Pos Betau, Lipis

Betau... keeps calling...!

Friday

A total of 30 participants gathered at the Guardhouse at 7:30 am before leaving to Pos Betau, Kuala Lipis, 4 hours ride by bus. Upon arrival at Pos Betau, we were welcomed by the Aborigine Department Officer for a briefing on the “Do’s” and Don’ts” in the jungle. We were informed that not many of the natives are Muslim, some are even atheists.

After the briefing, we were ushered to the riverbank to wait for our boats to transfer us to the camping site at Jeram Tema. The journey from Pos Betau to Jeram Tema was about 1hour by boat. The boat ride was surely an exhilarating and unforgettable experience. There were some rifts and some shallow water that we have to pass though. The scenery along the riverside was breathtaking – we could also see the native people performing their daily activities like bathing, washing clothes, fishing.

At Jeram Tema we were welcomed by the villagers. There were chalets and a longhouse facilities, but a few of us prefered to put up our own tents. We cooked our own dinner, using a gas stove ... There were also an electricity support backed up by a generator. Our menu for dinner was pucuk paku (some wild vegetable), some raw salad, sambal belacan/tempoyak, fried fish and salted egg. The funny thing was that, the rice was cooked with too much water – wrong method! The soft rice was also good! Believe it or not, Dennis (our German intern), ate the sambal tempoyak (chilly blend with prawn paste and durian!) with kacang botol !??!

After our Maghrib and Isyak prayers, we gathered for another activity; night jungle tracking. This was the first time the Orang Asli had organized a night jungle tracking. It was quite challenging, both physically and mentally. We were divided into few smaller groups with one Orang Asli as a guide. Thoughout the trip, we were equiped with only a torchlight. It was quite a scary experienced as we had to climb the hill in almost total darkness. Thoughout the trip, we could hear noices and sounds made by the jungle. It was a night to remember especially when we encountered an unexpected guest - a snake, and when we got lost on our way back to the camp.

Saturday

On the second day, Chef Rozita headed the kitchen crew to cook fried meehoon for breakfast. After breakfast, we continued our activities with a “day jungle tracking”. This trip was more challenging compared to the night before as the hill was higher and steeper and we needed to cross a deep river. Along the way, we collected some precious items from nature like Tongkat Ali root (natural herb for men) and Kacip Fatimah plant (natural herb for women). On the way back, we stopped at the foothills to collect some wild vegetable for our lunch. Our second day lunch menu was fried pucuk paku (wild vege), fried fish, salted fish, sardine, raw vege sambal tempoyak, scrambled egg and syrup. After lunch, some of us took the opportunity to dive into the river, while others chose either to play volleyball in the river, fish or just simply sleep.

In the evening, our guides taught us how to make a trap (for rats and squirrels), how to use a blow pipe, how to make a raft and how to cook rice using a bamboo. We even grilled some tapioca using the traditional natural style – the taste was delicious!

After night prayer, it was time for the hi-lite of our camping activity – “SEWANG” (Orang Asli traditional dance and singing). We received explanations about the meaning of Sewang. Orang Asli have many types of sewang depending on the occasion, such as Sewang for fun, for funeral, for wedding etc. After the Sewang, some of us just sat around the campfire to chit chatting until late night.

Sunday

We started our day early as we had to pack our belongings and get ready to return to Janda Baik. All the extra food was donated to our guides. Many photo shots were taken while waiting for our boats. Even though we were sad to leave the camping site, we were very happy as we made many new friends and the comfort of our homes was waiting for us.

Translation to Malay:

Betau… panggilanmu mengimbau...!

Jumaat

Seramai 30 orang peserta berkumpul di Pondok Pengawal pukul 7:30 pagi. Perjalanan dari Janda Baik ke Pos Betau, Kuala Lipis lebih kurang 4 jam dengan menaiki bas. Di bandar Raub, kami berhenti rehat seketika untuk mengalas perut sebelum meneruskan perjalanan. Setibanya di Pos Betau, kami disambut oleh pegawai Jabatan Orang Asli untuk taklimat mengenai pantang larang yang perlu dipatuhi semasa berada di dalam hutan. Kami diberitahu bahawa penduduk Orang Asli yang terdapat di situ kebanyakkannya bukanlah beragama Islam, malah ramai yang tidak beragama.

Selesai taklimat, kami dibawa ke tepi sungai untuk menaiki bot ke tapak perkhemahan di Jeram Tema. Kami sempat bergambar dan Teo membuat rakaman video kenangan manis di tebing sungai. Perjalanan dari Pos Betau ke Jeram Tema mengambil masa lebih kurang 1 jam. Pengalaman menaiki bot ini pasti tidak dapat kami lupakan. Terdapat banyak jeram yang perlu diharungi dan juga cabaran melalui kawasan sungai yang cetek. Paling menarik ialah pemandangan di sepanjang sungai – kelihatan Orang Asli menjalankan aktiviti harian seperti mandi dan membasuh pakaian di sungai serta menangkap ikan. Anak-anak mereka juga kelihatan seronok dan tidak kekok bermain dengan sungai yang dalam dan berarus deras itu.

Kedatangan kami di kawasan mereka disambut dengan senyuman dan lambaian mesra. Tiba di Jeram Tema kami disambut oleh beberapa orang jurupandu terdiri dari Orang Asli yang akan bersama kami sepanjang ekspedisi ini. Kami terpegun dengan keindahan dan kedamaian alam ciptaan Tuhan yang belum terusik ini. Hilang semua kepenatan meredah sungai di bawah terik mentari tadi bila melihat keindahan alam ini. Terdapat chalet dan rumah panjang di Jeram Tema, namun ada juga di kalangan kami yang memasang khemah sendiri. Petang harinya, kami bergotong-royong menyediakan makan malam. Walaupun di tengah hutan belantara, namun kami memasak dengan dapur gas! Semua peralatan memasak seperti dapur, gas, periuk automatik dan pinggan mangkuk disediakan oleh pihak pengurusan Jeram Tema iaitu Koperasi Orang Asli Pos Betau. Terdapat juga bekalan letrik menggunakan generator. Menu kami malam itu ialah sayur pucuk paku, ulam-ulaman, sambal belacan/tempoyak, ikan goreng dan telur masin. Yang lucunya nasi yang dimasak oleh kami lembik kerana terlebih air – tersalah petua. Nasi lembik pun sedap juga! Percaya tak, Dennis (intern dari Germany), makan nasi dengan sambal tempoyak dan ulam kacang botol?!!?

Selepas solat Maghrib dan Isyak, kami berkumpul untuk aktiviti “Jungle-Tracking” malam. “Jungle –tracking” malam merupakan aktiviti yang pertama kali diadakan oleh Orang Asli di situ. Satu pengalaman yang cukup mencabar fizikal dan minda. Kami dibahagikan kepada beberapa kumpulan kecil, seorang jurupandu bagi setiap kumpulan. Berbekalkan lampu suluh, perjalanan bermula dengan mendaki bukit. Perasaan takut dan seram mula menyelubungi kami namun didaki juga bukit yang tinggi dan curam itu dengan berhati-hati. Di awal perjalanan suara rakan-rakan bersorak riang kedengaran, namun di pertengahan pendakian hanya kedengaran nafas mengah dan unggas sahaja. Setelah 1 jam mengharungi onak dan duri, akhirnya kami selamat kembali ke chalet. Namun pengalaman terserempak dengan seekor ular dan juru pandu kami tersesat jalan memang tidak dapat dilupakan.

Sabtu

Hari kedua, kami bergotong-royong menyediakan sarapan pagi. Chef Rozita mengepalai kakitangan dapur memasak bihun goreng. Selepas bersarapan, kami meneruskan aktiviti pertama hari itu dengan “Jungle Tracking” lagi. Kali ini, kami mendaki bukit yang bertentangan dengan bukit yang didaki semalam. Pendakian ini lebih mencabar kerana bukitnya lebih tinggi dan perlu menyeberangi sungai yang sangat dalam. Di sepanjang perjalanan, kami sempat mengutip khazanah alam yang bernilai seperti akar Tongkat Ali dan pokok Kacip Fatimah. Kami bergotong-royong mencabut akar Tongkat Ali yang sangat besar. Setelah setengah jam kami bermandikan peluh, barulah berjaya mencabutnya! Dalam perjalanan pulang, kami singgah di kaki bukit mengutip pucuk paku-pakis yang tumbuh meliar untuk menu makan tengahari. Menu hari kedua ialah pucuk paku goreng, ikan jaket goreng, ikan masin, ikan sardin masak sambal, ulam, sambal tempoyak, telur dadar dan air sirap. Selepas makan, aktiviti bebas: ada yang mandi sungai, bermain bola tampar di dalam sungai, memancing ikan dan ada juga yang tidak melepaskan peluang merehatkan badan.

Di sebelah petangnya, kami diajar oleh jurupandu tentang cara membuat perangkap (perangkap tikus dan tupai), menyumpit, membuat rakit dan masak nasi dalam buluh. Jelas di sini kemahiran dan kecekapan yang diwarisi daripada nenek moyang mereka masih lagi diguna pakai sehingga kini. Sambil menunggu nasi masak, ubi kayu dibakar dalam unggun api, rasanya enak sekali!

Malamnya selepas solat, acara kemuncak - ber“SEWANG” dimulakan. Kami diberi penerangan tentang maksud “SEWANG” agar tidak tersalah faham dengan tafsirannya yang sebenar. “SEWANG” mempunyai banyak jenis seperti “SEWANG” bersuka ria, kematian, perkahwinan dan sebagainya. Malam itu kami semua sangat gembira kerana dapat mempelajari tentang kehidupan Orang Asli yang sebenar. Selesai bersewang, ada yang duduk bercerita di unggun api dan ada juga yang tidur awal kerana keletihan.

Ahad

Kami bangun seawal pagi untuk bersiap sedia mengemas barang-barang sebelum bertolak balik ke Janda Baik. Barang makanan yang selebihnya didermakan kepada semua jurupandu kami. Banyak gambar kenangan manis dirakamkan semasa menunggu bot. Walaupun berat hati untuk meninggalkan tempat ini namun kami tetap bergembira untuk pulang ke rumah. Harapan kami suatu hari nanti, kami akan kembali lagi dengan aktiviti-aktiviti lain yang lebih mencabar.

Langkawi - my favourite place

Langkawi is my favourite place. I love the beaches, even though I don't swim. I like to take the photographs of the sunset. I enjoy looking at where the beach meet the sea and the sea meet the sky. It can be a very soothing view when the water is calm, the sky is blue (can be even better if there is a rainbow). But what I enjoy most is to watch the sunset. Here's one of my shots of sunset near the airport at Padang Mat Sirat, Langkawi.

In September 2005 I went with about 25 of my office sports club members to Langkawi. We took a train from Kuala Lumpur to Arau. It was a night train with berth. You can sleep comfortably in your own compartment. Though it was only covered with curtain, but it was nice and comfortable to me. Except that it was quite noisy - the sound of the train moving on its rail. Somehow, you can forget about the noise if you put on some nice songs from your walkman. Soon you could fall asleep...

The train departed from Kuala Lumpur Sentral around 9:15 pm if I'm not mistaken. It was a very long journey, we only arrived the next morning at around 9:00 pm. From Kuala Lumpur we passed by Selangor, Perak, Seberang Perai (Pulau Pinang), Kedah and finally reached Perlis. There was a delay due to some technical problem along the way. For many of the group members, that was the first time for them to ride a train. It's good that we took the berth - because it was a long journey.

If you're tired of resting in your berth, you could go the buffet coach for a hot drink and food. It's an aircond coach. You could rest there for a while before you go back to your berth.

When we arrived at Arau railway station in the morning, there's a bus waiting to take us to Kuala Perlis Jetty. From there, we took the boat to Langkawi Island. Though it was quite tiring due to the long journey, but every body was excited that we finally going to be in Langkawi soon.

In Langkawi, we stayed at Best Star Resort at Pantai Cenang. The room rate was very reasonable and the room was quite spacious for that rate. And the resort is right on the beach!
We visited the Underwater World which is just within a walking distance from Best Star Resort. Some of the members went for islands hopping while some others just laid back and relax at the beach with their family members. The next day we all went to Oriental Village and also took a ride on the cable car. We also went for a shopping at Kuah town.

On the last day before we left Langkawi, we stopped at the Dataran Helang, the landmark of Langkawi. Every body enjoyed the trip and everyone bought something for their loved ones from Langkawi.

Kuala Gula, Perak

Have you heard of Kuala Gula? It's in Perak. That was my other holiday with my Mom, my niece and my eldest sister, after Jakarta, Puncak, Bandung in 2006. Kuala Gula is about 4 hours drive from Kuala Lumpur. That is if you drive not exceeding the speed limit. From Kuala Lumpur we can take the PLUS Highway from Jalan Duta. You can exit at Changkat Jering at follow the direction to Kuala Kurau. When you reach Kampung Selinsing, you'll see a signboard to Kuala Gula on the left side.

Kuala Gula is famous for its migratory birds. The Kuala Gula Bird Sanctuary is located in the northern part of the ecosystem. During the migration season between August and April every year, more than 200,000 migratory birds representing some 50 species stop over here. They come from many parts of the world like Siberia, Australasia etc.

KSSE 9^TH CHARITY CONVOY TO KUALA GULA, KUALA KURAU, PERAK

KSSE 9^th Charity Convoy has taken 31 participants (18 motorbikes and 4 cars) to Kuala Gula, Kuala Kurau, Perak on 10 – 12 February 2006.

Participants departed from EM new building loading bay at 8:30 am. We took the road to Batang Kali. Heavy mist while climbing the road to Genting Highlands made us felt like we were in the “twilight zone”. From Batang Kali, we took the PLUS highway through Tanjung Malim toll.

We arrived at the children’s home (Rumah Kanak-Kanak Sultan Abdul Aziz - RKSAA) at 2:00 pm. We were about one hour behind schedule due to a motorbike breakdown on the way there. RKSAA is a home for 135 children including babies up to 18 year old teenagers. But for boys teenagers, there will be transferred to a Boys Teenagers Home when they are above 12 year old. We received a warm welcome by Puan Zabibah, Encik Sulaiman and a few other staff at RKSAA. We could not meet the RKSAA Principal, Ci k Yusnita because she was on leave. We have our lunch there together with the children and RKSAA staff who were around during that time. The local Perak dishes were delicious! (Many children were not around because they have to attend their extra curricular activity in the afternoon).

We brought some souvenirs for the children ie. pencil, colour pencil, toys etc. We also extended our sincere contribution of RM260.00 being a collection from EM employees. Thank you very much for your donation, may Allah bless you!

If you go to Kuala Kangsar, it’s not complete if you do not buy “labu Sayong”! (vase made of clay). We stopped at one clay pottery factory nearby the RKSAA. At the first place, it was only me who wanted to buy the vase, but before I step out of the factory, many participants have also bought some vases as souvenirs for their family and friends!

We arrived the Chalet Peranginan Kuala Gula at 6:00 pm. We were freshened up with tea break welcome by the resort. Everybody took a rest at the dorm after the tea break. For the enthusiastic anglers, they already started fishing!

The next day after breakfast we were given a briefing by an officer from Jabatan Perhilitan Kuala Gula (Waterbird Conservation Centre) about the local and migration birds. Kuala Gula is a famous Mangrove Forest Reserve ranking at no. 6 in the world and is an important bird sanctuary for almost 200 species of birds that come over as far as 24,000 km from Siberia and Australasia etc during winter from September to April every year. Among the species found here are Egrets, Milky Stork, Heron, Terns, Sandpipers, Lesser Adjutant etc. We also learned about the importance of mangrove forest to protect the wetland habitants and the river eco-system in our country. Therefore, it is vital for us to protect our inheritance!

In the evening we took a boat ride cruising the mangrove forest reserve while watching the birds, monkeys and other wild life, also fishermen’s floating fish ponds along the river at Kuala Gula. This is the first time experience for all of these convoy members. This is not just a convoy but we are also doing charity work and learning new thing!

That night we have a karaoke session, where all the participants got a luck draw prizes sponsored by organizer. No body comes back empty handed. Three participants wont the karaoke prizes 1) Azlan Ramly 2) Suhaimi Muhamad 3) Mohd Farhuud Atar. We were also being entertained by Kuala Gula “Ziana Zain” who’s name is Rina. Chalet’s Manager, Encik Jailani also sang two songs for us.

The 3^rd day, we departed the Chalet Peranginan Kuala Gula at 9:00 am. We stopped by at the Lata Kinjang waterfall at Kampar, Perak. The water was so cooling and refreshing when you wash your face with it.

We arrived back safely even though it was drizzling once a while throughout the journey and twice the motorbikers have taken the wrong junction. The team spirit is always very high in every convoy we organize every year. We arrived EM at 7:00 pm though there was a little accident during descending the Genting Highlands highway due to the slippery road caused by the rain. Whatever it is, everybody arrived back safely!

See you again next year, if God willing!

Translated by: Norlia Jaafar

How to get around Jakarta and Bandung

Since the opening of the new toll road that connects Jakarta and Bandung, both cities are at a stone's throw away. It has meant a huge increase to Bandung visitor rates, reducing the travel time to just about 2 hours, making Bandung easily accessible for day trippers. The new stretch of asphalt cuts through the beautiful West Java landscape, allowing for scenic views throughout the whole journey.

One of the easiest ways to get to Bandung is to use one of the several shuttle services that leave at various departure points on a hourly basis. The oldest company that provides inter city transport is 4848, and their minivans leave from their basis at Jalan Prapatan about 10 minutes from the train station. They leave several times a day, but usually they will wait until a minimum of 4 passengers. The rate is Rp.70,000.

Address: Jakarta office
Jalan Prapatan No 34
Tel.021-3500090

Bandung office
Jalan Suniaraja No.39
Tel.022-4234848

Rivaling companies have popped up everywhere, competing with each other through offering pick up and drop off service and direct airport connection. Typically the fare for transportation directly from the Sukarno Hatta airport to Bandung ranges from Rp.110,000 to Rp.135,000. This certainly pays of, because with Jakarta traffic congestions a taxi ride to the city center or the train station will amount to Rp.100,000 alone. The price includes toll road fees, which totals up to about another Rp.100,000 once you get to Bandung .

Also the advantage of most of them is that they have fixed departure times and even if you're the only passenger, they will leave on time. The most reliable companies are:

X-Trans, a company that offers connections from the airport to their Bandung office on Jalan Cihampelas, via Blora where you will have to transfer to another bus.

Vans are luxurious and their company motto has to do with being on time, so they offer a money back guarantee if they arrive late.

Address: Jakarta office
Jalan Blora-Menteng
Tel.021-3149777

Bandung office
Jalan Cihampelas No.119c
Tel.022-70819777

Buah Batu offers transportation from Sukarno Hatta to a drop off point of your choice in Bandung. They also have nightly service, so call in if you arrive in Jakarta late at night. The rate is slightly higher at Rp.135,000, but the convenience of deliverance at your doorstep is worth it, although if you're with a lot of passengers it might in the end take longer.

Adress: Jakarta office
Jalan KPT. Tendean No.12
Tel.021-6833193/93776686
Tel. Airport 021-68366822

Bandung office
Gedung Perhutani Kav. J
Jalan Laswi No.1D Bandung
Tel.022-7230983/70310000/70664200

Cipaganti is another reliable service that has several pick up points in Jakarta that follow different routes throughout the city as well as connections to Bandung. Using shuttle vans for inner city transportation is not advisable though, since you'll have to cope with Jakarta's infamous traffic jams.

To get to one of the city drop off points in either Jakarta or Bandung the rate is Rp.110,000 from or to the airport and Rp.70,000 to city points. Their vans are a/c and quite luxurious. Call the city center offices to find out which branch is closest to your location.

Adress: Jakarta airport
Arrival terminal 1a&2e
Tel.021-5594242/5594141

Bandung office
Jalan Gatot Subroto No.94
Tel.022-7333646/7319498

Overall the shuttle services all offer reliable and fast connections at an economical rate. The best way is to do a little survey to find out which company is most conveniently located and suits your schedule. Especially when arriving or departing early in the morning or late at night, the shuttle companies are a handy solution because trains don't run at these hours and a stay over at the airport or the train station is even for happy campers' quite a nightmare.

Article by: EMMA
Photos by: Norlia Jaafar

Jakarta, Puncak, Bandung

Another nice holiday after Kota Kinabalu last year was when I took my Mom to Jakarta on April 28, 2006. I went with another two friends, Nor and Puan Askiah. We were actually invited by Puan Askiah to stay at her place at Puncak.

That was my second trip to Jakarta. I'm quite fond of Jakarta - I mean Indonesia overall. May be because I always watch Sinetron program such as Hikmah, Dia, Ikhlas etc. My personal opinion, those three dramas that I've mentioned give some good messages to the viewers. I've tried to get those VCD when I was in Jakarta but it seemed that they were not produced. They have Bawang Putih Bawang Merah and a few others but they don't have the VCD that I wanted to buy as my collection. Anyway, I like Indonesia for the way they speak their national language.

We went to Jakarta with KLM for a very good price. Only RM308 per person for a return ticket. We couldn't get that price from Air Asia too during that time. Unlike Air Asia, KLM fare is included with refreshment. Quite good service. But they have only one flight from KL to Jakarta at late afternoon. The return flight from Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur also quite late evening. But it didn't matter as long as we can fly safely with reasonable fare - everybody can fly.

From Jakarta we took a drive - normal time will be about two hours drive to Puncak. But because we went on Friday - the weekend has started - it took longer to arrive Villa Firdaus in Puncak. Puncak has a cold weather like Cameron Highlands. With the tea plantation, it looks like Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. Except the road is not very good. It's hard and rough - you need to have a 4-wheel drive vehicle. Not all areas in Puncak are tourists area. There are some slum areas too. And they don't use 4-WD, they just walk back to their house from the main road which is quite far.

The next day we went to Jakarta for shopping. We only went to two places - because the complex is so huge we could spend the whole day there. The famous tourist shopping area in Jakarta is the Mangga Dua. We can get anything you name it there - from leather handbag, shoes, clothes etc etc. I didn't even covered half of the area because I was too tired to walk already. Before Mangga Dua, we went to Tanah Abang. This is also another famous shopping area for the reasonable price of all items sold there.

The third day, we all went to Bandung. Bandung is about 2 hours drive from Puncak. I don't know much what to write about Bandung because I also did not know the places which I had been. That was my first time to Bandung. The driver who took us also not so familiar with Bandung. Finally we just ended up at one stretch of road where it was full of factory outlet shops. You can buy branded sports shoes like Nike, Reebok, Adidas etc at a very good price. Those items are manufactured in Bandung for export.

Sweet Memories in Kota Kinabalu

Welcome 2007! Hope this year I can achieve my goal to get the house ready for my Mom. Last year I didn't take her to many places because I was trying very hard to get the house deal done. Unfortunately, I still cannot close any deal or sign any construction agreement yet. Hope to be able to do it soon!

Just to recall our sweet memories in 2006, I went to Kota Kinabalu with my Mom and eldest sister, Kak Teh in January 2006. We stayed at Berjaya Palace Hotel, Kota Kinabalu - complimentary from my Kak Teh because she's a member of the Berjaya timeshare vacation club. I paid for the Air Asia tickets - I purchased in advance and it was very cheap. My Mom enjoyed it eventhough she didn't go out all the time with me and Kak Teh. She could not walk too much due to her knee problem. It was the first for her and Kak Teh to be in Kota Kinabalu, and it was a second time for me to be there. The first time I went to KK, I stayed at Shangri-la Tanjung Aru Beach Hotel.

We went to Mount Kinabalu - though we did not climb the mountain, we enjoyed the heavy mist at Mount Kinabalu. It was drizzling during that time and made it even colder. I like that weather. It reminded me of London. I always miss London - the smell of the air is different!

I love this post of me and my Mom while we were waiting for our lunch at Perkasa Hotel, Mount Kinabalu. The above photo is my Mom, Kak Teh and me. The photo on the right is Mom and Kak Teh sightseeing around the hotel area. We were happy to see that my Mom was happy during this trip. We enjoyed the seafood which is quite cheap in KK. We forgot for a while about the high cholestrol and etc. We were on holiday, just enjoy it!

We enjoyed the shopping at Filipino Market where you can get nice pearls and other Sabah specialty. Just nearby the Filipino market, you can buy many types of prawn at very good price. They can pack the prawns for you nicely to take back to your home. But you need to check the size of the packing because different airlines will have different regulation of the boxes which we can handcarry. Otherwise, we will have to put the prawns in the cargo.

The two markets are at the seaside. We can see some boats ferrying people from there to the other side. There's no jetty but the boats just come closer to the bank and people just jump in! I don't think I'm going to do that! As the day reaching the night, we can see a nice view of sunset. Kota Kinabalu will always be treasured in our memories.