It was my first trip to India – definitely an unforgettable experience from the places ventured, people met and food tasted. And the great contrast between northern state of Himachal Pradesh and central cities of New Dehli, Agra and Jaipur (collectively known as the Golden Triangle).

First portion of the journey took us to Himachal Pradesh dotted with villages & hill resorts amongst the mountainous region. Highlight was the 5 days hike with camping over Bhapa Pass (locally known as Bhawa Pass).

(Happily resting during midway stop during cross-over for Bhapa Pass)

Second leg threw us into the other extreme of India when we visited the Golden Triangle. Weather was extremely hot, places were dusty and crowded with the locals and plenty of unscrupulous people abound.

Himachal Pradesh – Cool & Serene mountainscape

Manali was our first destination in the state of Himachal Pradesh (HP). Getting there was an adventure itself. Took the morning train from New Dehli to Chandigarh. After that, it was a torturous 8hrs car ride through narrow winding mountain roads. It was made more heart-stopping because the drivers were cutting in and out to overtake slow-moving trucks and other cars at every opportunity available. When we reached the hotel in Manali, I was totally weak  & feeble from puking my guts out due to the car-sickness.

Luckily a good night’s sleep rejuvenated my body as we spent the next day exploring both new & old Manali. Even had time to shop around and check out the few outdoor gear shops.  Enjoyed a wonderful trout dinner with nice ambience at Johnson’s Café.

Second day took us to Solang Valley famed for para-gliding. Most of the group members participated in the activity, with a choice of a short flight or longer version which required a gondola ride to get to the top. It was the perfect day for paragliding, since it was clear and hot. The rest of the afternoon was spent walking 4 hours from Solang back towards Manali – passing by orchards, farms and small villages. It was enjoyable seeing the locals at work – harvesting snow peas, thrashing barley, playing volleyball etc

(Local woman carrying harvested barley during hike from Solang back to Manali)

We departed Manali the next day towards Rohtang Pass and beyond. Unfortunately for us, the winter this year was long and hard. So there were still sections of the highway that are closed because the glaciers have yet to be cleared away. As such, the visit to Chandertal Lake had to be axed as we spent a full day walking the 15km of road that was closed off, to meet our new set of drivers coming from Kaza side.

The so-called “forced march” was not too bad as we spent 2 nights camping in wonderful surroundings. Besides that, it was also a good introduction for walking on glaciers, which is a definite at the Bhapa Pass trekking section.

(Nice campsite besides stream past Chhota Drara – one of the stops during our forced march)

The two next sleeping stops were Kaza and Tabo. These became our base as we explored the villages and Tibetan monasteries around the area. Places visited were Ki village (2^nd highest village in the world), Ki Monastery, La Lung Monastery, Dhankar Monastery and Tabo Monastery famed for its ancient murals.

(Ki monastery viewed from Ki village)

Our Bhapa Pass trekking adventure began after our 4 jeeps dropped us at Mud (population 250pax).  We didn’t walk too far on the 1^st day since we began only in the afternoon as we waited for our horses to arrive in Mud after we left them after our earlier walking sections before Kaza. These wonderful animals will be our heroes during the next 5 days as they carry all our heavy camping & kitchen equipment, food and personal baggages through adverse terrains that include thick groundsnow and icy river waters.

The 2^nd trekking day was more challenging due to the distance and also cold encountered as it drizzled for most of the afternoon. Besides that, we had to cross a wide river where the icy waters came closed to our waist. The guides and crew were remarkable as they cross the river many times to guide the participants safely across. We were shivering and numbed just crossing it once!

(Crossing the wide icy river with the assistance of the camp kitchen staff)

Relief came when we reached the campsite slightly after 4pm. This was our basecamp for the attack over Bhapa Pass the next day. Our moods were also uplifted after a wet afternoon with the delights of hot instant noodles served at our individual tents – maggi always taste the best during moments like these.

Didn’t really have much sleep the night before our Bhapa Pass crossover. Mixture of the cold and apprehension on what walking conditions awaited us kept my sleep light. Added to the tension was the need to arise by 2.30am so that we could start our trek at 3am.

Eventually the big day started off with a 4am push off instead. Straight away, we scrambled up a steep difficult portion of moraine  for about 1hr. The hard push up was illuminated by the full moon, which made the experience all the more surreal.

With the crack of dawn, we came onto more level ground for walking. The portion was totally covered with glacier, so had to step forward carefully to avoid any slippery falls. Apparently these portions were cleared and littered only with patches of snow during the previous Yongo trips.

The challenge soon presented itself when we stared at the Bhapa Pass ahead, and the steep climb up. After reaching a short level patch midway, most of the group members were exhausted from walking on fresh soft snow and the altitude. Surprised myself that it was much easier than I had anticipated – kept a walking rhythm with a short rest after 15-20 steps.

(Walking along the glacier and staring at Bhapa Pass centre ahead)

Finally reached the top of Bhapa Pass just shy of 12noon – after walking close to 8 hours. We didn’t have much time to eat our lunch, just enough to plant our Tibetan prayer flag at the top, and pose for group pictures before starting on our descent on the other end. Apparently it’s a local custom to leave the summit before noon for good luck.

Most people enjoyed the descent walk, probably because we finally overcame the biggest hurdle of our trip by crossing the Pass at 4,890m. Most enjoyed some fun when they slid down a safe snow portion – brought out the child inside everyone.

After walking for 3.5 hours over steep loose rocks, we finally reached our next campsite at Fauti. Luckily for us, the trekking crew who went ahead had set up our tents for us. So most were relieved to go straight to camp and rest for the rest of the evening. We managed to have a little treat for dinner after our trekking leader convinced a local shepherd to sell a sheep to us.

(Walking down the steep loose rocks towards Fauti after crossing Bhapa Pass)

The next walking day was easier since it was descending most of the way till we reached the rivers. Everybody’s mood was uplifted by the sight of greenery on the ground and trees around us. Only little adventure for the day was crossing several small rivers – less torturing after the encounter with the wide icy river on Day2.

The campsite at Mooling was probably the best so far – next to a river with mountains on both side with pine trees around. Had a little workout during the afternoon after reaching camp when we went hunting for firewood for our campfire that night. Our horsemen were kind enough to pitch in and helped carry back to camp loads of small & big logs – we had so much firewood that there was still a small fire burning the next morning.

Our last camping dinner was unforgettable – we had some cocktail concoction made from mango juice with vodka+gin. Plus spent some time sharing amongst us on the whole trekking experience – most members were happy to have accomplished the feat despite the harsher snow/glacier conditions and grateful for all the assistance extended by our trekking crew. The night ended at the huge campfire where more local barley wine was drank, BBQ lamb pieces eaten and singing exchanged between the Malaysian travelers and our local team.

Our last trekking day was the perfect end to our 5days Bhapa Pass adventure. The walk took us through pine forests where we met plenty of shepherds at work herding their sheeps or horsemen transporting goods with their horses. It was enchanting walking amongst the tall trees, getting high from the fresh smell of pine and seeing nature in so many colours after days of walking through barren ground devoid of much vegetation due to the cold & attitude.

(Herds of sheep during our last day of trekking past the pine forest)

At the sight of civilization at Kafnu, we knew our trekking was coming to an end. After expressing our deep gratitude and farewells to our kitchen staff and horsemen, we took off for our long drive to Shimla with our new set of drivers.

We awoke to a wonderful morning in Shimla after resting fully on a proper bed and hot showers to clean off 5days of dirt & sweat. Enjoyed the breakfast on the rooftop where we took in the views of the famous hill resort amidst the cool setting and wonderful puri & toasts.

Spent the rest of the day walking around Shimla Lower Bazaar and The Mall, which was filled with shops selling nearly everything that one needs. It was the capital for HP, thus filled with plenty of government offices and higher learning centres. Plus a popular place for Indian honeymooners and family holidays as an escape from the hot lowlands.

Had a nice lunch with my trekking leader & chief horsemen at a local Dhaba – delicious lamb curry with white rice & chapatti. We even enjoyed some momos takeaway from a Chinese restaurant nearby. Managed to savour some local coffee at a popular café along The Mall – think the Indians make better chai than coffee.

Our HP journey ended with our late afternoon train ride on the famous Shivalik Express down to Kalka with dinner served onboard. The train slowly snaked its way down the hilly slopes, so managed to soak up as much of the final natural hill beauty and local people basking in the sunset colours before reaching the hot & humid lowlands.

(Aboard the Shivalik Express departing from Shimla towards Kalka and back to New Dehli)

Golden Triangle (New Dehli, Agra & Jaipur)

Personally didn’t really enjoy the last portion of the trip where we visited the tourist haunts around the 3 cities. Blame it on the combination of the extreme heat & humidity, crowds of people & vehicles everywhere or just my preference for the quieter open & natural outdoors.

There were still some good things found during these short section:-

(a) Wonderful food – classical North Indian cuisine with plenty of naan, briyanis, tandoori chicken, butter chicken, lamb curry, paneers etc. Think the gorging of all these sinful food has replaced all the weight lost during the Bhapa Pass trekking.

Even tried Indian Mcdonald’s for lunch one day at Agra – chose the Maharajah burger that is unique to this country. Nothing spectacular for a chicken patty seasoned with garam masala flavour

(b) Grand buildings built by the past empires. Blown away by the intricate beauty and grandeur of these palaces and memorials e.g. Taj Mahal built at the times of no modern machineries

(Taj Mahal as viewed from the mosque next door)

(c)  Comfortable budget hotels with plush beds, proper showers and cable TV. Amazing how days of roughing it out in smaller towns and camping makes one yearn for the modern comforts of life. And chance to peak into the local lifestyle through TV commercials and local MTVs

More pics at 

Bhapa Pass trekking -

 https://picasaweb.google.com/110597918434817703469/BhapaPassTrek912June2011

Himachal Pradesh -

 https://picasaweb.google.com/110597918434817703469/HimachalPradeshJune2011

]]> http://nomadtravel.wordpress.com/2011/08/06/hidden-gems-of-northern-india/feed/ 0 nomadadventure bhapa pass climb wye solang valley barley woman chhota drara campsite morning ki monastery river crossing bhapa pass overview bhapa pass descent rocks pine forest sheep shimla train station taj mahal mosque view http://nomadtravel.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/tibet/ http://nomadtravel.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/tibet/#comments Mon, 23 May 2011 10:20:11 +0000 Wye Yim http://nomadtravel.wordpress.com/?p=624 ]]> Was fortunate to be part of the 22-pax group from Yongo to explore the classic routes of Tibet for two weeks. Few days around Lhasa with one long bus journey westwards all the way to Everest Base Camp and short detour to Nam-tso.  We flew into Lhasa from Chengdu, and experienced the long 2 nights train ride (Lhasa-Chengdu).

Overall, it was an enjoyable experience for myself. It was nothing too new for me since I have trekked the Himalayan mountains from Nepali side and experienced the heady Tibetan monasteries during China’s Jiuzhaigou trip.

More mixed feelings seeing the current Tibet, especially the bigger cities of Lhasa and Shigatse drowning in rapid development and capitalism. Modernisation swept in after the completion of the famous train line from Beijing to Lhasa in July 2006. Disheartening to see cities and towns transforming into just another typical Chinese model.

Beyond the ugly development, Tibet never fails to impress visitors with its expansive natural landscapes – huge clear lakes, big snow-capped mountain ranges, rugged terrains and open grasslands.

We were lucky to catch a clear view of Mt Everest north face & peak as we departed from Shegar back to Shigatse. The peak was shrouded in thick clouds during our visit to Everest Base Camp the day before.

Also managed to get some nice views of Yamdrok-tso & glacier at Kharola during our bus ride across the mountain ranges from Lhasa to Gyantse. Combination of blue skies, mountains and waters always bring happiness to me.

(View of Yamdrok-tso from Khamba-la)

Unfortunately good weather didn’t hold up towards the end when we endured a long whole day bus ride from Shigatse to Nam-tso. It is home to Tibet’s biggest saltwater lake and apparently highest lake in the world (with surface area above 500 km²). Persistent cloudy weather and strong winds even into the morning hours didn’t do justice to the beauty of the lake known as “Heavenly Lake” in Tibetan.

(Nam-tso with Nyenchen Tanglha range in the background)

Plenty of Tibetan monasteries during our journey across southern Tibet. Covered the important ones in Lhasa, Gyantse & Shigatse. One of my personal favorites was walking the kora up to the 5th floor of the Kumbum @ Pelkhor Monastery. Enjoyed the experience more since it was not crowded – only a handful of tourists and pilgrims praying and giving their offerings. Plus the leisurely climb up was rewarded by the wonderful view of Gyantse fort and town below.

(Kumbum inside Pelkhor Monastery)

Potala Palace definitely is a must for anyone visiting Tibet.  It grandeur lies in its majestic buildings perched on top of a hill. Nevertheless, its magical appeal slowly diminished as we shuffled through the 20 plus rooms/chapels open to visitors for our “strict” 1 hour tour. Obviously an efficiency tool designed to fulfill the thousands of daily tourists to Potala Palace.

(Potala Palace as seen from Potala Square)

Lighter moment came when we visited Sera Monastery famous for its debating monks. Every afternoon (except Sun), the monks will congregate in a special debating square where they take turns thrashing out questions and answers in “kung-fu” style. Reckoned the monks enjoyed the attention by the visitors as noticed some gladly become very acrobatic and boisterous when there’s nearby photographers.

(Monks debating inside Sera Monastery)

One of the challenges faced during the Tibetan trip was dealing with AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness). It is not uncommon for people to suffer headaches and grogginess – especially since we landed at 3,490m at Lhasa on Day 2 and our bus journey on Day 3 took us past several high mountain passes exceeding 4,000m. Funnily it’s always the younger travellers who suffered, the older participants responded very well to the higher altitudes – even right up to the highest point at Everest Base Camp at about 5,200m.

Survived my longest train ride todate during this trip : Lhasa-Congqing-Chengdu. The first leg was a 46-hour journey to Congqing, then brief lunch break before 2-hour fast train from Congqing to Chengdu. Unfortunately we caught the train on the wrong odd date – hence our train didn’t go directly to Chengdu as originally planned. So our initial 44hr train journey became an arduous 52hr trip.

Fortunately with wonderful travel companions, the 2 nights ordeal slipped by quickly as we spent most of the time snacking & eating, chatting and sleeping.  Most actually found their best sleep on the train as we were lucky to secure soft sleepers – 4 bunks to each closed compartments.

(View of the soft sleeper compartment from outside)

Food wise – nothing to shout about as Chinese food was mostly Sichuan style. So expect  it to be spicy, salty and oily. Ended up eating more Nepali food which was more palatable with the curries and naan/rice.

Given the opportunity, I won’t hesitate to make return trip to Tibet. Definitely would like to check out Mt Kailash and the north+eastern regions of the country which is less visited by tourists. Generally Tibetans are very friendly and hospitable, just unfortunate that big brother is slowly eroding their soul with capitalism and modernisation.

(Tibetan pilgrim praying hard in front of Jokhang temple)

More pics can be found at https://picasaweb.google.com/110597918434817703469/TibetMay2011#

I’m always gonna wanna make it move

Always gonna be an uphill battle

Sometimes I’m gonna have to lose

Ain’t about how fast I get there

Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side

It’s the climb “

(chorus of The Climb by Miley Cyrus)

Amazing how this simple chorus reminds me about my love for traveling & exploring. No doubt reaching the destination is the goal, but what happens along the way becomes the highlight of the trip instead.

After over a year of dormant lifestyle back home, I realised that my inner soul will never be settled on one place. Yes, I’ve been told that my life will be continuously disturbed because I can’t find my sense of belonging. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing – I am just blessed with this “handicap” that keeps me moving on to new places.

Looking ahead to my next chapter in life!

(Things people do to get that perfect panaromic shot – luckily the wooden pathway was clean & dry)

With my limited Mandarin, my first trip to China brought me from Lanzhou southwards to Jiuzhaigou. It has always been a burning desire to visit Jiuzhaigou after having set eyes on the amazing pictures of the national park many years back.

(Five Flower Lake at Jiuzhaigou national park)

I joined 21 other wonderful travel companions as part of Yongo Travel’s 10 days experience during middle of Oct 2010. First stop was the industrial town of Lanzhou where we met our local Chinese guide named Kelvin.

Our overland journey southbound was a better choice compared to the more popular route from Chengdu. Besides going through better road conditions, the coach took us through plenty of scenic landscapes and rustic villages.

Along the way, we visited several important Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and temples. The first being Labrang monastery which is one of six lamaseries of the Gelugpa Sect of Lamaism. It houses several colleges such as Medicine and Astrology where many important Tibetan monks have studied before. Besides being an important learning institution, Labrang monastery contains plenty of artefacts. Thus one can see many devotees performing their prayers around the monastery grounds as part of their pilgrimage.

(Local Tibetan Buddhists praying whilst spinning the prayer wheels as they walk around the Labrang monastery grounds)

Another key Tibetan Buddhist site is the village of Langmusi at the border of Gansu and Sichuan provinces. There is two separate sets of monasteries, which is locally known as either Gansu or Sichuan monastery respectively.

I had the opportunity to experience a magical sunrise atop the Sichuan monastery. We woke up early, with the hope of seeing the monks in their morning prayers. However we didn’t manage to experience it as they were busy preparing for an important festival in 2 days time. But the reward was the amazing sun rays breaking through the misty mornings.

(Sunrise breaking over Langmusi)

We spent the rest of the morning walking up the valley of Langmu where we passed through the birth place of the White Dragon River which flows through the village.  Came to an grassy opening in the valley, where we encountered a group of professional wildlife photographers with their huge telephoto lenses and 3 monks enjoying some outdoor R&R.

I spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the mountains behind the Gansu monastery. The ridge took me towards the sky burial grounds where the Tibetan Buddhists actually leave their dead to be picked clean by the birds, sometimes with human intervention involved.

(Walking towards the sky burial area in the background)

Our coach ride from Langmusi towards Ruoregai (or Zoige) brought us through Zoige Marsh, world’s largest highland marsh in the world and home to many wildlife. During our time, we saw mostly herds of yaks and sheeps grazing, under the watchful eyes of their Tibetan masters.

We took a side detour to Tangke where we climbed up a long wooden walkway to view the spectacular 1st bend of Yellow River. The walk did leave me breathless, partly because of the higher altitude and the awesome sunset colours as we watch the sunset from the top.

(Sunset over first bend of Yellow River @ Tangke)

Besides passing by many Tibetan Buddhist communities, we saw plenty of Chinese Muslim people too. Local mosques were interesting, since it has typical Chinese temple architecture with its curved roofs and vibrant colours but topped with the crescents instead. It’s always amazing how people from two different religious backgrounds can live side by side each other harmoniously.

(Important mosque at Songpan)

Food along our journey was mostly Sichuan style – hot & spicy, oily and salty. Hearty peacant food to keep the locals sustained through  the harsh cold weather. Most people here tend to eat more hand-pulled noodles (la mian) or steamed buns (mantou) with their dishes. Managed to savour plenty of yak meat & lamb which is found in abundance here compared to other meats.

(Typical la min or hand-made pulled noodles served in hot & spicy broth)

The highlight of this trip would be the visits to Huang Long and Jiuzhaigou national parks. Visited Huanglong first, and our early morning arrival was greeted with fresh snow which have fallen night before. Experiencing snow is always a delight to most Malaysians, since we live in a hot & humid climate all year round.

(Enjoying the picturesque snow-capped mountains inside Huanglong national park)

Huanglong is famed for its series of colored pools and waterfalls formed by calcite deposits. Took the cable car to the top and started our walk through the many natural wonders found along the way.

The biggest & highest series of travertine pools was a sight to behold. Managed to reach it before the hordes of tourists came along – enjoyed the picturesque wonder in peace.

(Famous highest pools at Huanglong)

Had a wonderful picnic lunch at the open deck in front of the top temple. Basked in the warm sunshine, definitely a welcome treat after the icy cold morning.

Rest of afternoon was spent visiting the rest of the ponds and waterfalls along the walkway down to the park entrance. Towards the end,  I became so blase by the similar sights that I just sat down near the last colourful ponds and rested my tired body. Sitting there people watching, the craving for coffee was intense – since I haven’t a decent cup since stepping foot in tea-drinking China.

Visit to Jiuzhaigou was both breathtaking but crazy intense. The natural beauty of the lakes and waterfalls is definitely out of this world. The stressful bit was trying to see as much possible within the day inside the huge national park, and dealing with the hordes of local tourists. It is common affair that the locals have no civic sense of queuing up – so getting on & off the buses inside Jiuzhaigou transformed normal people into desperate refugees shoving each other around.

Main sights inside Jiuzhaigou park is laid out on a Y-shaped and visitors have the options to use the hop-on & off buses or wooden walkways to reach all the attractions.

One of the best way of attempting Jiuzhaigou is to take the bus from entrance all the way to western end towards the Virgin Forest. From there, catch the next bus down towards Arrow Bamboo Lake. From that point, one can start walking down to the rest of the beautiful sights along the wooden walkway towards Nuorilang.

Reckoned one of the most enchanting stop was the Five Flower Lake due to it clear & intensely rich lake waters. With fallen tree logs scattered around the lake bottom, and the mountains in the background showing off its autumn colours – even the most basic camera will capture brilliant pictures. Encountered plenty of couples taking their wedding pictures around this lake – salute to the poor bride who had to endure the torture of walking around in her heavy gown and thick make-up.

(Amazing colored lakes inside Jiuzhaigou national park)

The next big wow for me was the crescent-shaped Pearl Shoals Waterfall, which starts out as little noisy ripples across a wide travertine area at Pearl Shoals.

By the time we reached Nuorilang bus terminal bus terminal (at the crossroad of the Y formation), we only have another 1 hour to explore the rest of Jiuzhaigou. So decided to take the bus all the way to the other end at Long Lake and catch the next bus down towards exit. Definitely a mad rush to reach the exit in time for our evening journey back to Songpan.

The last day was spent sittting in the coach bus for the whole day as we made our northbound trip from Songpan to Lanzhou. Slight hiccup along the way, as our coach was stopped by the police just before lunch. It was one of those nasty traffic stops where the local police use the opportunity to gain “side income”. As our guide refuse to budge on the asking price, we wasted time for the negotiations, which turned sour as the police team decided to disappear at the dot for lunch along with some paperwork from our coach driver. Another wonderful experience not uncommon in China these days.

Definitely enjoyed my first adventure to China – amazing sceneries, interesting local communities and wonderful travel companions. With such vast area filled with so many different landscapes, people and food – I am sure that there will be plenty of China escapades to come. Yes, the quest is on to learn and practise my pitiful Mandarin!

(Posing inside my favourite spot at Huanglong national park)

Pics album- http://picasaweb.google.com/wyeyim/JiuzhaigouOct2010#

I have been craving for a proper beach holiday for the longest time. The last seaside escapade for me was at Croatia in Jul’08. So it had indeed been a LONG deprivation for a sun-loving creature as myself.

Joining me on this short weekend trip was 5 other single ladies – a road trip since we decided to minimise our carbon footprint. Would have been a man-hunting escapade – but due to lack of available men at island, we had to amuse ourselves with plenty of beer and peanuts instead.  And the challenge to converse totally in Mandarin throughout the trip was abandoned, but not totally. Some Chinese words were learnt – “Pee Ku” for instance was the catchphrase.

And so at the unGODly hour of 3am, we departed from PJ in a 7-seater car. I was very tired, so quickly grabbed the seat at very back so that i can snooze away with bags around me. Luckily I was sleeping most of the journey to Merang jetty (about 6-7 hours driver away from PJ) – we definitely tested the speed limit of the car as we burnt rubber on the highway.

We arrived at Merang jetty in time for our 11am boat ride across to Lang Tengah island. Even had time in between for a proper breakfast nearby local market where we chowed down nasi minyak & kerabu.

Our hotel was called D’Coconut Lagoon Resort, supposedly one of the better resorts on the island. Not much complaints, our rooms were decent with ground-level balcony leading towards the swimming pool and right next to the dive shop. Food was so-so…..but really can’t expect much when you are on an island with all produce shipped in daily.

(Our rooms were located on the ground level, whilst common dining & reception area was on the upper floor)

We were too tired and lazy for our snorkel trip for our first day. So opted instead to walk along the sandy beach and find a spot to lay down. Most of us were still suffering from the lack of sleep due to hectic work schedule leading up to our early Fri morning departure.

Thanks to CM & PY, our 2 booze nights have been planned out properly with adequate supply brought with us. Night #1 was Beer night – combination of Carlsberg and bottled German & Belgium beer. Night #2 was for Wine appreciation. Good timing since we had fun drinking games with the beers and more deeper conversation during 2nd night as we savoured our wine in the open balcony. Life is good!

Had a nice beach scramble and walk on Sat morning by myself. 3 our my friends went on a scuba-diving session, while another 2 loved sleeping too much. Walked to another beach section further north where the other resorts were located. It was awesome walking barefoot along the white sandy beach, and feeling the warm sea-waters with my toes. The times i have been at seasides whilst in Europe were spent with cold sea waters or pebbly beaches.

(Rocky sections leading to our private beach section)

Sat mid-morning was probably the best moment during this short trip. We found a nice cozy beach section closed off on both sections with rocks – our own private beach. Much time was spent enjoying the warm clear waters, especially since it was around noon-time. If we were in a non-Asian country, probably we would have been skinny-dipping in the sea instead…..yes, we are still shy Msian gals in home soil.

We finally took up on our resort snorkelling trip offer later in the day. It was awesome, but tiring as we went to 2 sites. Lotsa colourful fishes, but the corals were mostly dead due to its proximity to the beach & human contacts. Diving spots are supposedly much better, according to my diving friends. Gave up snorkelling towards the end, since i was struggling too much with the salty waters leaking into my mask and up my nose.

Definitely enjoyed the quietness of Lang Tengah, as compared to the other more popular island getaways eg Perhentian or Redang. Amazing that we have a resort filled with people whom we only met during meal-times and snorkelling trips. Don’t really see them around during the rest of the time. Plus no loud music & drinking parties polluting the serenity of the night.

Our beach adventure didn’t end at island itself. During our drive back on Sunday afternoon, we were caught in a 4-cars accident nearby Kuala Terengganu. The car infront braked suddenly, which we crashed into and caused 2 others at the back to join in the commotion. Amazing how our accident was coolly handled by all 4 car occupants – which will never ever happen in KL or other major cities in West Peninsular Malaysia.

However the drama was prolonged since one of the cars involved was a government car, hence more paperwork & bureaucractic procedures. And so, our beach weekend getaway ended up with a dampening note. Part of the group departed on public buses on Sun night from Kuala Terengganu, while me & another friend stayed back so that we can get the car properly inspected by the govt on Mon morning before driving it all the way back to PJ for its repair.

Anyway…..i am thankful for the wonderful experience spent with great friends. And also thankful that only the cars were hurt in the accident, and no injuries were sustained. Only if our betting numbers came out in the lottery, we could have afforded to return for another beach holiday – this time we shall fly instead!

It would be customary for me to recap the previous year for its highlights:

- Spent an amazing winter at farm in Scotland & spring in Dorset.

- Enjoyed the natural wonders of Sarawakian forest, caves & hospitality

- Eventful 2 months journey organising a mountain bike event around Gopeng

- Helped out in two lovely weddings for my 2 close high schoolmates

- Participated in my first spiritual workshop over a weekend in Janda Baik

Nothing was more significant than the return journey back home to Malaysia in June. At first it was with much sadness and hesitation, as I was returning earlier than I planned for. Nevertheless it was a timely occasion since I managed to spend quality time with my grandma before she passed away. And it was wonderful to catch up with old friends and family members after the 1yr 10months absence.

What’s in store for 2010?

Improve my limited Mandarin, give myself enough quality personal time, climb more mountains in Malaysia, beach holiday ….

Definitely to work hard on my new organic farming opportunity. It’s not often one gets to live out an experience before making the big financial investment. My initial passion & enthusiasm was firing me up to just buy/rent a piece of land, work it and turn it into a sustainable venture. My daily struggles and challenges now it proving that it is really hard work and time consuming.

The plan – to learn as much as I can so that i can finally start my own farm in the next 2 years. And a grand walking trip at Milford Sound, NZ in 2011 before this new commitment begins.

Life can be simple…….only humans decide to complicate matters.

Main highlight was walking up Broga Hill on Monday morning. Have heard much about it, so was eager to check it out. Probably the same thought was running thru the minds of the many walkers that morning when we arrived at trailhead nearby rabbit farm. Luckily we came much later, so the journey up was less congested as most of the walkers were on their way down.

What struck me about Broga Hill was its vast grasslands covering most of the hill. Sight more commonly found in the hilly terrains of England, the landscape seemed to be the perfect setting for a Bollywood love scene. Which is probably why more of the people there were mostly busy taking photos rather than the usual walkers.

Reaching to about 400m, the walk up only took about 40min at a leisurely pace. Being open with steps cut into the steeper places, the walk is definitely very kid-friendly for families wanting to expose their kids to the outdoors. 

Probably may return for a next visit to either see its glory during sunrise or sunset. Not really the place to work out a sweat.

(Looking to the trail highest point from 1st top)

(Looking back at the walking trail from the highest point)

(Along the walking trail looking at the hilly terrains around us, forming the natural border between Selangor and Negeri Sembilan states)

And so began my week-long journey to Miri, Sarawak with the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) group. Despite being part of Malaysia, I always feel like a foreign visitor to Sabah & Sarawak because of their vast differences in people, culture, natural surroundings etc.

The trail head for Julan waterfalls was located in a remote village of Usun Apau. It is about 300km south of Miri, but took nearly 7 hours by 4WD because of the bumpy and uneven logging road used for most of the journey. The nearest civilised town is called Long San, which is about 2hr away by 4WD.

(View of Usun Apau, our last village before heading inside jungles)

What struck me dearly about Sarawak is the hospitality of the local people. Lipau, our Kenyah host at Usun Apau greeted our group’s arrival with several pit-roasted heads of wild boar. Everyone enjoyed the simple delicious snack, with some licking their fingers at the end to sample every bits of the smoky flavours. I particularly enjoyed the slices of the tongue, which tasted somewhat like pate with its creaminess.

(Pit-roasted wild boar head – yummy jungle snack)

The next two days was spent in the jungles as we walked towards the upper portion of Julan waterfalls. The trek in took about 7 hours and not particularly taxing for me. There were portions where it was quite steep, and we had to grab hold of tree roots, trunks and also rattan being used as guide ropes to help us get up. Surprisingly there were not too many leeches along the way, probably because so few people and mammals roam the surroundings.

(The group of us at the beginning of the hike – note the fresh happy faces!)

The view when we reached the top of Julan waterfalls was spectacular. Only the upper portions of the falls could be seen, the middle section which plunged over 200 metres below was not visible because of our precarious viewing site from the top. That will be left for another adventure in the future!

Because of the limited flat grounds at the top, our group of 27pax & guides had to split camp into two. The few of us who arrived early set up camp on the other side of the river and closer to the upper waterfall.

Camping so close to a beautiful waterfall was exciting, but little did we know of the dangers which came later in the night. Most of us didn’t get much sleep because of the cold wind and water sprays blowing into our camp throughout the night – we even woke up about 3am to readjust the tent and tie up whatever we can get hold of to act as windbreakers.

(View of the mid-section Julan waterfalls falling down to river at bottom)

(Our campsite with upper Julan falls in the background)

Without much hesitation, five of us decided to break camp early and follow a guide out who was ill. The thought of spending another cold and wet night, plus the fact that there were not much food rations remaining tempted the few of us to trek out the next day itself.

The trek out was much more enjoyable, since it was downhill and we were more accustomed to the terrain. The only painful part was the last leg spent on the exposed logging trail, where we trudged under the intense heat of the afternoon sun. Soon enough, our 6hr hike out was rewarded by a picnic beside  Julan river. Here we managed to soak and clean ourselves in the cool river waters whilst enjoying more wild boar meat and cold beer.

(Our lead group on the way out. Bernard (in green) was our trusty 4wd driver and Lipau (beige t-shirt) was the knowledgable Kenyah jungle guide. Check out the size of the tree buttress in the background)

The next two nights were spent in the humble home of Bernard, one of the Kenyah 4wd drivers. We enjoyed a lazy day exploring the rivers of Akah and Baram on a long narrow wooden boat with a small motor at the stern. Along the way, we visited a poor Penan village which was quiet during that day because most of the villagers were busy with their rice planting. The boatmen team of father & son brought along fishing nets and we returned in the afternoon with plenty of river fishes for our dinner.

(Penan elder with her granddaughter)

(Boatmen guiding us through the river exploration around Long San)

It is inevitable that tuak, local rice wine, will be generously offered by the locals. We enjoyed the home-brew tuak by Salmiah, Bernard’s wife after a hearty dinner. There were plenty more tuak on the 2nd night when the rest of the MNS group returned to Long Asan. By itself, it is a very soothing drink because of its sweetness. And because of this, one can easily get overboard especially when the locals ensure that your cup is never empty!

Day 5 saw our departure from the depths of the jungles back to the urban town of Miri. It has been raining the whole night and morning, thus making the logging road even more treacherous because of the slippery, muddy conditions. Kudos to all our drivers who had to maintain their focus and composure as they manoeuvre the winding roads out.

(Muddy & slippery logging road during our 4wd journey back to Miri)

Our last day in Miri was spent exploring Niah Caves, about 110km southwest of Miri. The caves system was located inside the Niah National Park which was nicely maintained by Sarawak Forestry. We were on boardwalks for most of the journey, probably built for easier public access and to minimise damage to the cave floors.

Enjoyed the 1hr walk into the caves along the rainforest surroundings. It was cool being under the shades of the many great trees. Reckoned that some informative signboards along the way would have made the experience even richer, which could explained further about the various fauna we were looking at.

The cave which stood out amongst the many was Great Cave. Firstly because of its magnificent grand cave entrance. Secondly we were amazed at the various bamboo structures erected by the birds’ nest collectors, who bravely climb up to the top to harvest their bounty with a sharp knife at the end of a long bamboo pole. There was a group of men that day, who gladly showed off their dexterity earned from years of experience.

(Cave entrance of Great Cave at Niah)

Sarawak is definitely one of my favourite travel destinations in Malaysia. Being such a vast state, I have only seen so little with this trip and a prior visit to Kuching & Mulu. There will always be the burning desire to return in the near future with more time to explore the hidden beauties before commercialisation and logging destroy everything.

More pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/wyeyim/JulanWaterfallsNiahCaves#

(Finally found a day with blue skies to venture KL – Bangunan Abdul Samad completed in 1897)

It has been about a month since I returned back to Malaysia from UK. There were plenty of things to get re-adjusted to:

-          hazy skyline vs bright blue skies

-          heat & humidity, resulting in some sleepless nights at the beginning

-          traffic jam & rivers of cars flowing through the city.

-          green surroundings being replaced with houses, apartments and other concrete structures

-          people eating more meat than vegetables. Am missing the joy of eating variety of fresh raw vegetables

Despite it all, it has been wonderful being home again. Reuniting with family and friends after being away for nearly 2 years. Especially meeting up with a close friend before she left for her own year-long adventure to OZ end of June09.

Managed to embark on some local sight-seeing missions whilst I still have the free time. Retraced the steps I took for a Heritage Walk around Kuala Lumpur (KL). Was relieved that many of the old buildings have not been torn down or refurbished with some garish modernized look. Quite amazing to know that KL is actually quite a young city, as it began to take roots about the 1850s. Some of the notable buildings still standing today date from 1890s, but majority of the shophouses are built around the 1930s era. Don’t think many Malaysians actually give a second look to the many buildings around them, or even realize its significance.

Admittedly it is a challenge to survive walking around KL in the midday heat & humidity. Plus the fact that my stomach has shrunk drastically makes consuming all the lovely Malaysian food rather a painful experience. Neverthess, there will always be room for the velvety “tau foo fah” and cooling “air mata kucing” drink at Petaling Street to satisfy the tired soul. It is amazing that we actually plan our travel itinerary around crucial food stops, in addition to the highlights we want to check out.

Definitely looking forward to many more wonderful travel experiences from back home from now onwards. Cuti-cuti Malaysia!

(Masjid Jamek – one of the oldest mosques in KL. Officially opened in 1909)

Instead I spent a wonderful day walking along the River Thames. Started off at Borough Market, which will always be one of my favorite places in this city. Can’t go hungry here with the vast array of food being sold – sausages, chorizo burger, breads, brownies, ice-cream etc. And Monmouth Coffee Company is THE place for my caffeine fix.

From Borough Market, it was a pleasant stroll along the south bank. Passing Tate Modern, I am reminded of the days I used to spend exploring the wonderful exhibits. Spending a whole day inside it was not uncommon – I appreciated the art pieces more when I followed the guided tours conducted by the knowledgable volunteers.

My walk ended at Trafalgar Square – central place where many events took place. Probably best remembered for being the most dangerous section during my cycles to work at Covent Garden. It was the place where I encountered the most traffic, and had to pedal quick enough to turn off into The Strand before buses, taxis and cars come along.

Will I ever get to return to UK again?

More pics – http://picasaweb.google.com/wyeyim/LondonLastDay#