A Visit To An Orang Asli Village

I took a break recently with some friends to the green Bukit Tapah, Permanent Forest Reserve and it was so very relaxing.

Within the reserve lie three Orang Asli villages, Sg Odak 1, Kampung Pos Woh and the very pristine Ampangan Sungai Woh.

Kg Pos Woh, a nice quaint village.

I stopped at Pos Woh first. My first impression was the houses. It 
was so Orang Asli with bamboo huts with thatch walls on stilts 
but the difference here was the houses were neat and tidy.

It looked progressive too. I noticed that the road was lined with the brown ceramic drains the kind that was easier to maintain and that several of the homes had a water tank beside them.

There was a Lutheran chapel beside the village hall. 

It was Easter Sunday and the congregation had their fellowship after their Sunday gathering. It looked like a potluck morning.

The Chapel was well equipped and was well organized with 
bulletin board and full set of instruments for youth participation 
while the younger ones could do their thing in the gazebo outside.

Right outside the chapel was the village hall where Party Keadilan was having a meet the people session.

We had come prepared but Keadilan came better prepared with 200 bags of rice.

This is Bah Tony's village btw.

It was a good turnout and those that came listening intently. 

It was reciprocal though with the guests taking home petai fruit. 

Then lunch was served, brought in from one of the nearby homes, steaming hot.

,.....the menu was delicious .

Everyone had to queue though some got privileged status.

The residents here were cheerful with fresh and hopeful faces and generally reflected the feel of the place and it rubbed off positively on the guests.

After lunch with bellies full it was time for a relaxing pass time 
for a smoke or some betel nuts. 

The next stop was Ampangan (Dam) Sungai Woh.

The plaque here stated that this dam was built by JKR in 1963 
during the time of Sultan Idris though there was no indication why 
it was built here.

Steps lead down to the dam which was controlled by these locks. It had this bridge that didn’t have railing.

The water in the river below was pristine clear and looked inviting enough to want take a cold and refreshing dip. 

The residents here were gathered at a lay by and looked like that 
they had been out gathering petai fruit.  

  They lived on the other side of the river. Life here is so basic. 

Going home. This village looked lovely and had a rustic feel about it.  

......and hidden among the trees more lovely homes.. 

The last stop was Sungai Odak 1.

Not much to see except these lovely clean toilets out in the open with nothing around it stood out like a sore thumb. It was quite artistic really. 

And then going out we saw this woman with a colorful blouse was enough to take back a memory of this wonderful place.

Yes this is what Malaysia is all about, diversity and beauty.

JAG

Tasek Cermin…The Mirror Lake

The tranquility of Tasek Cermin / Mirror Lake

The limestone hills around the Kinta Valley hold some fascinating treasures.

Their karst landscapes now stripped of their foliage revealed a fascinating landscapes but human intervention adds to the fascination.

One such place not far from the town of Ipoh, opposite Taman Song Choon is Tasek Cermin or Mirror Lake so named because its tranquil waters mirror its surroundings.

The well hidden tunnel that lies at the base of the hill

Set in a valley surrounded by hills it is accessible only be a man-made tunnel, approximately 300 meters long, that goes through the base of the hill.

The platform awaits at the end of the tunnel

At the end of the tunnel is a platform for visitors to view the surrounding valley landscape again surrounded by hills all standing tall above the viewing platform.

Our ‘guide’ Phillip CK Leong, the former President of the Malaysian Karst Society, who had seen this place 30 -40 years earlier said there was no platform here then.

 

"It used to be an iron mine. Where the platform was used to be a barge with a cable"

“This used to be an iron mine. In place of the platform there stood a barge with a huge cable that would take workers directly across to collect the iron deposits.

“They would fill up the barge take the iron out through the tunnel and start over again”

Leong said the tunnel was man-made.

A view of the tunnel seen from the lake.

“It used to be a vein going through with a stream but a tunnel was introduced subsequently”

He said the lake had probably been filled up by rain water and the stream that flowed there. 

Leong added that the depth of the lake was approximately 20 feet overall and it had caves below.

He had dived below the water and had explored the caves before but added that he would not recommend others doing so as it was dangerous.

Reflections from the lake that give it its name.

On the day that we visited the lake looked fine but according to Leong it was 40% of its pristine state otherwise it would be very clear and much more beautiful.

A notice that the site has closed is displayed.

The site has recently been closed to the public due to falling rocks from a quarry nearby to which there are signs posted at the entrance.

 

Phillip Leong (seated) with Ignatius Chew (l) and Chew Yew Kong who toured the site.

As mentioned earlier Ipoh and the Kinta Valley are a fascinating destination and this was just one of them.

JAG

Beauty Lies Within....(a photo essay)