Scattered Seeds

It can be quite frustrating when one wants to do so many things in life. Making choices, especially deciding on what to do next in a long list of possibilities can cause a headache. And I find myself making excuses for myself whenever I have to choose to do one ahead of the other.

The Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary is one of those places that has always gotten shelved for something else in the last few years. I like elephants; maybe not as much as whales, but I still like them. So it has always been a wish of mine to be able to dance with elephants. Do elephants dance? Or rather, the question should be, Do I dance?–though that’s not a matter to be discussed here. But for some unknown reasons, I was never pulled or had the urgency to visit the place. It was as if I was waiting for the perfect moment that never seemed to come. So it was that I’d be giving excuses, such as, “Maybe I should wait a few more years and let my kids grow up a little more,” or “It’s kind of far.” The only reason I couldn’t give was that it’d be too expensive to get there. After all, the only cost involved is the price of fuel to get there and back; there are no entrance fees or things like that.

With the desire finally nearing boiling point, I visited the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary today. I couldn’t wait any longer. I wanted to see the elephants, to feed them, ride on them and to bathe them. Plus, I wanted to find out how if it’d be a viable place for a school field trip.

It was a pretty pleasant drive to the elephant sanctuary. I was on the highway that led to Kuantan. In my car the radio was tuned and songs came alive. I heard the tunes and voices clashed. All the words escaped me and would love to have someone tell me what I missed. Yet I let the music play on. In the confusion and noise I shut the clutter in my ears, and I tuned my ears to hear the sweet voices and words I wanted to hear in my mind. As I traveled along the highways from K.L the city faded, and greenery took its place. I slipped pass plantations and came face to face with the surrounding mountains and hills. I look at the people I passed by. Sometimes I glanced and trailed a face I thought was etched with a rich history. Sometimes I expected a stare, sometimes a smile, sometimes a smirk, sometimes blush, to remind me of the people I know.

I was enjoying being on the road so much, I didn’t realise that I was driving on empty. I did reach the elephant sanctuary, which was about 12km (I forget!) from the Lanchang toll plaza, but I was a little worried that I might run out of fuel on the way out. I definitely didn’t have enough to get on the highway and reach home in KL. I figured I had to make a detour to the little town of Lanchang (some 20km from the sanctuary) to get fuel. But that had to wait ’till after my time with the elephants.

You’re probably wondering how was my time at the sanctuary. Well, there are no photos to show as I didn’t bring my camera–2 reasons: 1. I knew I was going to get wet, and 2. I had loaned my camera lens to my church pastor. I suppose some things are best kept as memories. I can tell you all about feeding fruits–watermelons, papayas, bananas, watching the elephants chew on banana trunks, having a good laugh for riding on an elephant’s back for one of the shortest circuit ever, rubbing sand on elephants, running away for elephant poo drifting in the river, and hopping onto an elephant with 3 other girlsù1 Malaysian, 2 orang putih–for another ride (the last one of the day)–this time in the river–at the last minute and getting dunked for it (totally unexpected!). But I’d be writing a whole bunch of words only (and I am not prepared to write so much after the Mount Tahan Chronicles). So, simply put, “Yeah, I enjoyed almost every moment of the day!”. Whatever happened during my first visit to the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary is forever deeply etched together with all my other happy memories. ’nuff said.

After spending time at the sanctuary, as I drove on the narrow lane from the sanctuary I was worried that I’d get stranded in the middle of nowhere. But there were orang asli kids on bicycles, so I figured if I did get stranded I could get them to push, or maybe I could give them a big tip should they cycle to town to buy me RM3.00 of fuel. Luckily I got to the petrol kiosk with a little petrol to spare. Once refueled, you’d think I’d be on the highway for the journey home. Well, I missed a turning and was on the way to Kuantan! When I got back on track, and on the highway home, I had extended my journey by some 15km for a cruise of rustic scenery!

All in all, I got to do what I wanted to do with elephants so far. The next thing that I’d like to do is to see elephants in the wild. I was hoping to see elephants when I was at Gunung Tahan, but that’s a rarity. If I see elephants in the wild, that’d be really cool! Anyway, back to why I went to the sanctuary. I found out that if can be a pretty fun outing for a field trip at the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary.

And, best of all, I also found out I don’t have to wait a few more years to bring my kids to visit the elephants. One of the staff, Kamaruddin, said that Asian, or rather Malaysian, parents tend to be more concerned about letting kids near the elephants. He pointed out that orang putih, mostly Europeans, would bring even their three year-olds to feed and bathe the elephants. Well, if Europeans are crazy brave enough to do that, so am I.

Watch out Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary, les enfants terribles de Meng Chwen viennent!

last updated on 21 July, 2007: I can’t seem to finish this verse. I want to. I really do. But I’ve been busy with a few other things. But truth be told, my heart has been drawn away–hard to believe, but true. I have set sight on the next few mountains I want to do before the end of the year, and I’ve been thinking a lot about it. There’s still one more person in my way before I get all the green lights to go on my mountain expedition. But I’m terribly excited about it, and I believe I’m going to go already.

—————

“The Mount Tahan Chronicles” is an entry that weaves its way between reality and fantasy. The second part of the Chronicle deals with the treacherous march up Mount Tahan, in which along the way there are tales of Amir stumbling over roots in the Forbidden Forests, the Battle of Lata Luis in which members of the Fellowship face the Beast of the River, the Maddening of a King, the slow march across the rocky plains of Botak, the Song of Kubang, and the expected meeting with the dragon of Mount Tahan.

I: From Here to There
Multitudes had gathered at Sentral, the stable of steeled steads.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of strangers walking by,
Of young lovers kissing good-byes, and
Aimless drifters dreaming of worlds beyond our sky,
The Fellowships of Ten gathered.
It was a joyous occasion: a meeting of long lost friends
and the introduction of new found comrades.
A quick exchange of greetings, and a meal followed.

The steeled steads ran tirelessly throughout the night
‘Till we arrived at Gua Musang eleven hours later.
We dismounted and carried our heavy loads,
We roamed the lonely street, surveyed the little town
when the day’s sun was still in its infancy.
Shops were closed, and sleepy people still yawned.
We asked around for means to Merapoh,
Where we were to meet the People of the Forests.

Meng Chwen enquired; he found steeled steads–
And was told it was a Ringgit a person to Merapoh.
One Ringgit each? How much cheaper can it get?
What time can we leave?
But no one in the Fellowship agreed to it.
They raised their voices in unison and argued,
“Why wait two hours when we can go there now?”
Two hours isn’t a long time away.
Their eyes were fixed on greedy drivers offering
Carriages at cutthroat prices.
“The earlier we get to Merapoh, the earlier we can start our journey!”
Hush! Let me think.
“We can’t wait to slay the dragon!”
Upon the infuriating insistence of all,
and the persuasive reasonings of Quin Jean,
Meng Chwen finally relented.
Haish. We wll hire a cab
Democracy prevailed, but Meng Chwen did not like it.

After much haggling and bargaining,
Giving reasons and contradictions,
With different ones, young and old,
An agreement was struck with one:
Encik Ismail, an man near fifty of age,¹²
For seventy Ringgit, he would ferry one and all
of the Fellowship of Seven (for three were hidden)
In a white, rusting beat-up van,
All the way to the gateway of Mount Tahan,
Where the People of the Forests gathered.

We passed by stretches of limestone hills;
From afar, they looked natural and out of reach,
But these too were a haven for rock climbers.
Casting eyes yonder, we spied upon village houses,
set against serene and rustic scenes.
Don’t they kow we’ve come to slay the Dragon?

The journey, though long, seemed short.
‘Ere long, we arrived at Sungai Relau
The day was still very young;
The People of the Forest extended
Cheerful and friendly greetings.
So much so Meng Chwen thought something was amiss.
The People of the Forest bid their time
working slowly during customary check
Of our weaponries and rations of our journey.
Once that was done, and the rucksack all repacked,
the Fellowship of Ten was made to wait.
Why the slow disposition and long wait?

During the wait, we loaded our rucksack on
A metal beast that was to take us to Kuala Juram.
During the wait, we enquired of the People of the Forest,
“The metal beast be here. We are here.
Wherefore should we wait?”
The People of the Forest answered
“We have sought the aid of one Zahidi
Who knows the way to the peak of Mount Tahan.
He will guide you, but he is not be here.”
All grew restless as the long wait ensued.
Most sat under a shade on concrete stairway while
Amir and Ikhwan threw pebbles in the sun.
Anon, whispers grew louder amongst us:
“The trail is clear, is it not? Why do we need a guide?”
“We spoke of our coming? Was the guide not informed?”
We waited still, and still the guide did not show.
While waiting Meng Chwen oft made looks
that conveyed a disgruntled message,
“We should have taken the train.”
We should have taken the train!
But ‘fore Meng Chwen raised any argument,
Quin Jean conjured words that smothered my fire.

While we waited, we studied maps, sketches and photos.
Thereupon, Meng Chwen saw on a wall of fame
Some friends of not too long ago who had come
And victoriously ascended Mount Tahan.
They had no Dragon to slay then
Thus, he pondered about the fate that awaited all.

When, at last, the guide Zahidi, did appear!
The sun blazed on high in the mid day sky.
Meng Chwen looked carefully at him and wondered
If the Fellowship should trust their lives in his hands.
Before Meng Chwen spoke, Zahidi raised his voice;
bowed, and offered sincere apologies.
He did so so profusely like someone who had erred terribly.
And he told the tale that caused of his delay.
His humbling act, as if in repentance, casted away all doubts.
He will guide us safely along the dangerous paths.

At once, all clambered upon the metal beast,
For the journey must begin after so long a delay.
Two People of the Forest escorted us
On a roller coaster like ride along a thin strip of a paved road
until we were at Kuala Juram.
A briefing ensued and Meng Chwen made known his wish:
That he would want to dive into the pool at Lata Luis.
Zahidi calmly said, “Boleh. Suka hati-la.”
That settled, the Fellowship of Ten moved out
And was soon crossing a hanging bridge.
Once over the river, we were on our way
To the peak of Mount Tahan. To the Dragon’s lair

II: Zahidi
. . .
. . .
. . . age, late, first impression, friendly, smoke smoke smoke.
. . . trait, slumber, relax, way he wore shoes, balance on edges rocks,
. . . readiness was all. safety of all. carried his book of his faith.
. . . careful of spirits of he night, carried a blade withing his rucksack
. . . spoke and prayed
. . . ate rice. cooked simple meal of salted fish and canned chicken curry
. . . swoon to taste his delicacy.
. . .
. . .

III: Amir in the Water
There it was, yet another river to cross.
On slippery rocks we had to walk,
but this river a rope had been strung across.
Lightly holding onto the rope, Quin Jean
walked a straight line to cross it with ease.
Not far behind was Meng Chwen. With feet cloaked in sandals,
He stamped his feet into the waters;
In perfect balance, he strolled across the river.
Once on the other side, she spied for others
treading slowly from the other side
while he scouted the nearby lands
‘Till Meng Chwen heard Quin Jean’s shout,
“Quick! Amir wants a photograph!”
In two quick moves, he released a compact camera
t’was strapped on his rucksack;
In three quick steps, he stood on higher ground
and snapped away at Amir wading in the water.
To us on land, nothing seemed amiss;
But after Meng Chwen snapped yet another picture,
Only did he realize poor Amir struggled
To keep from being pulled into the water.
Burdened with weight strapped upon his back,
His left hand holding tightly onto the rope
With a tenacity peculiar to those fighting to survive,
The other hand fluttered frantically as if to keep a balance.
Amir lost his footing–not once but twice–
And into the water splish-splash he went.
Ikhwan, who followed a few steps behind,
Was near yet too far to reach poor Amir.
Speedily, Meng Chwen laid down the camera upon a rock.
Rushed he into the cool slow running waters.
So soon and a rescue must be done?
By then Amir had recovered some composure.
He raised his feet for one final step and stood assuredly
That he had overcame the fall in the water.
Then he lost it all again as he spoke unashamedly,
“Whatlah you. I’m falling in the water
and asking for help, and you take photographs of me.”
All that were done were indeed necessary–
For such sights of misery preserved for posterity
Reveal simple moves of great audacity.

IV: The First Sting
Zahidi expressed the need to rest for a moment
Once all had crossed the river that near swallowed Amir.
The Fellowship concurred; Each took bites
of energy bars to replenish what’s been used.
With all at ease, no one noticed
A threat that lies therein that place.
A sneak attack from our enemy was launched;
Little black wasp-like beings shot through the air;
But a lousy shot the enemy was!
For none in the Fellowship was stung with fatal venom
Except Meng Chwen.
Meng Chwen winced in pain, but held from letting out a scream.
Meng Chwen fell to his knees and nearly swooned;
Thoughts of ancient days filled his mind.
For in his youth some twelve years agone
On Mount Ledang a wasp had struck the left forearm;
and for seven moons he was bestowed the arm of Popeye.
‘Ere now a wasp too had stung, but on the right forearm.
‘Tis too early in the journey to fall,
From too small an inflicted wound!
So squeezed he the venom from his body
and an antihistamine administered to him.
Alas, it was a little bit late; for two mounds had formed.
Zahidi took a look and surveyed the wound.
With a quick eye, he then scanned the area
and searched the wet ground.
Meng Chwen knew not what Zahidi found,
But in his hand was a pinch of wet soil.
Zahidi covered the wound, and spread it around.
‘Haps to control the blood from coming to a boil.
Ere long, Meng Chwen stood, gathered the Fellowship
And picked up the march to the peak of Mount Tahan.
In his mind, Meng Chwen screamed:
No wasp will stand in my way!
For I’m destined to face the dragon of Mount Tahan!

V: Battle of Lata Luis
Step after step the march continued on.
Before long, minutes had summed up to hours;
The journey into the Forbidden Forest continued.
In the distance, a mighty thunderous roar was heard
Surely the dragon know of our presence!
A long shadow soon loomed over us–
Surely the dragon soared high above,
studying each and every of our little moves.
Shadows danced along the path we took
With each flap of the dragon’s wings.
A mighty gust of wind shook the trees.
The dragon accelerated to a speed
Unbeknownst to human-kind;
Thrusting through canvases of dark clouds.
‘Ere long, a torrential rain came upon us.
For two hours heavy droplets pelted hard.
Yet the Fellowship, now in cloaks of varied colours,
walked steadily on through the forest,
Bah! Is this all you can do?
Our cloaks do repel thy assault!
The dragon raged!
A thunderstorm brewed!
Along came the Beast Okutaresama!¹³

There was one river more to cross
‘fore we reach Kem Kor.
The choice site to wind down for the night.
Okutaresama, the river spirit and ally to our enemy,
Now misled, made rivers boil with uncontrollable rage.
When calm, one crossed the river with ease.
But now, cold waters smashed hard upon boulders.
Currents rushed. Our passage hindered.
We stopped an hour long; some distance off
from where we were to cross the river.
Drinking coffee and tea.
We wondered when our crossing will be.

When finally, Zahidi said, “Let’s go.”
All arose and began the journey.
At the bank we watched the river raged.
Some seized with fear; some with excitement.
Zahidi raised his hands. All stood waiting.
There seemed no way. Zahidi took to the waters.
Searched he long for a passageway.
In circles he went, testing currents.
Grabbing branches. Balancing on rocks.
Long he surveyed, but there seemed no way.
Meng Chwen said, “Let us all wait
’till there are less risky ways.”
Zahidi, unaffected by those words
persisted in his pursuit to find a way.
The fellowship grew restless.

Meng Chwen stepped into the waters,
and faced Okutaresama, the river spirit.
His first step was the worst. Unaccustomed
To rushing currents and the cold, his legs froze.
Unable to move one step forward, Meng Chwen
was forc’d to withdraw from battle.
Determined to have evr’yone cross the river before
light turns in after a hard day’s work,
Meng Chwen let down his arms and
struggled to stand against a boulder.
He looked Okutaresama in the face,
and roared, “We will not fight you!
Let us pass. Our war involves you not!”
Stronger currents rushed down.
Meng Chwen, a footing he missed and so slipped.
Blood flowed from his shin and knee.
He pulled himself up, lock’d his foot amongst the rocks.
and braced against the strong currents.
Meng Chwen opened his mounth:
“I am Meng Chwen! I am the King!
We will pass without arms raised against you!
Our battle is not with you! We will not fight you!”

Zahidi balanced on boulders above running waters.
Meng Chwen stood firm in the raging waters.
Together a chain was formed. The sole aim
To aid others to cross the mighty river.
Ikhwan was first. Not burdened by his rucksack
he used the chain to cross with success.

Quin Jean with her rucksack still strapped
attempted the pathway next.
Okutaresama watched and grew crossed.
Okutaresama blew and sent forth rapids.
A sudden push of water flung her sideways.
‘Fore her next step complete, she was swept!
Okutaresama struck and heartbeats quickened.
Fear struck the hearts of men should
One such as she would perish at such moments.
Quick as lightning, Meng Chwen stretched out his hand
and only barely managed to grab her royal hand.
Not you! I will not lose you! Not here! Not now!

Her clothes and rucksack now full of water.
With added weight, she scarce weigh Meng Chwen down.
For though he would have jumped into the rapids
To save those her should she be swept away,
He held his footing, standing solid like a rock.
With one Herculean yawp, he pulled her in.
Not one in the Fellowship of Ten crossed
With weights strapped behind their backs anon.
Meng Chwen guided arms and legs against waters
While Zahidi took to task the ferrying of heavy rucksacks.
When all had passed, and Okutaresama had seen
the determination of the Fellowship of the Ten
Okutaresama relented and rushing waves subsided.
Zahidi and Meng Chwen, both exhausted, paused for but a moment.

The journey to Kem Kor continued.
Guided by moonlight and hand held torches,
All walked deep into the Forbidden Forest
‘Till all reached the site of choice.

That night, Quin Jean sang of her experience:
To die in the water, I knew I would not.
Fear entered my heart, not at all.
For Death is but still a distant call.
My experience, so exciting it was!
Meng Chwen shook his head and sought comfort by
Sending messages to his beloved Queen and to Firewurkz.

VI: Knock Knock Knock
Squish! Squash! Squish! Squash!
See us march on the muddy path!
Squish! Squash! Squish! Squash!
We approach the muddy pond!
Shoe Suckers! we name them.
Squish! Squash! Squish! Squash!
See us cross the the muddy pond!
We step on branches!
We step on leaves!
We balance on roots.
And when we miss:
We ploop our feet in the muddy pond.
“Eeewww!” we go!
All else laugh a hearty laugh.
Squish! Squash! Squish! Squash!
Pleep! Plop! Ploop! Plop!
We have marched across the muddy path!

Thud! Thook! Thud! Badoop!
See us go through obstacles!
Obstacles of horizontal branches and trunks!
We squat! We bend down!
We walk like overweight ducks.
Once through obstacles,
We stand straight and we march.
But listen carefully. You’ll hear:
Thud! Thook! Thud! Badoop!
“Ouch!” we go.
All else laugh a hearty laugh.
Thud! Thook! Thud! Badoop!
Someone stands up too soon.
The head goes knock knock knock on a tree trunk.
Thud! Thook! Thud! Badoop!
We see stars! We see swirls!
We see whistling birdies!
We see pink elephants dancing!
We see such stuff whenever our heads go
Thud! Thook! Thud! Badoop!

VII: The Maddening of a King
It was three hours before midnight;
For eleven hours long the Fellowship of Ten
Had marched and trudged through mud.
Walked on dead leaves, branches and roots.
Weaved along winding paths.
Slowly ascended steep slippery slopes.
Squeezed through narrow ways.
Light shifted from from dim misty mornings
To bright lights flickering through the dancing canopy.
When it rained, our eyes grew accustomed
To the grayish shadows all around.
Ev’n when the sun had served it’s stay,
And passed the reign to the Moon,
The Fellowship of Ten steadily moved on still.
Under the pale moonlight, and silvery lining of clouds,
Anon, the Fellowship of Ten reached Bonsai.

Bonsai was but a small site along the trail.
Barely big enough to for all our tents.
Botak Hill offered more open space
and a steady supply of water;
But that was some two to three hours away.

A decision had to be made:
To stay the night or to move on ahead.
All were made to make a choice.

Quin Jean who’d rather suffer within a day
Than to face hours of eternal torture
Was prepared to walk the way.

Rita, when asked, upon careful thought
Said she would walk should evr’yone walked.

Aloy’s wrinkled feet caused by soaking shoes
braced herself and said she, too, would walk on.

Thus, three there were who were ready to go.
But what of Amir, Ikhwan and Hamed?

Amir said, “I don’t know. Anythinglah”
That brought the wrath of Meng Chwen upon him.
So hid he no more of his weakness, and
revealed that he would rather not go.

Ikhwan sighed and sat upon a rock.
Tiredness overwhelmed him.
Weights upon his back he could no longer bear.
So he, too, chose not to go.

Hamed complained of unbearable pain.
He showed the broken blisters on his toes.
He asked for mercy and spoke of a hunger so great.
Then he pleaded that we should stay.

Zahidi would have want us go on;
In his heart, he had a slight fear.
Who knows what passes through in the dead of night?
But a compassionate heart he had.
So bid he that we stayed the night.

The heart of Meng Chwen
which was on fire was now quenched.
He look’d around and was saddened.
He saw tired faces with weary countenance.
Pleading expressions. Battle-worn looks.
Finally, a royal nod of understanding.
For though few were prepared to walk
The three more hours to reach Kem Botak,
He said that all would stay the night.
Anon he pondered long about the consequences.

Once the choice was made; that all would camp at Bonsai
Along an open path on mostly uneven ground,
Zahidi disappeared into the darkness.
Some celebrated. Others were unaffected.
Then hunger chewed its way into consciousness!
Meng Chwen, quick, lit a lamp to fight the darkness,
Rita, Aloy, Ikhwan and Quin Jean scampered off
In the night cool air, and soon returned
To lay down all their rations for a meal.
. . .
. . .
Amir asked, “Can we build a fire?”
Zahidi, who had disappeared and now returned,
Nodded his head and said, “Boleh. Suka hati-la.”
Amir understood but acted not upon those words
There, like an immobilized statue of stone stood.
. . .
. . .
Like the well-known reputation of Dragons the world over:
With the opening of a Dragon’ mouth; the heavens would move.
The mountains gave way; the mountains transformed.
Hamed opened his mouth. In gulps, mountains disappeared.
Everyone but Meng Chwen looked at the miracle
when pasta noodles disappeared from sight.
Hamed drew gasps, but before sounds subsided,
Amir slurped. And more gasps were heard.
. . .
. . .
. . . Meng Chwen grew mad.
. . . He withdrew from the crowd and stomped away.
. . . all alone, he pitch tents in darkness.
. . .
. . . Except for Quin Jean, no one dared come near
. . . For fear of the wrath of Meng Chwen.
. . .
. . .

All of a sudden, a sharp pain struck from within.
Meng Chwen grimaced in pain.
He shut his eyes; He focused his thoughts;
He forced himself to ignore the pain
‘Till he began to feel faint.
He asked for candies and food to ease
the rising discomfort. Yet he swallowed none.
Meng Chwen fell to his knees.
Dragged he his feet to his bed.
Noises overcrowded his hearing
‘Till all he heard just one voice
that of his queen’s sweet voice.
A calm descended upon him.
Sleep came over him;
Perhaps he passed out.
And the world rested, too.

VIII: Animals Animals Anywhere?
A demure mouse deer scamper’ng by a river.
Elephants marching in an odd elegant manner.
A honey bear scratching graffiti on tree trunks.
Or a tiger’s eye burning bright in the night.
Such sights would have been a joy to see.

The wooden beatings of flapping hornbill wings.
The monkeys’ playful clamouring in the trees.
The exciting movements in an orchestra of cicadas.
Or the alarming grunts of an angry wild boar.
Such sounds we all longed to hear.

But such lively creatures were ever absent,
As we marched along the trails at Mount Tahan.
The creatures of the forest ever absent,
seemed to have gone the ways of fauns,
Hippogriffs, garudas and the unicorn.
When asked where have the larger animals gone?
Zahidi’s promptly answered, “Jangan. I tak berani.”
Literally: “Don’t want. I am not brave.”
So much so, Meng Chwen suspected that
he, like Timothy Hunter, had cast a spell that
Animals, ‘cept for lizards, ants, wasps, rats,
birds and snakes, we would not meet
Along the trails at Mount Tahan.

IX: The Rocky Plains of Botak
It has been two hours since we left Bonsai
And we have reached the rocky plains of Botak.
The early dew gathered in mists and arose
in swirls in a column towards the heavens–
joining its brethren clouds on highù
before a reigning Sun.

The Fellowship has finally caught up with Amir.
He who would often wait for command
left camp near an hour before ev’ryone else;
For in the night he must have heard the muses’ lure
and succumbed to ill delusions of grandeur.
But blessed was Amir for no evil befell him;
He was jolted from his dream-like walk.
He too stopped at the plains of Botak.
All by himself he waited; he had nothing
to do but to find ways to syok sendiri.¹⁴

At the rocky plains of Botak,
a spring did the Fellowship find.
Here there is water to quench a parching throat.
Here there is water to melt caked mud on toes.
Here there is water to clean tomato-stained tins.
Here there is water to replenish empty bottles.
Here there is water to use with potato powder.
Once rejuvenated. Once refreshed.
Our sights were set on the final stretch
that will lead us all to fame or doom at the Dragon’s lair.

The journey towards the end tho short seemed long.
Nothing’s changed but Meng Chwen’s thoughts
Were burdened by tricks played upon his mind.
The air was thin; every step a delayed stomp.
Ahh. I’ve been once been forewarned.
These are but trappings of the Dragon’s mind tricks!
He closed his eyes and called to Windy¹⁵
Hoping for a ride upon this wondrous winged bird.
Instead help came from a nearby voice.
He was urged on to remove the camera from his pack
to take his mind off the imprint so set on the Dragon.
He was told to capture the passing moments of the land
less he should regret and come away with shattered memories.
Meng Chwen agreed and in a few swift strokes,
A camera was in his hands.
The focus shifted from that of the Dragon
to the the surrounding and the present.
The rolling hills. The encompassing green valley.
The lifting mists over the slope of trees.
A wild orchid. A monkey’s pot.
A little flower. A little seed.
Little buds spreading roots on edges of rocks.
Twisted branches of bonsai.
Thick leaves of tropical plants.
The red-baked ground. The snow white rocks.
Quin Jean’s steady walk.
Ikhwan’s striking yellow cloak.
Hamed and his potion of 100Plus,
Steps and time moved in synchronized tandem.
‘fore long, Meng Chwen was quick approaching
the Dragon’s lair at the peak of Mount Tahan.

X: The Race to the the Peak of Mount Tahan
After Botak, Meng Chwen struggled in his ascent.
For the first time in days, Meng Chwen complained.
“OK. That’s it. I want to go home,” said he
Even when he was so near the Dragon’s lair.
Spurred on by thoughts of victory and glory,
The sight of Quin Jean and her steady happy gait.
The persistent urgings of Ikhwan,
And the unbearable thoughts that
Amir, or all people, should be first,
Meng Chwen drew upon his energy reserves.
What were once heavy feet dragged to scale the final stretches
Were bestowed with feathers.
Meng Chwen ran!
From the back to the front.
Ikhwan accompanied him.
Together they raced ahead, trying with all their might
to catch Amir and Quin Jean, who were quite far ahead.

‘Ere long, Meng Chwen and Ikhwan reached the camping ground
Where Amir, Quin Jean and Zahidi had stopped.
Meng Chwen look’d around and shouted,
“‘Tis is not the peak. ‘Tis not the the Dragon’s lair!”
But we were near!
He threw down his rucksack.
Raised his hand and gestured that all should follow
He started his run to face the Dragon at the peak.
Ikhwan, too, ran. Followed by Quin Jean and Amir.
Zahidi chose to remain behind.

Ikhwan, the youngest of the lot,
Full of vigour and spirit raced on ahead;
And be the first to place his hand
At the entrance of the Dragon’s lair.

The Dragon was not there.

On that day, the Fellowship of Ten,
Stood upon crimson rocks at the peak of Mount Tahan.
First to reach was Ikhwan.
Followed by Meng Chwen.
Followed by Quin Jean.
Then Amir.
Blossom.
Buttercup.
Bubbles.
Rita.
Hamed.
And Aloy.

XI: A Conversation with the Dragon
. . .
. . .
“Friend, who can scale heaven?
Only the gods live forever under the sun.
As for men, their days are numbered;
their achievements are a puff of wind.”¹⁶
“So too art mine days,” declared the Dragon,
“For though ‘ah am not of men, ‘ah too am mortal.
And like those others who reigned before me,
‘ah too will be joined to mine father
who hath joined his father before him.”
Meng Chwen unmoved, boasted, “Then sooner
will it be that you shall meet thy father!
For I am Meng Chwen–Dragon slayer!”
“And ‘ah am _________, the last of my kind.
Repent of your ways. For you walk the path of Death
like the many who have failed before you.”
“If I fail, I will have made myself a name.
‘Meng Chwen,’ they will say, ‘went against fierce _________
and died.’ They will remember, afterward.”¹⁷
. . .
. . .
. . . battle?
. . . Dragon breathes a fiery breath; burns Meng Chwen’s back
. . . stabs Dragon? but sword pierced not through thick scales.
. . . chips sword not before breaking a scale.
. . .
. . . both undefeated. both unrelenting.
. . . what would it be when two forces of nature
. . . faces one another like walls against the other
. . . How to break?
. . . At the same moment. Both lowered arms
. . . Both surrendered.
. . .
. . . Dragon in sadness, with teardrops in its eyes
. . . spoke of a gift in the darkness of the night.
. . . Meng Chwen knew not what it was
. . . no answer and the Dragon was lost amongst the clouds
. . .
. . .
. . . picked up a scale from among the white rocks
. . . a present for Joanna the adopted niece.
. . . retreats to camp.
. . .
. . . a battle lost? a battle won?
. . .
. . .

XII: Go Far Far Away!
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .

XIII: The Dragon’s Last Assault Final Cry
This time unarmed, we sat in a circle, recounting the day,
When all of a sudden the dragon soared in the air sublime.
It started with little droplets rattling upon the ground.
Then rain poured down fast and hard.
The dragon spitted forth forked sparks,
blinding even the moonlit eye.
Though seem the same as assaults of days past,
This rain bore no sting.
For the dragon’s rage was no more.
Meng Chwen gazed up the sky
and saw tears from the dragon’s eye.
Though never in danger, all retreated
and sought shelter from the crying sky.
Aloy, singularly took command of the blue tent
and saved her belongings from a coming deluge.
All else floated and sank by their own weight.
Hamed, soundly asleep in his dome, took no notice;
He still snored to smother the noisily sounds.
Zahidi, walked calmly into his own tent
and waited for the passing of the storm.
FiveùRita, Ikhwan, Amir, Quin Jean and Meng Chwen–
confined themselves to a two-man tent.

XIV: The Great Flood
The rain poured long and hard.
Meng Chwen knew the dragon’s final cry would bear no sting.
For though our belongings were thrown about asunder.
There was no need for us to run helter skelter.
The King stands firm in adversity
Tho the dragon breathes fire and winds howl
I, like mountains before me, yields not a nanometer.
So, still I, do I reside in mine humble abode.

Anon Meng Chwen warned:
“If this rain be longer,
This tent be flooded.”
The rain poured relentless.
Water flowed in trough holes seen and unseen.
Five persons in a sinking two-men tent.
All got wet and now needed to work
Do what is needed to save the sinking tent!
Ikhwan and Rita, fast, built a mountain
By piling things one atop another.
Meng Chwen and Amir submerged cloths
in building puddles of water.
Once full of water, those cloths were passed on
To Quin Jean who wrung them dry.
Again and again all worked together
To save the sinking tent.
‘Ere long, the dragon’s cry ended and the rain subsided.
Quin Jean, nearest to the doorway,
Put out her head and looked around.
“Land ahoy! We’ve ran aground!”
So seemed our tent was not wrecked by the storm.
It had simply anchor itself firmly to the ground.
Once in safety, each disembarked
And to each one’s own tent returned.

Alas, the blue tent was rendered useless
With waters reaching high above two inches.
Things floated and sank by their own weight.
With a heavy heart, Meng Chwen sacrificed
His homely humble abode–now all dry–
To the three maidens.
Haish. Such are things I do for others.
Thus, traded he his spacious home
for a little corner in Hamed’s dome.

XV: Starlight Starbright or The Dragon’s Gift
In the dead of night; not long after Meng Chwen
Closed his eyes when he was abruptly woken up
by the hyper shakings of Ikhwan’s body.
It would seem the midnight cold of Mount Tahan
Had seeped deep into Ikhwan’s core–
Resulting in violent shakings that
Stir the silence of the night.
Meng Chwen, now awake, kicked at Amir,
“Hey, Ikhwan’s dying of cold.
Let him have your blanket!”
It was not a request.
Meng Chwen ripped the cloth from Amir’s grasp
He pulled it over and covered Ikhwan.
Meng Chwen held Ikhwan’s fists to keep him still
Stop shaking. You need to survive the night

‘Twas only now an hour passed midnight,
A long way more ‘fore the sun takes the rein.
Meng Chwen, who was caught between Amir and Ikhwan
Laid upon his back and tried to sleep.
But Quin Jean came and rattled the tent.
Said she, “Is anyone awake? I heard voices.”
I was the only one speaking. Was I that loud?
Meng Chwen wanted so much to strangle her
But he could not, and would not, hurt her.
I want my sleep. Why are you here?
“Hey! Does anyone have dry clothes?
Rita and Aloy are shivering in the cold.”
So you’re here not for your own needs.
Meng Chwen reluctantly rose and kicked Amir aside.
Then he sacrificed his jacket and his T-shirt
So he alone suffered the pangs of cold
While others be kept warm in the dead of the night.
Such noble an act, he would learn in days to come
Were beyond what most lovers would do.

Clad only in knee-length pants and a runner’s singlet
Meng Chwen, too, would shiver should he return to slumber.
Anon he came out of his tent and roamed the campsite grounds–
disarrayed by an earlier storm and ravaged by scavenger rats–
Meng Chwen settled beside a stove.
Brewed he some coffee to warm his body.
All this while, Rita and Aloy, watched silently in their tent.
Quin Jean stood nearby admiring the patterns in the sky.
Oft Meng Chwen, too, would tilt his head upwards–
Not a single puff of cloud floated by;
Countless stars–more than he or his Queen has been seen before–
Shimmered and danced across the vast black canvas.
Once in a while, a lonely star flew horizontally by
T’was the most beautiful clear night sky.
Such was the dragon’s gift it had spoken of earlier
When we, with lowered arms, surrendered to one another.
Seeing such a sight, clearer thoughts filled Meng Chwen’s mind.
Such moments of beauty, rarely seen and shared
Only by the few on Mount Tahan’s peak,
Meng Chwen knew of none that could compare.

His thoughts traveled far, reaching
Those whose names were etched firmly in his heart:
If I could I would my love for you
Will shine so bright,
And stretch so far and wide,
Like the countless stars
spreading across heavens’ canvass
as I see on such a night.

The mist slowly slided in;
The drawing of curtains.
The moment over.
Meng Chwen shifted his thoughts.
What’s the measure of one’s love
That stretches forth to so few so many?
Again he felt the chill the night presented.
By then, it was near four past midnight.
‘Twas time to sleep;
To survive the cold.
To survive the night.
And in that sleep, let the world be at rest.

XVI: Descent
The new sun inched along its outlined arch.
Mists hovering close to Mount Tahan’s ground
Ascended above the canopy of it’s mighty crown.
T’was the sign that marked the start
of The Fellowship’s journey home.

Amir took the lead and others followed–
Ikhwan, Hamed, Aloy, Rita and Quin Jean.
‘Till at last only Zahidi and Meng Chwen stood.
Zahidi went about to check the ground–
Picking up pieces of leftovers garbage
And setting sights discordant with Nature aright.
Meng Chwen forc’d a one last hesitant look
at the battle ground on Mount Tahan’s peak.
In silence, he spoke his farewells.
Then, speedily, he took to the trail.
There he goes starting last in the block: position 18.
‘Till he caught up with the rest.
Then something in Meng Chwen did stir.
He let loose his suppressed desire
To race against ev’ryone down the mountain.
To be first amongst equals.
He quickened his steps and went on ahead
Leaving Quin Jean, Rita and Aloy behind.
Meng Chwen overtakes; now in position 15!
Meng Chwen ran, hopped walked and skipped.
He sped for place to place, yet we went not too far ahead.
For he stopped occasionally to breathe
the cool air and memorize the sights.
At times he would from his rucksack remove
The two kilo camera and went click click click,
Capturing moments, and of landscapes.
Meng Chwen maintains position 15 and keeps off the opposition!
Meng Chwen kept running.
Quin Jean followed steadily behind.
When at Botak, both had overtaken Hamed
and came to the camp of the others–
Nine there were as two had left.
Meng Chwen saw not the bodies of Ikhwan and Amir
Though he faintly heard their voices.
So shouted he that he would continue on
While they rested and filled their bottles;
After all, t’was too soon to put brakes on.
when great was the speed he had gained.
Meng Chwen waved, bid all farewell and ran on.
Meng Chwen makes a sweeping dash and moves to third!
Qun Jean chose to follow suit; but after few steps
She was strangely called to turn and retreat to Botak.

Meng Chwen continued ’till he passed
The two of the other camp.
There he goes! What speed! Meng Chwen is first!
Having gained some distance, his heightened senses
Warned him of something amiss.
Meng Chwen came to a stop near an open space.
To his horror, he discovered his Teva sandals had slipped!
Two choices were laid before him:
To retrace his steps to find what was loss,
Or to sit, wait and hope someone found the loss.
Meng Chwen chose the latter.
There he sat. Waiting.
One man passed by. And another.
Ikhwan, Amir and Aloy came by.
Ikhwan chose to move on and be the first
To mark and claim the boundaries at Kem Kor.
But the weight upon his back made him worry
“The rucksack on my back is so heavy.”
“Pass me a tent,” said Meng Chwen.
Instead, Ikhwan threw down a yellow canister of water.
Off he went with Amir and Aloy trailing him,
And with an understanding that all should gather
For a hearty lunch at Bonsai.

At that same open space, Meng Chwen sat.
Waiting. Waiting for an hour long and more.
Waiting for sandals that never seemed to come.
There was nothing much Meng Chwen could do.
‘Cept watch butterflies fluttering freely to and fro
and busy buzzing bees come and go.

Anon, others came and others went.
‘Till at last, Zahidi came; and Meng Chwen rejoiced!
For in Zahidi’s hands were sandals bound in ropes.

Meng Chwen rose to his feet,
Bid he farewell to the bees,
And walked with Zahidi and all others at the back.
Oh no! Meng Chwen was first, but now is last.
Then gaining momentum and speed,
Meng Chwen ran far and fast, with all his might–
Ikhwan and Amir he must catch.
For none in the Fellowship of Ten
Has eaten since the journey home began.
To have a hearty meal, all must gather;
For Ikhwan held the stove and gas canister.
And Meng Chwen the macaroni and olives.
Great was the intent to brings things together
That Meng Chwen ran, with Hamed not far behind.
overtook a trekker. Then another.
And another. Then two more others.
Meng Chwen is on a roll! He is twelfth!

When at Bonsai, Meng Chwen did stop.
Saw he none of the Fellowship of Ten.
Eleven more in front, and he sees no one!
It would seem that all have moved on.
Defeated and hungry, he slumped to the ground.
He pondered upon the distance and speed
That Ikhwan, Amir and Aloy could go
Without food to fuel their tired bodies.

Meng Chwen drew from leftover reserves,
Stood and said with great resolve “Let us go.”
Hamed, who was with him, shook his head.
And squarely asked, “Can we eat first?”
Meng Chwen drew a quizzical expression,
Dropped his jaw and asked, “You have food?”
Hamed nodded. He dug deep into his rucksack
And produced splendid sandwiches of squashed bread
with magic beans with Iranian flavours.

T’was strange how things came together:
That on this journey down the mountain,
The role of Hamed finally revealed itself.
That on this journey down the mountain,
Hamed would be Meng Chwen’s companion.
That on this journey down the mountain,
Hamed would supply the energy t’was needed.
That on this journey down the mountain,
You have redeemed yourself. And all is forgiven.

With every bite of the sandwich, Meng Chwen felt
Whatever energy depleted was now replenished.
Anon Meng Chwen ran again.
Chasing after Ikhwan, Amir and Aloy.
Racing to reach Kem Kor before others.
But in a short twenty minutes, the spurt of energy gained
was gone.
Meng CHwen ran on ’till he felt dehydrated,
Then he remembered Ikhwan’s canister.

T’was strange how things came together:
That on this journey down the mountain,
Meng Chwen ran with no store of water.
But Ikhwan had delivered one yellow canister
That supplied the much needed water!

And so it was that on this journey down the mountain
Meng Chwen received other miracles of food and water
that supplied the needed boost of energy when most needed:
a half-piece of biscuit, a muesli bar,
a sachet of Milo, and a sweet.
And so Meng Chwen could run on and on.
After much walking, runnning, jumping and edging trees left and right,
He caught up with Ikhwan at Kem Kor.
Meng Chwen finishes the race! He is third!
Nine hours had he spent on the descent from
Mount Tahan’s peak to Kem Kor.

. . .
. . .
in river
return to trail for our so called rescue
distracted by this man from UITM
aged 52, truly an inspiration
was offered coffee
MC and Ikhwan stopped and chat
‘Fore long Amir came.
gave command to Amir
Ikhwan and MC resumed their aim
to rescue fair maidens on the trail
. . .
. . .
saw torches in the jungle
MC told Ikhwan
stubborn maidens may not want aid
true enough all three wanted to tahan
and bear the weights upon their back
to complete their return to kem kor.

Luck has it that Quin Jean drops her sandals
Ikhwan picks it up. He takes one side
MC takes the other.
Just so we our effort does not seem wasted
should we return empty handed.

And in not so long a while all in the Fellowship of Ten
reached Kem Kor for the night.

XVII: The Feast and The Final Night-time Wait
The Fellowship of Ten were once more together
As all were at Kem Kor assembled.
A great feast was held to celebrate the journey’s end;
For the next day yielded but a short walk
To Kuala Juram and the foot of Mount Tahan.
Amir, who did not live up to his calling as a beast of burden–
the honour befell Ikhwan, the swift young one–
Sealed his fate as the Chief Cook of the kingdom of Cardosia.
Amir’s cooking skills first manifested when he made
a marvelous meal of mash potatoes at Botak Hill.
Now, with with expectations riding high,
Amir repeated the potato feat!
First, he made mash potatoes garnished
With salt, cheese, pepper and butter.
to whet hungry ev’ryone’s hungry appetite.
Then he used his new found culinary skills
To make fried potatoes in his special golden oil.
All sounded a roar of approval!
With such great admiration bestowed upon him,
Amir cooked and some more cooked.
In that feast, dishes so diverse were served:
stockpot, Italian meatballs, curry shrimp, rice,
macaroni, nasi briyani, and more fried potatoes.
All cooked to perfection to satisfy all cravings and hunger.
Then again, everything tastes good in the jungle.

Midway during the feast, Zahidi bid us goodnight.
He abandoned the Fellowship for an old friend,
who was party to another camp.
Even without the guide, it should be safe
In a place where so many people gathered.
Ten in the Fellowship of Ten.
Eleven from the other camp.
And nine more who had just arrived.
Yet Meng Chwen sensed something amiss
Something so strong he did not want to dismiss.
Thus Meng Chwen declared, “I will not go to sleep,
But I would give watchful eye ’till dawn takes it place.”

Throughout the night, Meng Chwen would prick up his ears
and occasionally glanced at shadows dancing in the dark.
Hamed, Ikhwan, Rita and Aloy wanted to stay awake.
But they succumbed to tiredness as they were teased
By Hypnos with the genuine gift of sleep.
Amir fought heavy eyes as he tried
to keep an alert Meng Chwen awake.
When the hour struck one past midnight,
Amir gave in and went to sleep in defeat.
Quin Jean fared much better for she
Stayed, and engaged in a conversation.

Both Meng Chwen and Quin Jean talked for hours,
But their eyes were ever watching the camp,
Looking out for that that they wished not to meet,
As some have met, as others deliberately wishing to meet.
For though hidden and mostly unseen in the darkness,
Their presence could at times be strongly felt.
Quin Jean heard orchestral music playing softly in the night.
Meng Chwen heard naught, but knew, though he knows not how,
That beings and danger lurked near in the shadows.
Thus the two stayed up ’till late, both wide awake.
Each accompanying the other, watching over all others.
Each with reasons one disclosed not to the other.

Late into the night, puffy dark clouds shielded the stars.
The Dragon’s teardrops came falling lightly upon the ground.
What brings you here at this hour?
Quickly, the two worked in silent commotion under the rain.
They cleared the camp, and stored them in a tent.
Packed their rucksacks, and kept them safe and dry.
As Quin Jean and Meng Chwen rushed,
Danger scrambled away into the night.
So your tears were made to chase them away.
The remaining two who had stayed awake
Retired into each one’s own tent.
Sensing whatever danger has passed,
Finally felt peace and could soundly sleep.

XVIII: The Journey Home
Duly at ten, the Fellowship of Ten took to the trail again
‘Twas four more hours ‘fore the journey’s end.
Once the implements and residues of war were pack’d
Off Hamed went on the trail to Kuala Juram;
Followed by Amir, Ikhwan, Aloy, Rita and Quin Jean.
Meng Chwen stayed a while and look’d around.
His sight set on the spots where camps were set,
tools were reset, and where a feast was served.
Look’d he too at the rushing waters in the river
And was reminded of when he stood in the cool waters.
Though only two nights had lived his life there,
Kem Kor had been a home,
And to leave a home is never an easy thing to do.
He cast his thoughts of the land beyond,
And his journey up Mount Tahan.
His heart grew heavy and a weight ensued.
He picked up his rucksack, and away he went.

Strange was it that Meng Chwen who ran so fast
In previous days now swept way at the back.
Set in part by his reluctance to leave,
Set in part by his wish he declared on the first day.
. . .
. . . Amir had forgotten words spoken and had rushed headlong
. . . with aims to be the first to exit the jungles.
. . .
. . . Meng Chwen at Lata Luis did dived to fulfill his wish.
. . .
. . .

XIX: Epilogue
The quest on Mount Tahan has ended
And all had been granted a safe return.
That night, the Fellowship of Ten boarded the caravan
pulled by the same steeled steads
that had first brought them to Gua Musang.
In the journey home, Meng Chwen’s heart did race once more
as he recounted events of five days past–
of high adventures and careful movements,
precious moments and missed opportunities.
Then Hypnos came with Morpheus hovering closely behind;
Each showered their gifts upon the King.
Feeling safe, Meng Chwen let down his guard.
In tiredness he calmly laid his head upon his palm.
In that sleep, still shapeless thoughts soon took form
of a wondrous world of a world beyond.
The first time in many nights, Meng Chwen dreamt
He held the hand of his Queen, of the one he loves,
Strolling gently across the last remaining plains of Mount Tahan.

Thus ends Part 2 of “The Mount Tahan Chronicles.” The intrepid heroes brought peace to the lands and soon parted; each going on their own ways but would on occasions meet up on other edges of the world. Only in time will we know if their fates will cross again, and be on another adventure.

—————–
Notes
¹² En Ismail is a pretty nice guy; he took us to the Sungai Relau office at a very cheap price. He even agreed to pick uis up after we came down the mountain. He gave us his cell phone number, but there was no phone signal at Sungai Relau. We never got to call him to take us back to Gua Musang. His phone number, for the records, is: +6013-9164916.
¹³ Okutaresama is the River Spirit seen in Sen To Chihiro No Kamikakushi.
¹⁴ syok sendiri kinda means “doing compulsive acts mainly for narcissistic self-satisfaction” in the Malaysia language. What he did at the rocky plains of Botak was that he photographed nothing but himself. Click here for a larger-sized composite picture.
¹⁵ Windy is a fictional character created by Shieh Jeanne. It’s a mythical bird that is known to be able to change it’s size. It was told that it first learned to change when it was injured on a volcano. Windy was about the size of a canary, and it was perched on a rock with red hot lava flowing around it. The Prince and the Blue Cow had come to its rescue via a magical rainbow bridge, but in turn got trapped instead. Fearing that harm would befall the Prince and the Blue Cow, Windy took to the skies to call for help. Alas no one responded. In desperation, Windy swooped down, wanting to catch both the Prince and the Cow in its claws to save the. Fighting against the heat and rushing wind, Windy transformed and grew in size–taking the size larger than any mythical giant Eagles. And so a favour had been returned; Windy who was first saved saved its saviour in turn. After that, Windy the size-changing bird took part in many other Prince and the Blue Cow adventures.
¹⁶ These four lines are taken from the Old Babylonian version of the epic tale of Gilgamesh. The lines are taken at the point when Gilgamesh, full of courage, declares his insistence to face Humbaba, whose “shout is the storm-flood, his mouth, fire, his breath is death.”
¹⁷ These three lines are borrowed from the Old Babylonian version of the epic tale of Gilgamesh. The names have been changed to suit this tale.

——————
Related Links:
• 40 Selected Images on my Photography Website.
• Amir’s Account written in a narrative form might offer some reprieve from mine long form.

Gunung Tahan, the highest mountain in Peninsular Malaysia, stands at 2187meters.

Me, Quin Jean, Ikhwan, Rita, Amir, Hamed and Aloysia at the peak.

I was disappointed I had to miss the August 2002 trek up Gunung Tahan. It was indeed a miss to not be able to trek up the mountain with Don Mah, Nee On, Amos, Adrian and the rest of them. Furthermore, I had prepared all the paperwork and been training (to some extent); so to miss this trek was really sort of a waste. I was all ready to go, but when my daughter fell ill the choice was obvious. The family does come first.

And I was left longing to trek up Gunung Tahan since then.

Gunung Tahan remained at the back of my mind, but I somehow never thought of pursuing it. Sure, I did talk about it with Amos and Nee On and Ying Oon about traversing the mountain some time; but some time never came. So when Quin Jean, out of the blue, suggested we head up Gunung Tahan, it was opportunity not to be missed.

There I was doing all the paperwork (again) and having to train (again), and worse I somehow had to find a team! Some people came to mind — Amos, Kourosh, Farah — but in the end none of them came. Simply, I had a team of new trekkers. I did wonder how we’d all do together. But having been up to the peak and back with Quin Jean, Amir, Ikhwan, Hamed, Rita anad Aloy from 12 to 16 June, 2007, I dare say missing the 2002 trek was probably a pretty good thing.

For one, I don’t think the landscape has changed that much in the last five years. Sure, about an average of around 1600 and 1800 people hike up the mountain yearly, but that wouldn’t amount to a lot of environmental damage (in the short run anyhow). So I doubt if the landscape has changed much (it’s not like Tahan was snow capped and all the ice had melted!).

Secondly, I’ve got more people to call to join me on future treks. I don’t think we were the best, but we’ve got a pretty decent team going. Sure, there were times I wanted to strangle some of them, and I suppose some of them could have wanted to strangled me. But that’s part and parcel of treks–people revealing their true colours, shapes and stripes. Sure, I would have liked Nee On on the trek. After all he has been a pretty constant trekking partner in the last few years (he has sort of semi-retired from trekking; hanging up his boots for a daytime desk job–probably working at widening his waist length). Having Amos around would have just make me go faster and further. He is sort of a monster in a jungle. But now, would I consider trading Quin Jean for any of those two? The answer’s a big NO. By the way, in case you were wondering, I group people like Amos, Adrian, Quin Jean, Candice, Nee On, Ker Soon and Sze Ning under a certain class (having known them since 2002), and those that came after to other sub-groups (in my own complex table of classification).

Having Quin Jean around was the best thing to happen on this trek. She is such a positive person that she broke the ice with other fellow trekkers easily (none of them has ever heard or seen her before). She is encouraging and her laughter can be rather infectious. I could hear her voice echoing over the valleys and slopes of the mountain. Plus, I haven’t seen her in ages, so catching up on the good old times and talking about people we knew were highlights.

Amir. Well, Amir was nice to bully, as usual. I’ve only known him for about a year, and Tahan was like our third or fourth hike together. He’s still green and needs specific instructions. Telling him what to do reminds me of training so many others how to survive in the jungle so long ago.

Ikhwan. He surprised me much on this trek. He’s the youngest of all of us. But his grit and determination; his selflessness and persistence should be an inspiration to many. Though small in frame he was our best beast of burden. I did scream at him once or twice, but he took it well; and in all that he learnt to be more creative and alert to the surroundings (I hope!).

Rita, initially skeptical and reluctant about coming, proved me right when she made it up and down the mountain. Convincing her was probably the most difficult part. But once she was in, her whole heart was in; and that made things moved a lot easier. Plus, she’s eased up quite a bit since the previous overnight treks. At Ledang, she kept to herself and just slept. At Irau, she had her group of friends and she also slept, albeit less. On this extended trek, she slept less, and she talked more.

Aloy was truly a trooper. For a few long stretches, she too walked steadily with weights I thought would have killed her. At one point she insisted on carrying a tent when Ikhwan was tired. I offered, she said she was OK. I stopped pestering her. I mean, someone wants to carry heavy stuff. Sure, be my guest! The best part is she’s quite an eater. So she had loads of food when one least expected it. Oh, and she hardly complained. She had sore feet and was cold, but she just moved on.

Hamed, well Hamed is Hamed in his own Hamed world. I had my grouses about him, but he turned out OK in the end. I’ll remember him as the one who had the driest tent and he supplied much needed energy boosts–he would bring out a few drops of 100Plus. He would offer Iranian beans with squashed bread. He had sweets–when I was running on empty on our way down from the peak to Kem Kor. He was there at the right time. So, yeah, he turned out OK in the end.

Thirdly, I went up Tahan with less worries about my knees than I had in the past. In 2002, I’d be working my knees pretty hard–especially after the seven stitch-injury I suffered at Gunung Besar Hantu. Then I went up Nuang so many times then that my legs were just worn out. For this Tahan trek, I consciously stayed away from Nuang! The only worry I got was that I seemed to have pulled a tendon while at Gunung Ledang (I didn’t see a doc so I don’t really know what happened). That kept me out in the cold for nearly two months! But I had such an enjoyable leisurely walk to Tahan’s peak, I wasn’t even thinking about my knees! So much so that I really wonder if Gunung Tahan is as painful and difficult as it is reputed to be. Then again, sometimes it’s not us who make it up the mountain. Rather it’s the mountain that allows us to go up, and down. Whichever way, I was glad I was fit for it all.

Fourthly, who would have thought of lugging near 2kgs of camera equipment up the mountain? I did! Some others might have as well. If I went in 2002, I wouldn’t have the photos I have now. I came home feeling really happy with most of the photos I got. Sure, it was really misty there this time, and I couldn’t get a nice landscape panorama. Then again, that’s the beauty of it all, at it’s own time. I was presented with a misty landscape, and I take it in all in stride. Oh, having forgotten to change the setting on my camera to an appropriate ISO, I had lots of underexposed pictures, but those that came out at ISO100 were a gift. I’ve some really bright, crisp and sharp images — better than I expected! The only thing I wished I’d have done more is to have taken more pictures of people, of us on the trek, of us doing what we did. Oh well, I suppose I’ll just have to make sure I don’t suffer from Alzheimer’s disease so I can remember everything vividly ’till the day I die.

Y’know. I could go on with reasons after reasons on why this was the right time to go up Gunung Tahan. But that’s not the point. The point is, I went up when I did. And the experience I gained on Gunung Tahan is truly one of the highlights of my trekking career, perhaps even my life. I’ve heard of people complaining of hardship, ill prepared trips, missed opportunities and so on and so forth. But that’s the beauty of it. Every trek’s different. I didn’t have Nee On, or Amos. And that’s OK. I didn’t have Kourosh of Farah. And that’s OK, too. Because if they asked me, I don’t think they missed anything. They’re time will come. Each of our time will come, and when it comes it’s best to make the most out of it. I did–so much so that I thought it was a good thing to have missed the trek in 2002.

So what now? What will the future hold?

Now that I’ve hiked up Gunung Tahan, I need to look at others.

—————–
Related Links:
• Photos on my photography website

Gunung Tahan Overview
Elevation (feet): 7175
Elevation (meters): 2187
Latitude: 4.6333333
Longitude: 102.2333333

“The Mount Tahan Chronicles” is an ongoing entry that weaves its way between reality and fantasy. The first part of the Chronicle begins with a Declaration of War, the gathering of the Ten, the preparations and the start of the journey to Mount Tahan. This tale will continue to grow until the aftermath of the War; the latest entries into “The Mount Tahan Chronicles” are always at the end. So while it may seem like nothing has changed, scroll to the end.

23/4/2007
This is the day I finally dug up some old files about Mount Tahan.
Then I penned the most wonderful letter indicating my intention to walk up the mountain.
It is my Declaration of War; to slay the dragon who resides on the plains of Mount Tahan.
The letter begins its journey to the destination from the post office tomorrow.

My feet will follow soon after.
The date in which I will thrust myself onto this yet unknown adventure is set.
My company is not yet assembled; and I fear the usual suspects¹ have all but abandoned me.
It will be a trying time as I make careful choices;
It is, after all, not easy to choose those whom I will have to trust with my life.

Oh, this is going to be so so fun.

27/4/2007
I have been waiting and waiting since I sent the letter by fax
And soon I began to wonder,
“Why have I not hear from the faraway land?”
Like Holmes, Poirot and Charlie Chan before me,
I don my guise and set my mind to motion.
I scouted for hidden clues; no leaf was left unturned
I made empirical deductions; and the probability of infinite possibility
I meticulously calculated to precision of seven decimal digits
OK, I exaggerate. But I was a man in horror!
And in horror I discovered what only a Meng Chwen can do;
I sent the fax to the wrong destination.

The error was soon rectified.
A setback, I know. But thank the heavens
The flaw was discovered when it was
Heaven knows what might befall should I come within the
boundaries of Murphy’s Law, or, even worse,
Finagle’s Law!

It is so now that I again will be waiting and waiting.

28/4/2007
The company grows from one to two to three.
seven more to go.

Oh, this is going to be so so fun.

30/4/2007
Finally there are now Four and Five
Few have found favour and
Fewer still have pledged faith to follow the Fellowship.

One Iranian to bring forth light over the darkness of the night,
One Indonesian to even the odds, and
One little pilot boy for all to bully.
One Malaysian of royal descent–a Queen of some sort,
and the One all think of when our sweet Hamlet declares
“What a piece of work is man!
how noble in reason!
how infinite in faculty!
in form and moving how express and admirable!
in action how like an angel!
in apprehension, how like a god!”

Five in a fellowship.
Five more to make intentions known.
Only then the fellowship
of ten is complete

30/4/2007
The people of the Forest rejoice
and welcome our coming on when we will come.
My feet will follow soon after.
The date in which I will thrust myself onto this yet unknown adventure is set.
My company is not yet assembled; and I fear the usual suspects have all but abandoned me.
It will be a trying time as I make careful choices;
It is, after all, not easy to choose those whom I will have to trust with my life.

Oh, this is going to be so so fun.

3/5/2007
The days drags drearily on
and the fear of the shadow of the coming battle
of the First of Seven-Sevens lengthened².
The Council of the Ancient Ones were called.
But only eight responded.
Where have all the heroes gone?
No chieftains, commanders nor captains stood among them;
Where have all the heroes gone?
All still green with few badges of honour.
All eager in spirits to take on daunting tasks.
Where have all the heroes gone?

The ancient map of the land was spread out before them
The facts on the arduous journey up Mount Tahan were presented
The tactics to slay the first of a new breed of the great dragons
threatening the new world were discussed in length.

Weary faces spread across the room.
All still green with few badges of honour.
And all now with unconvinced thoughts and burdened hearts.
Not all will partake of the arduous tasks.
Few heed the calling. Few pledge to prepare and train
All sing in eager spirits of the journey
and the coming battle of the First of Seven-Sevens.

Where have all the heroes gone?
‘Haps here is gathered a new breed of heroes the Earth needs.

7/5/2007
And now we are six.
Hanani is she called, for Farah Hanani is her name.
A rebellious one this female is–
A desire so strong overflows from this one;
And the cause of her downfall that may be.
Against better judgment
she is welcomed into the Fellowship.

Only too soon does the truth comes out!
Let it be known that
War was waged against her sweet kinsfolk!
Gentle counsels and graceful pleas were made,
that a fair maiden she shall be in her abode.
But such words were shut from her ears
that she might not hear.
In it’s place, fierce battle-cries were sounded!
Horns were locked in deftly verbal exchanges!
Firm did she stand as she daftly defied the Mother.
And in the end, her warring banner soared high.
Yet not before an unnecessary pact was made.

To Gunung Tahan she can go,
But expenses all from her kinsfolk shall not flow,
To earn her keep and her wage,
A thrall cook to the Mother she agreed in her rage.

Alas, not a day passed before the gods played their hand.
Officials from Council of Nation Builders struck a chord.
Summoned before the Council she must now appear
against all that she desires and of her rebellious nature.
Alas, her presence is required
at equal moments when the first hammers shall strike
at the battle of the First of Seven-Sevens.
And so ends her march to the mount Tahan
ere the battle of the First of Seven-Sevens begins.

And so the Fellowship is reduced to five.

8/5/2007
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5
I can count!
Really I can.
See me do it again.
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5

Five there are in the Fellowship;
Five more before it’s complete.
In restless patience I wait
‘Till I, in curiosity, a mouse do click;
A ride to the town of Merapoh I seek.
I search of spaces aboard steeled steeds
that travels as a shapely serpent.
To Gua Musang, a place too far beyond our mark,
the steeds are destined; yet it can be agreed upon
that at Merapoh the Fellowship will disembark

I, Meng Chwen, claim four spaces as mine!
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – Four for the Fellowship.
A bargain is struck and and a contract signed.
At the click of a mouse the fare in rash impatience paid
1 -2 – 3 – 4 – that’s all.

Five there are in the Fellowship;
Five more before it’s complete.
Four spaces on steel steeds have I claimed
One more will have to wait ’till
Five more to make the Fellowship complete.

What then, should there be none?
Have faith! For the five shall join anon.
How do you know so?
I know. I know. I know all there is to know.
Have faith! for our present five shall grow
‘Till there are Ten in a Fellowship;
Ten on steeled steeds that travels as a shapely serpent.

14/5/2007
Two more were added to the established Five on this day.
With these two, the Fellowship swells to Seven.

Of the first four, there is:
One Iranian to bring forth light over the darkness of the night,
Kourosh is his nickname;
and Sunshine is what it means.

One Indonesian to even the odds
Ikhwan is his name;
and much has he grown since he puffed breathless when he first started

One little pilot boy for all to bully,
Amir is his name;
and learning to soar like eagles is he at a flying school in Langkawi.

One Malaysian of royal descent — a Queen of some sort,
for Quin Jean is her name,
and a psychologist in training is she.

Added to them, the established Four, there is now Hamed and Aloy.

Hamed, standing taller than usual when in his rolling blades, approached I,
unlike other times, he was pleading, “Let me go.”
Refused him before I have done many times:
Always a cloud hanging o’er his head there seems to be,
Shrouding his mind that seems cast on distant places, distant horizons.
This day will I remember should the Fellowship fail
because I erred in my judgment and let him join our ranks.
But this day will I remember too should Hamed
be the one who strikes with his hammer,
like Thor would strike with Mjolnir,
and slay the dragon of Tahan.

Aloy with soft spoken words
bid me that she should come.
But this maiden is still green!
Songs of her conquest are not yet sung by the wandering minstrels
Nor tales of her adventures I have not heard from the fair folks
Yet though untested on the dangers of mountains in the dark,
There is a determination that is beyond her years
that sway me to allow her into our ranks.

And there is I,
I complete the Fellowship.
It is I that makes the number seven–the perfect seven.
For it is I who is of perfection.

18/5/2007
Why the preoccupation with numbers?
If seven is for perfection, what then of eight?
Is it beyond perfection?
After all, “if a man does his best, what else is there?”

Now, nearing the one month mark since
the declaration of war on the armies of Mount Tahan was mooted,
Now, when all in the Fellowship eagerly anticipates the coming of the end of an age,
Now, when implements of war — huge and heavy — all assembled, and
Now, when what little preparations has been established much,
Comes Rita.

She’s the eighth!
Will she be the one that makes us a Fellowship beyond perfection?
She’s the eighth!
Will be the unexpected surprise that pierces the dragon’s heart?
She’s the eighth!
Much must now be done to prepare her for war.
A mighty sword and worthy of her stature –
such a sword that only famed blacksmiths of Cardosia³ can forge –
must be made ready for her on this perilous journey.
She’s the eighth!
She’s the one that makes us a Fellowship far beyond perfection!
She’s the eighth!
She’s the one who’ll surprises the dragon of Mount Tahan
and she’s the one the wandering minstrels will sing of in ages to come!

24/5/2007
The training begins. The real one.
I traded my customary two-wheeled machine
for nothing. Today my two legs was to carry me–
fast and far from home to the way that leads to the sun.
A common eighteen-minute journey stretched
beyond my expectations to forty-five minutes!

The sun had risen from the East, and it gave me strength.
Armed with a little weight behind my back,
I walked, skipped and jogged on rugged terrain and paved roads;
and zipped between lines of stalled overheating metal beasts.
Soon, I was drenched in sweat and taking hasty gulps of air.
Yet, still I used my legs until I reached my destination.

When all was done, I assessed my situation–
counting the places that hurt most
my neck hurts, my shin hurts, and so too
my thigh, my calf, my waist, and my back.
My right heel aches, and blisters has mushroomed.
Oh, everywhere hurts!

But that’s the fun part–to feel pain is to be alive.
Will I trade my customary two-wheeled machine for nothing again?
Will I let my two legs carry me–perhaps make me fly one day?
Yes! Oh yes! Doing so will be so so fun.

And so the training continues…

25/5/2007
After one day or arduous attack upon mine own body;
inflicting unnecessary pain upon a delicate being,
the regimented training stops…

Oh, everywhere hurts! –
But to feel pain is to be alive.
The training must resume!
The training must resume!
lest I perish ‘fore I stand face to face
with the dragon of Mount Tahan

And so the training must somehow continue someday

29/5/2007 • The Trial of Hidayat
Thus went the trial of Hidayat–
He who wants to join the Fellowship
Yet not once has he stepped forward to race up treks near and far–
Thus was Hidayat put on trial
to march up the muddy paths of Mount Irau
under the silvery light of the beauteous moon.
With weights bound to his back,
And a company to distract his mission,
Hidayat proved a trooper to walk up and down Mount Irau.
At one point, his feet was ensnared by curvy crooked roots;
Losing his balance, he let loose his weight forward and fell
and a knee of his soon came to a swell.
Yet he complained not; He just walked on and on
until a time when all heeded the soothing call to dream
of a more pleasant place and time. Bound to spend
the night in a cramped space, Hidayat complained not.
Early the next morn, only snores echoed in the camp
until Varga, the gentle giant, stirred all with his roar.
The sun had risen; the mist that hung low
abandoned its search and join’d the heavenly brethen;
and so Hidayat rose and marched along the twisted paths
to Mount Irau’s peak. An hour long did he walk on muddy ground.
Once at the peak, Hidayat raised his arms in great delight;
and he let out his barbaric yawp over the roof of the world⁶.
That was all. No echoes came in reply. No nightingales sang in joy.
Not a moment more and he was made to trudge his way
on the muddy trails yet again to where he camped the night before
and to continue down the Mount Irau.
When the sun had set on the second day,
so too did the trial of Hidayat came to an end.
A decision has not been reached
And the air is rife with whispers asking:
“Will Hidayat march to Mount Tahan?”

30/5/2007 • The Fate of Hidayat
No cloud drifted.
No water in pools stirred.
No flowers floated in the flitting air
Rivers flowed on steadily, silently, undisturbed.

The sun rose highù
light shining through open skies
and warmth heating up the mid-day air–
All awaiting the the fate of Hidayat as
the decision drew nigh.

Then it came, rather silently–
Not as trumpets sounded loud and long,
Nor as leaves rustled when stirred.
It was all over in a brief vibrating moment.
Thus went the word:
“I will not go to Gunung Tahan⁷.
I don’t think I’m in a good shape.”

But who was to judge brave Hidayat?
Why at last, unfortunate as it is, came
such weighty words that befall one such as Hidayat.
May he be long remembered in the annals of history
that he faced off the cold chilly air and wet mud of Mount Irau.

Thus ends the trial of Hidayat.

1/6/2007
There is no ten.
Only eight:
Rita,
Amir,
Ikhwan,
Kourosh,
Quin Jean,
Hamed,
Aloy,
and
I.

and, today, the people of the Forest have been informed
that we will begin our march aboard steeled steeds
to the town of Merapoh in ten moons time.

5/6/2007
Oh dear. Oh dear.
Customary calls to check on progress were made as the war drew near.
Oh dear. Oh dear.
When came the steeled steads stables turn, the voice of a fine lady caused great fear.
Oh dear. Oh dear.
From her I learn that those steeled steads gallops in high gear
to rest only at Gua Musang, a town beyond Merapoh quite a little farther.
Oh dear. Oh dear.
At last the voice told me, “There is a way. Purchase a Stop Order.”
But no cheer came from me when the voice made it all the more clear
that a Stop Order would cost me dear.
Two hundred ringgit. That’s what it cost to put down on paper
that the steeled steads should stop at Merapoh for the eight travelers.
Oh dear. Oh dear.
That’s too much to pay after much deliberation with the help of a calculator.
Oh dear. Oh dear.
The way to Merapoh is clouded. But no fear!
There will be a way that from Meng Chwen only will be made clear!
All hail Meng Chwen! To Meng Chwen all must cheer!
He who leads the eight is our saviour!
And all “Oh dear. Oh dear” is all turned to “All Cheer! All Cheer!”

“So how will the way be made clear?”
No one knows and no one will know except for Meng Chwen; For it is a secret
like many others that in his mind is lock’d, lest anyone should interfere.

6/6/2007 • The Untimely Departure of Kourosh
Less than seven moons before the Fellowship of Eight departs for war
Kourosh–
who is to bring forth light over the darkness of the night,
who is among the swiftest in the forests–
has been forced to take a diverging path.
For it has been prophesied that:
Should Kourosh comes on the march to Mount Tahan,
A test set upon his brow will he not face.
Failing so he will suffer a greater pain
than the fiery breath of the dragon of Mount Tahan.
With such burden set upon his brow, a choice was made
to protect his future from grave and serious consequences.
Though now he faces not the dragon of Mount Tahan
Kourosh’s personal path loses not one ounce of intensity,
nor unexplainable insanity,
nor inevitable dangers.
For the path that he has chosen is clouded still–
A time may come when lightning bolts will strike;
A troll may ask twisted riddles that questions his faith
A choice may burden and drain him to mental anguish
And still he will surely be physically tested
for whichever path he chooses, a breath of any dragon still awaits.

May he be long remembered in the annals of history
that Kourosh sacrificed much to be a part of the Fellowship.
It was he who first broke the jinx that the usual three
of Nee On, Adrian and Meng Chwen, who were oftentimes misguided,
misinformed and, thus, never reach their destination–
such as when four paths led them astray in the assault of Bujang Melaka⁸.
It was Kourosh who brought laughter with the boisterous singing of his theme–
“I like to move it, move it! Gotta Love It!”
It was he who first risked his life to test the slippery slopes of Lepok⁹,
so that others could safely follow with the flow.
Yet when the danger of Mount Tahan drew closer,
Kourosh was forced to walk a path that led to a personal destiny.

The Fellowship is reduced to seven
and shall continue without Kourosh,
the one who was to bring forth light over the darkness of the night,
the one who was among the swiftest in the forests.

8/6/2007 • The Division of Goods¹⁰
the complete text is lost. What remains are from gathered loose fragments still in existence. From what we know, “The Division of Goods” is the account in which the Fellowship scouted the lands for rations. Having gathered all that is required, the fellowship sat beside a pond amidst a concrete jungle, and went about distributing portions of the rations.

For three days and three nights
A select team was sent to scout the lands
for food and goods to fill one’s own pack
that seem lacking and far too light.
Hours upon hours went spent on dusty trails
as the team traveled from one stop to another;
The search took them to distant places
that for some, the sights, sounds and smells
were all too unfamiliar and new;
Once at a stop, the team disembarked from their carriage
and entered a choice store to look, see, feel and touch
the many neat and superior wares on display.
Some among the team marveled at all they saw:
Quick-dry towels neatly packed to the size of an egg;
Cooking utensils that seemed as heavy as feathers weigh;
Foods in compact packs that pack so much a wallop
as to of re-energize a weakened man;
Fashionable clothing of lightweight fiber fabrics
to keep raindrops and cold air away;
The same tasty tuna, beans, noodles, coffee and what-nots–
all packed in coloured tins and plastic wraps
adorning a work of art when arrayed on dull racks.
Had Popeye searched for spinach in the same store
he would have been equally baffled by the choices.
Ere’ Desire worked its way and twisted the hearts of men
that had set sight upon such things of beauty;
“Wherefore thou bring us here?” asked those who
were tempted to spend on unaffordable costly wares.
…
…

8/6/2007
There is no ten.
Only eightseven:
Rita,
Amir,
Ikhwan,
Kourosh,
Quin Jean,
Hamed,
Aloy,
and
I.

and, today, the people of the Forest have been informed
that we will begin our march aboard steeled steeds
to the town of Merapoh in ten moons time.
with heavy feet, I dragged myself to the stables to return the deed
that marked the spot for Kourosh upon the steeled steads.

8/6/2007 • The Celebration¹⁰
the complete text is lost. What remains are from gathered loose fragments still in existence. From what we know, “The Celebration” is a song about joy and longevity. There is mention of a small grand feast, and the gathering of dwarfs, Easterlings, Gilfokians, Laptopians, Cardosians and faeries. At some parts, it is mentioned that two young and fair maidens, who waited for the winds to change its course before setting out to the distant Berry-land, to purchase a cake using what little savings they had for the celebration.

10/6/2007 • The Good Wishes
As the heroes in the Fellowship waits upon the hour
when the hammer strikes the point of departure;
Warm greetings and well wishes from lands near and far
pour in in numbers uncountable.
Some to bid safe journey to and fro,
Some in angry calls to the death of the dragon.
Some bid a safe return, and some others other greetings.
Some came in person to deliver hugs and kisses.
Some sent messengers delivered to the door.
Some, too distant, wrote letters sent ages ago to reach on time.
Some were friends to the Fellowship.
Some enemies who sought opportunities when the dragon’s gone.
Some were those torn from the Fellowship;

Hanani wrote a message too brief to our liking:
“Gud luck on the journey. May all safely reach the peak.”
But no mention of the dragon?
No mention of our gallant march and valiant return?
Bah. ‘haps she has lost the fire in her.
The message, though brief it was, was well intended.
In return, Ikhwan is given to task
to fetch one flame from the dragon of Mount Tahan
to ignite the dying flames in the heart of Hanani.

An adopted niece to the King of the land sent greetings.
That Joanna was to travel afar to the Middle-kingdom
for she was to deliver greetings to the people on the land
to forge ties for future tidings and blessings.
Yet though she faced ‘haps a daunting task,
hopeful she was of her return.
hopeful she was of our return, too.
For she foresaw a joyful exchange of gifts
of what she would bring from her journey
with a dragon’s scale or tooth of crystalline quality.
Aloy and Rita are given to task
to gather what seemed to be pebbles and rocks
and select one choice piece that befits the adopted niece.

Ker Soon called to bid good tidings
He asked of our travel plans and war strategies.
Spoke he too of missed opportunities
to share the burdens of the march and
the heroes’ roars of victory at the peak of Mount Tahan;
for inclement weather beat across his little county,
With fellow rulers duly assigned away.
Take leave of his duties he could not;
So in his county with deary duties he will stay put.
To lift his spirits, which now lie low,
Quin Jean is given to task
to wave the flag of victory
once the Dragon of Mount Tahan is slain;
For in that wave, dark clouds will float away.

And there were many more words of encouragement
showered upon the seven who were marching on
face the dragon of the Mount Tahan.

10/6/2007
In casual mood, invitations for a farewell feast
went sent to multitudes. One by one, a messenger by wire
was sent to everyone the King of the land knew.
All were to gather under the canopy of the golden arches
at Sentral where the steeled steads were gathered
one hour before the journey began.

Then in casual conversation Firewurkz¹¹, a fellow friend
who once blazed the trails of Nuang, Irau and Datuk,
who has since traded his winged feet for a boring desk,
gently asked, “So what time do you depart?”
I would have answered as indicated in all the invitations
but something compelled a second look at the letters
from the stable masters.
In horror I discovered what only a Meng Chwen could do;
I told everyone the wrong time!
The steeled steads were not to leave at half past nine,
but precisely one hour earlier.

Thank the heavens for one such as Firewurkz,
who called on me at such impeccable timing
for such an error to be caught at such a time.
In quick succession, messengers were sent out to
tell the seven in the Fellowship of the untimely change
so that none would miss the ride to Merapoh.

11/6/2007 • The Ten
And so it is that on this day, ten will march on to Mount Tahan
Amir, Rita, Ikhwan, Aloy, Hamed, Quin Jean, and I
joined by the threesome born of
Sugar, spice, and everything nice–
ingredients chosen to create the perfect little girls–
with the extra ingredient to the concoction–
Chemical X!
accidentally added by Professor Utonium:
Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup.

Thus ends Part 1 of “The Mount Tahan Chronicles.” The second part of the Chronicle (if all goes according to plan) will deal with the treacherous march Mount Tahan, in which along the way there are tales of Amir stumbling over roots in the Forbidden Forests, the Battle of Lata Luis in which members of the Fellowship faces off Beasts of the River, the Maddening of a King, the slow march across the plains of Botak, the Song of Kubang, and the expected meeting with the dragon of Mount Tahan.

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Notes
¹ The usual suspects are those who travel the unpaved trails in the forests together. There are only a few to begin with, and among them are: Nee On, Amos, Adrian Wong, Ker Soon, Candice, Noelle, and Don.
² Seven Sevens is better known as Malaysia’s G7; the seven highest mountains in Peninsular Malaysia. They consist of Gunung Tahan (2,187m), Gunung Korbu (2,183m), Gunung Yong Belar (2,181m), Gunung Gayung (2,173m), Gunung Chamah (2,171m), Gunung Yong Yap (2,169m) and Gunung Ulu Sepat (2,158m).
³ Cardosia is the faraway land with spiral-like trees, so named by Shieh Jeanne.
⁴ Brubenvr is the faraway village where everything is painted blue. And it was in this town that the Blue Cow was captured and locked in a zoo for the people of Brubenvr are attracted to animals strange and wonderful.
⁵ Nisita Monkey Moe is the mad maiden who is forbidden to journey the lands after she insulted the King of the land. She is now confined to roam aimlessly on the barren Banished Beach of Binduu Buebedorr, South of Gilfork, wherever that is. But it’s surely not a far far away land, nor is it a serene and beautiful land such as Cardosia. The story of her tragic life and harsh sentence should be told so all will know and learn from it. But should it not be told, suffice it to say that perhaps her tale, like her, is hardly worth a mention.
⁶ For some of you, this line may sound familiar. It’s taken from a line from Walt Whitman’s poem Leaves of Grass.
⁷ The word “mount” is sometimes used with “gunung” interchangeably. They mean the same thing. The former being an English word; the latter Bahasa Malaysia.
⁸ Bujang Melaka is a mountain located in Kampar, Perak. The account of the misleading paths are recorded in the following entry: Gunung Bujang Melaka ò 29-30 June 2006.
⁹ Lepok is a waterfall at Ulu Langat, Selangor; it is near Nuang, the place where the Midnight Madness and the Nuang Nightime Nightmare occured. Kourosh risked his life to break the jinx in the incident when4 Guys Went Splashing in the Water.
¹⁰ I know. I know. I know what you’re thinking. And, yes, I felt a little too lazy to write about this account. I suppose when I feel like it, everything will come out naturally. Until then, take this section as it is.
¹¹ Firewurkz is a chosen name of Nee On.

The Star Newspaper

In conjunction with the World Environment Day on June 5, a newspaper article about students from different schools and colleges from around the country and their efforts to to help the environment was featured in the Star newspaper (pages E10-E12).

So I was interviewed (as was Farah and Ikhwan) about trekking up Gunung Irau, cleaning up and thoughts about the environment. The interview ran for nearly an hour, and some of our thoughts were published.

It was nice to see one of my photos published together with the article. Yeah, I got a kick looking at the picture more than the write-up.

For those who didn’t get a chance to own the newspaper, the articles can be found at The Star Online website (although probably for a limited time only). The articles are” 1. “Showing the Way” and 2. “Save the World”

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Related links:
•• pdf version of The Star: “Showing the Way” article
•• pdf version of The Star: “Save The World” article
•• United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) World Environment Day 2007 Website
•• Read about Amir Rashid’s irreverent complain about non-acknowledgment.