Coral Hike

Reef fishes, hard and soft corals, all living abundantly in the Straits of Malacca.

Little did we know that the Straits of Malacca harbours some of nature's best kept secrets. Unknown to many, a small cape extending into the Straits of Malacca hosts not only a tropical rainforest but a rich diversity of marine life beneath the rumbling surface of the sea. Our journey which supposed to start early in the morning, was delayed because my car couldn't start. I was just about to give up and call off the trip before the engine miraculously came to life. voila.
Journey took us approximately an hour and a half via the trunk road, offering a scenic view of surrounding palm oil estates and the kampungs.

It was a perfectly cloudy morning which made the journey somewhat enjoyable but upon reaching our destination, we were yearning for sunlight. After all, photos don't turn out well without sunlight. We hiked up the cape on a paved road before turning left at an opening between the trees, venturing off the beaten path. We were planning to head to the deserted beach on the western coast of the cape.


huge trees towering above each other


calling her relatives out of the jungle




just before we ventured off the beaten path

The trek to the beach would have been an enjoyable one if it weren't because of the mosquitoes that were targeting me; or should I say my black bag? They were swarming all over me as if they haven't had their meals for ages. I couldn't even pause to snap a picture or gasp some air without getting bitten. Before reaching the beach, we stumbled upon a nicely dug well with brick walls. What is a well doing in the middle of the jungle? It certainly added to the already spooky environment.






wild snake fruit; it is impossible to take a clear picture with dozens of mosquitoes hovering above your head.

Finally, after a 30-minute hike, we reached our destination. Greeted by an unknown stench, stagnant and murky waters, we were wondering if all these worth the journey. There were debris scattered all around the beach, many of which are dead and broken corals, which gave us evidence that an ecosystem once thrived here. At one end of the beach was a dead monitor lizard with a size comparable to that of a crocodile. With the sun still playing hide and seek with us, photos turned out dull and lifeless.




C'est art


fossil-like impression


dead seaweeds


The yellow sand beach


half a dozen of this and you'll get a great appetiser, or aphrodisiac. =P


the unfortunate reptile


an empty beach with a white frangipani tree and many offerings and joss sticks; it was time to get out of there.

We searched around for another trail which leads to another beach on the tip of the cape. It was quite a steep journey up but the trail is well marked if not used. After hiking up the hill, we had to hike down before we found paradise. It was actually my second time here but limited time didn't allow for exploration during my first trip. We surveyed the surrounding, walked around and headed straight to the exposed sea bed as it was low tide.


sneak preview




white sand beach fringed by the forest




the exposed reef during low tide



A couple of dull-looking hard corals in pools of water caught our attentions. It was simply amazing to see such organisms living in a heavily polluted environment and high water turbidity. The one and only thing that helped them survive is the poor accessibility to the beach which is a blessing in disguise. Some of these hard corals boast blue and green hues that made excellent contents for our photo album. Of course, we didn't stop there. We continued walking towards the sea which had a nice blueish shade that turned crystal clear as we approach closer.
A closer look revealed more hard corals and soft corals that rival those in the east coast. This is by far the largest collection of corals we've ever seen on the west coast of Peninsula Malaysia after Pulau Payar. So vast that we barely explored it after half a day. At one side there were huge colonies brain corals while at the corner there were small pools of water housing reef fishes that got trapped by the receding tide. Humans are barely present here as these fishes were clearly intimidated by every slight movement above or beneath the water surface.








stone corals. Goniastrea sp.




close-up of hard coral. Goniastrea sp.


reef fishes that were trapped by the receding tide


reef crab


intimidated by our presence




seagrass and corals living harmoniously together


Rockies

After snapping scene from above the water, I decided it was time to get dirty. Actually the water was only knee-deep. The further we head out to the sea, the more colourful the corals are and the variety found increases as well. No nudibranches or morray eel unfortunately. It was a sight to behold as marine lives never fail to fascinate my climbing buddy and me. The corals were simply amazing, bursting with colours and they are surprisingly healthy. I'm basically out of words to describe the whole scene beneath the surface. As usual, I'll allow the pictures to paint the thousand words.


Family Faviidae


two of the few fishes that I managed to capture on camera




seaweeds






Goniastrea sp. which formed the majority of corals


yellow disc coral. turbinaria sp.


Family Faviidae


Family Faviidae


green Goniastrea sp.


brown disc coral. turbinaria sp.


Family Faviidae


Goniastrea sp.


turbinaria sp.


Family Faviidae partially submerged





Family Faviidae





close-up from above to beneath


A great picture of the full internal reflection (pantulan dalam penuh)
species unknown




Tried to take "the best of both worlds"




the rough sea


partially burned coral enthusiasts






talking to her mom on the phone while balancing on slippery rocks. Camp 5 skill. lol


the reef flat. While it looks brown, it is very much alive and vibrant


Goniopora columna sp.


Goniopora columna sp.


Goniopora columna sp.


Goniopora columna sp.


grape-like seaweeds. So tempted to burst one




Soft Corals - black


Soft Corals - brown


Soft Corals - green


Family Alcyoniidae


Family Alcyoniidae


Family Alcyoniidae


Family Alcyoniidae


a perfect example of coral bleaching due to constant exposure to the surface


damsel fishes






Zebra-like fishes




dried table coral


alien-like Family Faviidae and octopus like hermit crab shell


the lot that didn't make it to adulthood





Without realising it, we've already spent half a day snapping pictures and appreciating one of mother nature's greatest creation. Tide was coming in and it was time for some a nice cool shower and an overpriced KFC meal which was my last. Nevertheless, it was a worthwhile journey and a rewarding hike to unlock the secrets of the historic straits


Why Great Barrier Reef when it's all here?

Sherry Berry's Infamous 21

One fine weekend, we assembled at Changkat for Sherry's infamous 21 birthday. Infamous due to the scandals.. ho ho ho, and the fact that we went bar-hopping that night. Started with a surprise at naomi's place, unfortunately I couldn't attend or it would have been a blast. lol. Then met up with them at Werner's. Initially we were supposed to be at 21 coz' it's her 21 but they didn't allow the two Jays in coz' they were wearing shorts. Since when Malaysia followed the rules?



Werner's ain't that bad either, they placed us on the open-air terrace overlooking the streets below and part of the KL skyline. While waiting for the rest to finish their dinner at Ciccio, the four early birds managed to spend some quality time celebrating Da' Bimbo's birthday.




All to ourselves




Tapas, champagne, martinis and beers to complete the evening




Then came the crowd

Next, an extremely small group of us decided to adjourn to Qba at the KL Westin for some Latin music. First time there but definitely the first of many to come. Concept was great, like a Gothic maison grooving with salsa tunes. They even had live singers and performers. 90% of the crowd were Caucasians, which really made us feel like we were in a Latin country. One drawback though, prices of beverages here are astronomical!




Qba interior

Not wanting to end the night so early, our dear birthday girl wanted to go for a Playboy themed party in Hilton. And so we went there, snapped a few pictures, watched some performances and some girls in bunny ears as usual. Pretty much about that considering the party was ending when we arrived there. Seems like we did nothing intellectual that night but heck, it was fun.

Bartending Made Easy

Being an ex-bartender definitely has its pros and cons. The good thing is, you get to learn how to make your own favourite cocktails and enjoy them minus the hefty price tag.


F.B.I. or more fondly known as Frozen Black Irish

Requires 3 different types of liquor and liqueur namely Vodka, Irish Cream and Coffee Liqueur.


Vodka


Bailey's Irish Cream


Kahlua is the best coffee liqueur but it can be replaced with Tia Maria.


Concoctions are simple.. 1-1-1.


Pour everything into a working blender, add vanilla Ice Cream


and ice cubes for the crunchy feel.
Optional though, I only add it because I like to chew on ice.
Blend it well but not too long of the ice cream will turn watery.


Pour into a highball and garnish with a maraschino cherry if available.


Pina Colada (this recipe is dedicated to those Pictionary lovers and Roxanne!)

This is my all time favourite especially when I'm on a beach, on a tropical getaway. The best part of it is that it's freaking cheap. All you need is White Rum (preferably from the Carribean), Pineapple Juice and Coconut Cream. How simple is that?


Ok, I didn't have any rum and since I planned on using vanilla ice cream, I decided on Malibu instead. (It's a coconut flavoured rum)


Pineapple juice. Shake it before use, the tasty sediments are always at the bottom of the can.


Pour everything into the blender,


add the vanilla ice cream and blend for a couple of seconds coz' you want to secure the creamy texture of the cocktail.


pour into a highball or hurricane,


and Garnish with a pineapple wedge or a lime in my case.



Sit back, relax and enjoy the tropical cocktail while picturing yourself on a tropical island.. bliss!

Black Mushroom Bruschetta

With ample of time and inspired by Wernie's bruschettas, I decided to make my own Monday lunch. All ingredients used are what I found in my kitchen, which explains the lack of elaborateness. Ingredients are pretty simple and basic, consisting of tomatoes, dried black mushrooms, onions, cheese, bread, some herbs and spices as wells as sauces.


Tomatoes and dried black mushrooms


parsley


Firstly, soak the mushrooms in water for about an hour. While doing so, dice the tomatoes


Once the mushrooms have absorbed the water and expanded, gently slice it and boil it in water with a little salt.


you'll know the mushrooms are cooked when there ain't any white spots in the middle of the mushrooms.


In the meantime, dice some yellow onions or red onions if you like things hot and spicy.


Mix the onions, mushrooms and tomatoes in a mixing bowl


Then comes the flavouring part.
Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, Tabasco, pepper and herbs.


drizzle some olive oil


followed by the L&P


then white pepper which gives it the spicy flavour


and black pepper for the peppery flavour. Mix them well and spoon them onto the bread


Well, the best type of bread is baguette or focaccia but there was just none of these in my house at that moment. You would want to make sure that it is evenly spread across the bread so you won't have any pieces falling down then u lift the bruschettas.


garnish with cheese, in this case, I only had Cheddar. Best option would be Mozzarella.


Arrange them nicely on the toasting tray and bake it till the cheese melts and bind the ingredients.


Once toasted, top it with sweet relish,


mustard sauce


and garnish with parsley.


To complete the meal, a glass of medium-bodied red wine, such as Merlot will be a perfect match. Simple ain't it?

Cina-Greek Salad

Lg had this final gathering at his house and it's a pot luck. I had the whole idea of making a bruschetta as it was hassle-free and easy but he pushed me aside coz' Wernie wanted to make them too. Evil. lol. At least LG's mom was on my side. =P
So, I had 3 hours to plan a menu and purchase the items as well as prepare them. Since I've prepared some out-of the-menu questions for upselling, I thought it would have been a great opportunity to try them out. I came out with Greek Salad by the way. Minus the feta cheese and the olives, replaced with squid, thus the name Cina-Greek. No it's not China but plain cinapek.
I'm condemning myself. lol. Well, the ingredients are simple..


Red Cabbage, no butter no savoy but RED.


Diced Tomatoes and Cucumber


Sliced celery and yeah, slice the cabbage into strips. Not to forget the squid which I forgotten to take picture of. Basically, remove the bone (the plastic thingy in the the squid), intestines, and peel the skin and then slice it into rings. Blanch it for a minute and remove.


For the dressing, red wine vinegar, which can be replaced with plain vinegar and red wine, and olive oil. Virgin is always the best but pure olive oil ain't that bad too.


Chopped parsley leaves, exclude the stems


What we're trying to do here is extremely similar to a vinaigrette, just that we have the extra ingredients apart from vinegar and oil. Firstly, mix the red wine vinegar with the olive oil. Portion is 1-3. When you see the mixture 'sizzling', you know it's time to move on.


add some diced onions for flavour,


followed by the parsley chopped earlier


and mix it all till you get something like this. Season with a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce as well as some salt and pepper.


Finally, slice some rings of onions, throw in the squid and all the diced and sliced ingredients, mix with well and drizzle the dressing over like it's a scene from AFC. Bon Apetite!


Voila la salade a la cina-greek

The Backyard of KL

After the previous unsuccessful trip, I finally made it an effort to rediscover KL's backyard. Unknown to many, Hulu Langat is situated "behind" KL, separated by a hill which hosts the prominent Ampang Lookout Point. Hulu Langat is home to numerous waterfalls and hot spring which is gaining popularity among urbanites. After hearing many stories, it was time to see it for myself.






The view from the hillslope

As I made my way up the hill, the presence of cool, crisp mountain air was becoming more apparent despite the afternoon sun. Once at the summit and descending downhill, the scenery changes from an urban jungle into lush greenery; like stepping into a different world, or a tourist brochure. There was no sign of civilisation apart from the tarmac and the barricade, only miles and miles of blue mountains disappearing into the horizon.


life's a journey


verdant jungle, blue mountains



It was interesting to see so much greenery just minutes away from the city. At the foot of the hill lies the town of Hulu Langat. A somewhat small town with a history of its own. However, the traffic here can be chaotic as nearby developments have brought heavy vehicles along with it and the narrow roads further add to the congestion. Finding the hot spring was a challenging task. Poor signage is to be blamed. I was driving up and down the same road only to realise that a small sign enveloped in thick mildew is perched on the entrance of the hot spring. At first glance, the whole site gave an unwelcoming feel to visitors, which explains the desertion of the place. Piles of human waste were collecting at one end while the main pool itself is filled with plastic chairs of irresponsible parties. Nevertheless, I was a little fascinated as it was the first hot spring I've ever came across to. A check at the temperature of the water proves it to be a hot spring indeed. Not boiling hot as other hot springs though.


Sungai Serai hot spring




bubbles emerging from the bed of the pool

After the long journey of hunting for the hot spring, it was time for a light snack and the countless roadside stalls proves to be handy. Many of these stalls sell the same items ranging from sweetcorns, sweet potatoes as well as fruits and herbs from the forest harvested by the nearby indigenous tribes. I decided to stick to something safer like sweetcorn, boiled right before my eyes in a blackened pot, steaming with flavours. Simple yet appetising.


Glutinous rice cooked in bamboos




The pot of goodness


The freshly boiled sweetcorn that I munched on while tackling the bending slopes leading to Tekala Falls. Oops.

From the hots spring, I headed North East, edging nearer to the border of Pahang and Negeri Sembilan. My next destination was Tekala Falls. Fortunately, signboards were clear and even in the absence of signboards, there were stone markers on each side of the road. Just before reaching Tekala Falls, one will encounter the Semenyih Dam which is very far from the town of Semenyih as the name suggests. This is truly a sight to behold.


blue waters at the foreground, blue mountains at the background






One of the many miniature waterfalls by the road

After driving about 30 minutes from the town of Hulu Langat, I found myself at the second destination. Upon entering the compounds, I paid a visitor fee of RM1 and made my way into the jungle. With the amount of gazebos and manmade structures as well as human waste here, it is easy to conclude that this is a very popular recreational area especially during weekends. Unamazed by all the manmade stuff, I hiked even deeper into the jungles till there were no more steps but pathways left by previous trekkers. As the trail leads higher, the stream seems to disappear into the thick jungle making it difficult to keep up. The falls weren't that majestic but it's still popular among locals probably due to its accessibility.


towering trees at the entrance of Tekala Falls


hardy trees growing in the middle of the stream






Tekala Falls


upper Tekala Falls


butterflies searching for minerals from teh ground






wild mushroom


the jungle claiming parts of the stream on the upper falls before disappearing


more wild mushrooms





As the day was still young and with plenty of time to waste, I embarked on a journey to Gabai Falls which is approximately an hour from Tekala Falls. This time the road took me through a scenic route around the dam and into the hills. From here, several aboriginal settlements could be seen along with several odd-coloured trees amidst the thick forest. The whole scene looks like autumn.


monitor lizard in a pond


a canoe would come in handy now



More of Semenyih Dam


Aboriginal Settlements


autumn in Malaysia?


An ealge hovering majestically in the sky


Why did the chicken cross the road?

Signboards again were missing in action and I nearly found myself in Kuala Kelawai, Negeri Sembilan. I made a U-turn and finally i managed to spot the extremely minute signboard at a junction leading into the waterfall. The road was extremely narrow, filled with potholes and the distance from the mainroad to the waterfall is about 3km. Parking can be a problem here during weekends as most of the road has been cordoned of for unknown reasons. Similar to Tekala Falls, adult visitors have to pay a minimal fee of RM1 to visit the falls. Gabai Falls was definitely much better in my point of view. Facilities were in good shape, probably because they are still new. The lower falls seems to be very inviting but small amounts of rubbish can be seen at the upper falls.


Sungai Gabai





The lower falls boast a high drop but less inclined than the middle falls. From here, a flight of steep stairs on the left leads to the middle falls. As I made my way there, an apparent smell of shisha was in the air. In a nearby gazebo there were dozens of shishas lefts unattended while a huge Arab family can be seen frolicking in the water with their robes. yaiks. It was a perfect picnic spot indeed, shaded from the sun by towering bamboos with ocassional sprinkles from the falls.


Lower falls








In between the upper and lower falls



Hiking all the way to the upper falls was extremely challenging and tiring as it is constantly heading upwards with almost no intervals. Several facilities has been built up here too but signs of vandalism are beginning to appear. There was a trail leading deeper into the jungle but the dark skies meant it was time to call it a day.


upper falls


Pool at the upper falls

When Nature Provides..

a successful road trip..


a successful hike..


a successful picnic..


a successful splash..


a successful excursion.

Chiling Falls, Kuala Kubu Bahru

I have actually exceeded my photo quota which makes it impossible for me to blog with pictures which is kind of useless. Fortunately, I found a new tool which makes the post even more interesting. Just click "play" continue reading or looking just like any post. It's not a video btw.