Sungei Lembing

Kuala Lumpur > Kuantan (Day1)

It was a last minutes call that I somehow decided to take a short vacation to relax myself but perhaps the decision made was too late that my initial intended trip ( Cameron Highland) was not avail to me. All public transport serve Cameron Highland ended its services before hi-tea time. I was stranded in Pudu Raya Bus Terminal for around ten minutes. Undecided where to go. Out of no way, Kuantan appear in my head so be it. I brought a night bus to Kuantan, a 4 hours trip heading south-east. Reached Kuantan at 11pm and though hotel is plentiful but shop around at night by foot , in a foreign city (Unknown crime rate), is not so a good choice. I found myself a hotel nearby where the bus alight me at its end route.  Check-in and pour myself a nice hot shower follow by a mamak supper before preparing myself an adventure next day.

Kuantan > Sungai Lembing (Day 2)

RapidKuantan offer FOC (Free of Charge) bus service from Kuantan Town to Sungai Lembing. it is an hour comfortable bus ride. I took a bus in the morning around 8am after a breakfast at the nearby terminal which apparently an after conversion from a previous "The Store" department store. The bus depart like every hour or so, thus its no rush...

Sungai Lembing is almost like an ancient small town with little not more than a couple of hundreds population. The bus brought me to it final station which is a not more than 300m from the Mines Museum.  The Mines Museum is FOC but the so call Live Museum next to it charge RM15 per adult entry (50% of RM30) which I think a bit over-price for Malaysian Market.

Mines Museum used to house the former General Manager for Sungai Lembing mining company which is the biggest in the world at that point of time

Sungai Lembing was discovered as a mining field for copper, gold, amethyst, quartz and others precious stone but mainly copper mining which spearhead by a Cambodian in his venture for earth treasure in Tanah Melayu (for name for Malaysia) before the Chinese immigrant from China mainland join the feast. English of course didn't missed the opportunity especially Malaysia was colonized by the British for the very same reason as other superpower then; taking advantage of the rich resources in Malaysia.

There is a deer park that sell deer meat curry-pap (a sort of local cuisine but usually fill with potato or sardine) before entry to the live mine museum. climbing up hill is unnecessary (though not a big deal for me) because there is a free shuttle more like the thailand tuk-tuk but in the truck form, carry tourist to the mining museum. Little toy train carry a handful of tourist including me into the chilly mining cave, greeting by droplets of freezing water from above. Temperature apparently drop to at least 5-8 degree.it's a 500m exploration in the cave decorated with manikin and some sort of mining games.

Done the two places just right at noon and ready to hit for the local food. Free shuttle carry me back to the town. literally the little town is just the little town, not much choices are there and most of the stalk close pretty early (11am!).

The main attraction in Sungai Lembing remain its Panorama Hill and Rainbow Waterfall which I decided to overnight for the best view of either one in the early morning next day.

While many accommodation option is available but standard is some what backward. Next few hours wandering the small town let me conclude that this town is really out of its time. the golden era has long past!! the younger generation is out there in the city or overseas leaving their old folks guarding this ancient old town and many empty shops is unclaimed, either no successor or they don't bother claim the inherited ancient relic.

Population here is like 70% senior citizen and beyond! Yup! there is a huge graveyard waving at those 70% awaiting them to be part of the resident there.

Around 6pm I decided to give a try on the sunset at Panorama Hill which I was make known by the food court's auntie that it is just a stone throw away. Indeed the Panorama Hill is just footstep away from the town but the steps going up hill is killing!! especially my fat ass is holding me back.....After a killing hell of 20mins on the steps I finally reached the peak.

View from the peak; Green green, the left side is all covered by thick tropical rainforest and the other side is dotted with wooden houses scatter around Sungai Lembing but particularly concentrate on the town area. Graveyard covered a heap of hill, an evident of it's present long before my visit. Logically if the town does not contain much people then the graveyard could have means it has serve generation of the people here and it must be a hell long time!!

Soak with stinky sweat, my body is covered with toxic secreted from my exhausted body. a blow of chilly wind entering my nerve system and shiver my body, telling me it's getting late and dark is coming soon. entering the photographer golden hour, 7pm, but sunset wasn't as nice as expected, nothing special to retain my further up there thus I make no hesitation to descend to fill my starving stomach.

It take me another 20mins or so (faster than ascending) to the bottom and quickly get myself hydrated. Back to the rojak (Indian Cracker+Pawn source dish) restaurant which I sample some not so impressive but weird fruit rojak earlier on. It's now converted into Dai Chow (Chinese Cooking Restaurant). Nice, so it was 1 bottle of coke, 3 full glass of plum honey juice, 3 full glass of water and a plate of fried rice. Not bad for a hungry person but there isn't much choices there either. I was told there are only 2 open restaurants.

Another walking of 500m carried my zombie like body back to the home-stay.

Met a couple from Kajang, we have a nice chat before calling the day off.

Sungai Lembing > Kuantan > Kuala Lumpur (Day 3)

5am in the morning, sky was dotted with glistering stars and its dark background seems way too early for any sunlight to penetrate. My newly met friends marching out from their sleepy lair, emulated a highly rooted Asian discipline and glad that they come with a Toyota Estima too. I have no problem do a couple more hundred meter but strolling pass the graveyard at this wee hour is definitely thrilling especially I have large probability not be able to understand the language of those ancient dweller therein. Kick-start from our lodging at 5.30am straight to the foothill of Panorama Hill. a few groups of mountaineerings enthusiasts is already on the way up hinting by their headlamp flashing along the trail. Some new arrival also sighted at the foothill porch stretching their muscle ready to beat the hill up. 

Since I broke my first-time record climbing this hill few hours back I'm more prepared to take up the second challenge. Luck is on our side as there's no rain; the jungle path is dry though portion of the concrete path has been washed away and composite-made-balustrade has been vandalised into an abstract art hardly function as what it was intended to. 

Heart beating faster while foot getting heavier, gravity is pulling me down challenging my determination evident by the panting pattern and mucus secreted around my mouth to the edge of my lips. mist has it's duty chilling up while adding moisture to my detoxing body. my shirt was soak in wet as though like I'm taking shower in the hill. My travelmates were fighting even harder for not only they're older but  they were climbing in the blind of darkness. 

20 minutes of fighting we finally conquer the hill. The little wooden Pergola once again greeted me at the peak. A bunch of sun-worshipper is already impatiently waited at the peak as we shared glory together. sky were themed with dark-blue decorated with stars illuminating as trophy recognising our worth. 

The sky was turning brighter when moon shy away from the east and cloud beneath our foot started to make obvious. It was like standing on heaven like in the movie or the slideshow in my church services but of course I'm yet to be ready to join my lord. Congregation of  mist form a cloud of sea cover the entire plateau leaving a few mountain peak emerge from the whitish fluffy cloud. it was like marshmallow floating in the sky. Sweat drying out and sleepy sun started making it's way out from the east. It was magnificent to see how the nature put a show for itself. Golden yolk shine through millions of miles touches on my face and that of others trillions earthlings simultaneously but it's at this altitude, latitude& longitude that make my geospatial the ideal for appreciating its beauty. The source of energy for all living being can be so wonderfully display itself in a way I've never come across. It's a dilemma to whether keep snapping this golden hours with my camera or keep everything out by merely indulge my eyes with this heavenly landscape. I belief I did both in fair amount of time though. 

Tomato Noodles

Cooking up Noodles

A quarter pass seven, stomach start drumming for food so did my foot start making its way down hill to cure my hunger. My fellow travelmates had went down hill earlier in search for nutrient to replenish the energy lost. So I found them in the canteen just below the foothill. 

My appetite increased tremendously when the local show how good authentic food is prepared and tag along with very affordable prices. food was delicious and ingredients is carefully prepared by hand. Sungai Lembing is famous of the handmade tomato noodles. Sampled their Signature Yong Tau Fu and mountain water bean-curd before they couple brought me to the noodles factory for an up close experience on how the noodles is make, the traditional way. 

Travel always make new friend. The couple also offer me a pick-up to Kuantan so save my trouble to wait for the public transport although both are free anyway.