Day #8 (27/6/2020)
Distance travelled: 0 km (but 32 km kayaked!)
Conditions overnight were uneventful; no storm, no heat, not even a barking dog. No sooner than we blinked our eyes open, we made our way down to the sea for a dip. Looking back at our camping spot, from the sea, I noticed we had those scary, spider-looking trees overshadowing our tent. On closer inspection of these trees, as we packed the tent away, we spotted orange fruits (looking similar to pineapples) nestled at the base of the pointy green leaves. After some investigation on google, we got a match with our basic descriptions and learned that they are called Pandanus Tectorius.
We walked over to the hotel where we had planned for our kayak rental on the previous evening and spent the rest of the morning there writing, drinking coffee, and eating lunch. Shortly after, we packed essentials, gobbled down a sweet, crispy roti for further fuel, and made our way over to the kayaks. The owner insisted we take a life jacket each, if only to wear them close to the shore, so to cover his ass, should a policeman see us.
The plan was to explore Koh Libong by entering its estuary, continue along the river, then come out at the south end of the island, head around its perimeter, and back home before sunset. By around 13:00, we’d secured our several water bottles, sandals, and dry bag in the storage space, fastened with a bungee cord. We took our places – me in the front, Dimi in the back – and off we paddled. There were numerous white clouds overhead, however, the sun was still able to peer around and shine down on us. We approached the little rocky isle just out of the beach in no time and floated here to take some pictures and remove our life jackets. From here, Dimi could see a beach close to the estuary’s entrance on Koh Libong, so we headed straight towards it. On our way, we encountered many long-tail boats equipped with loud engines and only a few people on board. How this must look during high-season. Each boat that passed by closely, created a ripple of waves, and upon reaching us, swayed our kayak. We both enjoyed the rocking motion.
It took us roughly an hour to pull the kayak ashore and set foot on Koh Libong’s beach. We were soon accosted by a pack of barking dogs. After perceiving us as non-threatening, they withdrew. Other than that, no other being made a surprise appearance and we were left alone to saunter about. After some picture-taking and a cool-down in the sea, we were back on board and moved leisurely into the river. Once in, we came across a busy pier with many locals waiting to embark on one of the many docked boats. They smiled warmly at us as we paddled into view. We continued on forward and left the noise behind. All that could be heard then was the sploshing sound of the oars stroking the water. Birds intermittently broke out into a tuneful song. However, they apparently were too shy to grace us with their appearance. During periods, when the mangroves’ shade was available on the shore, we sailed close and got to peek in the forest. It was wildly populated by shrubs and trees. But still, no creatures could be seen.
We followed the aquatic lanes as they snaked around for quite some time. We then saw an opening to the sea and soon felt its waves. There was a small, sandy beach just before we reached the river’s south end. We tried to paddle over to it, but the water was very sallow and we soon got stranded. I jumped out and gave the kayak a good push. Off it went. It certainly felt nice to get back in the water.
Once back out into the open sea, we straight away spotted a tower at the end of what we assumed was a pier. We headed towards it, as it was on our route anyway. The waves were very choppy now and the sun had disappeared behind ominous clouds. On our right, there was a busy fishing village, with many houses on stilts and a beautifully-coloured mosque surrounded by dense palm trees. It took approximately an hour to reach the watchtower. Groups of people were climbing up and down its steps. We struggled, at first, to secure the Kayak’s cord to one of the posts on the pier as the waves kept bashing the kayak. Eventually, after much patience and prompt knot fastening, Dimi managed it. However, it wasn’t going to remain tied for a long time, as Dimi did then drop the bombshell… It was already 17:00 and we might have needed another 3 hours or more to go. Holy shit! I had honestly pictured another 1.5 hours left of paddling and that we would be home just before sunset, sipping a beer at our bar. Due to this new information, we were back on the kayak in record time.
This stretch of sea had many large turtles swimming close to us. It was just pure joy to see! They made such a sound as they popped their head above the surface to draw in a breath. For the last time, we encountered a long-tail boat with a man who seemed slightly amused to see us. These encounters were a nice distraction from the wind that faced us directly, making our pace very sluggish. Dimi explained, once we get to the corner ahead of us, the wind will change, making it much easier to paddle, and our speed should quicken. We slowly reached the corner but still had resistance as we powered on to the next corner. I now felt quite fatigued and my neck was stiff from poor posture and technique.
Dimi kindly suggested we stop for a break by some anchored boats up ahead, as he could sense I was struggling. Once we made it past those boats, we pulled the oars aboard, settled in a more comfortable position, and let the kayak drift for a bit. There was a long stretch of sand housing a posh resort and a small mosque. Oh, how nice it would have been to stay here tonight, replenish our (mainly my) energies, and continue paddling in the morning; we both thought it! However, we picked up our oars and turned the kayak to face the next corner, hoping to make it there before sundown and clearly see which way home is.
The mosque played out its beautiful sunset prayer as we started to paddle away. Even though the wind and waves were behind us now, we moved at a slower pace than before. I was done. I soon had to stop paddling at intervals as my neck couldn’t handle it anymore. Each stroke was painful. Dimi said that, at this rate, it would be dark before we reach the corner so to keep a watchful eye out for potential hazards ahead. A starry night sky was now to be our light, and it was beautiful. We even saw a slow-moving shooting star. Above the surface, everything felt calm; I just had to ignore my racing thoughts of what lay below. One final break for both of us, before reaching home. We both just took in where we were right now in the world and it was an amazing feeling to just look around us. As we came close to the corner, Dimi noticed lights ahead of us and stated that that was home for a morale boost. It certainly was! This warm feeling was short-lived, however… Dimi went “Wow, did you see that? it was huge!” as I turn around to get a quick glimpse of a massive back disappearing under the kayak. What the fuck was that? I freaked out! “Why did you have to say that!?” I cried, “I’d rather not know, right now!” I braced myself, expecting the kayak to be tipped over. Thankfully it never did. And I can safely say now, back on land, I’m glad about the visit from the unknown, rather large, creature. Researching about the area’s large marine life, we later figured out that it must have been one of the rare dugongs that inhabit the waters surrounding Koh Libong.
From there on, it took us approximately another hour to slowly arrive at our beach and pull our kayak on land. It was now 21:30. We were warmly greeted by the owner, who encouraged us to rest, take a shower, and have a beer. He said he was wondering where we may have been and was impressed by our long route. Dimi ordered food and a beer while I stayed flat out on his shoulder, knackered, wanting nothing more than my bed. We pitched the tent back on our previous night’s spot and… goodnight.
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