hi people!
so i went on another adventure in Taman Negara Jerantut again!
this time it was more like a leisure trip for me; enjoying the forest, rivers, and bonding with my friends in Kuala Tahan.
i spend a week in Kuala Tahan where i joined my friends on their daily rounds in and out of the forest and rivers. i was so glad to smell the forest scent again because i've been missing it so muchhhh! so i met Grey, Carlito, Mr Dan, and meet more new friends like Encik Meor (who is a great person to talk to since i like to talk a lot and he talks a lot too and we never runs out of ideas to talk about so it was super smooth conversation until my guider friends leave us two alone to talk and they won't budge in because we talk so much as if we've been friends for twenty years or so! there, i said it all!).
i've been learning more and more about the jungle and animals from this trip and i am very grateful for all the opportunities i received. Encik Meor is an expert in birding and he's been teaching me a little bit about birding too. its interesting to hear him talking about the birds and spell out all their scientific names like a smooth criminal! too smooth i can't even brain it! i can't remember half the terms he said but i just can't stop listening to him talking about the birds. so when the guides and him were talking about the birds, i was sitting among them like a school girl listening to the teachers. it was such an information-filled moment that i swear my brain might be overload with the names of the birds and their characteristics and habitats whatnots whatsoever.
learning about snakes is easier than learning about birds. i need to learn more.
it so happen that Encik Meor loves taking pictures and i became a somewhat Colgate model for him ahahaha.
so i went tracking with Grey where i became the unofficial guide for his team. i became the sweeper and i actually did enjoy my part as the sweeper as i manage to make the tourist (from JPAM) look at me with awe as they listen to my explanation about the forest and animals. perhaps i can be a good guide one day? the JPAM members in our team were very friendly and they actually think that i am a guide ahahahaah yes yes yes! it must be due to the reason that i was wearing my hiking gear and i pretty much move at a better pace this time. this prove that my stamina is good and it motivates me to workout more to maintain my fitness level.
i also joined Carlito, Grey, and Andin in my favourite activity : rapid shootingggg! we were bringing the tourist from Encik Meor's group and there he went clicking his camera for my Colgate moment heheheh. i really enjoy the trip! we went to the Bateq's village where i met an inspiring Bateq people's activist and talk to him about the problems and activist works that he's been doing for the Orang Asli settlers. it was so inspiring! i am interested to join him on his effort to improve the lives of the Orang Asli. a very funny thing happened during Grey's briefing about the Bateq's tradition and beliefs. i was sitting near a pole where the bamboo blowpipe was situated (leaning against the pole), when out of sudden it smack me right on the head and Encik Meor caught it on record! it was super funny because it was truly a comic moment and Grey was shocked, the tourist were shocked, and even i was shocked!
i mean, it smacked right on top of my head yo!
for the next few days, i went all out jumping into rivers and playing with the fish and the sand and was simply having a great time splashing in Tahan river, Tembeling river, and even gets to go netting with the men! i didn't spend much time in the forest this time, heck, i went for nightwalk once and that was it. but i did saw some slithery snake so all was well, the forest welcome me with warmth.
then i got sick because my skin was reacting very badly with the hot weather and the rash came up and the injection proceed and i was restricted to home-compound only sobs sobs. the whole family was greatly concern about me it makes me feel touched!
this time, it was more like a bonding trip than an adventurous one because i find myself immersing more into the culture and getting to know the locals on a different level. i even went to Kerek's solemnization like wow! it felt great to know that Kuala Tahan will always be in my heart even if i can't come back here again in the future. the kind of love and acceptance that i received here means so much to me. i never felt like a stranger or mere tourist here.
Kuala Tahan felt like....home.
the Colgate lady
psst, picture credits goes to Encik Meor!
if you wish to explore Kuala Tahan, especially to learn more about the birds (like the magnificent Crested Fireback i saw on my previous trip), you can always reach out to Encik Meor for the premium package trip through his Facebook page Jenut Holidays and have fun exploring Taman Negara!
toodles!
