Having just left Singapore yesterday afternoon and to arrive at the island archipelago of Pulau Lintang could not show you two more different sides of a coin.
The futuristic city, with its towering buildings, has a bustling, almost tangible pace, and is a veritable hive of activity. While the setting was dramatically different, we had our own flurry of activities on the picturesque white sand beaches of an uninhabited island. The unobstructed sun above us made the stunningly clear surrounding waters even more inviting. Snorkelers and kayakers took to exploring the vibrant reef with gusto. Even those not wishing to slip into the almost tepid 29 degree Celsius (or 84 degrees Fahrenheit!) waters were able to see the myriad of life that lives beneath the surface via the National Geographic Orion’s custom retrofitted glass bottom Zodiac. Fish and coral alike showed off their brilliant colors as the sun overhead easily penetrated through the pellucid liquid. This clarity is the very reason that the coral is able to thrive in tropical waters that are not as nutrient rich as the polar regions. The majority of corals have a symbiotic relationship with photosynthesizing algae that can turn the sunlight into precious energy, aiding the survival of these invertebrate creatures during the day, as the colonies of polyps feed mostly at night.
With such a magnificent backdrop and setting it would be almost criminal to have to leave so soon and thankfully the galley was able to bring the fine dining of the ship right to the shore via a delicious beach barbeque. And while it is a deserted island, such a top-notch hotel team would never desert your dessert, there was even ice cream. Now fully sated, and perhaps slightly more buoyant, there was more snorkeling and for some there was no need to stray far to see fish. A small aggregation of juvenile cardinal fish played in the shadows of those in the shallows.
After a full day in the sun, appropriately baptized in the expedition style, it was time to head back to the ship for recap and Captain’s Cocktails. A different side of the coin for sure, but one that thankfully is weighted to land this way every time we flip it for the next ten days.
