-- From Sungai Chini to Baling
The road tracklog
From Sungai Chini to Ulu Legong
from 08/09 to14/09/2008
On the way to Jerantut the 08/09, I joined the Highway 2 in Gambang. Little before Maran a signpost mentioned the village of Kg Belimbing on the opposite bank of Sungai Pahan. The bivouac of Sungai Chini was a few kilometres from this village. None maps at my disposal indicated there was a bridge avoiding a detour of 60 kilometres. In Maran I found a cybercafé to publish the weekly update of my website. After some food shopping I looked for a restaurant to have lunch. Alas it was the Ramadan, not even a Chinese restaurant. I drove again the HW 2 with target to go to Gunung Senyum Caves to establish the bivouac. It was a true set of tracks to find the entry of the park, the access roads were not reproduced on any maps. The park was deserted I were only at the foot of the cliff whose top is at +1500 meters and required more than 6 hours of climbing. I made only two hours of them to note the remarkable equipment of the track, “Safety First” Malayan leitmotiv.
Gunung Senyum Caves
the 08/09/2008
Gunung Senyum Caves
the 08/09/2008
The destination of September 09 was Jeantut. On the HW 64 I visited the very coloured Hindu temple of Sri Marathandavar. I had the privilege to attend ablutions of the deity in His narthex by two Brahmans. I wished to remain in Taman Negara, National Park. Two ways are possible to enter the park, by boat on Tembeling River, by my truck on road. I confirmed it in Jeantut by consulting a travel agency. I thus went to the port of Kuala Tembeling, alas there was well a carpark but not guarded. I did not wish to leave my truck without surveillance during a few days. I thus chose the terrestrial way by road. I bivouacked on the carpark.
Sri Marathandavar
the 09/09/2008
Narthex
Sri Marathandavar
the 09/09/2008
Taman Negara National Park
Taman Negara has a surface twice equal to that of Luxembourg. It is the oldest rainforest in the world. It is said to be old more than 130 million of years and to have undergone neither glaciations nor earthquake. All is huge, trees are gigantic, forest impenetrable, innumerable but nearly invisible fauna due to the density of the forest.
I reached Kuala Tahan, village on opposite bank of the entry of Taman Negara, the 10/09 at the end of the morning. I found a bivouac which was, in absence of being idyllic, at the entry of the village. I remained there until Saturday morning. In the afternoon I crossed Sungai Tembeling to discover the entry of the park. At a tourist Centre I paid a Permit Masuk as well as Photographic Licence. Then I carried out my first walk to discover the park by Canopy Walkway. It is a suspended bridge between huge trees which makes it possible to see the density of the forest. The footpaths are, like elsewhere, arrowed and equipped with didactic panels about fauna and flora. It was an enchantment. I was happy to see a pheasant described by a panel. The two following days I walked other tracks.
Canopy Walkway
Taman Negara
the 10/09/2008
Crested Fireback, Lophura Ignita
Taman Negara
the 10/09/2008
Pheasant
Taman Negara
the 10/09/2008
Walking kit
My walking kit was two sticks of walk, a backpack with two litres of water, a pack-lunch, some powerful fuel, a hat, a poncho, an umbrella and a box of first aid without forgetting my mobile with the phone number of Tourist Information Centre. Of course a good pair of walking shoes.
Tracks in under wood are slippery, humidity +80%, and encumbered with roots of trees
making the progression painful. Sometimes the slope is equipped with a fixed
rope. I walked on approximately two kilometres per hour.
Mutiara Taman Negara Resort presents a video on fauna and flora in the park
which one could not see!
A track
Taman Negara
the 11/09/2008
Sungai Tahan
Taman Negar
the 11/09/2008
“Ah beautiful days…”, not a drop of rain… “…, that which is marvellous”.
While walking in the tropical forest, I remembered the long treks in the
Himalayas and the Andes. It was undoubtedly in another life.
Then I met two French girls; we spoke agreeably.
Natural sculpture
Taman Negara
the 12/09/2008
Self-portrait
Taman Negara
the 12/09/2008
On the way towards the border of Thailand I strolled along a “Jungle railway”. I stopped in Kuala Lipis which was the capital of Pahang at the time of English. There remains about it a colonial architecture of the Twenties of which the Government Rest House. The road 29 which joined Dabong then the HW 4 was in a degraded state.
Government Rest House
Kuala Lipis
the 13/09/2008
The main street
Kuala Lipis
the 13/09/2008
The next day was one day of road without visit; Dabong was not worth the detour. Despite everything the way curved in splendid hills. I found an acceptable bivouac close to Baling at Ulu Legong Hot Spring.
