Leaving Muara

22 March 2008: Muara to Sampean

Day 2

Who would have thought of waking up early after yesterday? Well almost everyone; ready to go. What short memory we had.

Another 30km. After yesterday's paddle, this sounded peanuts.

After a hearty buffet breakfast at Grand Sentosa, we were eager to move on.

The locals gathered around, like in all expeditions we had, to see us off. The departure was delayed when Lee and JB had to satisfy giggling teenage girls asking for pictures. Their moody boyfriends were asked to take the pictures.

I like the water in the morning, glassy, waxy, smooth, and gliding fast. We had not gone a few hundred meters when Elke was having problems with her kayak, which was pulling to one side.

New folding kayaks stretch their skins. After yesterday's epic paddle, the skin on Elke's new kayak had fully stretched but the frame inside had not. This loose frame was what causing the kayak to drag sideways. There was only one solution - reassemble the kayak.

So I told Chan to go ahead and text me the coordinates when they find a lunch spot. We will catch up then. Straightforward.

When Elke and me moved off, yet another storm was gathering ahead. I tightened my hat and sprayskirt.

"Do you think the storm will pass if we waited?", Elke asked.

So we decided to slow paddle, in the hope that the storm will passed. Unknown to us, the team in front were scrambling to avoid the storm.