The Narrator

There's something about the buildings, not newly painted nor shiny, even a little torn but there's a lot of grit. Character. Of entrepreneurship, of hard work. Businesses from nowhere, a fruit stall, a food stall. Sometimes there are kids rolling around playing in the sand, kids who have never touched an electronic gaming device, but they seem satisfied and really really happy. The people here living in the moment. I don't know if it's the fact that they don't have things to compare themselves to, while Singapore itself is, dare I say, one of the most modern and advance cities in the world. The contrast is so steep. We're constantly aspiring trying to save for a bigger house, a bigger car, with both eyes set on career progression. These people live from day to day. Then there's the concept of space... Which I think crowds hamper the mind's ability to be at ease and to relax.

So we escaped, the group of us, and found peace in fireworks, dinner, mahjong, literature, and most importantly, each other's company.









































It's dark. It's humid. The air is still, it feels like I can't breathe. My chest is tight. it's dark, not dark enough that I can't see, but dark enough to make it uncomfortable to read. The lights, painful white fluorescent, not harsh, but hurts to look at. The tiny tv is in the corner playing some generic science fiction movie, with men and big muscles, like these two muscle men sitting in a corner, with their ipad out and watching shows. Just that they were dressed in beach wear and the men on tv were dressed for war. I'm sitting beside the aisle, with music playing in my ears, just enough to distract me from the slightly unpleasant rumbling of e motor of the boat. I hope to reach land soon but I've no idea where we are. It's dark outside and the only way I could judge our speed was by the sound of the waves crashing against the ferry's body.

The engine came to a stop. The crashing of waves diminished. We arrive. Finally. Back home.

Bye Bye Bintan

Okay, just a few photos of the last day spent in Bintan. There weren't many photos because we kept to the same old places and we were rushing to be in time for the ferry home.

We actually overslept and missed the buffet breakfast so we got out our cup noodles instead! One bad thing about the Nirwana Beach Club cabana rooms is that they don't provide hot water flasks or the equivalent. We had to walk out to the dining area where the waitress was very helpful and prepared everything for us As we had our breakfast by the beach!





This is the platform that's an awesome place to chill out whether it's day or night!



We went back to the Pool Bar to chill again!



This time we got Budy to make us three drinks which all looked rather exotic. They were splashed with bright orangey tones and tasted refreshing. There was this lady in a bikinichilling out there... until her boyfriend came over with a birty cake and they started playing the song for her at the bar.

The best part was that just as I was wondeng how the two of them were going to finish the cake, they offered me and my friend a piece each, and a huge one for Budy! Hahaha... it was awesome.

I like how Bintan is much more relaxed than say, Phuket but because we ere in the hotel most of the time we didn't get to do much exploring. I suppose there's a need to strike a balance but I enjoyed myself a lot and I'll probably want to go back soon, just to go for tht trekking trip I missed!

One More Time

Laziness has almost gotten the better of me but when I see the number of posts that I wrote for last month, I realise that I've really got to step it out and churn them out no matter what!

Okay, third day of the trip was a little annoying. We went to Nirwana Beach Club to get scuba equipment but they were understaffed and their equipment were all rented out. It took them forever to get back to us regarding the availability of the stuff. Despite being impressed that they could converse fluently in Japanese, we were disappointed by their lack of professionalism. They just made us stand there till we were so frustrated that we left for the pool at Nirwana Gardens.

Again.



And we spammed the pool bar again. Hahaha... Another 2 drinks, another 20 dollars!







After that we went to Pasar Oleh Oleh. It was terrible to be there in the late afternoon. I think it would've been if we had gone in the evening where it would've been slightly more crowded and bustling. It's more of a tourist trap than anything else. If you really feel the need to go, go at night, and get a free ride if you book a massage with them.

The food there's not bad. There's Bintan Idol and this other place called Cafe Helo Helo.



The food didn't disappoint and we ate quickly but we ate quickly, eager to catch the next cab ride back to the hotel!

On the cab I met Justin. Which was really kind of crazy seeing that we both study in NTU and we never meet each other and it took a trip to Indonesia to meet him and catch up with him. We had a delightful conversation... I don't think I ever speak so "buddy" to anyone else except him! My hall buddy!

The night was spent at Nirwana Gardens taking a massage. It was expensive but great. We felt really refreshed and were offered some strange tea after that. It was so hot that I scalded my tongue a bit. The tea tasted a bit strange and spicy though!

And that was it. Another day passed in eternal time.

Another Day In Paradise

Breakfast was at the same place that we had lunch the day before. It wasn't as good as the one at Nirwana Gardens but it's a buffet so I could really care less about how it tasted as long as I ate enough to keep me full till dinner!

We went past the Mini Zoo again and met these...



There were feeling slightly more friendly but I think that's because there was food.

We made our way to kayak and it was damn fun. I really love the work out that it gave me and not only that, the view was awesome. I went really close to these expensive-looking villas. I think I'm not too bad at paddling having had a bit of experience in it. I enjoyed myself tremendously. It would be great to wake up every morning to kayak... park myself in the middle of the ocean and look at the sky...



We rewarded ourselves with a drink from the Pool Bar. I know that it's purely out of novelty but we grabbed a drink from there every day afterwards! The staff was really friendly, especially this guy called Budy. He was exceptionally nice to us and our drinks were delicious. At $8 a drink you'd expect it to be good though!

We went out to the beach and collected a couple of shells as well. Despite the clear waters I'm not very good at spotting the good stuff!

We went back to our Cabana room to wash up and wanted to make our way to the Dino Restaurant at Nirwana Gardens. We're a bit boring and didn't venture out of the resort much but I think they planned it in such a way that it was too good and we'd want to stay and spend all our money there any way!



And the epic sunset... wow. Everything took my breath away, from the skies to the textured patterns on the sand left behind by the low tide.



It left both of us speechless and we just stood there, staring and admiring its beauty. It's hard to describe with words but it was just really relaxing and it made it hard to think of anything else. Overwhelming... the feeling of being there in the moment was just overwhelming.

We had our $80 dinner at The Dino Restaurant, which overloooked the inifinity pool and the rest of the hotel. We also managed to catch a glimpse of the sea from where we were seated.





The food was top-notch and the ambience even more so. There were performances, hearty laughter, soft conversation and an even softer breeze coming from the sea... I could have saved up all that money, but to me, that was all my happiness encapsulated in that very moment... Chilling out and going all out to enjoy myself.

It was interrupted by some other tourists from that country who demanded to be seated out in the balcony. They gave the staff a hard time which we thought was abslutely disgusting since they were really nice to us. The appalling behavior didn't go unnoticed by the other patrons but they were oblivious to the attention around them. It didn't exactly spoil my evening as it made good bitching fodder.

We walked back and went back to our own little corner of beach at the Nirwana Beach Club, laid on the platform, and looked at the stars. Now I know why the song goes "Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are.". Scientifically they are balls of fire undergoing combustion. However we see them for more than what they really are, mysterious lights in the sky, hinting at life and activity from further than we can understand, evoking all the myths and lengends that pay homage to them in some way.

We even saw the moon get bigger and bigger and set beyond the sea.

And as we looked deeper into the sky we saw more and more stars, appearing and disappearing, enthralled like a fairytale promising an everlasting ending.

Just Chill

I've been there before and I was looking for a different experience. Surprisingly, what I got was more of the same, just that I enjoyed it more. I did more planning than I ever did and I learned a lot from it.



We stayed 4D3N at Nirwana Beach Club. It belongs to Nirwana Gardens, but instead of hotel rooms we stayed in quaint bungalows that were split into two rooms. There were forty such rooms with a view of the pond which was filled with lillies and fish. Occassionally we'd catch a glimpse of a monitor lizard. The biggest surprise came when we saw a kingfisher dive into the water for breakfast. It was really handsome but it only paused on a nearby branch for a moment before deciding to head elsewhere for a little more privacy.



Lunch was at this outdoor place which reminded one of Cafe del Mar. It's part of Nirwana Beach Club and can be seen from the reception. It had a great sea view. Despite its less-than-luxurious decor and a menu with prices equal to Cafe del Mar (at Bintan Resorts everything is in Sing dollars), just being there made me relaxed.

We had lunch there. The curry chicken and BBQ chicken cost about $11 each. I'm no expert on food but they tasted awesome!

After that we made our way to Nirwana Gardens to check out their swimming pools and to book trips as well as massages. On the way we came across Nirwana Mini Zoo.



The zoo wasn't there when I visited three years ago. It was thrilling to get up-close with the animals but I felt quite sorry for the birds of prey though. Although they were enclosed in a relatively large cage, it would hardly take them seconds to travel from one end of it to another.





When we arrived at the Nirwana Garden's reception, we tried to book Gunung Bintan Adventure Trek, which would take us through the rainforest and to the mountain itself. I'm guessing it's more of a hill though. Anyway they were fully booked for the weekend. I was desperate enough to try Monday, but it clashed with our ferry departure time.

I guess if I were to go early I'd really book in advance!

The booking for the massage went smoothly but if you are interested in going to Pasar Oleh Oleh, it might be better to book a massage there. A full Thai body massage costs about $31 while one at the hotel for head, shoulders and neck costs $25. The massage parlour might even pay for your trip down to Pasar Oleh Oleh, which, if you choose to make your way down yourself, would cost $6 per person.

In the evening we made our way down to The Kelong Restaurant. I didn't have a pleasant experience there the previous time. All I could remember about the food was that we complained non-stop about it! This time round though, the food was much better. We ordered Frozen Red Snapper, Lemon Chicken, Tom Yam Soup and two bowls of rice for $52. The Kelong Restaurant was on a kelong, obviously and we had our meal next to the wide open sea. It was absolutely surreal. After eating we were visited by a Gar - this fish with a head that looks like an alligator. I can't remember what kind of Gar it was though other than the fact that a curious ang moh couple asked the waiter about it!

We then made our way to Calypso Bar. I like the name "Calypso". It reminds me of that character in Pirates of the Carribean. It is in fact one of the sea nymphs in Greek mythology.



The bar was an extension of the Kelong. As a result it felt like it was right smack in the middle of the sea.





We ordered by two Irish Cream and we were the only ones there! There were a few curious souls who walked all the way over but didn't stay. The two of us sat there and looked at the ocean, feeling the breeze on our faces. The view itself was something magical. You can't see much out there other than a couple of ships on the horizon. Despite the limited vision, the knowledge of the sea's vastness and that incredible distance made me feel like I was looking into infinity.



And this is the view of The Kelong Restaurant from Calypso Bar.

After that one drink I was very very high. I think they put extra rum because we were the only ones who patronised the bar that night! Hahaha...



Don't want to let you all see my face la, so damn red just from one drink. How pai seh.

Bintan

Bintan was absolutely gorgeous.