Tag: perak

Sungai Bil Waterfalls

The calming sight and soothing sounds of the river belie the ferocious battles that was fought beside it during the Second World War. The road outside was littered with casualties from the British Indian Army attempting to thwart the invasion.

It was on this road that invading Japanese tanks rumbled through in its drive to capture Singapore in the south. This was the old road going north or south until the tolled-Slim River highway was constructed in the 1960s.

74 years later, the actions of the brave men are mostly forgotten or ignored. The river that bore witness remains as stoic as the giant, mossy boulders.

The stoical stance lessens the pain of indignation, I guess. Its banks are now littered with styrofoam boxes from disregardful picnickers.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 50, f22, 1/2 sec.

Ulu Slim Hot Springs

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.

High Noon At Taylor Corral

So thanks to Mokhtar, I ended up in this strange cowboy town known as Slim Village. The shops are erected in a horse-shoe pattern and the street sign says Taylor Road. It is really remote and I love it.

Expecting a tumbleweed to roll out anytime or someone to challenge me to a fight, I walked cautiously in the middle of the main street. Wait. There is only one street.

I ended up in front an Indian restaurant. The head waiter came out and stared at me instead of asking if I want to eat or drink. A group of Orang Asli guys inside the coffee shop were also staring at me.

Two nasty Chinese gangster-types eating outside dropped their cutlery and started staring at me, too. The tension was thick enough to fry on the roti prata pan and the silence deafening.

So I stared back as aggressively and took a picture in between. That was the moment the angry-looking cook behind reached for his knife. Since I am facing imminent death, I might as well ask for one last drink.

I asked: “Aneh, Fanta Grape atau Kickapoo ada?” (Do you have Fanta Grape or Kickapoo soft drink?) .

Luckily for me, it turned out be an icebreaker. The unblinking man replied: “Ada Fanta, boss. Mau ais?” (Got Fanta, boss. Ice to go?) .

Suddenly the Chinese gangsters laughed, the cook laughed, and the Orang Asli people laughed and all was cool. Phew!

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 125, f4, 1/250 sec.

The Bhai Bicycle

The vintage Raleigh bicycle used to be known as the Bhai bicycle as it was preferred by local Sikhs who were bigger in physique.

It was also popular with mobile hawkers as it can manage heavy cargo. This one is missing the centre stand, chain box, dynamo, teardrop-shaped headlight and bell.

The likeable thing about Mokhtar is that he is not an aloof or narrowly-focused man, given his fame and success. He engages you in a genuine conversation and can talk about anything under the sun.

The baker asked me which other Slim River attraction I will be visiting next.

Me: I like to hear your recommendations.

Mokthar: I can tell you like places with “character”.

Me: True. That’s why I am here.

Mokhtar: Go to Slim Village then, where there is a strange town square. And don’t forget to visit the nearby hot springs and waterfalls.

Me: I like strange places.

Mokthar: I know. You are strange, too.

He proceeded to give me some very specific and useful directions. With a kaya bun in hand, off I went chasing waterfalls again.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 125, f4, 1/320 sec.

Meeting Jabba The Hutt At Mokhtar’s

In a darkened room, I met the monster Mokhtar keeps as a pet. I nicknamed it Jabba the Hutt. Built by Mokhtar’s father in 1954, the brick oven is similar in design to those used in villages in India. The masonry oven known as a brick oven or stone oven dates back to medieval times.

Jabba has an insatiable appetite for firewood. Mokhtar’s father used to feed it rubberwood when rubber trees were plentiful in Malaysia. It is now fed with discarded wooden furniture. I asked Mokhtar and his response was: “Kayu getah sangat mahal sekarang, bro” (Rubberwood is very expensive now, bro).

So whenever someone in Slim River wants to discard old furniture, they send it to Mokhtar. The bakery is like a recycling center for wood. He turns wood into ashes and bread.

Mokhtar is a media-savvy person. He knew I wanted to capture the ray of lights spilling out from a hole in the ceiling. He waited patiently as I fine-tuned the power of the Sony HVL-F60M wireless flash.

He (Mokhtar, not Jabba) is a celebrity. I understand he appeared on all local television channels from TV1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 to TV 36 or something. He took me to his house nearby to show me newspaper cuttings and pictures framed and hanging from his living room wall.

While there, I noticed furniture was unusually sparse. In my mind, I wanted to ask Mokhtar:

“Bro, if i were to give you a nice IKEA wood table for your birthday, will you promise to assemble it and use it as a table?”

I didn’t ask in the end for I can’t bear to hear his answer. To be continued…

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 2500, f4, 1/60 sec.