[Eric's journal] We did the boat journey out of Taman Negara in two hours. We saw lots of water buffalo, many were relaxing in the river. We then had several hours in Jerantut waiting for the bus. It was almost 3.5 hours across to Kuantan and we are on the east coast. We walked to check out a hotel we selected from the LP only to find it closed for Chinese New Year. We tried another one a few doors down that was open but Emma couldn't find anyone at the front counter. We finally found one and got a room. We wandered around town and had dinner.
Sitting for so long all day was a real pain in my rear end. I think it must be with all my extra weight my rear end is not used to holding so much weight. The bus was on time again. It is a little scary on some of the roads as they are very narrow. Many people ride scooters, including on these cross-country roads. Since they are not motorcycles, they don't quite have highway speed, so you have all these buses and trucks that get caught behind them trying to get by.
In the toilet at the hostel in KL there was a sign reminding people to not squat on the regular commode.
We have come across more Dutch people in Malaysia than any other visitors. They are here in big tours and as individuals.
One of the English guys who shared our dorm in Taman Negara had big braces for his lower legs. Even with the braces, you could see walking was still an effort for him. In spite of that, he was travelling all over southeast Asia. We saw him walking to the top of the viewpoint in the jungle which was hard for us. It is inspiring to see people like him still out backpacking. He was an IT recruitment consultant from London. He has travelled in Asia before and taught English in Thailand. His plan was to teach in Thailand again and then go to China to teach.
While in Taman Negara we also saw a blind German guy who was travelling with two friends. He had gone on one of the tours in the afternoon ( I think they went on the cave tour). It is so nice to see him out and travelling in out of the way places. I overheard him telling someone about when he was in Australia a year ago and he wanted to touch an alligator and they tried to tell him he should just feel a pair of alligator shoes or a purse!
[Emma's journal] We left Taman Negara at 0900. Once again we took the relaxing boat ride down the river. There were quite a few water buffaloes relaxing along the river bank. After arriving in Jerantut we grabbed lunch and took the opportunity to take a walk around the town-not really much there of interest. ( The LP was right again!) We then caught the bus to Kuantan which is on the east coast and about a 3.5 hour bus ride. The hotel we planned on staying in was shut for New Years-the first time we had not got the hotel we picked from our bible! We ended up finding another one about a ten minute walk away. It was grim but fine for the night. Kuantan reminded me of a large Aussie country town in size. Of course the mosque was something you wouldn't find in one of those. The mosque is meant to be the most spectacular on the east coast. When you saw it at night, the way it was lit up reminded me of the Excalibur Hotel in Vegas.
Sunday, 27 September 2009
Sunday, 13 September 2009
29 Jan 2003 Taman Negara, Malaysia
[Eric's journal] We arrived yesterday. It was a three hour bus trip to Jerantut. We had lunch and left some luggage at the hotel. It was about a 20 minute drive to the pier where we got on traditional wooden longboats. They are only two people wide, have a 40 hp outboard motor and are about 40 feet long. They have a tin roof to provide shade. We sat on the floor for the two hour 20 minute ride. It was a gorgeous ride up river through the jungle. Very few signs of civilization along the way. We arrived at the park HQ. We docked across the river at the LBK restaurant and found our dorm up the hill at the Ecoton Hostel. All the restaurants are on floating barges that have been fixed up. You get across the river on one of the many shuttle boats going back and forth for 1 RM round-trip.
I guess there is a road into the park now but most traffic is still up the river by boat. The food is pretty good at the restaurant. We watched a video on the park at 2000 in the restaurant which was not very exciting. Then we went on a night hike into the jungle. Our guide was "crazy like monkey". He runs all the tours on this side of the park. We took a boat across to the lodge with our flashlights and headed into the jungle.
The sounds were amazing surrounded but the night and the vegetation. The insects and toads were amazing. We saw lots of insects ( spiders, praying mantis, stick insects) and several Malaysian deer. They look just like American deer but crazy like monkey assured us they had their papers and were natives.
We were in a eight person dorm but there were only four of us in it. it was a fan room and quite hot but by the middle of the night I was looking for the thin blanket they provided.
This morning after breakfast we took a boat back over to the park and went for a walk. We hiked up to Bukit Teresek. It is a huge hill with great views of the river and jungle. It was only 1.5 km but just about straight up. While the sun wasn't very strong, the humidity was still killer and we were drenched. The view was really good.
Then we went up into the jungle canopy walkway. This was amazing to walk in the canopy, much of the time over 25m above the ground. It was really long, well over 450m with lots of platforms at trees along the way. The walkway itself is definitely not for anyone with the slightest fear of heights. It was a ladder with wood over the rungs. This hung in netting which was attached to the trees by steel cables. It swayed quite a bit and the rope and netting came to below my waist. The views were spectacular looking through the tops of the trees.
We then walked down to a swimming spot which was a smaller river flowing into the Kuala Tembeling. It was very peaceful and relaxing to wade in and cool off.
After coming back for lunch we went on the inner tube trip. The boat took us 30 min further up the river. We hopped in the inner tubes and floated down, including through several sets of rapids. The water was comfortable and was beautiful watching the jungle from the river. At the end the guide used one of the local stones to create some paint and drew a sun type pattern on Emma's cheek and a big one on my back. The natives use this to paint themselves.
After a tasty watermelon shake ( not sure what all goes in it) we changed and walked up the hill to the night market. It was small and you could tell it was a local one. Some food (mostly guys cooking burgers), fresh fruit, clothes, and little trinket toys.
It is a beautiful location and relaxing to sit in the restaurant on the river watching the jungle and watching life go up and down the river. It is so refreshing, the whole liability concept here. I think there is one sign that says this is a jungle and dangerous. Last night we piled nine people in a boat 15 feet long at most, no lights (other than the guide squatting on the bow with his flashlight on). A couple people were sitting on the edge. (No life jackets in sight.) Then we wandered into the jungle on a very uneven path. Coming back we ran out of gas and the driver had a cigarette dangling from his mouth as he reached under to switch the gas cans for the outboard. Never do you have to sign any forms. The jungle canopy would be dangerous. On the tube trip we didn't have life jackets, the guide asked if we could swim and if you said yes, you were covered.
It has been great being out here away from the cities. It is a gorgeous location and it would be nice to come back and spend more time trekking in the jungle. When we were in the jungle last night and turned off all our flashlights, the darkness was amazing accompanied but the symphony of sounds.
[Emma's journal] Today we headed out for our "jungle trek". We walked up to Bukit Teresek. Quite a hike in very humid weather- we were both dripping in sweat not too far into the walk. From there we headed to the canopy walk. This was amazing. It was great to be up in the tops of the trees. The walkway consisted of a hammock type net along the bottom of which they had laid metal scaffolding, which looked just like metal ladders, and then they had laid wooden boards on top. We then went to a swimming hole and just soaked our feet and washed some of the sweat off. In the afternoon, we went further up the river and came back down on inner-tubes. Very relaxing and beautiful. All in all a fantastic day- I think we will both sleep very well tonight.
I guess there is a road into the park now but most traffic is still up the river by boat. The food is pretty good at the restaurant. We watched a video on the park at 2000 in the restaurant which was not very exciting. Then we went on a night hike into the jungle. Our guide was "crazy like monkey". He runs all the tours on this side of the park. We took a boat across to the lodge with our flashlights and headed into the jungle.
The sounds were amazing surrounded but the night and the vegetation. The insects and toads were amazing. We saw lots of insects ( spiders, praying mantis, stick insects) and several Malaysian deer. They look just like American deer but crazy like monkey assured us they had their papers and were natives.
We were in a eight person dorm but there were only four of us in it. it was a fan room and quite hot but by the middle of the night I was looking for the thin blanket they provided.
This morning after breakfast we took a boat back over to the park and went for a walk. We hiked up to Bukit Teresek. It is a huge hill with great views of the river and jungle. It was only 1.5 km but just about straight up. While the sun wasn't very strong, the humidity was still killer and we were drenched. The view was really good.
Then we went up into the jungle canopy walkway. This was amazing to walk in the canopy, much of the time over 25m above the ground. It was really long, well over 450m with lots of platforms at trees along the way. The walkway itself is definitely not for anyone with the slightest fear of heights. It was a ladder with wood over the rungs. This hung in netting which was attached to the trees by steel cables. It swayed quite a bit and the rope and netting came to below my waist. The views were spectacular looking through the tops of the trees.
We then walked down to a swimming spot which was a smaller river flowing into the Kuala Tembeling. It was very peaceful and relaxing to wade in and cool off.
After coming back for lunch we went on the inner tube trip. The boat took us 30 min further up the river. We hopped in the inner tubes and floated down, including through several sets of rapids. The water was comfortable and was beautiful watching the jungle from the river. At the end the guide used one of the local stones to create some paint and drew a sun type pattern on Emma's cheek and a big one on my back. The natives use this to paint themselves.
After a tasty watermelon shake ( not sure what all goes in it) we changed and walked up the hill to the night market. It was small and you could tell it was a local one. Some food (mostly guys cooking burgers), fresh fruit, clothes, and little trinket toys.
It is a beautiful location and relaxing to sit in the restaurant on the river watching the jungle and watching life go up and down the river. It is so refreshing, the whole liability concept here. I think there is one sign that says this is a jungle and dangerous. Last night we piled nine people in a boat 15 feet long at most, no lights (other than the guide squatting on the bow with his flashlight on). A couple people were sitting on the edge. (No life jackets in sight.) Then we wandered into the jungle on a very uneven path. Coming back we ran out of gas and the driver had a cigarette dangling from his mouth as he reached under to switch the gas cans for the outboard. Never do you have to sign any forms. The jungle canopy would be dangerous. On the tube trip we didn't have life jackets, the guide asked if we could swim and if you said yes, you were covered.
It has been great being out here away from the cities. It is a gorgeous location and it would be nice to come back and spend more time trekking in the jungle. When we were in the jungle last night and turned off all our flashlights, the darkness was amazing accompanied but the symphony of sounds.
[Emma's journal] Today we headed out for our "jungle trek". We walked up to Bukit Teresek. Quite a hike in very humid weather- we were both dripping in sweat not too far into the walk. From there we headed to the canopy walk. This was amazing. It was great to be up in the tops of the trees. The walkway consisted of a hammock type net along the bottom of which they had laid metal scaffolding, which looked just like metal ladders, and then they had laid wooden boards on top. We then went to a swimming hole and just soaked our feet and washed some of the sweat off. In the afternoon, we went further up the river and came back down on inner-tubes. Very relaxing and beautiful. All in all a fantastic day- I think we will both sleep very well tonight.
Saturday, 5 September 2009
28 Jan 2003 Taman Negara, Malaysia
[Emma's journal] We left KL early to get the bus to Jerantut, which is billed as the "Gateway town to Taman Negara." From here we got a longboat up to the small village across the river from the park. The journey was beautiful and took around two hours ten minutes. It was wonderful to finally be out in the country side and seeing something green after Singapore and KL. We decided to stay in a dorm (there are four of us) so that we can then splurge a bit when we get out first beach hut. The private rooms were quite a bit extra.
When you arrive you get off the boat at a floating restaurant and then up a hill and steps to the lodge. There are a few restaurants which all seem to have been developed for the tourists visiting the park. There is a resort in the park, but this is a lot more expensive and when it is only 50 sents per-person (15 cents US) to go across and you can get a boat whenever you want, it is just as easy to stay in the village.
We did a "jungle walk" in the evening and although all we saw was deer, spiders and insects, the rain forest sounded so alive. Our guide was called "crazy like monkey". Obviously a nickname given to him by some visitor- I wonder if he knew it would stick.
When you arrive you get off the boat at a floating restaurant and then up a hill and steps to the lodge. There are a few restaurants which all seem to have been developed for the tourists visiting the park. There is a resort in the park, but this is a lot more expensive and when it is only 50 sents per-person (15 cents US) to go across and you can get a boat whenever you want, it is just as easy to stay in the village.
We did a "jungle walk" in the evening and although all we saw was deer, spiders and insects, the rain forest sounded so alive. Our guide was called "crazy like monkey". Obviously a nickname given to him by some visitor- I wonder if he knew it would stick.
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