A quick trip to Bandar Ikan Patin - Part 3

D. Gunung Senyum and Gua Terang Bulan

The story goes (taken from the plaque describing the place):
According to history, Gunung Senyum derived its name from an incident where Sultan Ahmad, the ruler of Pahang from 1863 to 1892 was on his way to Kuala Krau, Temerloh. Before reaching Kuala Krau, he saw a mountain on the right side of the river and asked his aides the name of the mountain. The aides smiled because no one knew the name of the mountain. To avoid embarrassment to the aides, the sultan declared the name of the mountain as Gunung Senyum or Smiling Mountain.

And to get a bit of the description out of the way (also taken from the same plaque):
Gunung Senyum is an archeological site located about 68 kilometres from the town of Temerloh and about 1,549 metres above sea level. This mountain is situated in the Jengka Forest Reserve covering an area of 794 hectares. The mountain is mainly of limestone estimated to be around 3,000 years old whilst the lowland in the east are made up of mudstone and shale estimated to be 2,100 years old. There are 19 caves with different unique characteristics. Among the notable caves are Kolam Tujuh Cave, Terang Bulan Cave, Gelap Cave, Taman Satu Cave, Taman Dua Cave, Angin Cave, Merlap Cave and Elephant Cave.

This is a pic of inside and outside the cave, as well as a few of the "younger" colleagues doing a Japanese like action sequence thingy.

There was no hiking involved, luckily, but a short walk to the entrance of Gua Terang Bulan (Bright Moon Cave). The cave is immensed, and purportedly the largest in the area. Quite dark inside, and advisable to bring torchlights. Certain angle of the cave face, makes it look like a skull face. Eerie that. I don't think anyone would want to be alone here at night!

It got its name from a certain hole inside the cave, and as you look up, it looks like a bright moon. There were also sounds of water dripping (limestone muh), and nature was abundant inside. We saw mini black crabs (but it moved too fast for me to take a picture of it), and almost got to see the white crabs but the guide didn't want to disturb the white crabs in the mini pool above ground. We were told that we were lucky enough to see the crabs, as sometimes they couldn't be spotted no matter how you look. Respecting nature, the guide put the crabs back where he found them. A few of us wanted to climb the slippery area to see the crabs in the natural habitat but decided otherwise due to the dangers involved.

Walking to the cave entrance allowed us to cross a bridge with a sign that says "Jambatan Rosak" or "Bridge Spoilt" if translated literally. Still, we crossed it safely, with the bridge looking sturdy enough. Some crossed the bridge with great aplomb, others with varied looks of apprehension fearing for balance, and some literally just strolled across taking time for a picture or two!

There was an erected tower for Flying Fox (zip wire) activities. With the line ending into the murky water. Can't imagine people doing it, and roughing it into the algae infested and god knows other what not infested water. But still, you never know, some like a challenge indeed.

Along the way to the entrance of the cave, there were flowers and plants aplenty, even bamboo trees, and other trees which I don't even begin to know the names. Even saw a Tongkat Ali tree. Flora and fauna in abundance indeed. Was also told there was also a house built nearby all natural, with not a single nail used. Didn't get to see it though.

Had expected to see more creepy crawlies, but perhaps I didn't look hard enough. Probably all there hiding, and peering from beneath whichever leaf or branches, eyeing us intruders ever suspiciously.

And how can a forest be a forest without greens? Some leaves were extremely huge! Had one or two shots with a person standing beneath the leaf, and the leaf could cover the entire person, height and width and more to spare!

Can you spot the red dragonfly? I almost missed it, until someone pointed it out to me. I was already the last one in line, so had to take a quick shot and hurry to catch up with the rest.

And inside the cave? We saw some casulties. There were bats flying high above us in the upper sections of the cave, but one baby bat was seen on the ground. Injured and scared with the guide subsequently putting the little bat in between the leaves and branches in the hope it does not become fodder for other bigger predators.

Alas, also saw the remains of another baby bat which was unfortunate to fall from the sky and couldn't make it back to safety. Almost like charred remains from being exposed to the sun. Vampire bats? JENG JENG JENG!!!

Incidentally, don't touch the bats, apparently they bite. I wonder if West Malaysians go bat hunting. I remember going hunting last time for fruit bats when I was a kid in East Malaysia, and once the bat was shot down from the sky, if still conscious, we would pick it up from its wingtip and slam it against the ground (not grass) to knock them out and put them in a box for cooking later. I did my fair share, but come to think of it now, kind of err...cruel. I think I was put off bats completely when I saw someone skinning the bats before putting it in a pot to cook! I never took a bite, ever!

And after all that, amongst the backdrop of the public loo, two beautiful butterflies in midair, dancing the dance of love. Ah, what a sight to behold.

A quick trip to Bandar Ikan Patin - Part 2

Part C: Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary
The trip for elephant rides were initially scheduled for the afternoon, but had to change to the morning because it was fully booked. Morning rides were brief and just went round once a small area, but I think the novelty of sitting on an elephant without harness, safety equipment, etc was quite exhilirating itself for most, especially the young kids.

Shouts of "Pau Ching Ching" or "Hold/hug tight tight" permeated through the air as the local guides attempted to speak Mandarin to the kids, with the kids' supervisors on hand also readily reminding and possibly worrying like mad for the little ones.

Afternoon rides will apparently, bring riders into the river, and a change of clothes is expected as getting wet is a certainty. Think there's a programme to bathe the elephants, etc. Now that would certainly be a novelty in itself. Perhaps something to plan for the future.

Could be the onset of school holidays, as there were bus loads of people, especially kids. However, was told that the crowd is quite large on a daily basis. Kuala Gandah elephant sanctuary is gaining more popularity. See? I didn't even know they had an elephant sanctuary right next to KL itself! Overshadowed by the likes of such camps by our neighbouring Thailand. There's even a deer sanctuary nearby.

All around, you could see the place is extremely popular with kids and adults alike. Here's the sanctuary of the great beast, a humongous sized being, in a semi wild life environment. Some were a little apprehensive, some were eager to touch, and some were just pleased to be there snapping photos away. I looked around, and hardly saw any grumpy faces. But the best is the look on the little ones' faces, as they come face to face with such a gigantic being. More so, the excitement and happiness after, which I am sure, will more than light up all parents' faces as the little ones look on in apparent joy.

However, unlike the more commercialised Thai elephant sanctuaries, this one has fixed show times and ride times. If walk-in visitors wander in half way between the programmes, there may not be much to see. Got to check and prebook the rides, etc. Can find out more about the place here and here.

A quick trip to Bandar Ikan Patin - Part 1

It began a couple of months back, when the difficult task of getting everyone's calendar to agree on a single date for a day trip was underway. And the destination was proposed by a colleague who grew up in Temerloh. Imagine planning for an 8-car convoy, and almost 30 people! I think I would freak out. Luckily, it was left to the capable hands of some colleagues, with detailed planning, the maps, some initial drama of almost getting lost even getting to the meeting place, the food, and the ever gracious hospitality by my colleague's family (the Cheahs!), making such a wonderful day excursion possible.

Here's a sneak peak.

A. Summarised Itinerary:
7:15am: Gather at meeting point along Karak Highway
7:30am: Depart to Yik Kee coffee shop, Karak.
8:30am: Breakfast! Yee Wat (fish cake) with noodles, Char Siew, Dim Sum, Bak Chang, etc.
9:30am: Depart for Kuala Gandah, Lanchang, the elephant sanctuary.
10:30am: Arrive at the elephant sanctuary. Elephant rides were pre-arranged.
12:15pm: Leave Lanchang for lunch in Temerloh.
1:00pm: Lunch at Wee Kee restaurant (otherwise known as FeiLo restaurant I think)! Patin fish, Yee Wat, Chui Ha (Drunken prawns), etc.
2:15pm: Leave Temerloh for Gunung Senyum. A forest guide was engaged to ensure safety.
3:00pm: Explore Gunung Senyum caves.
4:15pm: Return to Temerloh for tea.
5:00pm: Tea break at colleague's family place! Lemang with serunding (beef and chicken), Nasi Dagang with fish, fruits galore, konyaku jelly, etc.
6:45pm: Head back to KL.

B. The food
Was uncertain how long it would take getting to the initial meeting place, so budgeted about 10mins spare for "getting lost", but in the end, was there about 6:45am! So, the few of us grabbed a quick morning snack at the 24-hour McD. Whilst some stayed healthy with orange juices, a few imbibed the much needed caffeine, together with the hashbrowns and pint sized burgers.

Yik Kee, Karak is apparently quite well known. Especially for its fish cakes. They also serve egg tarts and other bakery like sort of cakes which some of us ta-paued (for take away) in case we get hungry and to bring back home. But for the duration of the trip, I doubt if anyone ever got hungry because of the sheer amount of food we consumed.

Temerloh, as some of the signages put it, is also known as Bandar Ikan Patin. Patin fish is a river fish and surprisingly not as many bones as I had expected. Different grades of Patin fish exist depending on whether it's captured wild, or bred through various methods. The fish we had was exceedingly fresh, with no fishy smell usually associated with river fishes. But it was HUGE! and yet, was eaten right to the bones. Ravenous eaters, some of us be. The drunken prawns was a favourite among some, but somehow, the "younger" generation was not a major fan I think. Fish cakes were good, as were some of the other dishes.

And guess what! LEMANGS!!! I like! Usually I would eat it on its own or with heaps lots of Kaya, but there was serunding (meat floss) provided as well. We even got to ta-pau back home because there was simply so much food left. The Konyaku jelly (wonderfully home made by my colleague's mom), the various fruits (apples, mangos, rambutans, langsat - well, not quite langsat, but I forgot the name, and cikus!), and of course, the camaraderie of it all as we munched and filled our bellies through the day.

Movie Marathon

Weekend movie marathon indeed. Finally caught the three shows that I have been eagerly anticipating, and another sci-fi movie (Push).

I guess I was slightly disappointed with Angels and Demons, probably because I have read the book, and the twist and turns didn't surprise me at all. Still a good movie though.

Wolverine? Yay! Now I know the origins of deadpool also. First saw the character with Cable. But what brilliant fight scenes towards the end. Overall, go watch! And make sure you stay right to the very, very end! Instead of one extra clip, there was an additional after all the acknowledgement and thank yous! :)

Push. Good attempt, but not enough suspense I reckon. Expected to see more kicking butt and fight scenes, but I guess it's enough with the various watchers, shadows, pushers, etc. I still enjoyed it though.

But Star Trek? What can I say? Simply marvelous!! One of the better movies I have seen. I felt thrills like never before while watching the movie. The whole set, the Enterprise!!!, the characters, the humour... Wow!!! A must see.

Now, I can't wait for three more to arrive at our shores: G.I Joe, Transformers and Terminator!!! Can't wait, can't wait...

Time and ages pass

You know, everytime I "balik kampung" (direct translation = return village) or go back to my hometown, I feel reluctant to leave. It's not so much the good things we have here, the food, the laundry being automatically done, the peace and quiet, but more so the time spent with family (especially parents).

Have you noticed the age lines etched on their face as they sleep, the ever increasing tiredness with each task performed, the joy and happiness when they get a call from a loved one, and the love shared between husband and wife. It is a treasure to behold indeed, and what more with a grandchild! Pictures and videos in this modern age has transcended boundaries, and made the ever far distance that much nearer.

As I sit here at the airport waiting for my flight, I think back and can't help but feel that the week has passed by ever so quickly. So for those of you who have your parents at home or nearby, don't wait too long. Go chit-chat, go spend some time, no matter how brief, and enjoy those precious moments.

Eating Wind

As I felt the cool breeze on my face outside the car window, the contentment and joy of a 10-year old is quite hard to describe. The exhilaration, the thrill and more importantly, the opportunity to be out of the house.

Come to think of it now, the dangers of such act in the city is quite real, like sticking your head out in a moving automobile. Even more so now with the ever rampant crime which sometimes bring a shudder to one and all.

But as someone who had grown up in a small town, the unhurried driving pace, the smiling passer-bys, the cooling slow evening drive around the small town will certainly bring a feeling of happiness to any kid (or even pets!). Yes, I am back in my hometown now, and at times reminising about the good ol' carefree days bring a warm inner feeling. As I walked the narrow alleyway between the shophouses this morning, I couldn't help but smile as I imagined myself back as a kid, with my rollerskates on, daring myself and jumping across those ever so high and wide gaps between the drains, and trying hard not to run right smack into the wall. Actually, I don't think I ever did crash against the wall, but I recall more than one occassion when I was definitely flat out against the wall with my hands barely cushioning the impact. Yes, I did lose a tooth or two and even broke my collarbone when I was young, but that's another story altogether. :)

Seriously, the gaps are not that big, but as a wee lad, those gaps looked wider than the widest gaps! A real daredevil then, with rollerskates, and even a skateboard and a later progression to a BMX, but as one grows up, the urge to try and push the adrenaline factor has waned down tremendously. No, no rollercoaster rides, no bungee jumps, and definitely no skydiving nowadays. A more sedentary lifestyle is much prefered, with the exception of an occassional walk (especially to view a new place). :)

But I digressed. Eating wind as it is called, a direct translation of "Sik Fung", is something I miss. The joy of just being driven around with the windows down on a cool evening breeze has not been felt for a very very long time. As a matter of fact, I can't even remember when was the last time I hopped in a car and just drove aimlessly around to enjoy the sights. Sigh, city life is so much different from a small town, or even a kampung. Yes, I do count my blessings that my parents even had a car back then, and I had the opportunity to experience such joy. But the fact of the matter is, this is just one example of childhood happiness. Each of us grew up in a different environment, and each of us experienced the joy and heartache of life differently. And as I remind myself everyday, count your blessings.

To boldly go

Hats off for another Star Trek movie. This time, a younger Kirk and Spock to hit the big screen very shortly!

Am certainly looking forward to it. Have been a fan, but actually more to Star Trek - The Next Generation, and the ever brilliant Captain Jean-Luc Picard. I still have some memorabilia when I joined some fan club during my teens, and of course, recently, got some stamp sheetlets on this. Yippeee!! :)

But I came across a story from a local daily which took being a "fan" to new heights! Read it in full here. In short, taken from "The Star":

TREKKIES are among the most die-hard fans out there and many would think nothing of paying as much as RM25,000 for a car registration number matching that of a starship from the series while other have even named their children after Star Tek characters.

Richard Si, 40, and his wife May Teoh, 32, are living proof of this. Si actually paid RM25,000 for the NCC 1701 registration (which is also the number of the USS Enterprise in the Star Trek franchise) and the couple also meticulously timed (with the help of a gynaecologist) the birth of their daughter for Jan 17 at 1701.

Si’s son was christened Riker Si James Tee Kirk while his nine-month-old daughter bears the name Seven Si Kathryn Janeway after a character from Star Trek Voyager.

I really don't know what to say! Oh dear...

Oppressive Heat!

Not sure if it is a spell of heat wave or not, but it is VERY HOT!!!

Am at the moment back in Sarawak, and yes, Sarawak is nearer to the Equator, which supposedly makes it consistently nearer to the sun (and thereby hotter) as the earth turns on its axis. My hometown, Serian, situated inland, although on higher ground, is actually situated that much closer to the Equator. Hot! Hot! Hot!

I wonder where we are on the chart now on the relative humidity and temperature scale. Some countries may have the heat, but don't have the humidity. Just standing for a while in a non-airconditioned room or in a non-fan circulating room, will make one sweat quite a bit, with the skin feeling sticky. That's humidity for you!!! I can't imagine those who work as labourers in this oppresive heat.

Was just speaking to a relative yesterday, and he said that up north, one glacier the size of Singapore has split and is melting. That shows how the global warming and heat is affecting everyone. To be honest, I don't know much about global warming except what I read, but I can certainly feel its effects.

Incidentally, now that I am back in Sarawak, it gets darker earlier here, due to the island being situated much to the East. As a matter of fact, I remember there was a time so many years ago when the time zone was different. Sarawak was one hour ahead of West Malaysia, with a subsequent adjustment made to the time zone in West Malaysia and Singapore to be in line with Sarawak.

And another incident made me pause a while, when during dinner one day with a group of 3 girls, one commented that the sunset was spectacular. When I commented the same, and that I viewed it from the PJ skyline, the girls were saying, nope, theirs was from the Batu Caves area. And being typical me, I blurted out something like this:

Alex: No matter where you are, it's the same skyline no?
G2: Yes, but Batu Caves nicer.
Alex: Sure, but the sun sets towards PJ side.

And then, I got a puzzled look. I wasn't sure if the girls were making fun of me, but reasoning was that PJ is towards the West of Batu Caves, hence with the sun rising in the East and setting in the West, the PJ skyline view would be amazing.

As a matter of fact, I have paused a couple of times to just take in the moment of sunset. Perhaps one day I should simply go to the pool side area of the higher blocks of the Condo I am staying to just simply enjoy the view.

Godspeaker Trilogy

Finally finished the Godspeaker Trilogy by Karen Miller. Much, much better than the Kingmaker, Kingbreaker series. I enjoyed the first book, but the second book, "The Riven Kingdom" somehow didn't catch my attention, so it was a bit of a plough through until I got to the third book, "Hammer of God", which was much much better and tied the earlier two books together.

All in all, brutal in nature, good fight scenes (the Hotas!), and after finally watching "Red Cliff 2" yesterday, the attack on Ethrea was made even more real. A warring nation in the name of their God, the power of being "Right" and to exorcise the demons in the world.

This is a brief description of the 1st book taken from Amazon.com (by D. Gibbons):
Hekat is an interesting character; she comes from the humblest of beginnings in a remote, mostly abandoned part of Mijak where women and girls (or, in the local vernacular, bitches and she-brats) are seen as less than stray dogs, worthy only to breed more male children. Hekat grows up with no sense of love, only anger and disdain. She first starts to feel love when a caravan master who has seen how beautiful she will become and has purchased her for a great purpose, pampers her and treats her like a special child. She believes he loves her, but when she discovers his real purpose for doting on her, it shatters her ability to ever trust anyone again. Thus she takes life into her own hands and joins the military, rising in rank from canteen slave to soldier and upward. She does work very hard for her rise to power, not through seduction but though training in war arts, personal study and defying death on the battlefield. Her troops admire her because she is willing to face the same conditions they are. And she does seem to have some supernatural talent with divine support from the scorpion god.

That is as much good as one can say about her. She may be clever and a fierce war leader, but she is also manipulative, cruel and obsessed with her destiny. Her devotion to the god is such that she has no room in her for any other emotions but fulfilling its will. This makes her a very terrifing villain. She has no room in her to respect others and no room for compassion, even for herself. Her son Zandakar and the godspeaker Vortka seve as an interesting counterpoint to Hekat, a sense that there are people in Mijak who do believe in compassion and that all is not about sacrifice and death.

Personally, I enjoyed the trilogy (more so for books 1 and 3), and especially about Emporor Han from Tzhung-tzhungchai! More! More!

Ave Verum Corpus

One of my all time favourites:



Translation:

Hail,true body
born of the Virgin Mary,
Who truly suffered, sacrificed
on the Cross for man,
Whose pierced side overflowed
with water and blood,
Be for us a foretaste
In the test of death.

Simply exquisite. I miss singing in a choir doing such 4-part works. Maybe I should start a revival in the local church choir.

Of one oink and another

Am not trying to trivialise the matter, but Saucy Susie asked me a question the other day.

Saucy Susie: Why is the current pandemic called Swine Flu and not Pig Flu?

Alex: Err... cos' it sounds better?

Saucy Susie: And, and last time for the Bird Flu, it was called Avian Flu, and not Chicken Flu?

Seriously, good points form Saucy Susie, since the culling is on pigs. So, why should it not be called pig flu? After all, we don't hear about the culling of boars, shoats, sows and hogs? Incidentally, if you need to know your pigs, look here. I really think it is just a matter of a general name, but still, a pig is a common enough name. Take "Avian" for example, which means "pertaining to or characteristics of birds". It is more generic in nature, although it happened to the ever innocent chickens (some may disagree as to the innocence if they have been to a farm and have been pecked by a mother hen). I guess it is to put it bluntly, less "in your face" with terms like pig flu or chicken flu. Also perhaps to give it that more exotic name, and to perhaps cater for eventualities if the mutating strands do go for other birds that flock together or pigs that hog together.

An article came out in one of the local dailies of the severity of such pandemic cases. Malaysia is also not immune, with the Nipah scare a few years back. Even with this, I don't know if I can ever go without tasting the succulent char-sius (bbq pork) and siu yuks (crispy roast belly pork). Of course, I would go for the "pun fei sau" (half lean meat half fat)! And not forgetting my perennial favourite, the sweet and sour pork!

Incidentally, the only thing missing in Malaysia is the wonderful tasting chilli oil used in HongKong when eating char siu. Haven't found any here which comes anywhere close to the likes of Hong Kong's chilli oil. One day, one day. Maybe there's no real marketability for it in Malaysia, especially with all the differing curries, nasi lemak and other culinary delights with this spice and that spice added to tingle the tender tastebuds.