Bukit Tabur - Meticulous Mount of Melawati

Taman Melawati -a quiet and peaceful neighborhood in the Klang Valley. The place I grew up, my back yard, my playground. A perfect abode, and one I call home.

It is famous for Bukit Tabur, an imposing 300 m quartz ridge, shaped like a sleeping gargantuan prehistoric leviathan. A great hiking hill, yet reports of accidents -serious and fatal- were on the news these recent years. The collection of my climbing photos here demonstrate how relentless it was. Unlike Mt Kinabalu or Tahan which are lengthy and laid-back climb, this one is brief and jagged -kinda 100 m dash of mountaineering. Let the ascent begin!  

Team Tabur, right to left: Emri, Haris, Eivon, Ajib, Ina, and Pak Ali.

Bukit Tabur - Our lil' Everest. We hiked peak to peak from east to west (right to left).

Ulu Klang Dam from the base of Tabur. Nice shot from Emri.

Ajib was way ahead of us!

Eivon almost threw up from the initial climb. Girls, take note.

View of Melawati from one of the peak.

Like a tiger sneaking for the prey...

Sermon on the Mount -with reluctant audiences.

Facing Bukit Tabur Timur. Notice the dam on the left and forest rape to the right.

In awe of the Nature's bounty and beauty.

Rugged climb on razor-sharp rocks.

Ajib celebrating his victory over the painstaking ordeal.

"The sky is blue. And God's evidence is elegantly everywhere..."

Girls standing a few centimeters to 200 m cliffs.

I'm about to bungee jump down the dreaded abyss!

R&R on top. Titiwangsa Range in the background.

Another team trudging for the next peak.

Almost noon, no wonder it's searing hot.

Best rock climbing position of the year.

Pak Ali tried to imitate, but failed miserably.

Ascending to touch the face of Heaven. Were we almost there?

Portal to the land of elves...

At the westernmost resting site. Drank water of joy (air bersuka ria). Planning for our next hike. Note the comfy moss. Pure bliss.

Detail of the moss from earlier expedition.

At the westernmost end. No more peaks to climb.

Ascending is one helluva challenge. Descending is another.

One of few points with ropes. I believe this one is accident-prone. Don't worry guys. If she could make it, so could you.

The kings of Tabur. Emotions ran supreme. No word could express more.....

Indeed, we were the king of the World!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Special encounter with origami cranes. We believed they were placed there to ensure safe journey for hikers.

Overall climbing, I must say the initial climb was the most demanding. The rest was fine, with intermissions of pointy climbs and scaling cliffs. Yet, the ordeal was rewarded with awesome views of mesmerizing Mother Nature and a satisfactory sense of being there -one only mountaineers could ever feel. The overall journey back and forth took about 3 hours. I lost a few kilos as well! Also, the climb might look hard at first that many turned back after reaching the first peak -with barely nothing to see. No matter, exhilarating fun awaits for those who dare.

Last but not least, I found an article about Bukit Tabur from a fellow blogger. His climb was extremely harsh yet gilded with ethereal beauty. Click here to discover more 

RESPECTO.
 

Penang Now and Then - In Search of Name

Beautiful shots of Penang from a peer of mine insist me to put my own. Here are some pics during my visit to my old school in Balik Pulau a few months ago. The interesting twist is that I put forth some old ones, courtesy from Arkib Negara Malaysia (National Archive), to see how was Penang back then in colonial times, developing from a small port town to now a bustling modern UNESCO World Heritage Site.

First stop, downtown Georgetown. Took 4 hours walking to circle the vicinity I called 5 Trails of Light -Lebuh Pantai, Jalan Penang, Jalan Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, Lebuh Farquhar and Lebuh Light. 

Lebuh Pantai (then Beach Street), 1906.

Darn, this street's name escapes me. 105 years later. No much diff. save rickshaws for cars

Monument to commemorate a colonial judge

Closer look at the immemorial Lady Justice

Penang harbour back in 1906. Observe the two pier roofs to the right.

What it looks like in 2010.

Interior of the pier. I sensed a memory of lively scenery  trapped within its roof...

Fort Cornwallis at Lebuh Light possesses one of the best spot in Penang. In fact, this is where Francis Light landed and built the first settlements of British colony in Malaya. He gave his best shot for opening Penang, now mine with my camera:

Fort Cornwallis - The flag-raising site.

Same scene. Year 1786. Mountain to the far right-below is all that left.

Group of old guns faithfully defending Penang for eternity...

A cannon ready to blast ships to cinders

Gone flag and disused cannon...

VOC and Jawi labels. The Dutch and Malay sultan  really valued this gun 

The year it was made. I believe it stands for "Wassup Gangsta".

Statue of Captain Francis Light - The Man himself. A fitting recompense for his early death.

Detail of Capt. Light's shoes.

Standing and casting present shadow over the southwestern edge of the fort.

Fort Cornwallis back then 1906. Arrow shows my standing point above. Note the moat used to enclose the fort.

Victoria Clock tower. Refurbished and ever sublime.

I stopped at the Protestant Cemetery to visit Light at his grave. The atmosphere was spooky and chilled me to the bone. And it was at 2 pm broad daylight! Eeriness exudes from every crack and corner of the colonialists' final resting place. I couldn't bear the thought, took a few shots and hastily left.

Penang Protestant Cemetery - Path to the forgotten past. Click here to feel the fear.

'Thriller' music video should have been made here.

"Rest in peace Captain"

Flesh and blood amidst bone and dust...

During my walk, it came to me the thoughts about the long gone people, especially Capt. Light and their contribution to make Penang of what it has become now. They worked on great plans based on some old grand design, and their name live forever because of it. Surely Capt. Light has a bad reputation  in Malaysia, and so is Hitler. It's up to us on how to bring up our names, for that shall survive and evaluated by future generation, the unborn and beyond...    

RESPECTO.