Hopscotch: Canopi in Bintan

Viv and I had decided to wake up at 6 am and go for a walk around the lagoon. Xena had heard our plans and immediately instructed us to wake her up and take her along. We were planning to do at least two rounds of the lagoon, and taking her along would have seriously compromised it, so we let her sleep while we set off.

A good 3-km walk later, we returned to find her awake and slightly cross at not being taken along. So Viv humoured her by taking her for a short walk around our tent.

Father and daughter set off on their morning walk.

Our ferry was in the late afternoon, so we had decided to spend the morning at the activity area, trying our hand at things we had never done before. Mom decided to skip that portion, so we dropped her back at the tent after breakfast.

The monkey doing her usual monkey antics

We took random photos while waiting for our buggy.

Yes, I can pick her up with one hand. No credit to my muscles, of course.

At last, our buggy arrived and in a few minutes, we were in the activity area, picking out what we wanted to do.

Ford Model T buggy ride

Viv wanted to do the motocross but it wasn't available. I was dying to get on a Segway because I'd never done it before and had always wanted to.

Xena and I pose near the Segways.

Xena helped me with my Segway gear.

All set! Nervous but excited!

The guide asked me if I'd ever seen on a Segway and confidently said, "NEVER." He smiled and taught me the basics.

And off I go!

The guide led the way on an electric scooter. I just had to follow and make sure I wasn't too fast or too slow.

The weather was really nice. Not too sunny and perfect for a Segway ride. I was a bit wobbly at first, but I got the hang of it soon and was able to keep up with the guide quite easily. At one point, I went a little ahead of him and he panicked. "Too fast! If you go over 20, the Segway will be unstable."

"Erm, I'm going at 14." I told him. He smiled and stopped panicking thereafter.

Viv tries to capture us from the other side of the lagoon.

The end of the ride! I was sad, but exhilarated at the same time.

Next up - a ride on the mini electric ATV for Xena.

She got on the bike, but the guide took one look at her and said she was too tiny to ride it by herself. "She can go with another child, an older one," he said. Unfortunately, we had not catered to this requirement and were unable to produce an older sibling on the spot.

"Can you go with her?" I asked Viv.

"Can I go with her?" Viv asked the guide.

The guide looked Viv up and down and asked, "You how many kilo?"

"70."

"OH! Cannot!"

"What's the maximum weight?" I asked. I thought he would say 20 or 30.

"60 can." He said.

What?! Phew!

"I'm 56." I told him.

"Ok can."

So Xena and I got on the ATV, Xena looking thrilled and me looking like a complete idiot on that tiny vehicle.

Off we go! "You can go faster on this than the Segway," my guide said. Gee, thanks. :/

And once again, Viv takes a picture from the other side of the lagoon.

And back we are, after a full round of the lagoon. Xena was thrilled, and secretly, so was I. Under normal circumstances. I'd have never gotten to ride one of these things.

A buggy was there to take us back, and Viv captured this shot of a yawning Xena in the rear view mirror.

We still had over two hours to kill before heading for lunch and then our ferry, so we decided to play... Uno, of course! Many, many rounds later, we packed up and checked out of our tent. "I will miss our tent," Xena was almost in tears.

But she cheered up soon after.

The weather had gotten even cooler and soon we saw clouds approaching. The walk from our tent to the restaurant was less than 5 minutes so we thought we'd easily make it, but all of a sudden, the rain poured down hard. Viv and Xena dashed off, while I fumbled in my bag for my umbrella (trust a Singaporean to always have an umbrella in her bag!) because I knew Mom wouldn't be able to walk that fast. The rain was now lashing down, but thanks to the umbrella, we were dry when we reached.

Xena looked like a poor little wet kitten though!

The rain and the lagoon

The restaurant staff immediately pulled down the screens to prevent the rain from getting in, but it still did. We loved it though.

Soon, we were done with lunch, and waited at the reception area for the bus to take us to the ferry terminal.

Daddy velociraptor and baby velociraptor try to scare the paparazzi away.

Awwww... safe in daddy's arms

Not so much in mommy's arms maybe?

Parting shot just outside the BBT ferry terminal

What a fab vacation! Short, but sweet, and incredibly refreshing. Till we meet again, ciao! Until then, I'll look at Xena's drawings and repeat with her, "I miss the ferry... and the tent... and the lagoon!"