BEAUTIFUL SUNDAY DOWN BY THE RIVER

Photo: Max Koh

A dip in the cool waters of a mountain stream, fresh fruits within plucking range, sensurround sounds of nature, peace and quiet, fresh air and clear blue skies. 13 Ramleans* and friends had a taste of all this and more last Sunday. All it took to get to this haven was a mere hour's drive out of Kuala Lumpur.

For Ramleans who were unable to make the trip, here's a pictorial account. (Click on each photo to enlarge.)

 Unloading bags of clothes, toys, stationery and foodstuff for the orang asli community.

Off we go to the river. 

David, thanks for the nasi lemak. 

Talking politics in mid-stream?

Our ladies on the rocks with Anoora.

  Antares holding court with his Temuan tales and history of Kampung Pertak. He has lived in the community for 18 years. 

Yam Kokok's haul of freshly-plucked fruits for sale. My first taste of wild durians - almost as good as Musang King!

Visiting Antares' guest-house - the Bamboo Palace

The group at Gordon's guest-house at Maycliff, a stone's throw from Kg Pertak.

What better way to end a lovely day than having one for the road IN the river! 

*For those who are curious, Ramleans are an informal group of seniors aged 55+ who have completed a 4-day Raja Mohar Life Enrichment Awards (RAMLEA) program named after the late YABM Raja Tun Mohar bin Raja Badiozaman. The program was launched in 2004 by Malaysian Institute of Management (MIM). You can read more about the 2009 program here.

If you are interested to learn more about the Temuans, you might want to check out Antares' book "Tanah Tujuh". It's available at Silverfish Books on Jalan Telawi, Bangsar and at major bookstores. You can also read what he thinks about the Jabatan Hal Ehwal Orang Asli (JHEOA) in his article "THE FATAL CURSE OF TEMPURUNGISM" posted on his blog at MagickRiver.