After one week in the big city of Kuala Lumpur, Megan and I packed up our heavy bags and made our way to the bus station. After hearing me talk about the Path of Least Resistance trip and how much I loved Tioman Island, Megan agreed to join me for a week before we went our separate ways. Coincidentally, Candice, Amy, and Joni were also free to come so we planned a little reunion.
From Kuala Lumpur, we took the overnight bus across the peninsula to the coastal town of Mersing, then caught the morning ferry to the island. Once off the ferry, we met Karim who coordinated a transfer boat to drop us off at Bagus Place Retreat and I could feel my excitement build as we approached the pier. This excitement quickly turned to confusion as it seemed the pier was in much worse condition than when I visited just 2 months before. The entire lower platform used to get on and off the boat was completely gone, destroyed by a big swell. Somehow, we managed to climb up the remaining pieces of wood and haul our heavy bags up onto the dock.
Karim helped us with our bags and the 5 of us girls settled into the same house where Candice and I stayed before. Candice, Joni, Amy, and I excitedly caught up and shared stories of where we’d been over the last months apart. Candice had completed yoga teacher training in Sri Lanka, Joni had begun teaching Dutch online and was traveling with her boyfriend, will, in Indonesia, and Amy was still living onboard SV Millennium with new crew. After spending so much time together in Langkawi, I didn’t realize how close we had become and how much I missed them.
I was so excited to introduce Megan into this girl group but she seemed to be suffering from extreme burnout. As soon as her bags were inside, she hibernated for the next week, rarely leaving the room to grab a quick snack and go back to bed. I felt bad for dragging her to this island but knew the only thing I could do now was leave her be and enjoy my time with the other girls instead.
We spent the first couple of days enjoying Bagus Place Retreat and each other’s company. We sat on the dock in the morning lazily drinking coffees and painting with watercolors,
afternoons snorkeling off the pier, and evenings cooking dinner with Karim followed by a bonfire on the beach to welcome the full moon. I felt a deep gratitude for this time with these people. Each one of us seemed to be in a strange life transition, not knowing where we were going next or where the rest of the year would take us. We were lost but we were all together at the same time.
One day the monkeys broke into the kitchen and compromised much of the fresh food we brought with us to the island. We made the long walk into town only to find out that the supply ship didn’t come this week and the only store was poorly stocked. Luckily we were with Karim who showed us how to forage around town, collecting mangos, avocados, limes, lemon grass, and other fresh stuff. Normally, I wouldn’t feel comfortable foraging in front yards but Karim’s friends seemed to be amused at the collection of white girls following him around.
On another day, Candice planned to paint a mural at Simukut Place, one of the places Candice and I stayed during our first visit. Our friend, Din, had just finished building an outdoor patio for his restaurant and there was a blank wall on which Candice sketched a large dragon-shaped island depicting the local mythology of the island. We spent the rest of the day following Candice’s instructions on where to paint and in what color. It was a really fun day as we painted away and danced to music. As the dragon took form, Din commented that he was so happy he could cry. It felt really good to give back to this small village in some way.
Kai and Adi arrived from Kuala Lumpur to join our growing friend group, along with Tam who Candice and I knew from before. Our family-style dinners at Bagus Place were enough to fill the former restaurant space as a few of Karim’s friends from the town joined in. It was starting to feel like an adult summer camp especially as we set off to tackle one last bucket list item on the island.
The next day, we all walked back to the village to hike up the Dragon’s Horns, the name given to the rocky peaks of the island. It was a strenuous 2.5-hour hike up the mountain as Karim pointed out interesting plants and insects along the way. We hoped to find the famous parasitic rafflesia flower, one of the largest flowers in the world but unfortunately, it wasn’t blooming at the time. After the hike, we ate at one of the only restaurants in town and had earned the new identity of the painting girls and asked if we could paint a mural there in the future.
The week went by quickly and I tried to savor every moment of it. I knew trying to get a group of friends together like this at this point in all our lives would never happen again. I wished I could pause time or somehow make the week last a little longer. As I’ve grown older, I realize how special it is to have a sense of belonging in a place and group of friends.
I had a flight to Indonesia to catch it because I decided to go cruising again.
❤️☮️🌍