From one end of the river bank, I looked back the other seeing the stirring of life as activities picked up with the rising of the day. With every minute, the world brightened.
Boats are being loaded as preparation started for the beginning of another day. I was on holiday but these people are earning a living. Their working lives are so much different from ours. I don’t know if I can do this for a living but their office is certainly much nicer than mine with a more fantastic view and feel.
An early boatman taking his boat out for a spin.
The sun tried but could not break out through the mist cover. This was the brightest it shone all morning. The clouds are in fact gathering and taking on an ominous tone.
I walked back to where I came from but along the length of the pebbled beach. I sms a friend to describe the morning for it was not an ordinary one for me. I passed by a Malay woman selling Nasi Lemak. It looked delicious and my mouth watered. My stomach groaned reminding me I had not had my breakfast. Told myself if the free breakfast is not good this morning, tomorrow I will buy Nasi Lemak from her. The rocks crunched under me as I made my way back to our meeting place as it was getting near to breakfast time.
As I walked along the beach, I passed by the approach to Sungai Tahan from Sungai Tembeling.
This trip we did not take a boat up the Sungai Tahan. I would like to come back here someday and one of the things I would like to do is to take a boat up that river. I think that would be nice as I always enjoyed boat rides.
I came from the other end, beyond the boat houses to view the sunrise. I stopped for a while to absorb it before climbing up the stairs to the high bank.
The sound of what sounds like pitiful meowing caught my attention. I saw two cats facing each other on the roof. The white cat was perched on a higher roof and its hairs were standing on end. The other white cat with black spots was on all fours staring up and making the most pathetic calls. Although squaring off, they did not seem to be fighting so I can only guess it was a courtship. I stood there for longer than 5 minutes hoping to see the end, but end have to give up for there is no knowing how long the drama will continue. I left with the piteous call still ringing in my ears.
As I neared our chalets, my path took me under a rambutan tree with large bunches of the hairy fruits. It is a pity they are still unripe or I could feast on them. There is nothing like eating fruits you plucked from trees yourself.
We went down to our floating restaurant for breakfast which is a choice of fried rice and fried mee. You can have both which most of us did. But the rice was quite plain, still it was better than the noodles which is a little bitter. It made me regret not buying my own breakfast. Tomorrow morning, I told myself.
They also have bread and jam for those who preferred them but I never dig western breakfast. Where breakfast is concerned, I am typically Asian.
The weather turned gloomy and then a fine shower began pouring down. This group of tourists was lining up to get into the boat was drenched as there was no shelter.
As the rain began, the mist rolled down from the hills and obscured the hills in the distance. The sky deepened and everywhere was the steady sound of rain falling. It was not heavy but persistent so we waited in the restaurant waiting for it to lighten.
The anchored boat and the river seen through the bamboo screen.
And looking from the boat, you can see the sun shining through the dense layer of clouds and mists that moved and swirled from down the hills to the land and river giving it a surreal kind of feeling. You can even see a morning moon where the clouds parted slightly. The sun and moon was up in the sky at the same time. Sun, moon, clouds, mist, river, rain, boats, trees; somehow I don’t mind sitting here idly waiting for the rain to stop. It was kind of pleasant though we were impatient at the same time to get going. If we have to wait, we cannot have wait under more pleasant surroundings.
To be continued...
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