Gunung Senyum : Hiking+ Caving

Back to the forest...
Soon after we engage Bang Mat as our guide, we begin our hike to Gunung Jebak Puyoh, probably few hundreds meter a.s.l. We should be heading for Gunung Senyum, but it will take longer time and cost us more, plus we are not well prepared at the moment.


Mushrooms, everywhere!
Alright, we're still in Malaysia. And it's the same old tropical rain forest, so we might expect to see some fimilar "faces" through out the 3-4 hours trekking.

Anyway judging on the landscape and proximity of Gunung Senyum to penisular's central mountain range, i am hopeful to see something different, at least different from what i saw while hiking Gunung Bunga Buah, Nuang, or even Kinabalu.

For me, i will trek the rest of TRF with similar gear: suitable attire, enough water, some power bar, and, enough power for my camera! I don't fancy insects repellent, really. Funny thing is Xiao Jin wears plenty of "perfumes" to keep mosquitoes away, but she keeps "attract" different kinda insects along the way!

Well, go back to the water, dive, my dear! :p


Xian Jin = bug's best friend???
It's good to have a Mat with us. A local from nearby town, he knows this place like the back of his hand. Just like many other forest park, cave, historical site, etc. in Malaysia, those "tourist spot" provide some extra income to the locals. They, maybe, and maybe not train as a professinal guide (like myself! :P), but trust me, when you are in the forest, please get a local, or at least someone fimilar with the surroundings.

Why? Believe it or not, there is always rules in the forest. We, are merely "visitors", the forest belongs to "someone" else. Even if you have to go without any guide/experience buddy, my best advice: go in clean, quite (well, if you can!) and try to come out before dark!


XJ and me passing by Mengkuang plants
Other than the main trials, there are some obstacles trials as well. Perhaps they use it for team building course, to cater for some high school scouters, etc.

Half hour into our journey we are at what i called "Mengkuang Garden" - - simply plenty of them! Actually "Mengkuang weaving has started long in our country, and it's end products include the like of mats, basket, food covers, etc. Since the process of cultivating, preparing, drying and weaving involve lot of works, nowadays it may not come cheap!


Edible Keranji seeds on the left, not sure about the rest, though:p
One thing i like about Mat is his ability to spot edible seeds/fruits along the way, even try some in front of us! Bonus points for him as he is patient enough to answer Xiao Jin, who keep asking him Boleh makan ar? (Can eat or not?) while pointing to, er, almost all seeds/fruits she saw! Hehe!!!

Well, of of us were hungry, i guess. It's almost 12p.m., and we didn't bring any lunch with us! Too bad, huh? :)


100 years? Perhaps more!
The highlight of this hike, must be the the huge Merawan tree! The buttress alone is easily at my height. The tree top must have reach 30 meter, can't believe i forget to ask Mat about this!

Also, i notice some pretty old and matured ficus tree, at least 3 of them. Matured, because you can actually see through the hollow trunk, as the host tree died and decay. Ficus is friendly at the early stage, cute and harmless. But when time comes, they will strangle the host tree, fight it's way to the canopy and what else, killing the host tree!

Hmm, sounds like women-to-man effect, ho? Hehe!!!


Pardon me, not sea corals!
Since we are trekking along a limestone mountain, occassionaly we walk into some caves, namely Gua Ular, Gua Mayat, Gua Terowong 1&2 and Gua Straw.

All the name of these caves, sorry to say, were not well preserved, at least not at the early stage of it's discovery. Some vandalism trace on the cave formation are quite obvious, let alone some "modern art work" on ancient cave's wall!!!


This straw-stalactite should be much longer with the finger combined, huh!
But Mat is a better guide when you compare him with those from my previous visits to Gua Tempurng, Perak. At least, other than saying "This one looks like coffin, that one looks like knife", he is able to show us traces of water on the walls, some explanation on different cave formations.

He is right about the pillar formation which will eventually block our way into the cave, but it probably won't happend within 100 years. In fact, not even 1000 years, as stalagmite/stalactite hardly grow an inch in 100 years!!!


Now this, is HUGE!
I manage to collect some seeds as "sourveniers", but not a meter-long leave - - just too obvious, right? :) I don't suppose to take anything at all, ooppsss...


From Left: Xian Jin, me, Yoke Meng
Back to campsite, we start to unload stuff from the car boots, erecting camps and whack some Maggie noodles before a refreshing, cold bath! After than...Good Night! Nothing's better than a nap, after a hiking trip!


Pasar Malam or night market...Nice!
Later at night, we decided to drive to a nearby town for dinner, Jengka town. After few confusing turn we manage to find our way to a local night market. Except for the sata, which i've tried before in Temerloh, we can find most of the foods sold here in our local night market.


Yummy!
But it's a special moment for us anyway, being in this small town, or this particular street - - half hour of walk and we saw only a chinese and few indians! And Sean, accidentally bump into his university friend who is having his hometown vacation. Perhaps there is more to explore if we stay longer, but we opt to have our dinner back in campsite and rest early.


Dinner, under the moon light..ops, dimmed light!
That's another half hour journey and few wrong turn, huh! We all went to bed (tent?) early tonight, as early as 10 p.m.

It's been a good trip so far. Hope for the best tomorrow!

Links:
Gunung Senyum : Campsite Area
Gunung Senyum : Journey Begins
Yahoo! Photos