Taman Negara kansallispuistoa odotettiin yhta kovasti kun Cameronia. Me buukattiin meian hostellista Cameronissa kyyti sinne. Oli vahan kalliimpi kun sinne oli kuulemma hankalampi paasta Cameronista. Ensiks mentiin minivanilla juna-asemalle mika kesti noin parisen tuntii mutkasia vuoristoteita (ja kuskin hassun ajotavan takia). Sitten noustiin junaan yhentoista pintaan. Kyseista juna-matkaa kutsutaan 'viidakko-junaks' kun se menee metsan lapi. Lopuks saavuttiin Jerantutiin missa meita odotti uus minivan ja jatkettiin ruuan ja auton vaihdon jalkeen Kuala Tahan mika on yks kansallispuiston neljasta "sisaankaynti" kylasta. Se oli viela pienempi kun edellinen ja niin hiljanen paikka lukuunottamatta elainten aania mutta siis kiva siita huolimatta etta mulla on pienten kylien fobia. ;D
Tahan Guesthousesta loydettiin huone 40ringgitin hintaan. Valitettavasti en muistanu ottaa kuvaa koko paikasta tai huoneesta. Se oli niin varikkaasti maalattu paikka, suorastaan 70-luvun hippityylia. Meiankin huoneessa oli mm. yks seina kokonaan taynna lasten maalaamia erivarisia leppakerttuja..heheh.. Ja koko hostellissa oli vaan squatti-vessoja.
Sen kylasen toinen puoli ulottuu joelle missa on muutamia kelluvia ravintoloita. Ne oli aika hauskoja illan pimetessa. Ja ruoka oli tosi halpaa niissa. Myos retket oli yllattavan halpoja verrattuna Cameroniin.
Varattiin heti seuraavalle paivalle retki viidakkoon.
Ekana iltana kun kaveltiin suht pimeessa meian hostelliin joen rannalta siel katuvaloissa ja maassa poris isoja lentavia otokoita. En oo varma onks ne niita cicadoita mut ne oli ihan kamalia. Saatto olla paikallaan maassa ja kun sa kavelit ohi ne alko surisee tosi kovaa ja ihan vauhkona.. ei saatu selville paikallisilta oppailta mika niitten otokoitten ongelma oli. haha. Mut ne oli ssun peukalon kokosia ja lens ihan paattomasti, ja aamulla niit oli kuolleena maassa. Tosin jos ne oli niit cicadoita niin ne kuulemma asuu maan alla 7-8vuotta ja sit ne elaa parisen viikkoo maan pinnalla, metsissa ennen ku kuolee. Ja ne pitaa usein viidakossa sita korvissa soivaa metelia. Yak.
Siis seuraavana aamuna matkattiin veneella joen yli ja vahan eteenpain. Mentiin maailman pisimmalle canopy walking:lle. Canopy walking on noin 40metrin korkeudessa maan pinnasta olevat riippusillat jotka on kiinnitetty puusta toiseen. Tan pituus on 530metria mutta nyt rempattiin osaa joten paastiin vaan 230metrin alueelle kavelee. Vahan jannitti menna aluks kun opas neuvo miten pitaa toimia ja se tuntu tosi hurjalta. Piti pitaa 5-10metria valia edelliseen ihmiseen ettei se silta ala pahasti heilumaan, piti kavella kun mallina lavalla ja pitaa molemmin kasin koysista sun sivuilla. Ei se ees tuntunu niin korkeelta ja pelottavalta kun sa paasit sinne ja se loppu just kun oltiin paasemmassa korkeemmalle. Sen jalkeen opas vei meiat viela sen kukkulan huipulle mista naki hienoja kansallispuiston maisemia. Opas oli tosi hyva, se kerto paljon just niista elaimista ja hyonteisista ja puista seka jostain paikallisista kasveista joita ne kayttaa laakkeena.
Me kaveltiin Raffin kanssa sielta takas kylaan, se oli jonkun1.5km takasin niita polkuja pitkin. Siel matkalla nahtiin yks kuollut villisika sorkat pystyssa, hyi. Muuten elaimet pysy hyvin piilossa, aanet vaan kuulu. Ja onneks ei tormatty apinoihin, ma oon huomannu etten tykkaa niista ;)
Illaks buukattiin viela yo-safari jeepilla. Se tunnelma oli niin siisti kun pimee tuli ja kaikki ne viidakon aanet kuulu. Sit ajettiin kuun valossa siel palmuplantaasien tuntumassa. Me istuttiin sen avojeepin takana ja opas sen katolla ja spottas ison valon kanssa heijastuksia silmista pimeessa. Noh, ei me sit nahty sen kummempaa kun lehdilla nukkuvia lintuja, isoja hamahakkeja ja just ennen kun lahettiin sielta kylasta niin villisika lyllers ojaan. Mut se tunnelma oli niin siisti ja se opas jalleen kerran osas kertoo hyvia juttuja ja sen kyky spotata valolla jonkun hamahakin tai pienen linnun silmat oli uskomatonta.
Edellispaivana oltiin loydetty sellanen uimapaikka sen joen varrella mihin suunniteltiin menevamme seuraavana paivana. Nukuttiin myohaan ja pakattiin retki kimpsut ja kampsut ja mentiin paivaks sinne joelle. Raffi uskals kayda uimassa mut ma nain edellispaivana paikallisen kundin selan ja sil oli kaks niin isoo paukamaa selassa, jotka ma kasitin oli tullu kun se oli uimassa, joten jatin valiin. Kavin kastamassa jalkoja kylla ja vesi oli ihanan raikasta, saa oli siis lampimampi kun Cameronilla jalleen. Se paikka oli tosi rauhallinen lukuunottamatta niita veneita jotka valilla huristeli ohi. Niin ja bongasin myos villisian sorkan jaljet siina rannassa. Myohemmin ennen kun oltiin lahossa nahtiin pienia apinoita hyppimassa toisella puolella jokee puussa ja edellispaivana joku metsakana yllatti meiat polulla. Siina meian elainbongailut Taman Negarasta.
Seuraavana paivana meilla molemmilla oli kadet ja jalat taynna pienia kutiavia paukamia. Ilmeisesti ne arsyttavat pienet karpaset joella puri meita. Hoh.
Taman Negara, niinkuin Cameronkin kannattaa siis lisata matka-agendaan jos tannepain eksytte.
Terppa, Nora
English:
Taman Negara National Park was something we really looked for to. As much as Cameron. We booked the ride there from our hostel in Cameron. It was rather expensive compared to all the other rides in Malaysia. But it seems you cannot get to Taman Negara by any public transportation from Cameron. A minivan came to us in the morning and after two hours in a curvy mountain road we reached the train station where we got on to so called jungle train. After three more hours we were in Jerantut where another minivan was waiting and after a dinner and change of vans we finally got to Kuala Tahan. Kuala Tahan is one of the four entry places to Taman Negara. It was even smaller than Tahan Rata except for the sounds of jungle animals. Truly speaking the village was lovely for a small town-phobiac like me ;D
We set up in a Tahan Guesthouse for 40RM. Unfortunately I forgot to take any pics of our room or the whole guesthouse. It was painted very colorfully, in 70s hippie style. E.g. they had painted big ladybirds in one wall. And to mention, they only had squat toilets in each room..
The other end of the village reached to the river and they had floating restaurants. They were so lovely in the evenings and food was great and cheap there. Compared to Cameron also the trips were somewhat inexpensive. And the next day we had the first day trip to the jungle. The trip included walking in the world's longest canopy walk. For you who don't know what's that: it's around 40metres high hanging robebridge installed between the jungle trees. This is 530metres long but they were reconstructing part of it so we could only walk for 230metres. I was at first very anxious about the whole walking coz the guide told us safety instructions and made it sound veeery exciting and scary. You were suppose to have 5-10metres space between, walk like a model for not shaking the whole bridge, and hold robes in both sides. But it didnt firstly feel so high and scary once you got in there and just when it got higher it was finished. After the canopy walking out tourguide took us to a hill to see great viesw over to the national park. The guide was excellent, he told us lots about insects and animals living there, about the trees and some plants they use as medicine.
We wanted to walk back to the village from the tour and it was 1.5kms from there along the path. We saw one wild boar dead on our way, yak, it smelled awful. Otherwise animals stayed well hidden even though we hear many. And to my luck we did not bump into macaques, I've noticed I dont like them... ;)
The first night we walked home from the riverside there were these huge flying insects all over the street lights and streets. Not sure if they were the famous, noisy cicadas, but they were awful. In one moment they remained still on the ground and as soon as you were closer they started buzzing and flying around like no destination. And in the morning many of them lied dead on the ground. We asked the guide though but never got a straight answer whether it was the same insect he told us about. You see cicada lives under ground for 7-8years and after they crawl above they mate in the trees and live for appr. two weeks only. That's the loud buzzing sound in the jungles.
For the same day we had the daytrip we booked night safari on a jeep. The feeling was cool once it got dark and all the jungle sounds started. We drove in moonlight through palm plantations, we in the back of the open trunk jeep and our guide on the roof pointing out a spotlight to woods trying to get a reflection of eyes. To our misfortune we didnt see big wild animals, just few birds sleeping on a leaves, two big spiders and one wild boar escaping us to a ditch in the beginning. But I tell you, the atmosphere was the best part, the expectation that you might see something. Besides the guide was once again good and we wondered his way of spotting small eyes like spiders and birds.
The day before we had spotted a swimming place along the river where we planned to have a day out. We slept long and packed our bags and camped there. Raffi dared to swim in the shallow water but I chickened coz I saw two bumps in local guy's back the day before when they had a swim there. I assume he got them while swimming as he was wondering about it too. I did dip my feet though and the water felt refreshing. The location was perfect, only the sound of surrounding jungle and once in a while motorboats passed by. Oh, and i did spot wild boar's tracks on the sand. And later we saw little monkeys on the other side of the river climbing on a tree. That's for the wild animals in Taman Negara. The next day we both had arms and legs full of small itchy stings. The annoying flies by the river bit us!
Taman Negara, like Cameron is worth to check out.
Nora
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