Malaysia, along Malay Peninsula

The ship left Singapore at 5pm and is set to travel north-west along the Malay Peninsula. According to the itinerary, we will reach Redang Island, which is located in the state of Kuala Trengganu at 11am, the following morning.

Map taken from: http://www.dive-the-world.com/maps-malay-peninsula.php

So, while on the ship, I have dedicated myself in appreciating the white, fluffy clouds..

...and the beautiful sunset along the Malay Peninsula.

It was really windy on the deck as we tried to get to the ship's railing. We could have been easily swept off balance if we do not make our way carefully.

We spent quite a long time just watching the stunning sunset and the frothy sea water made by the ship. After that, we seek for other fun activities we can find on the ship. There's nothing much to do seriously other than gaming at the ship's arcade or reading my storybooks at the cabin.
 

Singapore, Cruise on Superstar Virgo

My vacation was better than expected as I embarked on a cruise for the first time with Jas. In fact, we barely could not contain our excitement when we checked in at the immigration. 

From the boarding area at Harbour Front Centre, the ship was an epitome of traveling in luxury to me and I found my legs moving towards the ship on its own accord. Jas's long legs carried her even faster as I closed in the distance and snapped some photos along the way.  

I guess the idea of getting away and dislodging temporarily from the normal routines had made this trip worth every penny spent; especially the bliss I felt - the realisation that I did not need to go to work for one whole week. Hooray!!

"Little" boats by the side of the cruise ship are headed for Batam island, an island that is 1-2 hours away from Singapore.

Got to be in the right lane. This is where we collect our boarding card so that we could access all the facilities on the ship, including our cabin.

We made our way to our cabin room. It's a long stretch of corridor. We must have walked the entire length of the ship before getting to the right cabin.

The toilet was at the doorway.. really tiny toilet as there wasn't much room to move about. The cabin is also small with an even smaller TV. Not many channels but I will survive with 2 books in handy. There's a welcoming plate of fruits on the table and a comfortable sofa.

I couldn't resist the bed so that is why the bed sheets look crumpled in the next picture.. and then there's the attached balcony to our cabin.

The Integrated Resort at Sentosa taken from our cabin balcony. 

The cable car to Sentosa from Mount Faber. Now, come to think of it, I've never taken the 'jewel' cable car before...

We took the time exploring the ship and finding out about the shore tour itineraries. Exciting... and equally refreshing as I get to enjoy my first mocktail, after 3 hrs of our time together on the cruise ship. 

South Korea's Haenyeo (Jeju)

The trip in Jeju brought me to a lighthouse, which is built on a cliff. It's a popular scenic spot as many Korean drama have been shot at the lighthouse. While on the cliff, I happen to spot a strange orange "ball" floating on the sea water below. 
 

Deeply intrigued at that time, I was lucky that my camera could zoom in. It's actually a diver, a woman diver to be exact. In Korea, they are known as 'Haenyeo'.

The Haenyeo are full time divers who dive as deep as 60 feet or more, to pry loose seashells underwater. What amazed me is that these divers use only simple tools such as iron picks and scythes to get seashells. On top of that, they don't even need oxygen tank!

We cruised Jeju the next day and we spotted a group of haenyeo gathering their catch and taking a rest on the rocks. I was told that haenyeo is a woman profession and they always operated in a group for safety reasons. Each generation of haenyeo used to pass down their skills to the next generation.

However, the numbers of Haenyeo is dwindling rapidly today. This is because there's not many young people who want to battle the bone chilling water daily and risk getting lung infection. It is one of the traditions that will face extinction in the future, which doesn't surprise me at all, but I was taken aback when I was told that the oldest diver in Jeju is 90 years old. Imagine that..

Our trip to Jeju wouldn't be complete without eating the seafood which is greatly abundant and extremely cheap. This hotpot was meant for 2 people, but even with 5 people eating this, we still can't finish it. The portion was really huge and generous. Not to mention, it was the freshest seafood I've ever eaten.