Blog 24 - Routines and Adventures

After three whole days on the Island, I had a daily routine going.

At 6am darkness still lingered over the island. I would wake and begin my stretch routine – the one that allows me to get out of bed in the morning once my body has seized up over night. 

Oh the joys of ageing!

By 6.30 there was a definite lightening of the sky and in that morning twilight, while Princess watched, I would pick up the sweep rake and bucket to begin the morning clear up.

Over the past three days I had expanded my clean area down the beach.

Each morning the sea left me a new collection to check over and remove but it was always less than the day before and so we were making progress.

At 7am daylight would officially herald the beginning to the day. 

Bit by bit the sun would climb over the horizon to cast its glow over the far end of the beach. 

The race had now started!

As I worked my way down the beach, the suns rays worked their way towards me. 

Working physically in the shade is one thing, working out in the glare and heat of the tropical sun is something else. 

By 9am we would have met and a battle of wills would begin!

For me it was a battle to clear a beach, for the sun it was the battle to make me quit and retire to the shade or the coolness of the sea. 

For an hour or so we would battle, sweat pouring from me as I fought to continue but the sun always won in the end.

By 10am I would return beaten to the house, shower away the toils of the morning and prepare for the day with a stroll along the now cleaned beach with my bead bag.

11am was breakfast time!

My afternoons were spent writing, reading, watching the waves as they rolled across the beach.

On Wednesday afternoon I was feeling energetic so I spent a very enjoyable few hours building another of my sand creations.

At the moment I was the only Workaway on the Island. Gahsri had said another boy was due to arrive that day but by mid afternoon the tide had retreated too far for boats to arrive and so we decided he would probably arrive on Thursday.

The two boys working of the construction of the new beach huts finished early that day deciding that they wanted to walk into the village on the far side of the island for supplies. 

At this point I had no idea you could even walk off the beach so when they asked if I wanted to join them I jumped at the chance.

As we prepared to get ready a lone figure could be seen walking from the far point.

 Gahsri walked down to the beach to greet the person and together they walked towards his house.

Unaware at this point that the new Workaway had arrived, the boys and I headed across the beach to the two large boulders at the far end. 

After three days of saying (and then promptly forgetting) our names to each other, the boys had taken to calling me Mommy, in return I simply called them 'Boy's!' so I apologise for not using their true names!

Hidden amongst the undergrowth at the end of the beach, was a narrow trail leading up into the jungle.

Carefully I followed the boys, touched by the way they kept looking back to make sure I was OK. 

Twice they stopped while I caught up, and more than a few times they offered hands to steady me over rocks and boulders.

The trail ended over the headland on the far beach where a road led into 'town'.

Usually the boys would call a friend of theirs at this point to come and pick them up on his motor bike, but today the friend was in Langkawi and so we were walking.

The sun was beginning to dip behind the trees but the day was still incredibly warm. Sweat gathered on our brows as we climbed the incline from the beach to the land.

Ahead of us the road stretched into the distance. All day the boys had been thinking about fried rice and chicken cooked at their favourite roadside cafe at the heart of the village.

The thought of this reward was now driving them to complete this walk ….. I was just there to explore!

The road was more or less deserted for the first kilometre, bushes, trees and the occasional cow lined the sides with just an occasional track leading into the bush.

After a kilometre the first of the houses began to appear along with tiny stalls at the ends of the driveways some selling drinks, others selling snacks and fruit.

After three kilometres the dream of chicken fried rice was beginning to pale as the road continued to stretch ahead.

The sun peeped through the trees, goats wandered beside the road and as we reached the school, signalling only another kilometre to go,

we all piled into one of the roadside snack shops for iced tea and frozen ice and syrup!

All during our walk the boys had lamented the fact that I was a vegetarian and couldn't try their wonderful food.

 They so wanted to involve me in their culture and their generosity was overwhelming.

At the cafe I spied tiny pots filled with a creamy yellow set mixture. When I asked what it was the boys immediately checked the ingredients with the owner and bought me one to try. 

With the consistency of a crème brulee, this smooth Mango dessert was bursting with flavour. I could have eaten three more for flavour alone but one pot was enough to refresh me as the boys enjoyed their tea.

The boys nattered away to the owners apologising from time to time for not speaking English. 

I told them it all sounded wonderful and if I wanted to understand I should learn Malay not make them speak English!

I have always loved being surrounded by the sound of foreign tongues. I remember sitting in a bar in Turkey while everyone spoke Turkish around me thinking to myself, 'One day I will live in a place where everyone speaks a foreign language.' 

Years later as I worked in the Penrhos Arms in Wales I realised I had reached my dream!!

I looked up to the heavens and laughed. Had I forgotten to mention the sun and the warmth I asked the Universe?

Refreshed and rested, we continued our journey into the interior of the island looking for the elusive village.

We past the mosque, more houses and homes until at last before us grew the rumble of the huge generators that power the island!

The noise was constant day and night and I wondered how people managed to live so close by. 

Most people, I was told, lived further away but this was where the two main roads of the island met. All the people had to pass this way and so it was the perfect place for cafes and meeting places. 

It was also the only place where there was a shop on the island!

We entered the supermarket and I was reminded of the stores in Moorea!

Long shelves sat with three or four tins to a shelf. 

Washing powder, plastic plates, string and insect spray was plentiful but food was sparse and fresh food was virtually non existent!

With a limited sell by date and the mainland only a boat trip away this store catered for emergency supplies rather that daily necessities. 

The few loaves of bread and the few vegetables available had definitely seen better days during their transit and storage!

I treated myself to some moisturiser and two tubs of Pringles as the boys wandered around collecting the things they needed.

From the store you could just see the bridge that links Tebu to the Isle of the Pregnant lady next door, so named because of its unusual shape. 

There is a legend that says anyone who drinks or bathes in its fresh water lake will receive the gift of pregnancy! 

I reminded myself not to visit!!

With our shopping completed it was now time for the boys to receive their gift of their chicken fried rice, cooked to order and served with a chili sauce that both boys put to one side with a shake of their heads. 

“Too HOT!” was the reply I received when I asked why they didn't use it. “Only locals eat” 

The smell alone made my eyes water!!

The walk home was long. There is no other way to describe it. 

We were fed and watered, the urgency was gone, the shopping got heavier with every step and it was dark. 

We chatted and joked as we walked but the road seemed endless and it was with total relief that we eventually reached and then rested, at the beach.

We still had the climb over the point to navigate but psychologically we were nearly home.

Again the boys watched over me as we climbed through the jungle to our beach on the other side. 

Again they offered hands and help should I need it over the rocks and boulders. I managed without aid but it was good to know they cared!

As we walked slowly towards our houses, smiling and laughing now that the adventure was nearing its end, the boys asked me my age. When I told them, they laughed and remarked they thought I was much younger. “Even my sister would not walk so far!” I was told.

At the Open house I introduced myself to Juraj, our new guest and gave him a quick tour of our facilities.

Here is a mattress, here is the floor!

He in turn explained his late arrival due to tides and a few misunderstandings.

He also had no food as no one had told him about the lack of shops.

Problems like this could be easily solved I assured him opening up a packet of Pringles.

It was now 9.30pm. The sea crashed in the darkness, the breeze blew across our beds.

Tomorrow was a new day, when plans could be made and beaches would be cleaned. 

For now my feet ached and sleep was calling. 

I drew the mossie net around me and closed my eyes.