Sunday, June 12, 2005
Taman Negara
I better get this done before the memory of me going there has been totally wiped off.
Let's start off from the jetty, after all the hassle of paperwork is done. It's there that marked the start of the "adventure".
Day 1
The boat that ferried us was a motor-powered "sampan", but a pretty big one at that. I've never been on one before. The journey was a 3-hour boat ride on the Sungai Tembeling. The initial start off was pretty smooth, the view was spectacular. It is not everyday that one is able to be surrounded by lush jungles on both side of the banks. Nonetheless, our journey was hiccuped with 3 unforeseen pauses caused by engine failure. The boatman wasn't very experienced and he had steered us into shallow waters where the rotors hit the bedrocks. That was the first pause. I'm not sure what had caused the other 2 consecutive pauses. But it was a let down each time we heard the engine sputtered and halted. The boatman from the other "sampan" had to turn back 3 times to help us. By then everyone was all nerves and impatience.
We docked at a boathouse restaurant. From there, we were welcomed and briefed. Armed with the directions to our hostels and heavy bag packs we lugged everything including ourselves up the sandy river bank and up a creaky wooden staircase.
Surprise! Surprise! When we checked-in, we were told that our room for 8 was given to someone else! And we've booked a month earlier!! Luckily we were compensated with 2 rooms, each accommodating 6 pax, as shown. Feh.....
The whole ordeal was really pure back to basics. Chickens were allowed to run free in the compound. Hence, everyone had to take extra care of where they were stepping on as chickens defecate anywhere, anytime. And there were a number of cats roaming about. What with the wooden houses on stilts beside the higher bank, it's lifestyle Ala "kampung".
The package that we booked includes board, food and activities. So there was a lot to do. We rested,freshen up, and headed back to the boathouse for dinner. There were quite a number of boathouses moored by the bank. Each offering a selection of food to the tourists. The catered food that we had wasn't great but no one complained either.
The first activity for us that day (night) was a night walk. From the boathouse, we boarded a boat that ferried us across the river, over the other side of the riverbank. Finally did we realise that the side where we stayed is not the forest reserve. The park itself is on the other side of the bank. There we were brought to the jungle fringe, and as we shone our torches, we saw glimpses of light being reflected. Lucky us, we managed to spot the Sambar Deer. Enthusiastic, everyone excitedly flashed the torches around hoping to find some other wild animals. There were insects to be spotted everywhere. And on the request of the guide, we grouped together and switched of our torches, experiencing total darkness. It was calming and daunting at the same time. That few minutes was so quiet and so serene yet you couldn't even see your own fingers no matter how near you wave them.
For me, the highlight of the walk were the sky. The night sky had never been prettier. The sky was filled with stars and so many of them too. That was the first time I saw so many stars on a night like that. Simply breathtaking.
Day 2
The day started fairly early. Once everyone had their breakfast, we all jumped into the boat and headed for the park again. We headed off for jungle trekking and a go at the Canopy Walk which, according to the Guinness Book Of Record, the longest ever. Gosh, I must say even though I am scared of heights, I went there and did it! While standing on the walkway a.k.a hanging bridge, you will have the best views of the national park's flora.
After the Canopy Walk, off we went to go on with the jungle trekking. It's an enjoyable hike and, thank God, no leeches. I was in disbelief, food for thought, there are no mosquitoes in the jungle. Our guide, Angie let us in on what to do when we're lost in the jungle. As well as the many varieties of food we can forage from the forest. It's amazing to check out the abundance of herbs our jungle have, truly truly treasurable. We found the Tongkat Ali tree, Sarsipirilla tree, Camphor tree, Kacip Fatimah plant, trees which produces latex used as adhesive...the list goes on.
Though tired, we headed of to the Orang Asli village where we had a glimpse of what their lifestyle would be. It's interesting to 
see them living in the jungle without the many amenities we all take for granted. Yet, they love it there. A tribesman, Burman, demonstrated how to make fire and using the blowpipe. He brought out some fresh honey in comb for us to taste. We were the most lucky people that day, to be able to chance on tasting the rare Tualang honey. It's very precious as the Tualang tree only flowers once every 5 years!
We got back to the boathouse restaurant for lunch. And we were off on the "sampan" again, this time, headed for the rapids shooting. Wowie! With 2 other boats ganging up, boy, were we in for a water fight! The guides, using an oar, attempted to outsplash other boats as the boats took turns ovetaking one another. We, tourists chipped in as well, some even brought along containers to be filled with river water so they can sabotage the passing boat. Others created splashes by dipping their hands into the water as the boat was moving. Soaked!
As we clamed down, the boats moored up a sandy bank and everyone got off for a dip in the river. I went rock hunting though and found me a nice rock with multiple layers, each with a different colour. After a while, we headed back for a shower and dinner.
Day 3
There was no activities that day since we were checking out by noon. We packed our stuff, had breakfast and hopped into our ride. This time a 2-hour boat ride. An hour faster because we were headed down stream.
That was the end of our short "adventure". We brought home a wonderful experience and huge amounts of respect for nature. Wonder where we are headed next...hmmm.....