Taroko National Park

A visit to the Taroko National Park (太魯閣國家公園) during the autumn is beautiful. It’s the closest experience with nature and its beauty. Water from deep mountains is so clean, so pure, you can really see that it’s blue…

In order to encourage more visitors, some paths are created for visitors to walk through. Due to this reason, you may experience some water dripping on top of your head, and in some areas, you may observe increased risk of getting hit by a rock.

There has been several cases of deaths due to falling rocks. So during typhoon or heavy rain, visitors are strongly discouraged from visiting this place. If it’s sunny after heavy rain the day before, please don’t even consider visiting this hazardous place. Nonetheless, nature is just fascinating and you can experience it all in Taroko Gorge and National Park.

Some aborigines here making business out of arts and harvests of the forest.

Somewhere at the swallow grotto (燕子口), we had to wear safety helmets for ‘some’ protection, cause even with safety helmets, it doesn’t deter larger rocks to crack your head like an egg. So some visitors chose not to wear them.

I think the most interesting part of Taroko gorge are the rock formations and the layered stones, some close approximate to the Grand Canyon in the US. View the photograph below with red-cyan anaglyph 3D glasses for best result.

This trip there may only be a one day trip, but the view up in the mountains was breath taking. I would want to spend more time there, and I’m definitely looking forward for a second visit.

A Sustainable Future

 

National Geographic Magazine is one of my must read reading material of all time. Not only I improved my use of vocabulary and diversify my writing techniques when I indulge myself in the articles, I get myself abreast of all the latest news and updates, especially on environmental discussions.

Recently, I found myself watching the National Geographic Live! Explorers Symposium featured in the Apple iTunes Podcasts. I couldn’t help but agree more with one of the discussions in the episodes – Seafood and Survival by Barton Seaver. He is not a scientist, but merely an observer. As a chef, he realized the importance of a meal to humans – it is where humans get together as a family. As he got older, he came to realize that the seafood he used for cooking has become exorbitantly expensive, and some of his favourite catches were no longer there for harvesting. It was then he said this, “As chefs, we are responsible for creating a demand of exotic food. We are the one who popularized shark fin soup and we are now in control of the natural selection of seafood species.” He believed that it is our duty as the harvester of our natural resources should use our natural resources wisely.

“Sustainability is not about the environment, it’s about sustaining people. We may have used an eco-friendly method to cultivate shrimps in farms, but having a shrimp buffet as a business is not a sustainable method. Sustainability failed on the human part.” He’s right! At the end of the day, we’ll be affected when the ecosystem collapsed. I can firmly say that ecosystem is there to support our living!

In short, we should really take a step forward and look at our dinner plates. You are indeed what you eat, but at the same time, the Earth’s wellbeing is what you eat too! So be responsible for what you consume.

Uniquely Sabah

Sabah is unique (to me), where no words can simply describe the wonders she holds. So I’ll keep it simple – Enjoy the photos, and hope that you find them unique too.

The Spear River – Sungai Lembing

The most interesting fact about this small little town - it floods every December, every single year. And the worst floor ever recorded was in the year 2001.

This small little town also contains other wonders. You will need at least 3 days to complete the tour around. By the time you're done, you'll want to come back here again.

This town, which has never failed to mesmerise everyone, is better known as Sungai Lembing, just a few kilometres away from Kuantan, Pahang.

The growth of this town some one century ago was due to the mining of our rich minerals, especially the tin ore. A visit through the local museum will reveal much of the history of this town.

Some of the remains can still be found located around town and most of them are preserved in the museum. A few sites to visit include the place where the refinery of the mineral ore took place and the underground cave entrance.

So why 3 days to complete a visit? Because on the first morning, you'd most likely be interested to see the beautiful Mount Panorama, and on the second morning, an early trip to the Rainbow Waterfalls is worth every second spent. Sadly, I did not take the latter trip.

When you're done with all these activities, you can enjoy some famous Sungai Lembing noodles, especially the tomato sauce noodles. Their local biscuits tastes great as well. I find their sesame biscuits tastier than the coconut biscuits though.

This local bakery also sold some very nice Kaya puff.

Other attractions include crossing one of the many hanging bridges, visiting the crystal house, buying your freshly made noodles from the local factory, and if you're bored at night, talking a stroll around town at night.

Road signs in English are certainly new in Malaysia.

About 10 kilometres away from this peaceful town, there is a cave – Charas Cave (Gua Charas).

My dad told me that he came some 20 years ago, he had to pay RM 2 for the Indian guy down the cave to start up a electric generator for the lights. So much has improved, and people can be seen coming here to pray.

A grand Taoist temple located not far away from the Kuantan Toll exit is the Temple of the Golden Dragon (太子金龙). It is a grand temple with the dragon as the main theme. I find the place is a bit lavish though, somehow felt that the money should go somewhere else better use.

This short journey to Sungai Lembing certainly brought much joy and peacefulness. See the kampung people around, old shop lots, and people riding bikes without helmets.

In short, I would come back to Sungai Lembing again. And if you love nature, you'd definitely love to explore this place.

A week full of travelling

The past week has been travel crazy.

Travel back to hometown, then to Singapore, and ended my weekend with a night’s stay at Sungai Lembing, Pahang.

Tiring indeed.

Update on the on the Sungai Lembing trip to come.

 

** I’ve gone crazy over panorama. Took over 20 sets of panorama to be stitched. Anyways, here’s a sample… Click on the image to enlarge.

More photos to come.