Service for Nature! (Pulau Semakau)

There is pleasure in the pathless woods,

But there is rapture on the lonely shore.

There is society where none intrudes,

By the deep sea, and music in its roar.

I love Man not the less,

But Nature more.

-Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, Canto IV

Lord Byron 1818

***

Pulau Semakau trip on the 29th September. Was in Group Anemone headed by our guide Ron. Won't touch much on the biodiversity here but if you're interested there are pictures in Ron's. It was an awesome trip! We learnt and seen so much and it was so much more effective if we could actually see what we're learning first-hand. Finally fulfilling the meaning of outdoor learning. The sights were a-mazing I am afraid I cannot emphasize enough how deeply calming it is to be there on the shore and the sun changed color every few minutes and the sunset was beautiful :D It's a pity I can't capture the wind on camera but there was a cooling sea breeze constantly making the walk doubly enjoyable to be able to smell and see life all around you!

The forest we had to walk through at night too. Walking blindly in the dark in a forest swarmed with mozzies wasn't a pleasant thing, much less on a slippery muddy trail but we "bashed" through it at top speed through the leaves and all it was quite fun!

The Common Sea Star. No guts, no brains and it'll try to flip itself over when it is put upside down. We were watching in awe throughout the process but "it's brainless so sometimes it takes quite long for all the tentacles to flip coordinately on the right sides"

Wading through calf-deep waters filled with seaweed.

The sea cucumber has got to be the funniest thing. It's like this huge slobbery slug just there in the waters and really funny. It pulsates when you touch it! Squishy feeling.

It was already nightfall by the time we walked back to the shore (My camera died when it was uploading the night pictures) and we were like stranded kids the few of us-- Barefooted, frantically spraying insect repellant, socks on the road. Yes, in the middle of a deserted road with no streetlamps. We were jumping continuously while trying to swat off the mozzies, what a sight to behold :D

Took a ferry back and it wasn't lighted but airconditioned I could sleep deeply on the softly rocking boat on the waves. Spent quite long on the boat almost "jumped boat" because one was blocking our way to the jetty. But I wasn't complaining, always love the feeling of being in a non-urbanized place :D I love camps in that way, and probably can spend months in the countryside or an island.

Except I think I really need clean toilets.