2006 Elective Report
Taman Negara
It became increasingly obvious during our brainstorming sessions that Taman Negara would be our 2006 elective posting. Its unique activities would be more than sufficient to keep us… entertained.
Day 1
I’ll start where all good stories usually begin, at the beginning. The journey to Taman Negara begins at Petaling Street, or more specifically- in front of the Mandarin Pacific Hotel located in Chinatown. From there, it was a two hour journey by bus to Jerantut town. After a hasty lunch, we switched bus for a twenty minute ride to Kuala Tembeling Jetty. To our dismay, we discovered that our PERHILITAN boat ride was nowhere in sight. Burdened with the knowledge that the next boat was twelve hours away, we began to make arrangements for the night. Much to our delight, PERHILITIAN provided alternative transport. It was another nerve wrecking two hour ride by jeep before we finally reached our destination. The cause of our nervous disposition lies in the fact that our driver was trying out incredible driving feats. The most notable one is; driving with one hand while the other hand is busy holding a cigarette whilst driving at one hundred and forty kilometres per hour whilst driving around a bend.
By the time we informed PERHILITAN of our arrival, it was fast approaching five in the evening. We took the keys for our accommodation and effectively ‘checked in’. An important information that you should be privy to before we continue is that, our accommodation was free. Armed with that precious piece of information, we steeled ourselves for the worst. But heaven wasn’t smiling on us on that unfortunate day. The room that we acquired was to put it simply, un-habitable. It took us another one and a half leg numbing hours to get the place barely habitable- where various members of the group has to scour and beg for items such as brooms, mops and suchlike. Fortunately, the resort nearby took pity on us and gave us free bed sheets and blankets. PERHILITAN on the other hand, was nice enough to give us free pillows. Let us not speak of the toilets- I’ve already blanked it out for survival’s purposes.
The rest of the day was spent exploring the surrounding area, and trying out the local restaurant- the infamous floating restaurants
Day 2
It was another early day. We reported ourselves to our supervisor by eight in the morning and received a general overview of our itinerary. From there, we hiked through two kilometres to the focal point of our stay- the ‘titi gantung’.
The stroll through the walkway was not an easy task. For safety reasons, we were distanced from each other by five metres- and at times ten. The height from up there was un-describable, the trees was so ancient that it could probably tell me the beginning of earth. At times I wonder if the canopy walkway was actually harming the trees. The idea of using the aging community as a trampoline came uninvited and quite hilarious actually.
I’m afraid I was not kind to my hands during that time. I gripped the railings unnecessarily frequent. But just imagine how I would look like if I were to fall from that distance- something worthy of the BMJ no doubt. That whole thirty minutes I spent there was a cruel cruel testament to my heart- especially when the walkway swayed precariously. I seriously believed that the thirty minutes I spent there ‘rebooted’ my semicircular canals- forcing it to be more efficient. There were several rest points for someone as nerve impaired as me, and I used the opportunity to take pictures that was to put it simply, breathtaking.
When our feet finally touched the blessed un-swaying earth, the urge to kiss the ground was almost unbearable.
Our next destination was Teresek Hill- nearly one kilometre away. I think it’s time to clear something up. I’ve been mentioning distance as a way to asses our progress, but the reality is so much different. For the hike leading up to the canopy walkway, the trail was consistently uphill- and it is was not a leisurely stroll just so you know. More often than not, our hands were working overtime to haul us to higher ground. It is at this time that our four limbs received such a beating like never before. For our next uphill trek to Teresek Hill, the toll took its course in Debbi. She was feeling fatigue, nausea and general numbness on her leg. We rested for ten minutes to let her compose herself and seriously began to think of turning back.
It must be said that I admire her determination and dedication to see this thing through. We finally reached our destination exhausted and content on another obstacle overcome. We spent nearly fifteen minutes there admiring the view- actually its one minute admiring the view and the remaining fourteen minutes savagely squatting mosquitoes. Gunung Tahan is clearly visible as the highest mountain peak.
After making sure Debbi is well enough to continue, we began to make our way back. After almost six hours of back breaking hiking, profuse sweating, persistent scratching, and a testament to our cardiovascular system, we finally reached our house- or to be more specific, the shower and the godsend beds. The rest of the day passed uneventfully where we recuperated, preparing for the next hurdle.
Day 3
My mobile phone rang at nine in the morning- the phone reception was nearly flawless just so you know. It was our supervisor informing us that PERHILITAN has acquired a boat. We seized the chance and took the opportunity to visit the indigenous people or ‘orang asli’ as it is more commonly known in Malaysia.
When we arrived at the encampment, it was nearly ten in the morning. Therefore it is not surprising to see that it was full of life. Little children-albeit scarcely clothed, were playing football and various unidentifiable games. The womenfolk, busy with various activities and the men were hardly seen- later we were told that they were in the forest scavenging for precious wood, hunting and such like. I didn’t know why it affected me so much. But the atmosphere there was unbelievably peaceful, as if nobody cares about the worldly worries that we urbanites subject ourselves to. But one wonders whether one can actually survive there. Actually, I am sure I’ll be able to. So let me rephrase, ‘whether I’ll be happy there?’ Sadly, given what I have been exposed to since childhood, the answer would probably be ‘no’. Living without television or internet? Surely a sin. Living without hot water? Blasphemous!!
Anyway, back to the report. Once we were visible in the compound, the atmosphere changed somewhat. Most of the ‘orang asli’- especially the children, stopped what they were doing to watch us. It’s only when the ‘Batin’ (chieftain) said ‘jangan tengok, buat tak tahu’ (don’t look, ignore them) that they continued as they were. It is probably futile to say that were feeling pretty uncomfortable then. We felt as if we were imposing. The idea of uninvited guests coming to my house and started taking pictures of the furniture was to put it mildly, not nice. Not nice at all. However, the Batin quickly pushed that idea aside. We were given free reign to roam the area and take pictures.
But needless to say, the pictures I took were kept at a minimum. After expediently looking at the surrounding area, we were seated with the Batin. Here, he explained some of their culture, commerce, and their rituals. This gave us an invaluable insight into a completely new way of life. Right from the time of birth to the time of death, these people go through an entirely different set of customs and rules. Albeit, there is overlap between our culture, but it is minimal at best. It here that I received my first shock, the Batin has as mobile phone- a Nokia one if I’m not mistaken. Maybe I underestimated the overlap after all. How he charges is a question best left unanswered.
Feeling that we have intruded enough, we began to express our desire to leave. However, before we go, the Batin suggested that we try using the ‘sumpit’. Not to seem obnoxious, but my skills using it wasn’t that bad. I missed the target by only a few centimetres. An admirable first try if I may say so myself. Which is more than I can say about York Xiong’s and Debbi’s attempts. If I remembered correctly, one went into the trees and the other ammo never saw the light again.
It was a short relaxing stroll to the Ear Cave, taking less than fifteen minutes.
We were informed before entering that the bats found within are not the ‘blood seeking’ ones. Fruits and insect serve as their diet. We were also informed that if any of us were claustrophobic, then that individual should stay outside. Not prepared to miss out the experience ahead, all of us gave the thumbs up. Another precautionary advice is not to take too much flash photography of the bats and not to directly illuminate them with our torch.
With that in mind, we began our descent into the murky depths. Our first impression? Yuck! The smell of bat droppings was implausibly strong. Coupled that with no or very little ventilation, it’s an asthmatic attack just waiting to happen. I don’t really know how we braved that olfactory insult, but we managed to go deeper and deeper into the cave. At first, the openings were of a comfortable size, but as you progress deeper, it became smaller and smaller. I remembered this very vicious opening that if you wanted to pass; you virtually have to slide on your body and arc your back at an uncomfortable angle. To add insult to injury; before we entered the opening, we
encountered our first snake. I vividly recall our guide backing away from the snake- do I need to explain why you don’t head towards an animal that can hurt you? And since I was behind everyone else, I bear the full brunt of three panicking people that’s backing away like there’s no tomorrow. The rest of the cave exploration was uneventful and was spent ‘wiggling’ through tough openings and panicking when the bats fly overhead.
Just another interesting thing to mention is; for the whole expedition, I thought that the slippery material on the rocks is due to the moss and therefore, has been consistently rubbing it on my clothes. Once we managed to crawl ourselves out of there (dear dear sunlight at last), I noticed that it’s actually bat droppings that I’ve been wiping on my clothes. I think I can still sense the psychogenic smell on that attire-which has been conveniently placed inside a plastic bag inside a storeroom.
Soon after leaving the cave, all three of us managed to keep a comfortable distance from each other. It wasn’t long before we actually reached our house again. There was a hectic struggle as who gets to shower first, but nothing of interest occurred after that. We ended the day by indulging ourselves with ice creams and playing cards.
Day 4
Due to the strenuous couple of days, we decided to take day four easy. We woke up at our own leisure- close to eleven in the morning. We started making our way to Lubok Simpon soon after. It was an easy twenty minutes walk before we reached there.
It must be said that I enjoyed this activity the most. We were not time limited or engaging it chest pressing activities. For once since day one, we were actually having fun- an amazing feat considering where we were. The water was exceptionally clear and implausibly refreshing. As you start to move towards the other bank, the streambed declined tremendously. Halfway through stream, my feet did not even manage to touch the floor- a genetic fault which makes me vertically challenged. Luckily, fallen trunks serve as resting
area- as seen in the above picture. Swimming near the middle of the stream proves difficult -as the current was quite strong, making it a pointless task.
Looking back on it now, I wished that we have rented fishing equipment to seize the bountiful rewards the stream has to offer. I’ll release the fish immediately though, it’s just the thrill of catching something that I seek.
We spent three blissful hours here before our stomach demanded food. Our perfect activity was somewhat interrupted when Debbi got bitten (is that the right word?) by a leech. It was an eerie five seconds before I actually steeled myself to pull it out- where’s the ‘garam’ when you actually need one? The leech incident left us feeling vulnerable; forcing us to inspect every minute patch of skin to make sure that there is no uninvited guests. We continued making our way back with our eyes strongly focused on the ground. The rest of the day passed uneventfully.
Day 5 & 6
When we woke up that Saturday morning, we seriously felt the need for a change. After a few days living in poverty and squalor (I am exaggerating a LOT here), we all had this intolerable urge- nay, a compulsion, to indulge ourselves. So what did we do? We checked in into a resort. I am sure that this is not something my tutor had in mind when we said we were going to Taman Negara. But as I said before, it was a compulsive behaviour. A deep seated instinct like that surely must be biological in origin. And who are we to go against Darwin’s evolution? Using a kettle and hot shower for the first time since we arrived here has the same affect to me as an aphrodisiac. Don’t get me started on the satellite television and the swimming pool. Instant coffee? Heaven. If day four was bliss, I spent day five and six in pure ectasy.
Day 7
We checked out of paradise energized and spirited. To save on expenses, we decided to stay the night in our previous accommodation. After stripping off our luggage, we decided to have one last activity- riding the river rapids. Due to the high possibility of getting wet, none of us brought along our cameras. This explains the lack of pictures for this day.
Back to the report- we jumped into an eight seated boat eager to proceed. We followed the river upstream and eventually encountered our first rapids. The boat swayed alarmingly at certain times making me fear for my safety as well as the others. Fortunately, our boatman was somewhat gifted in circumventing the rapid whilst actively drenching us. Unfortunately, I was short sighted enough to wear white that day. The wet transparent clothes did not leave much room for imagination. For the rapid shooting (what it was called in the activity sheet), there was actually two boats riding side by side. If I was not chilled to the bones enough, the two boatmen alternated using their oars to bombard the passengers with gallons of water- another exaggeration. The scenery in between the seven rapids was stunning though, I would even say so far as to be exquisite.
After the seventh rapid, we were given a thirty minutes rest at a little alcove equipped with its own stream. Here, we were given free reign to swim in the clear water- safe in the knowledge that there are no leeches (such a blight to the human race). We were then introduced to rocks that were naturally used as paints- I cant seem to remember where I placed them. Oh, since there was ample time there, I managed to ‘colour’ a huge rock red. A childish but strangely satisfying activity. We were soon ‘herded’ back into our boat and consequently reached ‘home’ within the hour.
Since this was the last day we’re in Taman Negara, we decided to take pictures by the dozen to preserve our 2006 elective posting. Our effort came into fruition when the sun sets in.
We spent the night reminiscing on the past seven days. Although glad to be soon united with the infinite comfort of home, all of us were morose to leave Taman Negara. The night ended late with emotions running high.
Day 8
Our boat to Kuala Tembeling was due to leave at nine in the morning. After a hasty breakfast of biscuits, we left to say goodbye and express our gratitude to our supervisor who have made this elective a success. It was a comfortable three and a half hour ride by boat where the serene landscape mirrored our emotion. A notable incident on the boat ride was with the passenger in front of us. This lady was absolutely convinced that there was something in the crawl space of the boat. It was only after I offered to trade seats that she seemed to settle down. We reached Kuala Tembeling sleepy and exhausted- strange considering we did not even exert ourselves.
We changed bus at Jerantut town to Kuala Lumpur. Once we reached Petaling Street, all of us went our separate ways. York Xiong took the bus, Debbi with the taxi and I took the train home.
