Labour Day In The Countryside

Thinking about work this, thinking about work that. Reply e-mail this, reply e-mail that. Do this, do that, all in the name of work. But what does work gets us? Money, that's right. To pay the bills. However, if the mental health isn't quite right, where does it get us? You're right. To the mental asylum.

So, to maintain sanity in this fast moving lifestyle in the city, a visit to the countryside is in the works. Away from the hustle bustle of the city, where constant traffic congestion is part of Life. Where you can see more greenery and listen to the sounds of nature. A get away to find the cooler greens and enjoy the fresher air and the cooling atmosphere offered under the shades of the nature reserve.

The traffic on KESAS on a public holiday was surprisingly easy, with most of the cars having left the city yesterday night after work. 2 hours and 110 km later on the Karak highway, Bentong town was within reach. A few cars were still rushing to their hometowns in the East Coast and bike convoys didn't want to be left out of the fun. A quiet city where time stood still, compared the hectic life in the city.


Having reached at 1100 hrs, we were quite fortunate to get the last available parking lot! After ensuring that it's secured, off we walked to the waterfalls, a short 150 metres walk away. The entrance fees were RM2 for adults and RM1 each for the kids. A small amount to pay towards the conservation and maintenance of the forest reserve. 

And there it was, looming ahead, the wonderful force of nature as the water gushed down the face of the rocks, to end in a pool for the holiday makers to wade and wallow in, to escape the heat from the concrete jungle. A refreshing dip was in the works, as it works to refresh the mind and soul. A place where race does not matter, a place where everyone is a human being, joined by the motivation to enjoy the serenity of nature. Young and old, one is never too late or early to bask in the atmosphere of heavenly peace. Just the sound of the water breaking onto the rocks. I couldn't avoid wondering how much water does nature hold at the top of this hill, to offer an almost endless supply of water for humans to enjoy. The logic of water evaporation and condensation is difficult to comprehend as it escapes my mind at this time.

Having found a shaded spot, it's time to enjoy my nasi lemak (yes, it's Malaysia staple dish, anywhere, anytime!). The time of cheaper food has left us decades ago, where taxes continue to increase and impose a higher cost of living upon us folks. So, this packet costs RM3, just a basic offering where 30 years ago, one could have it for a mere 50 cents. Anyways, cost of living aside, nothing beats the feeling of enjoying the country's favourite dish while being accompanied by the sight of nature working it's way down the rocks and seeing the people enjoy the fruit of their travel all the way to this country hide-out, bereft of even the phone signal, thereby rendering everyone incommunicado with the rest of the world.

After this simple meal, it's time to get wet in the chilled waters. It's not something to be missed, having travelled all the way from the city. A dip is an obligation, if not compulsory, when you're here. The water may be cold but you've acclimatised, it only feels natural to place yourself in the water, enjoying the push of nature as it glides over the rocks and producing tiny currents to massage your back and assuage the frizzelled nerves and calm yourself down. If you haven't tried it, you should. After all, nature is free for everyone to enjoy (except the entrance fees, of course). But be careful and never challenge the force of nature for you will almost certain be defeated and many have had their lives lost due to carelessness.

A walk along the jungle trail upslope will bring back the heat to your body. Steep it was, the path was littered with fallen leaves, making it treacherous as you struggle up the path, slippery with both earth dirt and leaves. But on we went, accompanied by cacaphony of natures sounds, in the form of insect sounds, serenading us but be wary of the path ahead, for a snake may slither past (yes, had this experience in Bukit Kiara). A python it was, about 6 inches in diameter. That was that, but nothing eventful happened during this hike. The kids were taught how to manouvre the jungle trail, learning that patience and perseverence will carry themselves forward. And upon reaching the plateau, down to the rocks we went, to get closer to the waterfall. And enjoy the sound and sight, we did.

All these activities had made us hungry and off we went to the town of nearby Bentong, to hunt for food. No need for anything fancy. Just a bite and a drink to feed the hungry souls. It was found in a non-descript coffee shop and the customers were either watching the badminton competition on tv or having a game of mahjong. Quite a relaxing atmosphere, huh? Well, it's a matter of choice and these elderly folks had served a long span of their lives building up the society in this little town and they deserve to spend their final days doing what they enjoy instead of doing what they had to. A short drive brought us to the Bentong Walk (or wai sek kai, in Cantonese) and we found this wild boar curry noodles for RM5.50. That's just 20 minutes after our late lunch but this is an obligation and not be missed local food adventure. It was followed later by a downing of both chrysanthemum and sugarcane drink.

Since we were in this part of town, I decided that we had also to experience this much talked about foodie joint, hidden in the hill slide of Janda Baik, a 45 minutes drive away as traffic volume had build up. Pinto (http://www.pintocoffee.com) coffeehouse can be reached from the Janda Baik archway, after about 20 minutes drive along the idyllic village road. A right turn after the blue water pipe (that's how it was described in the website) and true enough, Pinto was ahead. After parking the car, a short walk brought us to this simple building with nature's facade, welcoming us as we stood to admire the architecture. A very basic hut without air-conditioning, it serves well and customers were intimate with nature (with mosquitoes and all!). The service was friendly and after 20 minutes, my order of mee atjeh arrived. Javanese food, they served but it's nothing close to the fried noodles available in town, and it's bland in comparison. Ho ho ho But if you're in Janda Baik, give it a try.

How can you leave Bentong town and not have a go at it's home made ice-cream? Kow Po Ice Cream Parlour, a foodie place which had opened it's business decades ago, continue to operate till this day. It's part of Bentong culture and you've not visited Bentong if you haven't had a taste of it. An ice-cream cone costs RM3.50 and looking at the huge crowd outside the five foot way, it's better to get a cone and stand and enjoy the ice-cream than waiting for tables to clear. That's Bentong for you, a place lost in time as the tourism ministry attempts to maintain the town's relevance in the travel industry. That's all for this time, and let's hope there's another adventure to share in the not too distant future. Be Happy, Be Safe.