siglap a

That's the name of my hut. They give names to each cluster of huts. Rather cheesy - the other clusters are also named in Malay after streets and roads in the mainland.

And it was for a steal so I kind of enjoyed myself with the 3 days and 2 nights of casual worklessness and just strolling and reading and soaking up the nice breeze and sun.

So casual I even managed trips back and forth to shop and sightsee and makan.

Only bummers being the awful industrial engine aircon cranking on and off and driving me nuts. And the bloody kids from some school cheering some ghostbusting chants at some event.

But anyway. Stayed overnight at the beach sleeping under the sky watching stars - heard so much from friends about the night skies in Oz and Kiwiland filled to the BRIM with those little enchantments - so I thought I'd try it and it was cool. Empty peopleless stretch of sand and water, other than yours truly of course. Cool and rather clear sky too. Saw quite a handful of those sparklies (hope they're not satellites though).

Only bummers being losing like maybe half a litre of blood feeding those irritating mozzies.

Oh and that TOTALLY whacked out old geezer - at least I think so cos he walked with a stoop - who appeared out of nowhere at midnight and started SHOUTING at the top of his voice at intervals to the sea and scaring the shit out of sleeping me.

Old geezer then proceeded to walk patches of the beach and stop - YELL. And then walk, stop and HOLLER. Like calling for sea spirits or having some unfinished argument with ships (at that point I don't know if he's even sane) or something.

And he started towards MY direction.

For a TEENY moment I felt I was an unwitting little blip in a gory beach movie about to be decapitated or stabbed.

Nope, he's not carrying a machete or switchblade cos old geezer then suddenly jumped into the FREEZING WATER and SWAM.

INTO THE FUCKING ICY COLD WATER.

AT THE WITCHING HOUR AFTER MIDNIGHT.

Some. Humans. Are simply. NUTS.

Or plain masochistic.

Anyway, that was the only high (if I may say so) in a moderate tide of restfulness.

What I loved best about the stay?

Would be that moment in the morning at 8am after I have showered and brushed and cleaned up and I'm strolling down the steps and heading for breakfast and at the foot of the steps the beachfront spreads out in front of you and it's bright and clear and breezy and there's NOT a single person (except moi of course), creep or critter in sight.

Everything quiet and calm.

And I'd just stand or sit on a bench for a while and just soak it in and chill...