.
It was an exciting moment as the team members would not know how big the group was. Whenever a car slowed down, all were eagerly looking for familiar faces. Tony’s transport eventually arrived – much like VVIP – signaling the start of journey en route to Gunung Datuk.
Director-Cameraman
This time, with Weng around, I passed the camera to him to be the cameraman. I became the director asking him to take shots from this or that angle. Without the camera – of getting the job done to record the event in photos – I felt much light and easy. Light not because of unloading the heavy and bulky Nikon camera, but in term of responsibility.
Dr. Hamdan, Chiew Hong, Yee Choi and Yours trulyDr. Hamdan
He was seen doing stretching exercise that looks like pushing the Kelisa car away. Looking at the car number plate of WKC, I quipped that since my initial is KC, I should buy a car number plate with LKC (Leong) to highlight ownership proudly. The response was that I should look for a car from Labuan (possibly starts with letter L”). 
Strong Wind
According to Weng, the wing is always blowing strongly at the first few months of the year in this part of the country. Climbing up the big rock in a precarious position with the strong wind blowing was really quite an experience. At certain stretch, even when we were trekking in the jungle, it was very cooling with the wind blowing.
Taking photo of Laksaman Hang Tuah's footprint
A Very Helpful TeenagerBRAVO to this teenager! He has been helping and directing (human) traffic for trekkers going up and down the narrow passage. Standing precariously at the side of the cliff against strong wind, he seemed very steady and doing the job well. He deserved rounds of applauses.
Making Chinese Tea
Other than spending time enjoying the superb view, Chiew Hong was also busy brewing Chinese tea. Well, I was offered a cup of tea by him… Hmmm… sipping freshly brewed Chinese tea at the peak did taste fantastic.
Fruits
There were lots of food and fruits that the trekkers could not finish. Two big and timely ripen pelangan banana caught my attention. I asked who the owner was before I set my hand on them. PK Chan quipped: “I was thinking to offer RM 1 each to anyone who could help to finish the two bananas.” So I quipped: I should have waited a bit longer for the offer.
PK Chan and Lai Kuan
Refresh at the Base
While waiting for the rest to finish washing, the group was joking that in order to ask other members to speed up washing, just shout “Fire!” I quipped that another phrase that we should not mention was: The transport has left for lunch! They might rush out half naked chasing for their transport.
Shy lah... Kathy and Rose
King of the Goat (Road)
On the way for lunch, in the country, the goats were sitting very close to the road next to their grazing territory. One quipped that they must have seen those teenagers sitting next to the road (in the evening) chatting.
Lunch
We went to Pedas for lunch arranged by Lai Kuan who recommended that the dried “kam heong’ fish head and the fried brinjal dishes were superb. The restaurant was too small to accommodate 27 of us. So, three tables were arranged at the corridor of the shops spanning across two other shops. PK Chan was sitting just next to the wash basin. He quipped that a fee would be imposed for washing hands there. For six dishes, it cost only RM 11.50 each – reasonably cheap and delicious.
Lunch at Pedas town
Best Things in Life
While having lunch, I told those in the same table that one of the best things in life is to go trekking together and then adjourn for lunch that follows, and enjoy the good food. Talking about best things in life, I also told them this joke:
The best thing in life is to work in an American company, marry a Japanese wife and eat Chinese food.
Reason: American company – pay well with lots of benefits; Japanese wife – very obedient, everything is ‘Haik, Haik” with no complaint; Chinese food – very tasty, loaded with Ajinomoto; just like the whole group was having delicious lunch then.
The worst thing in life is to work in a Chinaman company, marry an American wife and eat Japanese food.
Reason: Chinaman company – slave driver, work till you d-i-i-i-i-e; American wife – look for other men, lots of headache; Japanese food – raw and cold, difficult to eat.
Unique plant at the track of Gunung Datuk
For the Record
Kuala Lumpur to Senawang Toll = Travelling time is about one hour
From Senawang Toll to Gunung Datuk = 40 km (about 35 minutes)
Ascent to peak of Gunung Datuk = 1 hr 15 min
Descent = 45 minutes
Gate Fee = RM 3 (inclusive of toilet facility)
Progress
This is a series of local trekking trips preparing trekkers going for Annapurna Base Camp trekking in Nepal from 28 April 2008 of which yours truly is the Team Lead. As for Tony, the Mountain Sifu, he is also organizing a local trekking trip to Mulu in May 2008. So far, the progress is going on fine.
Written by KC
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