Finally there

I made it to the island in one piece. The "fast boat" was exactly that; the front of the boat jumped about five feet when we hit some of the waves. The Malay girl across from me looked alternately like she was going to cry or vomit. Her boyfriend laughed at her, but he was the only person on the boat wearing a life jacket. The Indonesians and Malaysians (and Asians in general, I guess) are notoriously bad swimmers, despite living near the ocean. Go figure. (I've linked to this article before, but it's good enough to repeat.)

I met a friend on the island, and we are sharing a dingy little bungalow. My half of the cost is $3.50 a night. I figure I can try to save as much money as possible; I have about $500 in cash and there are no ATMs on the island. Cash advances cost 10% plus the $10 and foreign transaction fees from my credit card company. So budget living it is.

Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to go swimming in the cerulean blue water.