Fishing at Pulau Jarak

Following the Jakarta trip, the next thing I did was go to Pulau Jarak sometime near Christmas 2009 on a trip organized by Ah Chong from Sabre Tackle.

This was my second time going to Jarak and on the same fishing boat - the GT Chaser the most coverted sport fishing vessel in the Jarak waters. Book at least a year ahead or you will be severely disappointed. Why do fishing kakis like this boat so much? I donno, but these are the reasons I like it:

1) Its got a wonderful toilet and bathroom - real flushing and running tap water
2) The sleeping cabin is super clean - in fact the whole boat is super clean
3) There are 3 meals served on board (which is so yummy as the Pakcik really is serious about cooking) Plus a tea time which he usually serve some sweet soupy dessert
4) The boat is also very fishing friendly you can pop at both the front and back of the boat and jig all around the whole boat
5) The captain is also a very professional person.

The trip was good, I din catch anything except for a 2kg Tenggiri (Spanish Mackerel) but I din get to take a pic immediately coz the captain was worried of the blood dirtying his boat. Other people caught bigger Tenggiris and also GTs. The catch rate was not as good as most people would expect but we had a good time. There was however, an unusual number of lines breaking and jigs lost compared to the 1st time that I was there. But then that is the fun in fishing every trip to the same place is always different.

I had a blast at night netting the flying fishes for the guys to use as baits. But I made it a rule not to fish after showering at night coz I really draw the line at smelling like fresh fish when I go to bed.


A tenggiri and Ang Choh



Little Ang Choh and Stingray



A Talang and Rainbow Runner



A Little GT


Group Photo

Pampering in Jakarta

Its been a long time since I have updated this blog... for some reason, since trekking to Everest Base Camp in Nepal, its been most difficult to write anything meaningful, all manner of describing the trip seems pale in comparison to the actual event, so F*** it, I just decided to stay low. Until now, the writing bug seems to have crept up overnight and I am just bursting to write about anything at all, not that I have so many readers anyway hahahahah....

Since last December, I took a looooonnnng break, partly because I feel like I needed it to get some perspective on my priorities in life and also partly because I was at a cross road in my career. Anyway, as fate would have it, the bug to write coincided with the time of me getting back into the workforce in the next few days rather than started at the beginning of my break... so too bad for me hehehe

I started off the break by visiting a friend in Jakarta. That was a most interesting trip to just unwind from working. It was just getting to know the lifestyle that my friend was leading as an expat in the city and it gave me insight as to why a single lady would prefer to live an expat life in Jakarta. It was a tremendously fun and indulging trip for a group of ladies. As all ladies only trip goes, it will not be super economical, but since when pampering is truly economical??? Of course it was not bank account crippling either, on the whole, Jakarta seems to cater to pampering slightly more cheaply than KL.

Things to look out for:

1) The Cream Bath. The most heavenly hair wash you can ever get... 1 hour of head massage leaving your hair super soft and of course after that you get to have the compulsory big hair do (blown dry) which makes you feel like a rich Datin. With the hair do, you can confidently go window shopping and eat out in the poshest place in Jakarta and fit right in :)

2) The shopping. There are fabulous shopping to be done within the city, can't remember which place I went to, but it is filled to the brim with the latest fashions from Korea at a reasonable price. I had a good time in Carrefour surprisingly as the clothes and the shoes (especially the shoes since I am a shoe freak) are pretty and very reasonably priced as well. I bought a pair of flat heeled ballerina slippers which some of my friends say looks like kuih lapis for less than RM20.

3) Sop Buntut. Sounds gross but tastes heavenly. It beef though, you have to be warned. I think I had my first taste of it in Secret Recipe in Jakarta and subsequently, you will know how to order it every where else you go hahahaha

4) The Manadonese food. Yummy yummy and super hot and spicy!!! I had it at a restaurant named Beautika, seems like it used to be a beauty parlour but became famous for its food instead.

That is about all I did in Jakarta, of course catching up with friends was the most important agenda of the visit.