Thursday, April 22, 2010

The Anti-Climax and Borneo

The idea came to me about 3 months ago. You see, when you think of Borneo, you think of jungle, trees, orangutans, and carnivorous plants... but surf? So, I began to ask around, casually.
Most people just gave me blank stares. “Surf in Borneo? No can.”

Until finally a local Malaysian gave me my first lead with a nod of her head. And that was that, I was going to Borneo in search of surf!

So, here I am about three months post-revelation and after five days on the northern end of the Island. Sad to say but I came back without having had my surf :(

We headed to Kota Kinabalu for two days of island hopping. From there, we gave ourselves three days to find surf at the most northern end, Kudat-- a land that boasts some of the most beautiful beaches.

Given the season, the time of day, etc. I’m sure our plan would have come through. Simpang Mengayau, for instance, had some solid beach break surf that could prove quite exciting given the right time. But in any case, even with whatever surf we found we couldn’t ride because there were no boards to be found. Our guide didn’t even understand the concept and kept calling it “standing tree” (which he probably thought meant standing under a tree and looking at the waves. Poor drawing skills on my part).

Moral of the story, surfing doesn’t figure into the locals’ lives. And it wasn’t going to figure into our holiday either... But I wouldn’t rule it out forever. I’ll be back some day with board in hand to chase the waves in a land of jungle on the South China Sea.

Despite not having found what I came looking for, the trip did not disappoint. Instead of surf I found some of the nicest waters and beaches. Stretches of white sand looking out into the ocean without a single other person there to take it away from you. I reckon when backpackers first started traveling and discovering Southeast Asia-- in places where they would stumble upon like Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia-- this was exactly the highs they were getting. Lonesome, lost, foreign, guide-less. But, with nature unfolding and unwritten right under their feet.




Overall, Borneo was the perfect beach holiday-- a welcome break before the turmoil of exams!

Now I’m back in Singapore with two weeks left of my undergraduate degree.
Suddenly I’m having flashbacks to day one: running through the Vancouver Airport, drying my tears and hopes high for the Big Wild World just across that ocean.

Well World, you definitely did not disappoint.

With the End in sight, I feel slightly nostalgic about the adventures I’ve had and equally scared about what is to come next. For once, I really don’t know where to be. I don’t have class attendance to make; nor a flight to catch. And I definitely don’t have a commitment that can’t wait a year... .

I have my bags, and a world that just got a whole lot bigger.

Slowly I'm beginning to realize, there was no “first day” and there sure as hell isn’t a last either. So I’ll stop keeping track of time for now...