It is such a cool day and I asked the village goat:
“Know any place nearby where I can get a good sup kambing (mutton soup)?”
All I got was a long, blank stare 🙂 .
*Title inspired by the 2009 movie “The Men Who Stare at Goats” .
Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f8, 1/125 sec.
I have been in Slim River town and surrounding areas, on and off, for the past three weeks. I wrongly presumed the town is named after a river that is slim and narrow. It wasn’t, it seems.
The river and town were named after the eponymous Captain Slim from the 19th century. The British explorer allegedly discovered the river by accident when he got lost.
There is not much info online, except the same info repeated everywhere as fact, when there are no citations or references.
How can someone who had a town and river named after him had no records? Maybe I was looking at the wrong places but is still odd.
Many British sailors would have kept detailed logs and diaries, even if the captain didn’t. Could this be a romantic anecdote morphed into an urban legend?
It is also quite strange as Slim River, the river, is shallow and rocky. Today, it is a white water rafting location, upstream. He’ll be lost today too, as the river is not on Google Map.
I decided to drive alongside the river and talk to village elders to see if they can recall anything they might have heard pass down from their ancestors.
If the good captain existed, and if he got off his boat at this juncture, he would have seen this amazing sight (minus the rails and gazebo).
This is the Ulu Slim hot springs I visited the other day. It is magical today as steam shot up high because of the downpour.
Surrounded by rolling hills and rainforests, this is one of the most beautiful natural sights in Malaysia. Slim River, the river, is about 50 meters behind me.
Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f11, 1/160 sec.
Just when I arrived at this secluded hot springs, a damn tour group came charging in. These package or group tours are getting out of control.
The tourists are herded everywhere. Before they can enjoy the steam, the tour bus driver was already sounding the horn. What’s the hurry? Next stop; Moo Cow Frozen Yogurt or what?
I wanted to take a dip but that tour leader or tour guide in the middle wasn’t too friendly. What’s with staring in this area, anyway?
The hot springs at Ulu Slim is nice in that it wasn’t turned into an ugly cemented pond or worst, proclaimed as a spa, as with many other exploitable hot springs in the country. I like that it remains a (free) natural pond within an idyllic country setting.
Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f6.3, 1/250 sec.
Met a Chinese family swimming in the river and they asked me where I am from. I told them KL and they asked: “How on earth did you manage to find this place?”. They said even though they are locals, they got lost getting here the second time around.
Since it is a weekday, the place is almost deserted. I was told on crowded weekends, it is also visited by locals mostly. Nice that the locals have their own secret and very remote hideout for recreation and picnics. Maybe not (so secret) anymore.
I went to look for the hot springs on another side. It is channeled into a pool and inside was sweet Sheela with the coy smile, and splashing hot water Kollywood-style. She’s also a local and works in an office in Batang Kali.
Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f11, 1/400 sec.
