Scattered Seeds

View of the surrounding area from the summit of Gunung Ledang

‘Tis the tale of the fly from Gunung Ledang.
It flew from Johor to one state then to another—
First to Pahang then to Selangor—
And survived to tell the tale.
…
“From afar, ah spotted the car, a Proton Wira;
Ah would’ve preferred a Bimmer or a Toyota,
But somehow ah was attracted to this one car:
The moment it entered the oil palm plantation, and
Rumbled and rolled along upon the red laterite path
to the Taman Negara office, ah wanted to be in it.
…
…
The wait felt like an eternity—daylight departed
As Apollo raced to circle the globe in his flaming chariot.
As the day dimm’d,
…
…
“Who was friend? Who was foe? Ah wouldn’t know.
Ah kept my silence and watch’d through my eyes
As figures real and imaginary, cold and wispy,
Rose and filled the airy realm.
At long last, Zali came—he and his buddy puttering
Around in a crikety-crakety old motorcycle—
He unlocked the boom gate and to let the car in.
…
…
“It was a long drive—some forty-five minutes—
Along a windy path. Ah stayed silent the entire time.
Ah am black like the night, but ’tis night was darker;
Ah saw not much further than the car’s head lamp allow’d.

…
…
“T’was a strange night—yes, it was—
In recent times, our days and nights on Ledang
Have pass’d by without alarming incidents;
There was no news of ants swept off by the wind,
Nor concern should the morning dew came late.
Yet on ’tis night, the rain came pouring from the heavens
Some two hours before the crowing of the cock.
The rain continued—quite unusually for four hours—
Before it slowed to a rather rhythmic drizzle.

“When the first few drops came, Uur, the guide,
Was abruptly woken up from his restful sleep.
He rose from his hammock, and sat like a hawk upon a rock;
Soaking wet, he waited for the morn to don its russet mantle.

“Amir and Mei claim’d they’d brave the cool dark night
To stand watch o’ver the palace tent.
When the first few drops came, they were caught
Sleeping on the job. They woke up, quickly crept into a tent
Found a spot each and continued to sleep
‘Till the morn had put on it’s ivory cloak.

“At eight, the humans finally emerged from their tent,
Had breakfast and continu’d their trek to the peak.
All this while, Ah was comfortably dry my Proton Wira.
…
…
Trekked about an hour to the peak.
They’d step on little dried twigs and leaves
Along a oft trodden path that’s muddy and wet —
Shoes slosh in the mud and when out it comes
Deep brown soggy soil sticks to its new found friend
…
…

Mei Fong

…
…
“When the dust had settled, ah waited in my Proton Wira
T’was time to travel—eastward bound;
Leaving Johor Darul Takzim for Pahang Darul Makmur.
Ah followed the humans in search for ;
My thoughts could not be contained within me.
Ah’ve heard so much of the “Chicken Fish” grilled with petai
Ah could smell the stirred fried kailan with salted fish
Even though Ah was miles and miles away.
…
…
The car took a left turn at a junction to Tanjung Lumpur—
Ah’ve heard Ana’s Ikan Bakar Petai was by the sea,
And that’s where the humans were heading happily.
Alas, Ana’s Ikan Bakar was not where it used to be.
T’was gone! There, where it used to be, was only darkness.
Not even my distant fellow cousins stirred the dust.
Unsettled and somewhat defeated, the humans settled
For one of three other restaurant that was there.
T’was not a place of choice, but all were hungry.
And hungry people are never choosy eaters.
Ah wasn’t happy, yet ah stayed with the humans
And tasted what they ordered.

“Ah felt ah was a fool for not asking the citizens
Nor venturing around in search for Ana’s Ikan Bakar Petai.
When the humans departed after the meal,
Ah saw with the many lens of my eye:
Ana’s Ikan Bakar Petai across the main road;
Within it, humans mingled and jiggled—
The place was brimming with business!
Haish. How was it that ah missed it earlier on?
…
…
Alas, the fly’s whereabouts is known no more
For it has departed for other worldly adventures.

Mei Fong

Amir

Amir, Mei Fong and the trusted guide Uur; photo taken “la-la” style, in which I was reprimanded for doing so.

I normally wouldn’t post images taken by others, but I’m impressed with what Mei has done with her pics. So here are a few; and if you want more, visit her site:

The Four Pillars of Gunung Ledang?

———————

Gunung Ledang Overview
Elevation (feet): 4,186
Elevation (meter): 2,176
Latitude: 2° 21
Longitude: 102° 38
My First Summit: 14-15 April 2000
My First Attempt: 6-7 December 1997 unsuccessful; got lost

———————
Related Links:
• Ophir by Amir Rashid
• Adventures of Gunung Ledang by Chu Mei Fong

This post will be a work in progress. Work is piled high and I’ve intentions to write this ascent of my second G7 in the mold of Chronicles of Tahan—in verse. Ideas are in the head, but finding the time to sit and write is not an easy task. And so it is I will write in bits and pieces till all is complete. For now, what appears will be, in Eliot’s words, “a heap of broken images,” and it will fit quite nicely into what I’ve started for “Chronicle of The Gunung Yong Belar”.

Self-Portrait on the peak of Gunung Yong Belar

Synopsis:
This tale tells the story of the fateful meeting with the dragon of Mount Yong Belar. The tale begins with an impending war drawing ever nearer. Evil forces are forging ties with neighbouring forces to raise a formidable army against the King. To save the land, the King embarks on a journey that takes him to the Blue Valley, the barren stretch of Botak Hill, the desolate camp of Tudung Periuk, and Kem Kasut before he can humble himself before the throne of the unicorn of Gunung Yong Belar to seek an alliance against the approaching army. But surprises await him as he discovers his plot and his lot.

And so here are lines lines lines of the walk in the jungle:

20090501 • Day #1, Morning
…
The path branched off in many places;
Each time off’ring a way seemingly more pleasing.
Soon, I found myself in a disorientating maze
I would have tender’d reasoning senses for madness
Had it not for the many the seemingly ominous
Serpents of at least a few thousand feet long;
There on the ground they lay silently—
Their presence forebode an unlikely doom
Should they—or ev’n one—be provoked to rouse
And be denied their dreams of a thousand eggs.
Wake them not!
                     Wake them not from their slumber-state!
Once observed, the bodies of the huddled serpents
Seem’d to lead the way to my single horned beast;
T’was now easier to unravel this present maze than
Theseus did in the Labyrinth.
                                    When he overcame
His two-horned adversary, Theseus had with him
A ball of thread tightly rolled by his love
To lead him out.
                      I had none. I needed none.
…
…
Carefully side steps the leathery-like hide
Some wrapped in blackest black
Some with crimson stripes,
Some with blue and others of green. Some with hissing
And…
Their bodies seem’d to stretch on and on;
Their heads were not seen, and unknown it was
From whence they came. Their bodies were all.
The creatures shed all shyness and sought prominence
in every little nook and corner.
Soon they were everywhere.
…
…
20090501 • Day #1, Evening
…
…
The glorious sun has near ran its course
And still I was not at rest at a river’s bank.
Five hours of a constant march it should have been;
But seven hours have I walked along the trail
To the peak of Mount Yong Belar, and
That spot that would be my home was not in sight.

It has taken me so much longer than planned;
For I had walked I back and forth along the same trail
With eyes glued to the ground, carefully scanning
For an inapposite whiteness of square paper trails
Scattered amonst the natural colours of the wild.
Seeing none, I looked up at branches, searching
For the distinctive marks of our absent guide.
But none I saw…
…
…

In the night, with cold wind biting into my bones,
I called out repeatedly,
                                ”Cold. Cold. Cold. Cold”
And behind my back a firm resounding echo was heard:
                                ”Panas. Panas. Panas. Panas.”
‘Twas like a spell chanted to counter the bewitching cold.
“It’s all in the mind,” said Botak Chin.
And I gently nodded my head and in silence whispered,
“Yes, Master,” like a wide-eyed green Padawan would.
…
…
20090502 • Day #1, Late Night to Early Next Morning
…
…
Hypnos came to shower his gifts upon the King,
But slight t’was the little gift of sleep awarded.
For while the King slept he fought; the gravity
Of Nature most p’werful yanked at him—
Not once nor twice, but countless times—
‘Till it was a norm to see him sliding and gliding
Down the uneven slopes that was his bed.
Throughout the night, ‘it was towards the dangers
Of a rushing river of cold waters he would go.
Like Sisyphus condemned to rise and fall with
His rolling rock upon a hill for all eternity,
So, too, the King was made to stamp his foot
Upon the ground and to push himself up anon.

When the crickets and cicadas silenced themselves;
When shy feather’d creatures began their little songs;
When dew drops came together and fell gently upon the ground;
When the inky cloak of day is substituted with a lighter hue;
The King rose.
Though slight was the gift of sleep,
Tired sluggishness of the ev’ning before did flutter and flit
It’s wings and to whence it came, departed.
…
…
A current in the jungle
Picked his bones in whispers. As the King rose and fell
Over the hills that numbered from one to seven,
He seemed to pass the stages of his age and youth—
And entered the vortex chamber of the unicorn of Gunung Yong Belar.
…
…

Pretty Big Budding Fern

20090501 • Day #2, Noon
…
…
Having left all but one behind, the walk was a lonely one.
Still, Meng Chwen marched on and on, singing
            ”Just up to the top of the hill,
            Upping and upping until
            I am right on the top of the hill.”

Upon the hour, Meng Chwen came face to face
With Botak Chin, who was surprised by such a sight.
Thought he that Meng Chwen had sped off

He wished he had not made the wish the day before;
T’was all there—Oh! Look thee up in the sky. See you not?
There it is. The white-out. His white-out.
Many times has Meng Chwen encountered the plight
Of such pure blindness of sight.
Oh, how many times has it happened?
With a heavy forced suspiration of forc’d breath
And a slow pendulumic rocking of his head,
The silence in the air was broken;
“So many, so many. So so many—
T’was so at Tambuyukon. So, too, at Besar Hantu,
Nuang, Tahan, Hulu Semangkok and Suku.”
…
…
            There’s nothing to see, so when
            You’ve got to the top, what then?
“Just down to the bottom again,”
            Said Meng Chwen
…
…
Then the unicorn of Yong Belar appeared.
…
…

Botak Chin & His Lunch at the Summit of Gunung Yong Belar

20090501 • Day #2, Night
…
…
share in the meal
…
the King partook in the cooking
…
it is best to be super extreme
…
the saltier the better
the sweeter the better
…
…

20090501 • Day #3 Morning
…

The King learns of his lot.
For the third time in as many days,
The King did what only a Meng Chwen could do.
He missed the junction that had opened its gates
To the path that leads towards the lands where
His humble people and Queen do greet one another
With a “Hello” or a “Kierro” when people meet and
Exchanged “Tooloo” for Godspeed and fare you wells.
Anon, he walked on unknowingly
Ever in ascending crescendo for moments long
Along the path to the unicorn of Gunung Yong Belar.
…

20090501 • Day #23 Evening
…
The King in stately steps strolled the
Sweet scented sections of the forest
‘Till he came before the steps
numbering two hundred and eighty eight.
…
…

More will come soon…

Nepenthes on Gunung Yong Belar

———————

I decided to go.
I went.
I walked.
I walked.
And I walked.
Till I was at the top.

For the record, Yong Belar is my second G7.
Whoo-Hoo!

———————

Gunung Yong Belar Overview
Elevation (feet): 7,156
Elevation (meter): 2,181
Latitude: 4° 39
Longitude: 101° 22
My First Attempt: 1-3 May 2009

The Green Croc’s First Mountain Peak

When I decided to return to Irau for the first time in five years in February of 2007, I remember writing that “I wanted so much to retain the memories and fantasies of the place that that has kept me away for so long.” Who would have thought that after that trip I’d be found standing at the summit for the third time within a year.

This time, I was trekking only with Marc-Andre and Jennifer Collins.

This trek up Irau has been on my calendar for at least the past two months. It was to be the prelude to my trip to Sabah–to tackle not one, but two mountains–in December. Marc-Andre would be joining me in Sabah, so I really wanted him to experience the Malaysian wilderness first hand. He has been to the Alps, but he has never camped on a summit before, let alone spend a night in a tropical forest. As for Jenn, I found out she was planing to do some treks in Sarawak a couple of weeks back. So I figured it’d be nice to have her out too. Also, I was eager to try out my new MSR Whisperlite Internationale stove and Mountain Hardwear Typhoon jacket.

I had no intentions of going after any records, but this was my fastest time up Irau. There are probably more than a million little possibilities of why I was faster than usual. And since it probably isn’t one of the more interesting topics for an over-a-campfire discourse, I suppose there must be a better way to tell the tale of my trek.

At 5:52 p.m on the first of December
in twenty-oh-seven (that’s the year),
I summitted Irau at two-one-one-oh meters–
that’s over two long months after
I had marked the date on my calendar.

Upon my arrival, I was bestowed the greatest honour;
Just as Michaelangelo’s David stands confident as ever–
I stood upon the man-made obelisk, a boundary marker
concrete in nature; built as an imaginary divider
between Perak and Pahang, two states of Malaysia.

Though long I stood, I soon could stand no longer
when my body–uncontrollable– began to shiver.
My body numbed. The winds blew stronger,
and the air felt colder than what I remember.
Marc-Andre, Jennifer and I braved the extreme weather;
A few hours after we had had our lovely dinner
Of fajitas–vegetable and chicken–cooked over a fire,
And sipped hot Milo boiled with a piece of diced vegetable,
We made the best choice: to retreat into our modest chamber
And take part in the orchestra of noisy snoring slumber.
Lying so close we near touched one another,
Marc-Andre was first to fall asleep. Followed by Jennifer.
And I. I dreamt of my Queen and I in high adventure–
We took risks and dared all forms of unnatural danger!

Yet just before we took that one great measure…
I was woken up by Marc-Andre and Jennifer.
“A little loud,” commented one about my snoring manner.
“I’ve warned you before,” said I. “Now go back to slumber.”
We shut our eyes. Then we heard a roaring rolling rumble.
What beast would gnaw at our feet and cause terror?
Quick! Open packets of cookies of chocolates and butter!
Feed whatever it is that is in need of a late supper!
Slowly, I chewed the cookies. “Aaah. I feel much better.”
It was I who needed to ease my tummy’s unceasing grumble
that came most carefully upon the day’s eleventh hour.

Then Marc-Andre groaned. He thought it was one hour
past midnight. In disbelief, he asked “Are you sure?”
Replied I, “Unmistakably so, my dear,”
Marc-Andre, initially silent and seemingly unperturbed
Finally announced that the cold was too much bear!
He, in the undersized sleeping bag he entered,
Huddled closer to Jennifer, who was already warmer
When I had become somewhat of her rescuer–
I had flung my feet in a sleeping bag over Jennifer,

Rested them on her legs, and became an added cover
To keep her warm and from getting a terrible shiver.
Slowly, in better warmth, Marc-Andre went back to slumber.
But not before he cast out thoughts of wonder:
If he was made to be a cold-weather mountaineer;
If this night was the longest and coldest night ever.

So how was it that we were, in a tent, stuck together?

It started when I invited Rani, Marc-Andre, and Jennifer
to flee Sunway University College and all it’s danger.
It was about time we took a much needed breather.
Alas, we were not meant to make the journey together.
Rani–the damsel in distress I sacrificed to a monster–
For she was fast chained to slog for her employer.

. . .
. . .
At Irau . . .
disaster after disaster
Jennifer toppled over
Did anyone see me disappear?
made one foot too much
and over a ledge I stepped
. . .
. . .

Casual walk without much stoppages in pretty nice weather.
I thought we seemed to walk a lot slower
than usual. So much so, I asked every passing trekker,
“What time is it?” for we hadn’t any watch or timer.
“_____ p.m.” was the reply I hear,
Followed by, “The peak’s not much further.”
Each time I ask, about one quarter of an hour
has passed, and the peak seemed no nearer.
Even so, in great weather, we moved so much faster!
Perhaps it’s because my age: Each year I get older,
Each year I gain one kilometer an hour.
Perhaps it’s the ultra cool weather–
How cool? We have the faintest idea!
We had no watch. We had no thermometer.
We gauged the cool day’s temperature
by knowing the weather wasn’t causing us to perspire.
No sweat, so we probably walked faster.
Perhaps there were just few muddy trails to maneuver.
Perhaps the people ascending the mountains were fewer–
And so we just had to poke our noses quite near–
yet distant enough to not smell–behind each one’s rear!
Then again, perhaps it’s simply because we were eager
to pitch our tent and show off each other’s camping gear.
So many possibilities! It’s a mystery for us to unravel!
But whatever the answer may be, it doesn’t matter.

All that counts was I made it to the top together
with the two Canadians, Marc-Andre and Jennifer,
Had a rather wonderful dinner by a stove’s fire,
Survived the night-time of cold cold weather,
Saw countless stars spread across the sky so clear,
Sailed across puffy white clouds, perhaps as a sailor
on Captain Jack Sparrow’s Black Pearl in the Locker,
to distant islands of few known mountain peaks.
I was transported–and I was made to remember–
of peaceful new worlds,
of different moments,
the Blue Cow,
my Queen,
and I.

Playing with My Stove

—————–
Related Links:
� “Gunung Irau � 28-29 May 2007″
� “The Cold, Wet, & Soulful Gunung Irau Experience” is about the trek in February 2007, plus a little insights about my first outing to Irau in 2002.

Gunung Irau Overview
Elevation (feet): 6,922
Elevation (meters): 2,110
Latitude: 4.5333333
Longitude: 101.3666667
My First Attempt: March 2002

Cascades at Tanglir River.

Tanglir River

Nee On and his models, Amelia and Sherrie

Contemplation

Mummy Should Think With The Tummy Like Us

Kids at Tanglir River

It all started with Nee On inviting me to a waterfall a week ago. I was somewhat reluctant initially. I wanted to go up solo on a mountain, but then I also got a phone call about a possible photo shoot in Penang. So I kinda ding-donged Nee On quite a few times throughout the week–one day it’d be I’d go, then I won’t go, the next time I’d say I’ll go, followed quickly by a I can’t go and the whole lot of other phrases that only an indecisive person can concoct. I didn’t decide on what to do for the weekend until Friday night; the night before the trip.

My start time of 7am got postponed to 9am. The perfect excuse for the delay was that I had decided to pack my whole family in the car to join in the fun of playing at a waterfall. With kids coming along, there would be delay (quite naturally actually). Anyway, once we were on the journey, all was smooth sailing. I got to the Selesa Resort–the place where we parked out cars–about an hour later.

Together with Nee On, Amos, Amelia and Sherrie, my family and I started walking towards the waterfall. The journey would take us at least one hour, and I kept wondering how my kids would fare. We walked. And we walked. And we walked. Every so often, I’d try to distract their attention from focusing on the walk. “Look, there’s a snake. It’s dead on the road,” or a “Look! Pomelo’s on trees. Did you know they grow on trees?” (Nee On didn’t know. He thought they grew on the ground). I also went, “Did you see the busy bee?” or a “Wow! This is a vegetable farm. Do you think your friends have been on a farm?” But I soon heard, “Can you please carry me?”

Before I knew it, I was carrying weights as I walked up the slopes. Because I had two sets of weights, I had to rotate them every ten steps. These were not true ten steps, by the way; I was counting one step for every three to five steps I made. So I was like doing fifty steps with one load of weight, then put it down only to pick up the other weight instantly. I’d walk another fifty steps, and would change weights again. The whole process went on in many cycles. phew. It was a tiring workout indeed. This went on for quite a bit, and I was slowed down even further when I continued with the can you spot the river, leaves, water dropping like rain, beans and other things around you game. Soon, I lost sight of the four young people who seemed to just march on and on.

I wouldn’t have fallen very far behind if I didn’t have to stop to spur the other one on so often. We were still walking on slowly when a woman, probably in the mid-twenties, came into view. She was on a motorcycle coming in the opposite direction. She must have seen how tired the kids were, and took pity on them. She offered us a ride to the top of the farm, very close to where the waterfall was. I was ready to battle the slope, but my wife was excited about the ride. The offer accepted, my kids and my wife hopped on the motorcycle and got the ride up.

So I was left alone by myself; I wasn’t in the jungle, but I was alone on the trail. I had been released from my chains, and I sort of liked it. I looked at the lush greenery around me, and I let the sounds of the jungle–of rhythms of the cicadas, rustling leaves, distant roaring waters–ring in my ears. I took a few forced breaths, filling my lungs with the fresh air, and started walking again, picking up speed as I went on. In less than five minutes, I caught up with the four. Seems like Sherrie was a tired and had slowed a little down. I greeted them and kept on walking; I wanted to get to my kids and wife.

As I passed Amos, he made a remark to the effect that it was the wrong thing to teach my daughters. He was, of course, referring to the motorcycle ride. I wasn’t in the mood to argue; my kids were kids after all! And they’ve walked their fair share of the journey. Let them have some fun and the experience of riding a motorcycle. I haven’t said anything when Amelia came to my defence: “You don’t see Mr Tan on the bike. He’s still walking.” God bless her soul! I didn’t stop to say thank you, pretending not to have heard her. I just picked up speed–my walk turned into a slight jog–and I left them behind.

We weren’t very far from our destination, and pretty soon we were all playing in the water. The river wasn’t as calm as when I first visited the place. It looked like it had swelled somewhat after a rain, and the rapids were much faster. When we got in the water, we were dipping ourselves in really cold waters. I was expecting to head down to the main waterfall later in the day, so I didn’t bother to dunk my head in the river. Unfortunately for me, time sped on unknowingly and when we decided to descend to the waterfall, it was already getting a little late. Dark clouds were forming in the sky, and my family and I had to go home for a meeting. But Amos wanted to bring Nee On to see the waterfall. Amelia and Sherrie followed them. As for me and my family, we took the trail back to the car.

Once that decision was made, I was at it again: carrying weights in cycles. I tried to make my kids walk by distracting them from the trail. But the only thing that caught their imagination was when we walked pass the vegetable fields, and they got to see a flock of swallow take off and circled the sky a few times in unison. That was something new for them; and even though I have seen such sights before, I still marveled at the birds acrobatic-like act. After that entertaining act, I had to carry the kids again. Then light raindrops came a falling. We tried to speed up in our little walk, but the kids slowed us down. After walking quite a distance, a middle aged man in a jeep/4WD came from behind us. My wife stopped him and we all got a ride out. My kids sat at the back with baskets of freshly plucked four angle beans and French beans. My wife and I stood outside the jeep on a bumper bar, and held onto the railings like we were holding onto dear life. My kids thought we were having all the fun. Maybe we were, but the ride was a pretty short one as we’ve walked quite a considerable distance.

Once we were in the car, I attacked a packet of nasi lemak. I hadn’t eaten anything when we were at the waterfall. While my family were eating oranges and sausages (or more like feeding the fish in the river because the kids kept dropping them into the river!), I was taking photographs.

Just as I stuffed the last spoonful of nasi lemak into my mouth, I noticed one of the farm’s jeep/4WD coming to a halt in my rear window. In not more than seven minutes–even before I had adequately warmed the car seat–Amos, Nee On, Amelia and Sherrie were clumsily getting off the vehicle. Hah! Here was my chance to get back at Amos–for making his comment about the motorcycle ride earlier in the day, and for having the nerves to even ask someone to ferry him out now! I opened the car window, popped my head out and shouted at the top of my lungs, “Lemahlah, you all!”

Amos shouted back, “You walked out?”

“Yeah,” I said, not revealing that I didn’t walk out all the way. I thought I’d let the thought linger in his head for a while. At the same time, I had reversed the car onto the road and was ready to head home. I simply waved goodbye and I drove off.

I’ve been wanting to revisit Tanglir Falls since I first “discovered” this place in July 2007. Unlike Amos who has returned to the waterfall numerous times, I only got to it for the second time today. Then again, I didn’t get to it. Dark clouds hovering in the afternoon sky and a meeting with kindergarten teachers I had to attend in KL meant I had to leave before I got to the spectacular waterfall. I only spent time at the calmer cascades of the river above the waterfall today. It’s like I have yet to satiate my desires; and I’ll be wanting to go back to Tanglir Falls again.

The same night, I sent messages to Nee On and Amos–about me being a really sensitive guy because I had a mild sunburn, and a confession that I walked about 80% of the trail, and got a ride for the last 20%. I can’t tell a lie. I’m not wired that way. After a while, Amos came back with messages about him eaten alive by mosqkwerties mosquitoes and leeches and “we walked 20% ride 80%…”

So much for toughing it out; all of us cheated a little today. Maybe some more than others, but the measure is inconsequential. The bottom line is we didn’t go all the way. The next time we head to Tanglir together, perhaps I’ll get Amos to race me up the slopes. I’m sure this wasn’t our last time.

——————
Note: You can click on the first three images for a larger (and better looking) look. Trust me, the do look better.

Related Link: Tanglir Falls • 3 July 2007.

The spectacular Tanglir Falls

Amos and Bang Qin were dying of boredom as they waited for their semester break from Monash University Malaysia to run its course. To get excitement into their lives, and to save them from an untimely death, they thought up a plan: A Waterfall Hunt.

But the thought of two guys splashing water in the river didn’t sound too appealing to them. So they tried to get Nee On and I to join them. I was the easy one to get; they knew quite well I wouldn’t resist such a hunt. But Nee On succumbed to the pressures at work and decided to stay faithful to the company where he works.

So three guys—Amos, Bang Qin and I—were on the road looking for Tanglir Falls. Our search brought us to Kg. Bukit Tinggi, and we were walking under the mid-day sun on a clear day. It was a scorchingly hot day, and the idea of soaking under the rapids of a rushing waterfall was really appealing.

A plantation with French beans

Amos brought his new GPS toy, named Simon, for this trip. It was a good thing that he did because we had an idea of where we had to go. Throughout the journey, Amos monitored our progress, making sure we were heading in the right direction, whether it was North, South, East or West. We walked on tarred roads for about 2.5km; most of the time we were heading uphill. We passed by a pomelo farm, vegetable plantations of mainly French beans and banana trees planted sporadically, as we tried to get to our destination.

Simon Says… Photo by Bang Qin

The tarred roads eventually led us to some sort of a dead end—there were plantations all around on a hill and there were no more roads to walk on. There was no waterfall in sight, either. According to Amos’ GPS toy, we were only about 600m away. , through a valley and over a hill. Simply put, we had taken a wrong turn along the way, and had to backtrack nearly a kilometer before hitting the right road.

On the way out, we noticed the arrow on the road. If we had known better, and followed the arrow, we would have avoided walking uphill for over an hour!

The toy, showing exactly where we had to go, gave us some hope of finding the waterfall. Couple that with the fact that Nee On could be laughing his head off if we walked so far so long and not find a waterfall, we were determined to find the waterfall.

The serene river scene

Simon was spared from destruction (I was prepared to smash it in two with my parang), and we saved our inflated ego when we found the waterfall! We first went upstream and had a dip in the river. The river was clean and pristine, and the many cascades gave a very serene and scenic view. The water was really cool. And there was this gentle sloping section of hard rock, about 15 feet long, and carved smooth by the rushing waters over time, that gave us a little slide.

Bang Qin and Amos at one of the cascades

We didn’t stay very long there as we were to hunt down the waterfall. Pretty soon we were back on the road, looking for diverging paths that would lead us to the waterfall. We knew it was somewhere near; we heard the thunderous roar as water gushed down, and we had a glimpse of it on the way upstream. But we couldn’t find a direct route to the waterfall. I wanted to use my parang, which I had spent an hour sharpening at 1 after midnight two days earlier, and bushwhack my way down a steep slope, about 60 meters, to the waterfall.

Amos and Bang Qin talked some sense into me. We looked for alternate routes. On one of them, we came to a small waterfall with a nice big pool. We stood at the top edge of the waterfall and looked down. It wasn’t the waterfall we saw, so we just admired the fall, the pool below, and dared one another to make the first jump. No one jumped, and we were soon back on the road.

The buried man’s boots!

To get to the big waterfall, we walked between rows of French bean plants in a plantation, saw a buried man with legs in boots jutting out from the ground, hopped from rock to rock and waded in the river. When I set sight of the waterfall, I was in awe. Set against the sun in the background, I looked up at the water that came crashing down beautifully. It was truly a strong and spectacular fall.

Geromino! Photo by Amos Ho

Again, there were three guys splashing water in the river. We tested the depth of several spots in the pool beneath the falls. And I made the customary jump to add to my list of places where I’ve jumped into natural pools of water.

Amos’s Ballet-like Jump

Seeing the waterfall, and making the jump really made my day. Too bad Nee On wasn’t around; he missed all the fun. For Amos and Bang Qin, they have lived for another day (whether they survive the rest of their semester break is none of my business. Hah!).

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Tanglir Falls Overview
GPS Coordinates: N03° 22.53′ E101° 47.66′