Taman Negara #9 - The Morning After.

I woke up with a start. What was that dream I was having, now receding faster than a speeding bullet? I shook myself awake, shaking the wobbly double-decker bed before tentatively climbing down attempting not to wake my sleeping companion still in dreamland with a smile on his face. I carefully pulled aside the creaking wooden door and stepped outside to catch a rush of fresh morning breath. At 6.30 am, I was probably the only one awake among the 22 walking the edge of the bank of the river absorbing in the morning scene. I liked that. Alone. Made me feel I understand and appreciate solitude; and closer to nature. The river was sleeping when I took this shot…

…and was awakened when I took the next when an early boat cut through the calm water creating spreading ripples.

I walked to one end of the river near the welcome gate and beyond to see sleeping building still basked by the orange street lamp. While a dense spread of white mist covered the forested hills. Some songbirds were already welcoming the dawn when suddenly a black and white bird flew to an upright pole just feet away from me. It was faster than my movement and flew away before I can train the camera on it. But it left me its song though I wished it has left me its image as well.

Light was beginning to creep up the hill but the hills itself was just a dark outline that blocked the light to the valley below. I could just make out the water of the river that reflected back the lighter shade of the sky. A single boat sat lonely by the sandy bank.

Time and again, the wind swept down heavy mist obscuring everything in its path and only nearby trees can be seen; while those in background were swallowed up. If you did not know they were there, you would not know they were and thought the cloud as descended on earth.

I walked down to the beach covered with round stones smoothen by the rushing waters for decades, maybe centuries. These boats clustered together as if seeking company.

While these with identical blue tips always point to where they are heading, whether land or water

Blue tips in the water by pebbles.

Boats secured on a string going no where.

To be continued...

Taman Negara #2 - The Arrival At Kuala Tahan.

Woke up at 5 a.m. and decided there is no point in trying to sleep further so put on the music and moved at a leisurely pace. But once Alex and MongShe picked me up, the mad rush began. We fetched Lay Yee from her house and on the way got a call that JenShyi has arrived in Klang station from Kedah after an overnight journey of 9 hours. From there, we shot to meet up with Alex's friend who was kind enough to drive us to KL. We were lucky that the traffic was exceptionally smooth that day. Could it be because the dramatic increase in petrol price the night before is having an impact? Our pick-up point was in Puduraya from where we were transferred to Chinatown after a hearty breakfast in KFC. We departed from Chinatown at 8.45 am. Other members of this group arrived at the pick-up point from various places, at various times by various means.

In Lanchang, we had a stopover for what we call a sing-along. That is better sounding than a piss-stop. Caught this black bumblebee with a bright yellow crown stealing nectar from the banana plant.

We are again on our way. It is about a 4 hours plus journey.

We stopped in the Chinese restaurant in Jerantut, a town that owed much to Taman Negara as a stopover, for our lunch. Considering that this is a tour group lunch, the food is quite decent and adequate.

We took two large tables but as many in the group do not know each other, conversation is a bit stiff as the ice has not been broken yet.

But hunger is a language everyone understands. So when the food came, we all dig in but still politely ensuring everyone has their equal share.

We thought we were going to drive to Kuala Tembeling and from there to take a boat to Kuala Tahan so was a bit disappointed when we learned that it will be a bus trip instead. The roads were getting more hilly and winding as we approached our destination. At one point, there was a landslide that occurred only days or weeks earlier. Much of the land we went through were already cultivate with Oil Palm. Civilization has caught up to the fringes of the jungle.

We arrived at this Persona Village Resort where we dropped a family who came on their own. While the living accommodation here is better, I do not think this is a good place to stay as there is no atmosphere.

We have arrived. Everyone crowded round the tour guide asking for direction.

There was a school immediately to our left as we alighted from the bus. There were many sayings drawn on its wall greeting our arrival. I liked the last one – “It makes no difference where you came from but a great difference where you’re going.” There were 22 of us and we came from all over the country. From as far North as Kedah and as far South as Johor. And we all knew where we wanted to go – to Taman Negara and have fun!

Once that is settled and we knew where we are supposed to be headed, we took our belonging and looked for our chalet.

This is Kuala Tahan and the gateway to the Taman Negara, the National park.

All the chalets and individual bungalows (concrete base and wooden walls & roof) were built following traditional Malay architecture. They were all situated along the river which is the center of activities and transportation. The pricier units are closer to the river or overlooking it. We went for the budget units, the whole package of which cost us only RM350 per person - a real bargain for 3 days/2 nights.




Along the way, we saw a family relaxing by one of the benches. This young boy seemed like a seasoned player. Cool confident face and deftly handling the cards. Later, I caught him sleeping with his legs hanging up. Even a King Gambler must rest, I guess.

I brought along quite a bit of snacks worrying I may go hungry but there was even cendol in our very doorstep! Just bring along some money. You can buy everything you need including freshly fried "goreng pisang" with the banana just plucked from the trees - D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!

We reached our chalet and has to decide how to split 22 in three rooms with almost equal numbers of males and females. With a bit of give and take, we managed to figure out this complex mathematics and determined who sleep with whom and who to sleep on top of whom being bunker beds. Everyone was given the pleasurable experience of sleeping with strangers.

To be continued...

Taman Negara #1 - The Happy 22.

(Misty mountains viewed from the boat speeding along Sungai Tembeling)

Although I grabbed the offer without hesitation, I was also a little cautious about accepting the invitation to go on a trip to Taman Negara. I wondered whether I was fit enough with my Achilles heel and my suspect back. But come on, if I do not risk it now when am I ever going to? I am not getting any younger and though my spirit burns ever bright, my body is more prone to protests these days.

(The exhausting trip did not wear these out it seemed, they can still lift a leg in Kuala Tembeling)

I would like to travel in a bit more comfort but is my lecture to my staff about the need to constantly go beyond our comfort zone a lie? And so eight to a room it is and I will blend in but not with total abandon as I was by far the oldest in the group and almost double the group’s median age of mid-twenties.

(Shooting rapids and having water fights between boats)

How I envy their youth and their carefree laughter. It such a pleasure watching them hugging life with abandon. Ha, there goes that word again – “abandon”, the opposite of which is “restraint.” A smile crept up when I thought of these two words. Some old sticks may think I live my life with abandon, some young friends may think I live mine with restraint. I know I live mine with passion and I was passionate about this trip to the oldest tropical forest in the world, behind the restraint :-).

(The view from the peak of Mount Terisek at the Tahan range with Gunung Tahan partially hidden by mist and clouds)

(The group at the top of Mount Terisek)

Taman Negara, the National Park – 4,000 over square kilometer of virgin jungle; is the green heart of Peninsula Malaysia. It spread over the 3 states of Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu. It contained 300 over species of birds and one-third of the flowering plants in the country. There are also large mammals but we are unlikely to come across any of them with the amount of noises we are always making. The monkeys may mistake us for cousins but none came to chatter, probably shying away from the poison darts of the Batek forest people who camped near the river during our visit.

(The Happy 22 saying a sad farewell to Taman Negara)

This was the Happy Twenty-Two. If they did not look too happy, that is because this is their farewell shot at the end of the trip. In the upcoming posts, we will take you with us on our adventure through the oldest tropical forest in the world. See ya.

To be continued...