We arrived in Mersing, in the heat of the day, just around2pm,  Just our luck, the ferry was leaving at 2 so making that ferry was out of the question.  We knew that this was a possibility as the ferry goes according to the tide.  Wanting to secure our spot at Panuba, we booked with a travel agent.  We came all this way, didn't want to miss out on this inn.  

     We weren't sure how we were going to spend the next 24 hours in this sleepy fishing village.  We walked around cruising in and out of shops, each time followed by cute young girls eager to sell us something.  By sheer luck, we found a great place for dinner; a Thai place.  We ordered what the owner recommended and we were rewarded with a fantastic meal.  Crab in black pepper sauce in a clay pot, and a mango salad.  Both were fantastic! So, having to spend the night in this little fishing village turned out to be a great evening of food.  

     The next day, we took the opportunity to do some 'housekeeping'.  Jon went for a hair cut while I did laundry.  For RM10 (or $3), he had a cut, complete with lemon balm, a shoulder massage and a neck adjustment.  Now that is service!  Clean up, we were ready for the beach. 

     A long wait and then a seemingly longer ferry ride and we arrived at Palau Tioman.  A few stops and we come to the jetty for Air Batang, or as the locals refer to it: ABC.  We were greeted with a massive monsoon downpour.  The good thing about these rains is that they are fierce and fleeting.  They deliver the needed rain, and then move on.  My kind of rain.  

     At our hotel, reservation safely made we arrive and soon learn that we are the second guests this season.  They have just opened after being closed for two months, and are literally 'just' ready for guests.  Panuba Inn has a very relaxed flair to it.  The restaurant sits on the beach overlooking a beautiful bay with crystal clear aquamarine water.  Sitting at the restaurant or on our deck is just wonderful, warm breezes flow by, fishing boats rest in the harbour and the waves melodically hit the shore.   It is easy to sit and chill here.  For a bit of adventure, one can walk to ABC or farther to the next village, Telek.  ABC is smaller than Telek, but both are really small villages.  Walking along the paved walkway, we pass by small cafes, some open others are still closed. Some cafes are like what you would find in the Caribbean while others are small Muslim family operated with signs declaring it to be alcohol free zones.  The whole vibe is laaaaid back.  

     We stayed for just under a week here.  Anna and Paul joined us on Tuesday - we felt like we were welcoming them into our private property.  We were the first foreign guests this season.  We spent our time investigating this area of the island.  We had heard about a secluded bay aptly named Monkey Bay.  We had heard that the hike would take about 45 minutes.  Not true! It took us much longer. The hike traversed some pretty dense vegetation.  Up and around huge boulders, stepping over fallen logs, slipping and sliding on the wet forest floor - we just had to make sure that we followed the hydro lines.  We made it to the first beach in just under an hour and suspect that those who told us "45 minutes" only made it this far.  However, our handy-dandy iPhone map told us that we were not quite there yet. Onward we went, plus all those tourists there (4 of them) made it a bit crowded for us! 

     The next bit of the hike took almost an hour and then we saw the bay.  A beautiful horsehoe shaped bay, large boulders framing it's edges and a perfect sandy beach beckoning our barefeet to stroll along it. We disrobe and head for a swim, by the time we reached this bay we are drenched in sweat - more sweat than the best of squash matches!  Paul headed into the water first while we put our bags on the beach by a log.  The water was very shallow and we had to walk out quite a distance in order to swim.  Well, it the truth be told, we were really just wading.  We did manage to get the a spot that was more than about two feet deep.  So we sat and cooled off our hot bodies, it was a great refresh.  Turns out there is a reason why it is called Monkey Bay.  As Jon headed back to shore he saw a couple of monkeys rummaging through our bags.  He frightened them away but not before they tried some sunscreen, took apart Anna's bag and left our stuff strewn across the beach - those little monkeys! 

     The rest of our time was spent enjoying the beach, collecting shells that we really can't (or shouldn't) take home, walking into town for pizza and enjoying some down time.  We cut our stay by one day to have more time in Singapore, as a result we get to leave with Anna and Paul - much more fun to travel with friends (although every where we go, Jon seems to find someone to become friends with).  

     Our ferry was scheduled to leave the jetty in Tekek at 3:30.  We came up with the brilliant idea to leave our Panuba Resort earlier and enjoy lunch sometime in ABC.  The food at Panuba was becoming boring and we had definitely sampled all the goodies on the menu that were interesting.  The resort could use a bit of upgrading to take it from awesome to uber awesome.  And as Paul put it, "that could have been exciting, as it turns out it was rather dull" -  quite reflective!!

     The ferry to and from Palau Tioman operates according to the tides.  It is a fairly big boat carrying about 180 passengers, we sat at the back to avoid the nasty feeling created by motion sickness.  I sat outside to get some fresh air and Jonny, my protector, sat with me.  As we were approaching the mainland, about 10km out, we started noticing some black oil out on the water.  Ugh, now I was feeling guilty about our means of travel causing such awful pollution.  After several 'spills' and black clouds of smoke, we are told to head inside; things are not looking good.  We could hear the engine trying to work but at the same time we could tell that we were slowing down.  After a few moments,  a man came to the back where we are sitting and asked us to return to inside of the cabin.  Something was not going as planned. No word from the captain or staff but Snoop-Doggy-Dog-Jon saw two young men go down under the boat with a snorkel and a knife.  After a lot of commotion, and more diving, it appears that we have something tangled up in one of the rotors.  The use of a knife followed by a hack saw and we heard the engine start up.  Not quite  the comforting sound we wanted to hear, the engine tried to start, but we could feel it wasn't right.  It was getting darker and the boat was rolling from side to side, dipping and diving.  We were stopped beside an island, all of us wondering if we were going to spend the night on the island.  After a lot of diving, no new from the staff, we eventually got going and headed for the shore.  It was not a fast ride but we were moving towards land.  Everyone onboard felt good that we were getting closer and could see the lights on shore.  An hour later we pulled up to the jetty, relieved and tired from the worry.  The most troublesome part for me was that no one seemed to be called to help us.  I guess they knew what was going on and had everything under control. Whew!