Updated: 7 Sep 2005 by Yiling
This trip felt like a still life painting. Or a black and white montage. The centre piece was that portion of Lake Chini, and the marshes, and the bridges and the jetties, off Mr RajanJone?s (RJJ) simple thatched abode. Our meals revolved around there. Our explorations centred around there. Even our washing up, was done there. At night, we sat at the jetty and looked at the stars and sang away. The water was placid. The air was still. Time stood still. Only the stars shimmered.
The epicentre of our activities was this very sparsely spread out village, 1 hour away by taxi from the Kuantan bus station. There?s only 1 provision shop in this village along the main thoroughfare, (big enough for 11/4 car); the best tidbit we could find in the provision shop was ? those square biscuits (what?s the name again?). Heaven descended when the burger stall opposite the provision shop opened for business. But not before someone simulated hell for us when the water supply to the village was cut off completely, just moments after we?d arrived.
We stayed in Mr RJJ?s guesthouse - a simple wooden shack on the outside but with all the trappings of modern living within. A huge mattress, pillows, mosquito netting, power sockets, fans etc. And modern English-style toilets and shower facilities. If not for the lack of water on our first night, it would have been most comfortable indeed. And definitely very worth the RM20 per night we paid (which came with BF & dinner). Actually it?s really really cheap.
Into the woods we went with Mr RJJ and we were shown many interesting flora. Tongkat Ali, trees that produced cosmetics, plants that were used as contraceptives or for abortions, wood that contains oil, wood that provides drinking water, wood that smells like garlic and used for cooking. We even ate up a tree. The trek was not interesting but the lessons were.
We visited a waterfall as well. It was tall and all and had a diving platform but I?ve been to better elsewhere. We had to endure an hour-long of butt-splitting ride on trucks over palm plantation roads to get there and another to get back. But at least we saw quite a few blue birds (kingfishers). I saw 1 on the way there. Sharon saw 5!
Despite these distractions, Lake Chini remained the masterpiece of the place. And it looked loveliest basking under the evening sun, on our way back from the forest trek. Tufts of green framing our river route, meandering through the swamps into the heart of lake. Oh, how I wish I still had some more frames left in my camera then.
Life came to a stand still at Chini. Will I go there again? Probably not. But then the images of the tasik, lingers on.