2 nights in the wild – or almost ‘wild’

When was the last time you went to stay in a chalet but lived as if you were camping? For me, it was just last week, from the 24th to the 26th April 2009, at Taman Negeri Endau Rompin (Endau Rompin State Park).

I went there on a work trip, as we had a community project with the people living in the interior. So, the nearest accommodation from our event location was this state park.

Being responsible for arranging the rooms for all participants, I found that the only chalets left after fitting in the invited guest were the 2 that had no indoor bathrooms. So I allocated one to my male colleague and his guys, and the other for my girls and me. Since we were going to be neighbors with the guys, it didn’t feel too bad – compared to sleeping alone in tents.

At first my roommates and I switched off the lights, but some sounds bothered us on the first night. Thus, we turned on one of the lights. For your information, all kinds of strange creepy sounds could be heard loud and clear the entire night! (It’s the jungle, what else could we expect!) Sleeping in a new environment was definitely a problem.

However, on the second night, my girls and I were too exhausted after the night event in the village, and travelling half an hour up the unlit, long and winding road back to the chalet. We slept like the dead! In fact, a camper very near our chalet went hysterical twice that night. Almost all the residents heard her screams, but none of us did!

Bathing was an adventure. Since the bathrooms were outdoor and there was a whole bus of campers on the site, we had to vie with them for a shower place. After seeing a long queue outside the bathroom, my girls and I gave up as we had to rush back to the village school for the night event. The other alternative was the river, and it was an enticing idea.

How often do you get to bathe in a scenic river, so close to nature?

So we headed down to the beautiful river, surrounded by greenery and reflections of trees. It looked very deep on both sides, and I was afraid to enter deeper, as alluring as it was. However, my staff convinced me that one side was shallow, and that it looked deep because of the rocks.

So, I braved myself to the rapids on the other side, gripping her hand all the way. I didn't regret it. The water was slightly below my chest, much chiller and fresher compared to the river bank.

Suddenly I saw water monitor lizards swimming by, but they didn’t come too near to us…Phew, what a relief! You know, when they move in the water, you might mistake them for snakes...and they do resemble crocodiles!

So, that was my bath on the first evening. I have to admit neither of us brought soap – so we used just fresh water, as my staff said, “like the original people”!:P

And you might have already guessed the consequence…I started itching that night… on my neck, hands and feet. (In fact my feet still itch now, and I’m religiously applying antibacterial powder!)

The next morning, we had to be up by 5.30 am. My Muslim counterparts went to pray at the surau nearby the bathroom, and I told them I’d be allright alone using the common bathroom. I didn’t switch on the light as it attracted some huge insects. Halfway through my dipper and pail shower in that congested space with a squatting toilet, I heard louder footsteps outside the door.

I presumed they must be from someone waiting to use the bathroom, so I hurried myself. That person switched on the lights, but I didn’t object, being hesitant about talking to strangers. A few minutes later, I opened the door, only to see a young boy at my face.

l quickly looked away, partially covering my face with the clothes in my hand, feeling ‘not appropriately dressed.’ I was in a t-shirt and towel wrapped around my waist. I quickly headed back to my chalet. As he shut the bathroom door behind him, I instinctively took a peak. You wouldn’t guess how I felt!

The door was made of white plastic – meaning, with the lights on in the dark, you can see an artistic silhouette of whoever is inside. And as I saw his outline, the realization that he might have been watching mine filled me with embarrassment. But there was comfort in knowing he was not my staff. Such moments are better of with strangers! Ha ha…

I was suddenly reminded of a story my chalet neighbour told us the night before; about the ‘orang asli.’ He said that the natives bathe stark naked in the rivers. When others see them, they only cover their faces, not their genitals. If you ask them why, they say, “Everyone looks almost the same neck down. Only our faces are different. If you cover your face, no one will know who!” “Makes sense,” I thought, and laughed to myself… What a start to the morning!

After I got dressed, I saw my male colleague in my neighboring chalet walk back from his bath, in his towel. He cheerfully said he took bath with only his underwear in the river! I told him he needn’t highlight the ‘underwear’ part, feeling awkward about his joke, as he was much older than I. Instead he insisted that it was not a joke, asking his company to vouch for him – it was true! They seemed embarrassed to admit that they did the same too. Once again, it made me laugh, giving me one more reason not to feel so bad about that ‘bathroom incident.’ Underwear vs figure? I think you get the idea…he he:P

Another ironic incident is that I arranged all the comfortable chalets with indoor bathrooms for our guests. And it so happened that elephants stepped on the piping system that pumped water to their chalets, and that disrupted their water supply! Pity them – they had to rely entirely on the river or walk all the way to the common bathrooms. Only the common bathrooms had continuous water supply, and those were far from the cosy cabins, but very close to the campers & myself! Just to let you know, the water supply came from the river, and you could find dried leaves flowing together with the fresh water from the tap!

The most troublesome thing about our stay was that we were on a semi formal / casual dress code. So, although we were staying in the jungle, we had to dress up well for the event – including ironing formal clothes and wearing working shoes. And our event was not on the camping site. It was in a school about 30 minutes from our accommodation. The way from the main road to the main entrance of the state park was a dark, long and winding uphill drive. And I didn't want to leave anyone behind, as locating them in a place without network coverage would be an arduous task.

For the night event the second day, I was the last to leave the place as I wanted to ensure none of my girls were left behind. I dressed up in a dazzling red blouse and black slacks, with court shoes. The moment I opened my chalet door, a huge, white and brown insect landed on my hair, that I had neatly clipped into an elegant bun. Quite surprisingly, I didn’t scream. Instead, my heartbeat rose and I simply froze!

Then I regained composure and tried to gently push that insect away without messing up my crown of curls – which I successfully didJ. I was amazed at my own reaction in a different environment! If it had happened at home, I think my handbag would have gone flying and my hair would have been a total disaster!

The two nights there we had barbecue by the calm river while some went fishing. We had fresh prawns and fish. During the barbecue of the first night, when I was throwing my leftovers into the dustbin, a jungle guide who was helping clear the place had his hands full with all the paper plates that the guests left behind. I helped open up the garbage bag, preventing the rubbish from falling to the ground. His eyes sparkled with appreciation, as he said, "Thank you. Awak baik," before I walked away.

On the second night, this guy came over and got acquainted with me. He was a flamboyant Malay guy around my age, who called others "Awak" (you). That was a new thing to me. At the park, he was the only one who called me by name, without ‘Cik’(Miss) or 'Puan' (Madam). He was a very cheerful and entertaining guy; sure to make you smile! I bet the tourists love him!

He kept adding food to my plate and refilling my cup. Although it was a self service barbecue, I ate my fill without leaving my seat on the bench. It was an enjoyable chat and we could have talked longer, but my middle aged neighbor (the same guy who bathed in his underwear:P) who was chaperoning me back to the chalet said it was time for me to sleep.

The pleasant company doesn't come as a surprise– it turns out we’re ‘orang kampong’ – from the same hometown. He was encouraging me to come camping another day, saying he would be my guide from the river to the interiors. You wouldn’t believe my silly reply.

Having recently watched Lake Placid, I asked him “Are there crocodiles in the waters? I’ve already seen the monitor lizards. In the movies, they’re in green rivers…” When he said no, I asked, “How do you know? Maybe it’s there, it just hasn’t showed itself.”

He laughed and said I was too influenced by movies! However, I am still not 100% convinced by his answer that the water flows rapidly and will sweep away crocodiles, even if any. I think, one can never know enough inside the majestic creations of God – the jungles and the wild… Who knows?…Maybe somewhere deeper inside the jungle?…A lost one?… But perhaps you shouldn’t listen to me & my imaginations, I’m not an expert in this field :P

The strange thing is that I never actually feared wild animals while on the site, although a poster in the entrance said that many species of the wild could be spotted within the area. Perhaps, I didn’t believe one could see them easily from the chalets, and I never did.

But when I checked out and chatted with the camp guides one last time, I was shocked when they told me a few bikers just spotted a tiger crossing the road. I missed it by only a few minutes. In fact one our guest also experienced a tiger flashing by his car in the main road, in broad daylight! The camp guide also told me that he once stayed in the chalet where I spent the nights, and saw a full grown tiger at the door of the bathroom nearby (the one I used). He completely freaked out and jumped over drains to seek refuge inside the site office!

To think that I so boldly bathed alone in that bathroom – totally oblivious to the wild that walked around so freely. (Actually that explains my coolness – you know they sometimes say ignorance is bliss:P!) They said that tigers don’t harm humans as long we don’t disturb them, but I think I would still be afraid. In a way I felt relieved that I didn’t come face to face with the fangs of a ferocious creature. But really, I was disappointed that I didn’t get to see one ‘live’ either. The way the guides describe the encounter makes you want to feel it yourself - they say the tiger's eyes gleam and you will stand in complete silence, watching its raised fur against the wind, with both fear and amazement....As the camp guide said, that is ‘nasib’ (fate).

My only regret throughout this event is having a fresh, red bruise on my leg. The ‘accident’ took place at the school field during the game of ‘coconut bowling.’ It’s a game where ladies throw the coconut instead of a ball, to hit empty cans that are arranged into a pyramid, with lanes drawn in chalk on the field. Just too bad for me that the coconut was hurled by a strong woman in full force, and it headed the wrong direction, right to my legs – I didn’t see it coming! Boy, it sure hurts, still red even now!

But I suppose, if I compared my unforgettable days to that bruise, it’s a fair trade. The state park is place I’ve always wanted to see, and mingling with the locals was interesting. Though I didn’t get to join the outdoor activities at the state park, I got new acquaintances, heard unbelievable stories and gained an extraordinary experience. Those are etched in my mind, and I thank God for His protection and pleasure during my stay there.

JJ

2009