perhentian Kecil:Watercolours Impiani Resort is considered as the more luxurious one compared to its sister resort called Paradise on the Big Island, Pulau Perhentian Besar. We had a beach front chalet, directly facing the beachfront. Besides the beach chalets, they have garden chalets and hillside chalets. All are built in a jungle setting and therefore, it is not unusual to spot a snake or two, iguanas and other creepy-crawlies.Impiani is situated on the southern part of the Small Island and hence, is rather isolated. All meals are served a-la carte at its main restaurant and we quite enjoy the delicious food. Our chalet is spacious and air-conditioned, with a huge balcony facing the beach. I spent most of my time reading on the balcony when Argi went for his diving trips. Electricity is switched off every night from midnight to early morning but that did not bother us.Diving trips are aplenty and must be booked before the scheduled time. From a diver's point of view, it was a disappointment, according to Argi. He said the visibility was bad and there was nothing much marine life to be seen. But then again, Argi has been diving at some of the best parts of the world.24th – 25th June 2008There is not much party life going on if you are staying at the Impiani because I think mostly, the people who chose this Resort are mainly divers or families with children. Besides hanging out at the restaurant, there will not be anything much to do for those who are looking to have some good music to dance to after a drink or two.For us, that was fine. After our adventurous journey through Laos, we were looking forward to some rest and relaxation. I must say that our huge chalet was very, very comfortable. It was like having our own "house", not “hut” on a beachfront and we couldn’t ask for anything more.The only disappointing thing, if any, is the beach itself. It was really rocky and slippery and there was no way one can walk into the sea without cutting one’s feet. We didn’t have those special shoes for the sea and as I cant’t swim, Argi had to carry me right out in the sea where there was less rocks for me to enjoy a dip or two in the ocean!Discovery of the Perhentian Village: On one of the afternoons, after getting some directions from our Resort’s manager, we trekked through a small hill behind our Resort through the jungle to find ourselves at the start of a small fishing village on the island.We walked through the village, spoke to some children and the locals and found out that the village is called simply, the Perhentian Village. For a non-diver like myself, that was the highlight of our trip to this Island; to mingle with the locals and to get a glimpse of how they live.As a Malaysian, I was struck with grief to see that some parts of my country are in the same level of poverty as that in countries like Vietnam and Laos, which I have witnessed in my travels. However, the children seemed happy, and the adults make do with what they have and what they can afford.Generally, the villagers seemed accustomed to travellers walking through their village and they were not bothered with our presence. In fact, they were friendly and some were even curious when they realised that I could communicate with them in Malay. We trekked back to our Resort again after our short visit and deep down, I felt guilty that we were having such a nice chalet to come back to while the villagers which we have just seen were living in shacks.We only stayed for 2 nights at Perhentian Island and that, for us, was just nice. If we had stayed any longer, we would have nothing to do but for me to finish another book and for Argi to join a few more diving trips.We would only recommend Pulau Perhentian Kecil for some rest and relaxation but nothing more.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/15/1257606537/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/15/1257606537/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/15/1257606537/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:52:58 -0500 August 2008 : Seeing Greece with a Greek

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Folegandros, Cyclades, Greece

26th August 2008 : Athens - FolegandrosDay 2 in Folegandros. We woke up early and walked around the square in Chora. Besides the ancient castle settlement in Chora, the locals basically have their houses along the main paths of the village. In the centre of it all is a square lined with mainly restaurants, a few souvenir shops, one or two shops selling the basic necessities and some fruit and vegetable stores, which are all quite good and cheap. We had breakfast in one of the many cafes on the square and began to plan today's itinerary. We decided to rent an All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) aka a quad bike for us to explore the island and started walking around the village to find a bike rental shop. Found one at the fringe of the village – Lignos Stelios Rent Moto (Tel : +30 22860 41346/ Mobile : 6946 494642). It was one of the most exhilarating time of my life being on one of those things! It certainly beat driving a car on an island like Folegandros. Ano Meria: We started our journey towards the north western part of the island, to a picturesque village called Ano Meria. We passed through very rocky terrain and due to the hot summer, most of the landscape was dry and brown – all the vegetation looked wilted due to the scorching weather. We did not see many villages as we were passing through the village but I remember we were going mostly uphill most of the way. The village looks undisturbed by modernisation and we even passed by a man riding on his donkey, which is still being used in this area as a mode of transportation. Agios Georgios Beach:We continued on our journey till the very northern tip of the island to a beach called Argios Georgios. This is a nice sandy beach and very quiet, probably due to its distance from the main hub of Chora. It was nice to have the whole beach to ourselves, save for only a few other couples. We stayed at the beach for some time to get some sun and lots of cooling down after in the clear blue sea. We highly recommend this beach for some total rest and relaxation. Katergo Beach:From the northest tip of the island, we then took an adventurous journey to go all the way south to the beautiful Katergo Beach. We parked our ATV at a safe place and began our journey to this hard-to-reach beach. I would say that the route to reach this beach is one of the two most interesting ones I have ever taken to reach a beach, the other being the Hippies’ Hidden Atlantis in Ibiza. To reach this beach by foot is an adventure in itself. We first walked quite a distance, which is not a problem at all as it was on flat land. Like the Virona Bay which we visited yesterday, Kartego Beach is located below the land/road level and we had to climb down a very, very steep slope in order to reach it. I enjoyed the whole adventure so much but was a little disappointed when I saw so many people at the beach! Many of them had taken a boat to reach there, which is a much easier route. Nevertheless, we stayed on for a while to catch our breath before starting a more challenging journey back to our parked ATV because this time round, we will be going uphill instead of downhill!!Around Chora in the evening:After returning the ATV, we strolled along the many paths in Chora to take in the peaceful atmosphere. Many villagers were sitting on stools in front of their homes to take in the cool evening breeze and were catching up with one another. It was really lovely to see them totally unperturbed by the presence of the few tourists around. The whole scene reminds me of my childhood days in my hometown in Malaysia. My family used to sit on benches outside our shop-cum-house with all our neighbours and while the adults will chat away after a hard days’ work, the children will be playing catch and hop games. We went to the roof top of our Hotel Castro to enjoy the formidable view from atop and took some took some beautiful pictures. Dinner in Chora:Dinner tonight was much, much better than yesterday. Argi picked a local restaurant on the main square of the village, opposite the small church. I forgot the name of the restaurant – but there was a queue and we had to wait to get a table. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was simply amazing! There we were, seated in the middle of a whole lot of people with different languages ringing in our ears – good food, cool evening breeze, clear sky – we could not have asked for anything more!It was a perfect ending for a tiring but adventurous day! Let’s hope tomorrow will be a yet better day than today!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/15/1257518331/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/15/1257518331/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/15/1257518331/tpod.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:20:52 -0500 August 2008 : Seeing Greece with a Greek

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Folegandros, Cyclades, Greece

25th August 2008 : Athens - FolegandrosWe took a ferry from Athen's very busy Piraeus Port to Folegandros, a small island situated in the Aegean Sea. It is an island favoured by the Greeks for their vacations because it is lesstouristy and more "Greek" in every sense.We took a ferry called the FlyingCat 3 and it costs us EUR43 per person for a single trip. The ferry was very comfortable, with air-conditioning and wide screen television up the front.Upon arrival at the port in Folegandros, we joined the other tourists to take the local bus from the Port to the centre of the island, a village called Chora. Argi had carefully selected and booked a room for us in Hotel Castro, situated in the centre of Chora, inside theancient castle wall of the island. Hotel Castro, Chora:We were greeted by the current owner of the hotel herself, Ms Despo Danassi, whose family has owned the building where the hotel now stands for the past 5 generations. The 500-year old building was first established as a hotel in 1972 under the name of Hotel Danassi. It has sincebeen fully refurbished by Ms Danassi in 1993 to cater to the contemporary standard of comforts. Despite the addition of these new elements, we find that most of the authentic parts of the mediaeval building are cleverly preserved.Our room (Room 4), albeit a little small in size, has a small window facing the beautiful Aegean Sea with a magnificent view.All the sea-view rooms in this hotel are extremely popular and are usuallyvery quickly snapped up. Despite enquiring months in advance, we were informedthat the only available sea-view room for us does not have a private shower andwe had to use the shower which is located next door to our room.Besides this small inconvenience, we have only praises for the hotel – its central location among the residences of the local village within the ancient castle wall makes us feel like we are staying with a relative instead of at a commercial hotel.We saw many other posh hotels around the island during our stay, with big swimming pools and many signs of commercialism, but it did not interest us a bit. Who would want to use a pool on an island full with beautiful beaches?? The beauty of Folegandros lies in its charmingunrushed lifestyle, one which still holds on very strongly to traditions. Discovering the beaches of Folegandros:Angali:After checking-in and settling down, we walked to the main bus station, which is only a 3-minute walk from HotelCastro, to catch a bus to a beach called Angali. This is a rather busy family beach due to its easy accessibility, situated on the west side of the narrowest middle part of the island. We prefer somewhere more natural and quiet. So, we started walking from Angali towards anotherbeach called Agios Nikolaos, situated north-west from Angali. It was quite a long walk and the weather was extremely hot but our enthusiasm for having newlyarrived at the island made us very excited and adventurous!Agios Nikolaos:We enjoyed the walk to this beach from Angali, despite the distance. There were many panoramic views because we were actually walking above sea level – we encountered a donkey along our journey, studied the interesting formation of the characteristic stone walls and stopped for photos at a little village church. Here are some photos to do the talking : Vorina Bay:After having a good swim (for Argi) / a satisfying dip (for me) and rest plus lots of sun at Agios Nikolaos, we walked back to Angali to take a bus to another beach called Vorina. This beach issituated directly opposite Angali on the east side of the narrowest part of the island, facing the Aegean Sea. Snugly nestledwithin the Vorina  Bay, the waters here wascalmer. However, the climb down to the beach was quite challenging as it was rather steep but we conquered it without any problem. It would have been much easier for me if Argi had warned me of all this walking and climbing,  as I would have put on more appropriate footwear. At the end of our journey, my poor beautiful beaded slippers I bought from Bali were totally destroyed!From Vorina Bay to Chora (Hora): We stayed for quite some time on this beach as we were rather tired from all the climbing. Climbing upwards to the road level was harder than going down. By the time we reached the road, it was already early evening. We did not have the bus timetable and decided to take onthe challenge to walk back all the way to Chora, about 2km away.We were relying solely on the sight and location of Panaghia Church, perched proudly on one of the highest cliff in central Chora as a landmark to take us back to our hotel. The walk was pleasant and easy and by now, the weather has cooled down compared to earlier in the day. Dinner at Chora:By the time we reached Chora, we were totally famished! Due to my tiredness and hunger, I just sat myself down at the first decent restaurant in central Chora and asked for the menu. Although Argi was not happy with my choice, he was too nice to protest. The restaurant has anEnglish menu, much to my delight, and I started ordering my food, which was more Italian than Greek.And of course, it was not delicious at all! Argi looked at me with the “what-do-you-expect-look” and I knew there and then that I should not have stepped into a restaurant with an English menu on this island! But I was so tired and hungry – and Argi was too polite to not warn me before hand. In addition, it was expensive as well! Sure enough, I learned my lesson after that meal that there is a difference between a “tourist restaurant” and a “local restaurant” !We made a pact that from then on, Argi will be the one picking our eating place and not me!That night, we had the best sleep we have ever had for a long, long time. We did so much in one day and I instantly fell in love with this island, just as I had fallen in love with Pelion. 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/15/1248561237/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/15/1248561237/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/15/1248561237/tpod.html Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:27:31 -0500 August 2008 : Seeing Greece with a Greek

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Vólos, Thessaly, Greece

22nd – 24th August 2008Our remaining 3 days in Volos flew by like a breeze. Before I knew it, it was time to go back to Athens for our onward trip to Folegandros and Santorini. Day out with the kids: Argi kept his promise to his nephews by taking them for an adventurous outing to a waterfall nearby their home. Like the kids, I thought that was a fun idea! Little did I know that Argi's idea of fun, even if it involved children below the age of 10, was no easy fun. Instead of taking us straight to the waterfall for a dip in the hot afternoon, he made all of us climbed up the waterfall from ground level through the side. It was a very steep climb and the ground was very slippery and muddy, making it more difficult for all of us! The kids, although relishing this "adventurous" outing with their uncle, were rather nervous and scared of falling over when they slipped through the muddy grounds. There I was, recording the whole hilarious moment with my video camera when I heard one of them calling out my name for help. After pulling the poor boy out from the mud where his little foot got stuck, we skipped through rocks across the stream to get to the other side as the going was getting too tough on the side we were at. We finally reached the waterfall after about half an hour. Despite getting all muddy and wet, all of us really enjoyed ourselves. The kids were really excited by now and didn’t want to end their adventurous day just yet. They begged their uncle for more fun. So, Argi drove us to a beach nearby and created a game for the children. The beach was a very rocky one and the children were asked to pick the best stones and/or pebbles they could find to throw them on the surface of the sea. The stone that went furthest across the sea will be declared the winner. This went on for quite awhile as one was trying to outdo another and didn’t want the game to end until they have all went furthest at least once.By the end of it all, we were all very tired, hungry and dirty. We went home and were served promptly with delicious home-cooked food by Argi’s mother.The Big Greek Wedding: One of the highlights of my remaining stay was the Greek Wedding of Nontas, Argi’s god brother. Unlike many weddings all over the world, the Greek weddings are held mostly in the evening. Nontas’ wedding ceremony was about 7.30pm in the big church down by the port in Volos. It was a lovely location because from the churchyard, you could see the sea nearby. There were many families and friends at the wedding and everyone was all dressed up in their best attire. The groom waited for the bride outside the church, not inside. The bride was led by her father and her brother from the bridal car to meet the groom who was waiting in the churchyard, and they then walked into the church together. I observed that there were a lot of rituals in a Greek wedding. There was also a lot of gold in the church – the opulence of it all really overwhelmed me! At one point of the ceremony, the bride and the groom was led to walk around the altar by the priest after they were “crowned” with the respective sacred wedding crowns which were tied together with strings/ribbons. This ritual reminded me of the Indian wedding, where the same walk is performed, except that instead of having the interlinking crowns, the Indian groom will hold unto one end of a string while leading the way, with the bride holding the other loose end of the string and walking dutifully behind her new husband. Funny how 2 very different cultures seemed to have such a striking similarity! After the church ceremony, the party adjourned to Argi’s parents’ bungalow for the wedding party. Food was served buffet-style and the whole garden was lighted up by flickering candles. It was really atmospheric – the loud music, the loud singing, the vigorous dances and of course, the breaking of many, many plates! The party went on till 4am and I have not had so much fun since my partying days in Ibiza!!People we met in Volos: Before leaving Volos, I got to meet many people who matter most to Argi. I want to remember all these first meetings as it will be nice one day to reflect back and to remember how I first met all these wonderful people.I met Argi’s parents’ neighbours from Athens, who had come to attend the wedding – Gregory, Irine & their daughter. Georgios’ mother, the ever cheerful and charming Alexandra was also there for the same purpose. We celebrated Gregory’s birthday on the day they arrived.On one of the afternoons, we met up with Argi’s ex-English teacher, a Scottish lady named Lynne and had lunch at her home in Volos, where we were introduced to her Greek husband and 2 lovely children. We were also invited for dinner at Tula’s home and met Costas, her son, who was Argi’s running mate when he was working at Volos. Tula made these spectacular meat balls for us and she froze some for us to take home. She was and is still working as a canteen lady at Argi’s previous hospital.I also got to meet Katerina, another kind lady who worked with Argi at his previous hospital. She has also generously prepared some food for us to take on the road with us.We were also fortunate enough to attend one of Argi’s friend’s (Nikos Magistis) party where he showed us and an audience of his supportive sponsors and friends, slideshows of all the mountains he had conquered so far in his life. Finally, before we set off to Athens, we went to say goodbye to Argi’s ex-cleaning lady, a cheerful woman named Georgia. She was at her neighbours’ house when we arrived and we were invited to have some drinks with them. I was shown by her neighbour, Costa (they all have the same names here in Greece!!) his small but thriving vineyard. Georgia loves picking wild flowers and edible leaves and herbs from the forests and we were again packed off with an abundant supply of fresh herbs and spices which she had picked.Leaving Volos:I was feeling extremely melancholic by the time I had to leave this beautiful city and its wonderful, amazing, people. I felt so at home here – everyone accepted me so readily with opened arms. Many of them didn’t speak a word of English but they had no inhibition showering me with so much love and affection. No expression through words was required. I felt their warmth and love. I felt welcomed. I was and still am very grateful for their hospitality.I enjoyed my time in Volos tremendously. The seven days we have spent here were way too short. There are still so many villages on Pelion which I would like to explore and I especially want to visit the nearby island where Mama Mia the movie was shot! Well, Volos is almost home for Argi. So, I am sure we will return soon to accomplish all that was not accomplished this time round.See you guys in our next entry – and that would be from Folegandros!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/15/1248450095/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/15/1248450095/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/15/1248450095/tpod.html Sat, 25 Jul 2009 17:58:32 -0400 August 2008 : Seeing Greece with a Greek

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Vólos, Thessaly, Greece

21st August 2008Our fourth day in Volos – Argi went running with Georgios and Fotis early in the morning while I slept in late and later joined Christina and little Jonaki for breakfast. I did not feel like I was staying in a guesthouse at all. The little stone hut was beginning to feel like our own country retreat and the Mansion was like the reception or clubhouse of a shared residence, something akin to how condominium living was like. I can really get use to this place!The guys joined us for breakfast after their run. We then parted with the rest of the party and made a date for a late lunch with them at a local eatery which Argi said was good. Swimming at our Gavatza:Argi said he had a surprise for me. He was taking me to a very secluded beach which he found 5 years ago while he was exploring Pelion when he first arrived there. He said he found this gem of a beach by accident during one of his cycling escapades around the area. He said this place will be almost deserted or maybe totally deserted, if we were lucky. Undoubtedly, I was a bit sceptical. I mean, I have always believed that if one can discover something or some place (in our context), it will surely be discovered by another person. It's just a matter of time, sooner or later.My initial doubt soon evaporated as we journeyed on towards this mysterious beach. It was quite an arduous drive to reach this place without a 4WD. We had to go through some very tough terrains. And then it was there – a big pool of ocean before us, almost deserted save for a group of family who had arrived there by their yacht. The sea was unusually calm and the water was transparent and we could see fishes zig-zagging in the shallow waters. I could walk right into the sea and the water was only up to my waist. Absolutely fantastic!! We didn’t know what this place was called, so, we named it "Gavatza" which, translated from Greek means “Our Private Haven”.We spent quite a few hours relaxing on the beach until late in the afternoon. After the family on the yacht left, the whole stretch of beach and sea belonged only to us….Paradiso!!A Surreal Encounter at Pelion: On our way for lunch with the Lembesis family & Fotis back at the Pelion, we drove past a very small village and I saw an old Greek lady tending to her flock of goats under a huge tree. I asked Argi to stop the car immediately as the scene was so particular in a way and I wanted to capture it on my camera. I didn’t want to intrude into her privacy but at the same time, I really wanted to get a few good shots, so I asked Argi to engage her in a conversation to distract her attention away from me while I got on with my “mission”. While she was happy enough to speak to Argi, she was clearly distracted by my presence, mainly because of my origin, which must be very foreign to her, coming from this part of the world. She began to ask Argi questions about me, where had I come from and why had Argi not marry me yet??!! We were shocked with her questions but I gamely joined in the chatter when she told Argi that she had seen people like me on television recently, meaning the Beijing Olympics and that I look like a nice person and that Argi should marry me!! We laughed so much at what she had said and after getting some good shots of her and her goats, we bade her farewell and continued on our journey to Pinnakates to meet our friends for a late lunch.Lunch at Pinnakates: Pinnakates is another small village located on the Pelion, neighbouring our guesthouse at Agios Georgios. The place Argi had chosen for our lunch is called Inosifilos (“Friend of Wine”), run by a lady called Katerina, who was assisted by her mother. The food was undoubtedly delicious as it was entirely home-cooked. The view from the restaurant was also amazing. Katerina had the tables and benches set out at the back of the restaurant, which looked out to the other side of Pelion. As it was situated at quite a high altitude, we could see the winding roads below and the spectacle of steep cliffs nearby was quite a sight to behold.Good food and good wine – what a perfect combination! I was already getting used to this lazy lifestyle and didn’t want to leave!The Pre-Greek Wedding Party:That night was going to be an exciting and eye-opening one for me because we were going to attend Argi’s god-brother’s pre-wedding party. According to the Greek tradition, before the actual wedding itself, the groom’s family and his entourage will deliver gifts to the bride’s family. At the bride’s home, they will be introduced to the bride’s family members and friends. And of course, there will be delicious Greek food and a lot of dance and songs, which I was really looking forward to. In addition to all these merriment, I also took part in the “Making of the Bride’s Bed”, where the unmarried women of the house were given the task to put new linen on the couple’s bed, only to be inspected and instructed to redo it all over again by the bride’s mother. This went on for 3 to 4 times and there were some fierce, funny exchanges of Greek jokes between the unmarried women and the bride’s mother which I pretended to understand by laughing like everyone else! It was a fun night, especially with all the breaking of the plates when the dances were going on – reminded me of the only Greek wedding I have seen before this – in the film “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”!!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/15/1248092602/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/15/1248092602/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/15/1248092602/tpod.html Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:09:56 -0400 August 2008 : Seeing Greece with a Greek

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Vólos, Thessaly, Greece

20th August 2008 Highlights of Pelion: According to legend, Mount Pelion was the summer resort of the Gods of Olympus. It is easy to see why. Strategically situated between the Pagasitikos Gulf on the west and the Aeagean Sea on the east, visitors to this area will get the best views of both sides.As Argi manoeuvred skilfully along the impossibly winding roads, I retracted myself into my Bubble of Reminiscence, quietly admiring the picturesque villages and churches which we were passing. All the places were so amazingly beautiful, tranquil and serene. I felt as if I was transported back in time, into another world and era where life was so much simpler and people were so much happier with what little they have.As we were ascending further eastward into the majestic Pelion from Agios Georgios, which was on the east side of the mountain, I noticed the gradual change in the surrounding landscapes. From parts which were generally dry and yellow, we soon transcended into parts which were green and healthy. Argi explained to me that was due to the fact that one side of the mountain was not getting as much rain as the other. You really need skills and patience to drive on Pelion, the many little shrines we found along the road served as a constant reminder to all drivers to exert extra care in their driving. We were by now, driving along the coast of the Aegean Sea. As we ascended higher, the view of the sea below became further and the cliffs became steeper. It was rather scary to be driving so near the edge of the road and mind you, the younger Greek drivers can be rather impatient with those who are not so familiar with the road and often do not adhere to the speed limit – like my Argi. Tsagarada:We soon reached our first destination – Tsagarada, which means "Beautiful View". What an apt name for such a charming place! We entered the busy Agios Taxiarhon Square with the celebrated 4-tap fountain right in the middle and were greeted by the famous thousand year old plane tree, which was indeed really enormous! Its perimeter is said to be measuring up to 13 metres!! The cobbled paths and alleyways of Tsagarada enhanced its charm. Despite the hot summer afternoon, the whole square remained cool due to the huge plane tree which provided shade to almost the entire area. Coupled with that, I guess the surrounding streams also contributed in cooling down the place. Free-flowing water can be seen flowing from Tsagarada, which is  situated at an elevation of 500 metres, towards the sea below. An old arched stone bridge built in 1787 also forms part of the attraction here.Milopatamos: From Tsagarada, we drove to one of the more popular beaches on Pelion called Milopotamos. This fabulous beach is situated just a few miles away from Tsagarada. Like many other beaches scattered along the Pelion, Milopotamos has just a short stretch of beach with massive rock formation at both ends. The calm turquoise  water looked extremely inviting, but Argi decided that we will have a dip at a neighbouring beach called Fakistra.Fakistra: Fakistra is a more isolated beach compared to Milopotamos, with lesser crowd. It reminds me of the well hidden, mystical beach in Ibiza known as Atlantis by the original hippies there. Fakistra is "guarded" by steep rocky walls on both sides, giving it a very wild, isolated atmosphere. The only way to reach this gem of a beach is to by climbing down the rocky, steep hill on one side of the beach. We climbed down without any problem and Argi swam a bit on the cool, calm sea while I soaked myself in the waters by sitting on one of the rocks in the middle of the sea. That was a bit of a problem, there were many slippery rocks on the shallower parts of the waters. You need to brave through these to get to the deeper part for a nice swim. We spent almost an hour and a half here and I really enjoyed myself! Agios Ionnis:We reluctantly left Fakistra towards the north eastern part of Pelion, to a very popular summer resort of the area, called Agios Ionnis. The beach was very beautiful, with its characteristic white pearly pebbles lining the beach and its soft white sand. I collected some of the beautiful stones to bring back as remembrance of this place.We went for a dip and sunbathed on the beach for awhile.There were many taverns and restaurants lining the beach and it was definitely a livelier place to be, more suitable for those who are seeking for some fun and entertainment.Agioi Saranta:We then proceeded to Agioi Sarantha, which is a small coastal village north of Agios Ionnis. We visited the beach and I found it to be very different from both Milopotamos and Fakistra because unlike the earlier beaches, this one is surrounded by lush greenery instead of just rocks. Hence, to me, it looks more like a tropical beach in Asia as opposed to a Mediterranean one.Hania: After Agioi Saranta, we drove westward towards the village of Hania which means “hostels”. Hania is situated right in the middle of the major east - west route of Pelion. It used to be a favourite and convenient stop for merchants and traders using this route in the olden days, where they would put up a night at one of the many hostels in the village. Hence, the name Hania. Situated at an altitude of almost 1200 metres, Hania is very popular venue for winter sports and there is also a ski resort here. Argi has brought me to this village to show me where he used to train for his ski-mountaineering competitions.Agria:After Hania, we proceeded further towards the west, away from Mount Pelion and arrived at another beach in the village of Agria. Unlike all the other beaches which I have visited before this, which were all on the Aegean Sea, this beach was facing the Pagasitikos Gulf.Agria is busier than the other villages on Pelion and it is a very popular tourist destination. I suspect this could be due to the fact that it is nearer to the city of Volos, just 8 kilometres away. There were more shops and taverns around this area and we lingered here for awhile  before proceeding to Argi's parents' for some late lunch.Meeting up with more friends:After a heavy and delicious lunch, we returned to Ionnidis for siesta and slept through till 8pm! I wonder how many kilograms I am going to gain at the end of my trip here.After our adventurous day of beach-and-village-hopping, we decided to take it easy tonight. We drove back to Argi’s parents and had more quality family time together. Later in the night, Argi’s old friends, Michalis and Petrus came for a visit with their wives and we chatted until late into the night.With that, my delightful third day in Volos ended on a high note. I am still having the time of my life!! What a wonderful place this is!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/15/1247851623/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/15/1247851623/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/15/1247851623/tpod.html Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:58:47 -0400 August 2008 : Seeing Greece with a Greek

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Vólos, Thessaly, Greece

19th August 2008 Breakfast at Ionnidis:Argi got up very early in the morning and joined his friends Georgios and Fotis for a run up and around Pelion. He has worked in Volos for about 6 years and has been doing his training all around the mountain and hence, is very familiar with the best routes to run.After he got back from working up a sweat, we met for breakfast at the patio of the Mansion, together with Georgios' wife, Christina and their little son, Johnaki. I was introduced to all of them for the first time and I must say that it was a little nerve wrecking, all these "first meetings" that I had and was about to have.We enjoyed our breakfast thoroughly. It was a very informal affair and this guesthouse seemed only to be known by the locals. There were other guests around and they were all Greeks. I absolutely loved the feeling that I had, I felt like I was staying with relatives instead of staying in a hotel or motel.    Home made cakes and a variety of cold and dry food was spread out in a buffet style outside the kitchen inside the Mansion. The caretaker (a charming husband and wife team) then came to take our order for the cooked breakfast. Everything was absolutely fabulous!Around Pelion:Argi had cunningly combined my first visit to Greece with his meeting up with old friends and family – all in Volos. Despite this, he managed to show me the highlights of Pelion on our own. So began our fantastic whirlwind trip around this majestic mountain. Argi drove like a madman and with narrow, winding roads around Pelion, I didn’t feel too good. After seeing many mini shrine-like structures with flowers along the road, I asked him what they were and he instantly slowed down his car and told me those were shrines set up by family members in remembrance of their loved ones who have died on those spots in accidents. I was shocked because believe me, there many, MANY of them!Milies:The first village which we visited today was Milies - literally translated, it means Apple Trees. It was one of the busier villages we have encountered on Pelion, it being more popular with the tourists due to the existence of the Pelion Little Train, the famous steam train which runs from Millies to Volos during summer.We stopped for some pictures and continued on our journey to Potistika.Potistika:Potistika is one of the more popular beaches in Pelion, situated on the south eastern side of the mountain. It was a beautiful sandy beach but on the day we were there, we had extremely huge waves which made it almost impossible for us to have a nice dip in the warm, tempting waters.Nobody swam and the few who attempted to swim was swiftly pushed back by the strong, crazy waves to shore except my Argi. No, this crazy Greek triumphed against the ferocious waves and made his way to the calmer part of the sea, after being bounced up and down for a few heart-stopping minutes (for me, at least). Sometimes, I really wonder where he got his nerves from! He has absolutely no fear in him – in fact, that word “FEAR” is not in his vocabulary.Volleyball @ Potistika:Argi had arranged for all his old friends to gather at Potistika. It was amazing to see so many of his friends from all over Greece gathering at Potistika to catch up with him. Again, for me, there were more “first meetings” which, surprisingly went really well. As I “attended” more and more of these meetings, they did seem to be a little easier for me. I was more relaxed and they became more enjoyable rather than intimidating.Everyone was just chatting on the beach and soaking up some sun in the process. The guys played some beach ball game with rackets and I teamed up with Argi’s sisters’ (Christina) kids (Manolis and Dimitris) and some other kids on the beach to brave and challenge the waves. I was having so much fun being bashed by the fierce waves. It was really no joke – I lost my favourite pair of sunglasses in all the excitement. Sob!Delicious Lunch @ Climax:Perched majestically on top of a hill at the end of Potistika, was Climax Café, Restaurant & Bar, a trendy bar and restaurant set amidst a lush garden with an amazing view of the ocean below. Coming to this gem of a restaurant was the idea of Argi’s brother-in-law, Georgios.The food was delicious but the best thing I had was the Mojito, on Georgios’ recommendation, of course! He told me that the Mojito served here was one of the best in Greece and I just couldn’t resist it. It was true – there is something about having a cold, strong Mojito on a very hot summer afternoon in Potistika, overlooking the blue, raging sea below! I later found out from Climax’s website that the partners of the Restaurant had graduated from the American Bartenders School -  I suppose that explained their potent mix that had sent me to La-La land for the rest of the afternoon.Volleyball @ Potistika:After our delicious lunch (and cocktails) we descended to the beach again, relaxed, met up with more friends and got ready for the highlight of the day – the much anticipated Volleyball Match which this lot of people have every time they gather on this beach.As I was still in La-La Land and with me not being very good in any kind of sports, I excused myself from the match with a legitimate reason which was accepted with much reluctance from Argi – I offered to be the official photographer for the event.With that, I got away from the embarrassment of having the ball hitting me on the head or falling on the sand with my face down. We had such a fabulous time, really! And I got thinking to myself – this is life, man! I never want to go back to my work table again.Climax at night:The match continued till sunset, after which we adjourned to Climax again for another Mojito with some of Argi’s friends.Climax at night was a different atmosphere altogether. While our day experience there was more Mediterranean, the night atmosphere leaned more to an Arabic or Turkish feel. The whole restaurant was lighted with candles and we were sitting on cushioned stone benches with only the sky and its glittering stars above us. What a fantastic atmosphere! What more could I have asked for? I am having the time of my life!!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/15/1247844657/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/15/1247844657/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/15/1247844657/tpod.html Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:53:19 -0400 August 2008 : Seeing Greece with a Greek

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Vólos, Thessaly, Greece

18th August 2008 Arrival in Volos:Volos is a beautiful coastal port city and to me, it is an extraordinary city with a good combination of amazing beaches, beautiful sweeping landscapes and simple people. Sitting strategically at the foot of the imposing Mount Pelion, the city has developed into a commercial and tourist centre of the country over the years.I fell in love with Volos instantly when Argi drove me to our guesthouse, which is situated on Mount Pelion itself, in a village called Agios Georgios. Mount Pelion is scattered with villages, most of which still retain their characteristic traditional charm. We passed through so many beautiful villages as we drove through and I am sure each village has its own interesting history and fascinating story to tell. Ionnidis, Agios Georgios:We stayed at this fantastic private property called Ionnidis, which consist of rooms in a Mansion and several stone huts built complete with the traditional stone roof stacked on top of one another, which is very common among the old houses around the villages. The guesthouse has a website: www.arhonthikoioannidi.gr but it is in Greek. They do have an e-mail address where you can write to make enquiries : info@arhonthikoioannidi.grWe chose to stay in one of the stone huts instead of the rooms in the Mansion as we liked the idea of having our own space. The view from outside our hut was simply amazing. We could see the other side of the mountain with many villages dotted along the horizon. There was no air-condition in these huts but a standing fan was provided for us. We were perfectly alright with that because we were out most of the days anyway. Although the weather can get quite hot during the day in August, the mornings and nights were relatively cool and we slept with our windows opened on most nights.The huts were built in such a way that you are assured of your privacy when entering and leaving the huts. The entrance of one hut faces the back of another and thus preventing any awkwardness one may have in bumping into other guests. A small coffee table and some chairs are also placed outside each hut for guests to hang out in the mornings or evenings for some fresh air.There is also a swimming pool on the grounds of the guesthouse and delicious home cooked breakfasts are served at the large patio outside the Mansion.We have some friends who were also staying at the same guesthouse but unlike us, they have chosen to stay in the rooms of the Mansion, which we think was a better option for those who have children with them. Staying at this beautiful place on Mount Pelion itself has in fact made my visit to Volos more special. I would have been disappointed if Argi had opted to stay in he city itself because what I find so fascinating about Volos is not so much the city itself or the beaches, but this mountain and its villages. I could actually see myself settling down here one day, but my adventurous Argi seems to have other ambitious plans in mind! Dinner with family :Argi's family has a summer house in Volos, a beautiful bungalow in a large area of land surrounded by olive trees and different kinds of fruit trees and organic vegetables. The beautiful bungalow is hidden in a secluded area reachable by a small dusty lane away from the main road and about 10 minutes away from the city centre. One would never have thought that there would be a house at the end of such a lane!It has a swimming pool and an outside bar with a gazebo shaded by huge trees all around. Perfect for a hot summer afternoon!We arrived for dinner on our first day in Volos and I was introduced to the whole family. They spoke some English but understood the language perfectly well. Everything went well and I had a fantastic time getting to know the family. I had brought some presents for everyone from Malaysia and we had a fun time trying out the Borneo blow darts and bow and arrow with Argi’s nephews.After a happy and eventful night, we drove back to our stone hut on the romantic Mount Pelion for a good night sleep.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/15/1246980562/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/15/1246980562/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/15/1246980562/tpod.html Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:15:33 -0400 August 2008 : Seeing Greece with a Greek

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Athens, Attica, Greece

16th August 2008Arrival in Athens:I arrived late in the afternoon and Athens was beaming in its full-blast summer temperature. Argi was already waiting for me at the airport and we set off in the unbearable heat to his parent's home in the northern part of Athens, Dionnis. Athens, from the car window, looks like any other cities of the world. Busy, fast-moving, traffic jams, noise – things which I am happy to get away from.Home in Dionis is a 3-storey bulding, complete with lifts from the garage to every floor! I was flabbergasted! I could only imagine lifts in office blocks or high rise apartments. Every floor was tastefully furnished and I was really grateful for the marble flooring as it definitely brought down the temperature of the day!Dinner at the Plaka :Like all other visitors to Athens, I was whisked off my Argi to the Plaka on my first night there. We didn't realise until we got to the Plaka that on this day, we will get to see the eclipse of the moon. The Plaka was full with people – tourists and locals alike, who have all thronged there to witness this rare phenomenon. It was overly crowded but we inched our way through the crowd, soaking in the atmosphere and relishing the fact that we are together again.We found a nice restaurant called Daphne's for dinner at the Plaka. Almost all the restaurants were full on this night and I realised that the Greeks really do have their dinner very late in the night. It was almost 10pm when we had ours! In Malaysia, that would mean a supper as we usually have our dinners before 7pm.Anyway, I had my real taste of all things Greek – I love them all except that strong garlic dip called tzatziki. We witnessed the eclipse of the moon from our table at the restaurant like all the other patrons and captured the rare moment on our Nikon D60, using the strongest lense we have got. The result was quite admirable, although not very professional.Argi drove me around the city after that before we retired for the night. I was really exhausted after the long flight and decided there and then that in future, I will fly direct !! No more transits :-)) !!17th August 2008Beach in Athens- Marathonas:After a lazy breakfast, Argi decided to take me to a beach in Athens. Is there any nice beach in Athens, I asked? And he gave me a sly smile and said I would have to judge for myself. We drove to a town called Marathonas and yes, the beach was very, very inviting in the heatof the day. It was a nice family beach and I saw only mainly locals there. According to Argi, this place is rather unknown to tourists. We had a nice dip in the waters and adjourned for a late lunch thereafter at one of the many local restaurants there.This is the kind of thing I like to do when I am on holidays - to mingle with the locals and to sample their food and share their lifestyle. Well, I was really fortunate to be able to do this in Greece with Argi! He ordered all kinds of local food for us and one dish that I find to be particularly delicious was the small little fried fishes called "athurina". Really mouth watering! Everything was drenched in olive oil and lots of lemon juice. Very different from the Malaysian cuisine, I must say! Completely healthy! I am hoping that my cholesterol level will reduce after this trip.&nbsp;Night Life in Athens:We started towards the city in the evening as we have planned to meet up with some friends. Argi took me to Lykavittos Hill but he didn’t warn me that we would be climbing up the steep hill and I was dressed in my best clubbing dress and my killer 3-inch high heels!! I was told later(after the climb!!) that there is a funicular which you can take if you don’t want to do theclimbing but Argi, being an adventurous guy that he is, decided that it would be nicer to drive up halfway, park our car and climb the remaining way up the hill.Looking back, it was a good idea, really, because we got to see the view of the city on our way up and to stop for photographs along the way. It might not be easy for the elderly to attempt this climb but there are many benches along the way and you can always stop for a rest if you need to.The little church on top of Lykavittos was enchanting and the view from here was really amazing. It was great to be able to see Athens from atop – the buildings looked like lego blocks and I realised how very crowded Athens really is. Every available inch of the city was filled up by buildings and I could see how narrow the roads are. The most exciting view, however, was of course the Acropolis. Seeing it from afar was much better than gazing up the coloumns when you are actually <i style="">in the Acropolis. Like all the othertourists, we spent some time lingering about the churchyard while waiting for the lights at the Acropolis to be switched on. And when they finally did, we had to fight the mad surge of tourists rushing for the best spots for photos of the imposing Acropolis in its full glory of lights. The lighting effect was really commendable as it really did make the Acropolis look more amazing than it already is.&nbsp; When we finally got back to our car, I concluded that the reward of the view from the top of this hill was well worth the climb and I would do it again if we return, but&nbsp; next time, I would be in my sneakers and running gear!! Galaxy Bar, Hilton :We proceed to the Galaxy Bar at Hilton Hotel for a drink with Michalis, Argi’s best friend and companion in mountain climbing.As the night was warm, we had a table on the balcony and the view was again, amazing. Like all Hiltons, this bar was posh and imposed strict dress code on all its patrons. Our other friends (Anna &amp; Kristos) who were supposed to meet us here were not allowed to enter as Kristos was unfortunately, dressed in his summer Bermuda pants, Who could have blamed him in this heat?&nbsp;Exo Bar :So, we exited Hilton and made our way to Exo Bar, a trendy club which commands a fantastic view of the Acropolis and the Lykavittos Hill from its roof terrace. The club is situated on Markou Moussourou Street and the nearest train station is the Akropoli Station on Metro Line No. 2. Ifyou prefer to walk, it is about 15-minute walk from from Syntagma Square..Exo is a very lively bar with trendy people in informal setting. The music was good and I love the fact that I was able to have my drinks on the open-air terrace instead of being cramped indoors inhaling cigarette smoke and sweat!We had a wonderful time catching up till early morning!18 August 2008Enchanting Kifisia:We woke up late and headed to a northern suburb of Athens called Kifisia. I immediately fell inlove with the place. It is lined with elegant cafes and restaurants, with many beautiful shops and boutiques, lovely big houses and villas with huge trees and gardens. Finding a parking in this place was a nightmare, though! We went round and round countless times before we finally squeezed our small car in between a space we found between another car and the end of a pavement – not sure whether it was legal, but on a hot blazing afternoon like that, all rules and regulations seemed blur.We walked around the shops a bit, looked for shoes and when we finally couldn’t bear our hunger anymore, Argi took me to his favourite restaurant and we had the best souvlaki I had ever tasted in my life!! Coupled with a refreshing, huge portion of Greek salad, I felt like the luckiest girl in the world ! I told Argi that I am so easy to please – just feed me with good food and I will not give him any problem at all !!Kiffisia can also be reached by train : take the Pireus-Kifisia line and you will reach this hidden gem.Athens-Volos: After our hearty meal and not having been given a ticket for illegal parking, we started happily with our onward journey from Athens to Volos, a city by the coast on the eastern side of Greece, about 326 kilometers north of Athens.The journey took us about 3 hours drive from Athens and we will be meeting more friendsthere but most importantly, I will be meeting Argi’s family for the very firsttime !!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/13/1214158320/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/13/1214158320/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/xuanargi/13/1214158320/tpod.html Thu, 22 Jan 2009 09:18:50 -0500 June 2008 : Transit in Kota Bharu, Malaysia

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Kota Bharu, Malaysia

22nd June 2008 Chiang Mai &nbsp; - KL - Kelantan: &nbsp; We took a morning flight out of Chiang Mai by Air Asia to KL for our onward flight later in the evening to Kota Bharu, Kelantan. &nbsp; As we have a only few hours to spare between our arrival in KL and our flight out to Kota Bharu,&nbsp; we decided to take the shuttle bus from the LCCT (Low Cost Carrier Terminal) where Air Asia flies from, to KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport), which is about 10 minutes away. &nbsp; We had our lunch at KLIA, window-shopped for a bit and spent a lot of time at the bookshop where Argi picked up a brilliant book called "The Final Call" by Leo Hickman. &nbsp; Took the bus again to get back to LCCT just in time for our flight to Kota Bharu, which was only a short 40-minute flight. &nbsp; Kota Bharu (Night time): Night was falling upon our arrival and we took a cab to our lodging for the night, the Crystal Lodge. &nbsp; Crystal Lodge is a 3-star hotel located conveniently in the middle of town. It was already dark by the time we arrived and there wasn't really much to do at night in a town like Kota Bharu. &nbsp; We headed off for bed after wandering around the hotel area by foot. All the shops were already closed and the night market which we stumbled upon was not very interesting in comparison of those we have visited in Laos and Thailand. &nbsp; &nbsp; 23rd June 2008 Kota Bharu : &nbsp; Woke up and had a hearty breakfast at the hotel. It was included in the room rate we paid, which was only Ringgit Malaysia 125! For the price which we had paid for, we couldn't have asked for more. The room was okay-ish, shower working well and breakfast was a good mix of familiar local choices with fresh fruits. After breakfast, we started walking towards the famous Siti Khadijah Market, which is the central of activity in this little town. Now, Kota Bharu during the day is a complete stark contrast to Kota Bharu the night before. The "dead" town we encountered yesterday is now bursting with life. &nbsp; We were 2 very excited tourists trying to absorb everything we could, as much as we can in as little time as we have. &nbsp; Siti Khadijah Market: &nbsp; We only have a few hours in Kota Bharu before we catch our ferry from Kuala Besut, about 40 minutes away from Kota Bharu by car. I know I had to take Argi to this market for him to get a quick general idea of how life is on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. &nbsp; Siti Khadijah Market has 3 floors, each selling different kind of merchandise. On the ground floor is the wet market where vegetables, fruits, meat and turtle eggs (??!!) are sold openly. On the first floor, one can find dried food and all kinds of materials and clothing, including the very famous locally produced batik, on sale. On the very top floor, souvenirs of all kinds are sold - and very interesting hand-crafted and locally created goods can be found. We bought some very interesting stuffs here to bring back as presents. &nbsp; We will let our photographs do the "talking" in describing the whole atmosphere of the market here :- Perhaps a rather unusual but conspicuous trait of the people in this area can be seen from the market itself. We realise that most of the stores (though not all) were manned by the womenfolk while the men were just sitting around smoking, eating and talking. &nbsp; The 86-year-old trishaw driver: After exploring the market, we ventured to the streets to catch a trishaw back to our Hotel so that we could experience a trishaw ride as we have always done in most parts of the world we have visited, before we catch our cab to Kuala Besut for our ferry to Perhentian Island. &nbsp; There were rows of trishaws waiting to be picked up outside the market and Argi directed me to one which is manned by a bespectacled old man. I know instantly why he chose the old man - it has always been his style to benefit the less fortunate and the most needy.&nbsp; &nbsp; Compared to the rest of the trishaw drivers, this old man looks more frail, thin and quiet to the extent that he will not approach you like the others but only waiting to be approached - as if he is surrendering his daily earnings to fate and fate alone. &nbsp; It was a good choice as we soon realised that he is already 86 years old!! And still very fit to be able to cycle so well - he does not have any children and his wife has passed away. He is still doing the job as he has been doing it most his life and if he doe not work, he will feel so restless and bored staying at home. &nbsp; As he was chatting with us and answering my very many curious questions, I glanced at the inner cover of the roof of his trishaw and saw scribbles of his pathetic MONTHLY earnings - RM 15 for January, RM20 for February, RM 5 for March, RM 12 for April...I almost cried. &nbsp; He had asked for RM5 for our intended trip from the market to our Hotel but we asked him to take a longer route for him to show us another market nearby and at the end of the short ride, I pressed a RM50 note into his feeble hand and he gave me a very gratified look. &nbsp; We checked out from the Hotel and ordered a cab to take us to Kuala Besut. &nbsp; &nbsp; Kuala Besut : This is where most people go to take their ferry/boat across to Perhentian Island. At the jetty, there were many stalls and shops selling local food, catered mainly for the locals. &nbsp; We stopped by a local Malay stall to have our lunch - the <i>"nasi campur" (literally translated : "mixed rice"). You get to choose your dish from a variety of fish, vegetable, curry, chicken and you scoop the dished unto your plate of steamed rice. There were of course, flies flying around and this might deter some people but you just have to close your eyes and enjoy your meal, which can be very appetizing. &nbsp; &nbsp; Trip to Perhentian Island : The "ferry" which I had expected turned out to be just a boat and I was not very thrilled, due to the fact that the long-tailed boat trip in Ko Phi Phi being still fresh in my mind. The sea was really choppy on this day and our boat went flying up and down and I did not enjoy the trip one single bit !! &nbsp; There are many resorts around the island of Perhentian and it is divided into 2 islands The Big (<i>"Besar") and Small <i>("Kecil"). We have booked to stay at the Watercolours Resort at the Small Island. They also have one at the Big Island, which is more on the budget side. Will write more when we reach there!
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