It was in one of my early post that I touched on the mysteries of Pulau Besar located some 25km off the city's coast. Well, the I was presented with opportunity to taking another boat ride out the one of the four smaller islands close to Pulau Besar called Pulau Nangka (Jackfruit Island) that is also shourded in mystery and lost treasure.
The trip was with a group of Tourism Malaysia and Malacca Museums Corporation personnel on a familiarization and clean visit to the island. Assigned Pelf Yeen to cover the assignment and tag along to get my first had visit of the island.
The weather was good and the island, less than 4 hectares had not much to offer except clear enough waters to see my toes at a depht of a meter and a coral reef for snorkeling.
The island is 'special' in a sense that it has been associated with lost treasure since time immemorial. Even the country's famous mystic, Datuk Harun Din, was said to have spent 44 days on the island trying to coaxe its spiritual keepers to give up the location of the treasure.
The boatmen that ferried us there, in particular a seasoned 60-year-old seahand named Pak Siran mentioned the island's significance prior to the 1400s. He said that it was one of the very few island along the West Coast that provided fresh water to ancient martime ships that sailed the monsoons.
What is evenmore interesting was the island was bought by a local Chinese tycoon in the 1990s and later bought back by the Malacca Museums Corporation in 1997/98. Curiously enough, Pak Siran said that there was talk of the waters off the island being scoured for treasure over the years.
Several museum staff said that some of the treasure seekers had even blown up large boulders and rocks with dynamite in an attempt to located the mystical carvern of treasure and gold beneath the island but to no avail.
After lunch at at Pulau Nangka, the group decided to head for Pulau Besar for a 'one-hour'tour. Upon arriving on Pulau Besar recently, both of us decided to opt to wait for the group at the jetty as we had 'tour' the place on previous occasion.
So much for that though as things got really hot later for Pelf and me. Both in terms of heat and the annoyance of waiting...the one hour dragged on to more than three. There was not much to do but to wait much to the annoyance of the boatmen who were also kept waiting. To make matters worse...the oppressive heat changed when we noticed an inland storm brewing towards sea. It was almost 6pm and I had to rush back to clear a story while Pelf had a dinner date.
The only light moment I had in all the waiting, and to added to Pelf's already going Hakka mad, was when I noticed her arm looking like a boiled red lobster. Told her about it and she didn't really see the extent of it until I took a shot of it to show her the contrast. Bamb....mistake....bamb....as this led to Pelf going going ballastic and whipping out her umbrella and portable mini-fan. (which made me laugh even harder).
She was going on about wearing 'long-sleeves' and staying in doors for the next two weeks excluding saying...'those 'Fair and Lovely' or Olay whitening cream better work'. (She have never used them before). So much for that. The strom came and we finally made it back to the Parameswara Jetty with the group at about 6.20pm with dusk rapidly falling.
It was when I reached home that I realized that the last laugh was on me instead. Took one look in the mirror and almost fainted..with both Karen and Kyra having a good laugh too. Well, a picture speaks a thousand words...they say...and they also said those 'Fair and Lovely' cream works...really...they better.
To None I Wish Ill But To All I Wish Peace and Love.
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