Inspirations from nature...

I have done things that I have never thought I would do in my lifetime at Taman Negara. Holidays to me usually is a series of enjoyable, relaxing activities which includes (the list is non-exhaustive) shopping, eating, going for massage and watching TV infront of my hotel bed. Never would I imagine going on a trip that I don't really enjoy the food or the activities. So, before I embarked on the trip this time to Taman Negara, I really kept my expectations low...really low. I imagined not having a proper place to stay, not being able to eat or drink well and to be bitten by leeches.

But this trip really changed my view of life. The way that I see it is that I am able to take certain levels of hardship (to a certain extend that I don't risk my life).

Activity 1: Expect the unexpected.

I have never imagined myself crawling inside a cave. And there I was. I was in a cave so small that I had to crawl, to sqeeze and to jump and push myself up. I am heavy and these are not easy. Particularly when the small-sized guide showed us how he did the stunts without much effort. But I did not think much, I just want to get out of the wretched place. At first, I thought that after going through the entrance the cave will widen. I was dead wrong, it narrowed even more. So I had to step on rocks and hold on to ropes if I don't want to fall to unknown waters or neverending holes. Anyways, I must say I feel satisfied after finishing this taunting ordeal - don't laugh when I say this because you are talking about a woman who never was adventurous to begin with.

Activity 2: Trotting in the jungle with insects

I hate insects...particularly those which flies around you and especially those who buzz around your ear drums. But these were my companions during jungle trekking. There were lizards, leeches, frogs, grasshoppers and a dozen of bees. But there I was still enjoying the trekking. I enjoyed the part that you have to figure out the easiest way to step on the jungle floor so that I won't get my shoes covered with mud. My shoes (the ones that my friend lent me) sank on mud and was dirty but durable. The best part was the encounters with leeches, thank goodness I did not have any creeping up to me but my two exploration partners had them but their blood weren't dishes on the table after we took precautions to make sure that we are safe from these pests.

Activity 3: Boat rides - my favourite relaxing activity

This was the view during my 3 hour long boat ride. With the wind blowing on my face and me sunk in a Sampan motor boat, I felt that it's good to take life easy at times. Being tensed about work about what you have and don't have some how is useless. Anyways, the front view in the sampan would be the photo that I am most satisfied with...the very first photo I put up in this blog.

These are the three activities that I felt that I had the deepest impression on and I really really think that no doubt it took like 12 hours to reach Taman Negara and about the same amount of time to go back. The food sucks. It was exhausting. I was truly inspired by the nature. But I was inspired as there is so much to see out there - much more than I could imagine.

Lastly...ordeals are there to overcome and at times there's no easy way to do it but to go through with it and in the meantime to learn to enjoy the process.

Cheers!

CC