GUNUNG LEDANG EXPEDITION - 20 YEARS AGO

Gunung Ledang was revisited 5 years after my first hike. This time with a bigger crowd - 4 teachers and a busload of Scouts and Kadet Bomba [Fire Brigade Cadets] boys.

We stayed in rented cabins on the foot of the mountain managed by Gunung Ledang Resort. For one thing, we could leave all our things in the cabin when we went climbing. We arrived on the 7th April, and the climbing took place on the 8th, the very next day.

Another attraction of the expedition was the waterfalls and cascading rivers downstream. Spending endless hours in the streams actually was much more fun than climbing. 😀

We were accompanied by two forest rangers hired from the Resort.

The bitter part of the trekking was when I was left alone as everyone was too fast and too energetic. I was even in doubt of whether to continue climbing or just sat there at one spot, waiting for the rest to get back to the place on their way down. I just went up without a clue if I would be seeing them on top or not.

When I thought the ascending trip was bad, I did not expect getting down was worse. We had to go down the mountain in total darkness as we were behind plan and I think I just walked and walked, hoping that we would soon arrive at our cabin site - but that just didn't happen. One thing for sure, everyone got muddy and smelly once we finally reached the camp but it was such a big relief.

I am glad I have real mountain climbing/trekking experience, twice, but that would be enough already. I don't want to harm myself or get other people in trouble to help me if something bad happen.

Both the Gunung Ledang trips would be something I would always treasure for a long time, even after 20 years.

CLIMBING GUNUNG LEDANG WITH THE STUDENTS - 25 YEARS AGO

I think the year was 1996. We went for this Environmental Programme organized by the State Education Department and there were schools from other districts participating too. There were just too many things I could not remember about this but let me try to recap some of the things related to the activities. Too bad, most of the photos are already not clear and I have not remembered the names of many of students who took part in the trip.

Mr. Masrizal Sayute and I took a few Kadet Remaja Sekolah [KRS] boys of SMK Taman Universiti for this expedition. We took the express bus from Johor Bahru to Tangkak and got on another public bus to get to the campsite - one reason: it was cheaper than to charter one big bus for less than 40 passengers. We arrived a day earlier and spent the night in the cabins at Gunung Ledang Resort, at the foot of the mountain.

 

The activity started the next day. As the participants from other schools arrived quite late, we started hiking only in the afternoon. There were too many people going on the ascend, including a few aging teachers. The progress was quite slow and after some time it got really dark in the jungle. The biggest challenge was walking up the steep mountain in total darkness and only assisted by the lights from the torchlights shone. I remember we were walking in one long line and we should not be separated from each other. It was a gruesome hike and I just walked and hoped this would end soon. We managed to get to the camping area at about 10:00 p.m., somewhere near to a communication tower. We had to quickly pitch our tents and cook dinner. There was another activity I think but we just went straight into our tents. The temperature was low on top of the mountain and we just needed the long sleep we deserved after all the hard work.

We had to walk down the mountain the next morning, back to the Resort. However, we were not using the same mountain tracks we used to climb up. We had to walk down on the asphalt roads to the base camp. What happened after that, I am not so sure but I think we still took the express bus to get back to Johor Bahru.

Those were the days when the teachers were still very young and energetic. This would be something I would definitely not do again. It is better to be safe than sorry.

NEXT BLOG POST: Another Gunung Ledang expedition done with another batch of students a few years after this.

WHAT DID I WATCH ON NETFLIX: "THE LIGHTHOUSE OF THE ORCAS"

[ARGENTINIAN MOVIE] Beto was a marine park ranger who worked with whales and sea lions, and the character was based on a real human being. In a faraway land in Spain, Lola, the mother of an autistic son, Tristan, saw Beto's video on Youtube. Believing that interaction between sea mammals and humans could "cure" her son, Lola and Tristan traveled all the way to see Beto. Initially things did not seem to work as planned but eventually, Tristan made a lot of progress and managed to establish communication with the whale.

The whole thing was slow-moving and melodramatic so if you are looking for some actions, this would something you would not find here. Still, I wonder how could they tame the huge sea creature for filming, or was it a CGI techniques used throughout. A must watch movie for animal lovers.

WHAT DID I WATCH ON NETFLIX: "A FORTUNATE MAN"

Peter Sidenius came from an orthodox and conservative Jewish family. He decided to go to Copenhagen to pursue his studies in Engineering in a polytechnic, against his father's will. He was a young and brilliant engineer who came up with ideas and inventions that could transform Denmark into a modern and develop country. However, he had to work hard to get not only financial support but also political influence to turn his dreams into reality and the best thing he could do was to live within the circle of the rich and famous. He then courted the daughter of Salamon, the family of a rich Jewish family but in the end, he married another woman. How would I describe Peter? A cunning man, an opportunist and a womanizer. All these words complement each other well.

One heavy drama, with a complicated plot, and if you are expecting a happy ending to this movie, that is not going to happen. I seriously need to watch a comedy after this.

RECEIVING A GUEST AT HOME FOR BREAKFAST

My ex-schoolmate [of SMS Muar], Mr. Mohd. Razib Nordin, came over to my house this morning to give away some cakes. Since he was here, I invited him to stay for breakfast [and had reminded him beforehand not to eat anything before that].

He had been stuck at him hometown in Muar since the first day of Eid because of the lockdown and managed to get back home in Johor Bahru - with a police permit.

 Glad to know that at least there is someone to visit and chat over tea/coffee and all other kinds of food after this.

ALL IN A DAY'S WORK

The rambutans were ready for plucking - some of them so I had to work hard to do just that. The low ones hanging from the branches were easily plucked with a pair of shears while those higher up would require a pole. Unfortunately, the old pole I had was broken in half while I was busy twisting the small branches to get the fruits off the tree. Guess that should be all in a day's work.

One thing for sire, I would be needing a new long pole when the rambutans ripen later, and someone to help me get them off the tree.

WHAT DID I WATCH ON NETFLIX: "L'ULTIMO PARADISO"

It was Italian this time, "The Last Paradise" tells the story of the oppression of the rich against the poor, the conflict between the employer and the olive pickers in the farm/plantation. The only person who was brave to stand up and fight was Ciccio who openly criticize and condemned Cuppa Schettino, the evil landlord. The problem was Ciccio was a married man and at the same time, he was having an affair with his enemy's daughter. When Cuppa found out about this, he mercilessly killed Ciccio and then there was Ciccio's twin brother, Antonio, who came back [from Paris?] to attend the funeral and to take revenge on his brother's death. Things got messier and more complicated after that, and I actually had to do some research on the Internet to find out what was really going on, or else I would not be able to write this piece of review.

The whole story was dark and solemn, even the happy moments were celebrated in secrecy. Enough of stressful drama, I really have to watch a comedy after this.