It's Another Trip

Life is so full of uncertainties.  Barely a day after our trip back from the East Coast we had a call that our besan was admitted to the Bukit Mertajam Hospital ICU.  We made a quick decision to visit her leaving the house at about 8:30 am, Saturday.  The target was to be at the hospital by the lunchtime visiting hours.  We made good the target arriving at about 12:15 pm.  Good time indeed for a first timer to the township.  The hospital security staff were helpful, literally taking us to the unit amidst the twist and turn route.

She was restless in spite of being heavily sedated and with wires and oxygen supply for assisted breathing.  On being told that she can hear us we gave our salam and mentioned her of our arrival.  She paused from her restlessness and was then much more calm.  The attending nurse updated us of her condition.  The sedation was more to allow her to rest.  Turns out that she collapsed due to high blood pressure and hypoglycemic condition.  They, however, did a CT scan to eliminate cranial blood clotting as the reason for her condition.

We gave a call to the husband telling him of our arrival.  He was then busy with a wedding kenduri of a brother's son in the village.  The earlier plan was for us to meet-up at the hospital.  It was then that we decide to drop over, thus another search.  The place is Kg. Kubang Ulu, Penanti.  After several stops asking for directions, we made it to Kg. Kubang Ulu.  Penanti signboard was more like a railway station's.  To find a place having a village kenduri is easy, just pick one with lots of cars by the road.



Taking a well-deserved break at BM Hospital grounds.

Alas, by the time we arrived our besan has left for the hospital.  It seemed that the hospital called for some personal supplies which he dutifully delivered.  Not knowing anybody at the kenduri we waited for his return.  Our waiting choice was a big shady tree by the road shoulder.  Not for long though for our besan was soon with us and we were ushered to the kenduri.  It was all beef dishes and with our hypertension to check, it was not a feast that we were to enjoy.  We soon took leave from the kenduri host to go to our besan's house.  Another first for us.  Soon it was time for us to leave.


The changing landscape as we drove up north

 Rolling...

The exquisite waterfall at the Selangor-Perak border

Mountainous...

Limestone hill outcrops

Flat padi fields

Initially our plan was to spend the night at either Bukit Mertajam or Seberang Jaya.  However, with much daylight left we decided to put up at Taiping.  Incidentally, the day's paper has a pullout about the township places of interest.  I fancy the famous Taiping Lake Gardens while the better half was talking about the famed mee-udang (salespitched: selak udang baru nampak mee!).  Our youngest who is with us is OK with both choices but specifically mentioned that there not be another zoo trip.  We were at Taiping some years back for the zoo night safari.  She must have seen enough then.

The Seri Malaysia Hotel Taiping

With no prior reservations and being the school holidays we were lucky to have a room at the Taiping Sri Malaysia Hotel.  Except for an early evening drive at the Lake Gardens, there is not much night life in Taiping, we soon seeked our beds.  After a tiring whole day drive, the bed was indeed beckoning.

Being so close to the famous Bukit Larut (aka Maxwell Hills), we planned to go up the hill.  With the ticket costing RM6/person we were driven up using the four-wheel drive Land Rover.  The 30 minute uphill drive was indeed scary, with 72 hair-pin corners and turns, a simple slide would mean several meters down the ravine.  But the sight from the hill station was bewitching.  We can see Taiping town right across to the Straits of Malacca.  My daughter was asking whether it is possible to see Sumatera.  No, it is not.  

The Bukit Larut foothill

We have company for the uphill ride

Landslide!!!

The welcome at the hill station

Moss growing on the roof, sign of high humidity

Looking far out into the Straits of Malacca

Pine with hanging Spanish mosses

Our very own azeleas in bloom

Tumbling downhill

Looks like there is minimal maintenance of the hill station.  Capitalising on the mild cool temperatures and abundant rainfall (this place is known to register the highest annual rainfall for Peninsular Malaysia), fresh landscaping could do wonders to the place.  As  it is, facilities are rather run-down.  Was telling my daughter that I would readily grab a job at this place should there be one on offer.  I just love cool mountain climate.  We spend about 2 hrs here before taking the Land Rover for the 20 minute downhill trip.  A teenager with us on the downhill trip was engrossed with a computer game.  What a waste of the trip.

Downhill we stop over for a durian feast.  Not a real feast for it was just two fruits between the three of us.  The taste was just heavenly.  Since durian is a big no no in the car, we took out our folded chairs and consumed the durian in-situ.  Sorry, for the goodness of the durian, I forgot all about the camera.  Finally, a lap around the Lake Gardens before taking a turn into the PLUS Highway for our way back home. 

The iconic hanging branches at the Taiping Lake Gardens

The lake

Larut Hills from the Taiping Lake Gardens.

One thing about this trip up north, the food at the R&Rs are just 'bleah'.  We can't help but brought our own food for the trip.  The south and east coast R&Rs serve better tasting dishes.