My Paradise in Celebes Sea 2011 - Day 2 , 5 June 2011, Boheyan Island and Timba-timba Island

We wake up early and have breakfast at Feng Ling Restaurant, the 生面very tasty and we ordered for our lunch box there too.

As usual, the Malay pakcik came in time for our island hopping.  Today we are going to Boheyan Island and Timba-timba island.  Last year we went to Timba-timba Island, the shore is very swallow and there are lots of coral and fish.  So we can take good photo in the water.  This is the main reason  I repeated this island.

On our way to Boheyan Island, we saw people planting seaweed and the seaweed grower answer our question.  A line of seaweed they can sell for RM 300, a very good price as they only plant on the open water.

Pakcik is planting seaweed near Semporna

About an hour boat ride, we arrive Boheyan Island, on the way we saw crystal clear turquoise sea water with corals.

Hey, is same with Tetepere Island, but the cost is only 10% compare with Solomon Island

The corals in Boheyan is very beautiful and rich with soft corals.  The boatman ask us want to take photo of the Sea Bajau? We answered we just want to do snorkeling.  We tried to find a good place for snorkeling ( the disadvantage of hiring the boatman is, they don't know where to snorkel and where have beautiful corals, we need to guide them).  We eagerly jumped into Celebes Sea, the hard corals is quite nice and have little damage and I could consider they preserve very nice compare with others island we visited later.  The fish is very shy and keep hiding in the corals.  There are not many coral fish too.

Boheyan is soft corals paradise, we could see lots of soft corals waving hands to us, we really enjoyed our morning swim and I even took quite some of the video there.  Later, we change to another snorkel site, very beautiful and the current not very strong.  The fish still very shy, this disappointed me as I wish to see fish and turtles.

Later we went to Timba-timba for lunch. When I arrived there , I keep on asking is this Timba-timba Island as I saw lots of corals already dead.  The boatman answer yes, it is.  I just can't believe my eyes.

The boatman told us Kapalai boss bought this island.  I believe Kapalai boss, I went to Lankayan Island, also under the same company,  it is also a paradise, Timba-timba island must be very potential only the boss will buy.  That means in a year time, the coral is bleaching.  Oh dear.

We ate our lunch at a very beautiful beach under the shade and enjoyed our melon bought on the way to Semporna.  The guard of the island joined us and we had a chat.  We only knew their pay is so low, he is the highest pay among his collegue with RM 390 a month to take care Timba-timba Island, oh no, cheaper than our house Indonesia and Cambodian maid.  He told us he has been working for 5 years, thats why he had high pay.  He even told us the people working in Semporna got RM 150 per month.  Oh, no, if I live there, I can employ lots of the Sea Bajau.  We told him, his boss is not good as they get from us RM 1600 for 4 days and only pay them RM 390 a month.

After the talk, we went for snorkeling by the jetty, they said there is the place where the turtles usually show up.  Most of the corals is damage but we are looking for turtles.  I believed the locals do lots of dynamite fish that damage the beauty of the underwater world.  Very soon we found a turtle, it swim really fast and in 3 minutes time we lost him.  We even saw sea snake with bright colour, she is swimming up, that why we swam away really quick.  The coral is so so, got some sea anemone with clown fish.  The soft coral also not bad and the guard from Timba-timba also joined us for a swim, they picked up some shell to show us, we dive towards the sea anemone to see clown fish, we even saw the turtle again.  We are not sure same turtle as just now.  The visibility of the water not so good.

Later we went out of water to go to the beach last year we went to see corals.  We were shocked as we saw all the corals bed is covered by sand and it became rocks, no more coral.  I recall back my memory about the landscape of the beach and quite alike with a bar of sandy banks.  Yes, this is the place we saw lots of corals fish last year.  This year all damage, thanks to the global warming and human.  I was so sad as this change that much in a year time.

2010,Timba-timba Island with healthy coral and fish at 16 June 2010

2011, Timba-timba Island same location dead coral at 5 June 2011

I keep on thinking how about Sipadan, please please, the turtles wait for me.

Ching and dog in Timba-timba Island

We had another snorkeling at the jetty before we went back to Semporna.  On the way back, I was so sad to the changing of landscape and damage of the corals.  I told myself, a year it change a lots, Thien Wang Restaurant food not as tasty as last year, the coral in Timba-timba Island damage and We even lost our mum.  So we had to 珍惜现在所拥有的一切，全部东西不可能是永恒的。

We had our dinner at very popular place and internet recommended restaurant Turtle Tombs Restaurant.  The food is nice and the juice is so cheap.  I love the apple fried squid they made, very tasty and cheap.  We slept early as we already swim for more than 8 hours.

My Paradise in Celebes Sea 2011 - Day 1 , 4 June 2011

Really sorry for late to write a blog to share with all of you about our amazing trip to Sipadan, a truly paradise.

After meeting my friends in Kuala Lumpur, we sat off to KLIA early morning to catch our flight Air Asia to Tawau at 7:20 am and arrive Tawau in time at 10:05 am.  We shop around in the airport to get some idea of the price of T-shirt and the pattern before we got our rental car, an old Kancil.

Tawau didn't change much, in 25 minutes time we arrived downtown and drop off the car rental personnel.      We quickily set off to Sin On market to order fresh fish and prawn.  The price of Grouper is RM 16 ( increase RM1 compare with last year 2010) per kilo.  West Malaysia price is RM45 per kilo.  We bought lots of fish and a 4 kilo Grouper.  We ask the fish monger to store for us.  After shopping for more than 2 hours, we went to eat fish noodle, we are very clever, we still remember how to go to these places after a year.  The taste not that good as last year and we went to eat 猪肉包.  The shop is not open so we went to eat 波罗包，still very tasty.  Later we went to Semporna.

Sister with 4 kilo grouper 

After a long drive, we arrived Semporna and check in, its too late to go to Bukit Tengkorak ( I missed this place again), so we have a walk around the hoter, the best hotel in Semporna- Seafest Hotel.  Its a 3 star hotel which only cost RM100 a night.

We managed to take lots of photo and shop around.  The fish is so cheap, about 30 small grouper only cost RM 10, we bought 3 big grouper that cost only RM10 and squid RM 10 for our restaurant to cook.

   

locals in Semporna

We arrive Thien Wang Restaurant with hungry stomach,  looking forward to have a delicious and cheap seafood.  After a while we found that the cook from Thien Wang is not working there anymore and his helper can cook for us.  So we have a try, the food not even tasty at all.  I am so sad as I purposely want to have seafood in Semporna as last year the food is excellent, this keep me coming this year.  What to do, so went back to hotel and rest.  We tried to look for other alternative.  We hope that the turtle, fish and coral stiil the same. Hopefully......

Hoping to go to Eastern Europe

Been busy recently, very busy untill wake up early to key in the NKRA for the Kementerian Pelajaran, tons of work at school included doing 2 big show for my HM and fellow colleague, doing all the rubbish job that not really help the children in school ( to my HM, she thought benefit herself).

Today just finish key in TOV of 4K in NKRA, just got time for me to write my blog.

A month ago, I just knew we don't need to give tuition to those standard 6 pupils, ahah, than I can go for traveling.  My friend prefer to go to Europe, so I phone all the major travel agent in the whole Malaysia to get a seat since I am running short of time to plan for my usual traveling behavior.  Finally we choose Eastern Europe as both of us never been there and manage to get 2 seat from Mayflower on 5 July.  While we waited for the agreement of my HM (first time in my 18 years of teaching career, I need to get the agreement from HM to go oversea), we was late as Mayflower only left 1 seat.  So I recall back Lye Peng said they have spaces, so immediately we went to Lye Peng and place a deposit.  Unfortunately when we have place our deposit, Lye Peng mention they have only 7 people, so they need to get more people in Matta Fair.  Since we are out of sources and its difficult to get the agreement from HM(得到“她”的允许，难如登天，因为“她”以为“她”出钱给我们去的）, so we agree to wait untill 22-24 July.

While we were waiting, I still try my best to get other package to other places.  During Matta Fair, we went and asked Lye Peng and they have no extra people to join the tour and gave us back the deposit.  We shop around and found Hong Thai, Yeh, they have 5 more seats.  When we ask for more detail , only knew they have only 10 people, plus us 12.  What to do, we still place another booking and looking forward they will go.  Yesterday 29 July I called, they didn't confirm yet, I told them less than a month to departure, they said wait for next week.  Hopefully next week we can get the answer. Hoping to go to Eastern Europe. Just pray hard