Magic Carpet
Journals takes you on a trek into the Taman Negara Jungle, one of the world's
oldest rainforests, with Maxine George.
In sharp contrast to Kuala Lumpur, our next
destination was one of the oldest rainforests in the
world. We traveled by long boat up the brown,
murky-looking Tembeling River into the Taman
Negara National Park. The boat carried an
operator, a spotter who kept a close eye out for
rocks and other hazards, and about a dozen
passengers. Far from the bustling city, we traveled
for hours with only the sounds of the boat and the
water breaking the silence. Occasionally the cry of
a bird or animal might be heard. The banks of the
wide river were lush with vegetation; trees covered
in succulents and vines draped the shores. It was a warm sunny day, so we were fortunate to
have a narrow tin roof over our heads. Occasionally we would see a small shack built up on a
cliff or a boat beached nearby.
After several hours traveling upriver, the
boat motor
suddenly whirred and abruptly died just as we were
traveling around a bend. As the boat lost power, it was
rapidly swept towards shore, crashing under an
overhanging tree. We all ducked, but then reached out and took
hold of the branches, effectively stopping the drift before
we hit the bank. Our young spotter quickly jumped into
the water, to check out the cause of the problem. I
thought to myself, "If the problem is mechanical we could
be stuck here for hours until someone realizes that we haven't shown up at our destination."
Luck was with us, when the lad
came up he held up a long thick piece of root that was twisted around the propeller. The boat was soon
underway again. Before long, we rounded another bend and
spotted our destination. There were boat docks on both
shores. We tied up at the one on the left. On the
opposite shore there a small group of buildings with colourful tin roofs. We were told that the area on the left was part
of the national park, however the area on the right was
outside the park, therefore commercial enterprises could
exist there. As I climbed onto the dock I was thankful
that I had reduced my luggage to one smaller carry-on
bag, because a long flight of stairs led us up to the Taman
Negara Resort. Arriving hot and perspiring, we were greeted with a lei of fragrant,
frangipani flowers and a marvelously refreshing green drink, which had been made with kiwi fruit.
Quickly, we were each assigned to peak-roofed chalets.
Following a porter down a path through the
landscaped, tropical gardens I came to Number 9,
my temporary home. A little monkey, wandering
aimlessly amongst the shrubbery by the front porch,
was undisturbed by my presence. The main room
was equipped with an air conditioner, that the
young man immediately turned on. The place was
soon quite comfortable. The large room was
attractively lined with woven bamboo and was
comfortably furnished with twin beds, several easy
chairs and a desk. After a short rest I joined the
others in the lounge. While sipping a cool drink, we
saw a video describing this ancient rain forest and what we were about to see here. Later we
gathered in the open air dining room and were served a very tasty buffet dinner.
The following morning, after breakfast, we began our trek
into the dense tropical forest. Prior to leaving we had to
spray our boots with something to ward off leaches. I was
careful to wear a cotton outfit that had long pants, and a
high necked top with long sleeves in case we encountered mosquitoes looking for victims in the jungle. It was a
challenging hike, but fascinating, as our guide took the
time to point out some of the many various forms of
vegetation that grow so densely in this climate. He told us
that over a hundred different forms of plant life can be
found in each acre of jungle, many of them used by the
local inhabitants for a multitude of purposes, including
traditional medicinal remedies. Now Malaysians are
conducting research to
determine the authenticity
of these remedies and to
see if there may be more
undiscovered medicinal
uses for these plants.
Walking was slow going. We had to take each
step carefully, because the
ground was covered with a tangled web of surface roots. We
climbed over huge roots; walked around narrow embankments
and often stopped to hear about something interesting or to view
a small plant or flower. These stops gave me the opportunity to
catch my breath and for our group to consolidate again. We had
been told that it was important for us to keep track of each other,
as a person could get lost quite easily here in the jungle.
Upon reaching the most distant terminus of our trek we came to
"The Canopy Walk. Here a rope canopy has been erected over
the jungle. The series of rope bridges have been strung from the
jungle's tallest and oldest trees. I climbed to the first platform
with eager anticipation. However, on viewing the rope structure
arching across the jungle roof, with only narrow planks for footpaths and ropes
and netting for support, I began to have misgivings. (I have developed an
aversion to heights in recent years.) Not one to give up easily, I set out with some apprehension.
Fortunately, I did not realize there were successively eight rope bridges all together, and each one
was higher than the last. We were restricted to four people in each group, with at least one of
those four on a platform. We set off at specific intervals. Stopping on each bridge was
practically impossible as it would swing quite erratically once a second and then third person
began to cross. Each person seemed to be marching to a different drummer! The view was
spectacular, however it was only as we reached the next platform that we would take the time to
really take it all in. In spite of my misgivings, the canopy walk was a fantastic experience and one
I am happy to have done.
A second adventure in the Taman Negara
National
Park awaited us the next day. We were taken in groups of three, by
smaller long boats, up another narrower river,
shooting a series of rapids to reach the remote
heart of the jungle. The jungle is so dense here
that long vines hang out over the river and form a
curtain along the bank, hiding most of what lies
beyond from view. Here we again trekked
through the jungle to a remote waterfall, where
we were told it was safe to swim. We all came
prepared with bathing suits under our clothes. In
minutes our clothes were piled on the rocks and
we were frolicking in the cooling water. One can
hardly imagine the serenity of a place so far from
civilization. The occasional screech of a monkey
or a bird was all that revealed the phantom
inhabitants of the jungle. The waterfall was actually a place where a narrow opening in the rocks
allowed water to rush over it with considerable force. We took turns standing in front
of the pummeling water,
letting it provide us with a natural back massage. It was a delightful afternoon. As we floated
back down the river, on the way back to the park, we had the good fortune to see some of the
original people, the Orang Asli waving to us from a cliff overlooking the river. These
people live in
this jungle and are known to be friendly. The only other signs of life we saw along the river, were
a small herd of water buffalo, wallowing in a shallow eddy.
Our visit to this ancient rain forest was over all
too soon. The next
morning after
breakfast, we again boarded
the long boat and
traveled downstream along
the Tembeling
River to the jetty.
Our short visit to
the jungle is now
but a memory, but
what a fantastic
memory!
Story & photos by M. Maxine George Canopy Walk photo
courtesy of Margaret Deefholts
In sharp contrast to Kuala Lumpur, our next
destination was one of the oldest rainforests in the
world. We traveled by long boat up the brown,
murky-looking Tembeling River into the Taman
Negara National Park. The boat carried an
operator, a spotter who kept a close eye out for
rocks and other hazards, and about a dozen
passengers. Far from the bustling city, we traveled
for hours with only the sounds of the boat and the
water breaking the silence. Occasionally the cry of
a bird or animal might be heard. The banks of the
wide river were lush with vegetation; trees covered
in succulents and vines draped the shores. It was a warm sunny day, so we were fortunate to
have a narrow tin roof over our heads. Occasionally we would see a small shack built up on a
cliff or a boat beached nearby.
boat motor
suddenly whirred and abruptly died just as we were
traveling around a bend. As the boat lost power, it was
rapidly swept towards shore, crashing under an
overhanging tree. We all ducked, but then reached out and took
hold of the branches, effectively stopping the drift before
we hit the bank. Our young spotter quickly jumped into
the water, to check out the cause of the problem. I
thought to myself, "If the problem is mechanical we could
be stuck here for hours until someone realizes that we haven't shown up at our destination."
Luck was with us, when the lad
came up he held up a long thick piece of root that was twisted around the propeller. The boat was soon
underway again. Before long, we rounded another bend and
spotted our destination. There were boat docks on both
shores. We tied up at the one on the left. On the
opposite shore there a small group of buildings with colourful tin roofs. We were told that the area on the left was part
of the national park, however the area on the right was
outside the park, therefore commercial enterprises could
exist there. As I climbed onto the dock I was thankful
that I had reduced my luggage to one smaller carry-on
bag, because a long flight of stairs led us up to the Taman
Negara Resort. Arriving hot and perspiring, we were greeted with a lei of fragrant,
frangipani flowers and a marvelously refreshing green drink, which had been made with kiwi fruit.
Quickly, we were each assigned to peak-roofed chalets.
Following a porter down a path through the
landscaped, tropical gardens I came to Number 9,
my temporary home. A little monkey, wandering
aimlessly amongst the shrubbery by the front porch,
was undisturbed by my presence. The main room
was equipped with an air conditioner, that the
young man immediately turned on. The place was
soon quite comfortable. The large room was
attractively lined with woven bamboo and was
comfortably furnished with twin beds, several easy
chairs and a desk. After a short rest I joined the
others in the lounge. While sipping a cool drink, we
saw a video describing this ancient rain forest and what we were about to see here. Later we
gathered in the open air dining room and were served a very tasty buffet dinner.
our trek
into the dense tropical forest. Prior to leaving we had to
spray our boots with something to ward off leaches. I was
careful to wear a cotton outfit that had long pants, and a
high necked top with long sleeves in case we encountered mosquitoes looking for victims in the jungle. It was a
challenging hike, but fascinating, as our guide took the
time to point out some of the many various forms of
vegetation that grow so densely in this climate. He told us
that over a hundred different forms of plant life can be
found in each acre of jungle, many of them used by the
local inhabitants for a multitude of purposes, including
traditional medicinal remedies. Now Malaysians are
conducting research to
determine the authenticity
of these remedies and to
see if there may be more
undiscovered medicinal
uses for these plants.
Upon reaching the most distant terminus of our trek we came to
"The Canopy Walk. Here a rope canopy has been erected over
the jungle. The series of rope bridges have been strung from the
jungle's tallest and oldest trees. I climbed to the first platform
with eager anticipation. However, on viewing the rope structure
arching across the jungle roof, with only narrow planks for footpaths and ropes
and netting for support, I began to have misgivings. (I have developed an
aversion to heights in recent years.) Not one to give up easily, I set out with some apprehension.
Fortunately, I did not realize there were successively eight rope bridges all together, and each one
was higher than the last. We were restricted to four people in each group, with at least one of
those four on a platform. We set off at specific intervals. Stopping on each bridge was
practically impossible as it would swing quite erratically once a second and then third person
began to cross. Each person seemed to be marching to a different drummer! The view was
spectacular, however it was only as we reached the next platform that we would take the time to
really take it all in. In spite of my misgivings, the canopy walk was a fantastic experience and one
I am happy to have done.
National
Park awaited us the next day. We were taken in groups of three, by
smaller long boats, up another narrower river,
shooting a series of rapids to reach the remote
heart of the jungle. The jungle is so dense here
that long vines hang out over the river and form a
curtain along the bank, hiding most of what lies
beyond from view. Here we again trekked
through the jungle to a remote waterfall, where
we were told it was safe to swim. We all came
prepared with bathing suits under our clothes. In
minutes our clothes were piled on the rocks and
we were frolicking in the cooling water. One can
hardly imagine the serenity of a place so far from
civilization. The occasional screech of a monkey
or a bird was all that revealed the phantom
inhabitants of the jungle. The waterfall was actually a place where a narrow opening in the rocks
allowed water to rush over it with considerable force. We took turns standing in front
of the pummeling water,
letting it provide us with a natural back massage. It was a delightful afternoon. As we floated
back down the river, on the way back to the park, we had the good fortune to see some of the
original people, the Orang Asli waving to us from a cliff overlooking the river. These
people live in
this jungle and are known to be friendly. The only other signs of life we saw along the river, were
a small herd of water buffalo, wallowing in a shallow eddy.
