A little trip up Fraser’s Hill (episode 2)

A vacation log, dedicated to all who went for the trip

Time: about 2.30pm onwards.
Date: 2nd September 06

It was pouring cats and dogs the very moment all of us entered the garage. Z opened up his poncho so that everyone could sit on the dusty floor. There wasn't much to do but to wait the weather out… minutes later; it was still raining cats and dogs. We did nothing and we waited…



And we waited…


And we waited…



… The rain finally subsided a little and we thought we should hit the road.

We headed back to our car and had lunch at a shop nearby. The food was not great but at least our tummy was filled.

During the meal, there were much debate over where we should camp. The weather was wet, and cold. So much so that it affected our decision of where we should camp. The sky was dark and gloomy. It was pouring unceasingly. The moisture from the rain began to soak into our clothes. Then, someone suggested “Let’s rent place for the night!” In my mind, I was thinking “But it was suppose to be a camping trip! This is almost blasphemous! " But hey, let’s do the math:

1) No one has camped at Fraser’s hill before. Therefore, estimated time to look for a campsite = 2.5 hours or more (factoring in the time to hike with equipments in the rain to find a sweet spot)

2) Estimated duration for setting up 2 tents in the middle of nowhere, in the rain = 25 minutes or more (considering my tent was not functioning properly)

3) Estimated time to settle in = 20 minutes or more

4) Estimated time for everyone to freshen up if there is water source = 40 minutes

5) Estimated time to unpack and prepare dinner for 6 = 45 minutes (factoring in the time taken to clean up the inside of the tent as the terrain was wet and muddy)

6) By then, the total time taken for us to enjoy dinner if at all = 5 hrs 01 minute if all went well. Let’s factor in another 20% contingency and the total estimated time should take about 6 hrs 02 minutes, which assuming if we started our hunt for a campsite at the earliest, say at 5.00pm, we should just about finish dinner at about 11.02pm and its almost bed time! We have not even factored in the time to rest, relax and wash our dishes after dinner!

Not feasible! I guess staying a night in one of those rented places was not a bad idea after all. At first, someone suggested “Let’s stay in an apartment” That sounded so wrong. Since we don’t get to camp, I thought we should rent a place that at least was able to simulate a camping trip; where we could have an open air area, and the whole place to ourselves-a bungalow sounded like the ideal choice!

Therefore, we spent almost 1 hr or so driving around hunting for one, then we spent the next 15 minutes bargaining for a good price. By the time we got our choiced bungalow, which was the Kuantan House, we still had time to drive to a waterfall nearby.

At first I thought “Hey! We could’ve camped here!” But then, the water was opaque and brown. There were plastic bottles and other food wrappers floating around. The public toilet was decorated with human wastes of various shapes and sizes! (Let’s stop here before I throw up on my keyboard)

The place was actually not too bad if not for the latter.

It was round about 7pm. We decided to head back to our bungalow. One our way however, we were distracted by a gorgeous site!

... It's not what you think!



A lovely view no doubt but the alarm in my tummy was ringing furiously! It was getting dark and we had to rush back to the bungalow for dinner.

Stay tuned for episode 3 to see what the chef was cookin!