Gunung Ledang done!

Up and down Gunung Ledang (otherwise known as Mt Ophir to Singaporeans) today! 3d2n trek started with a bang, nice weather blessed us, good luck stayed with us, and we ended everything without a hitch!

The fact that we have gotten to know about half of the participants prior to the trip, and almost all were on previous Rovers trips, certainly helped! The comm. members going up (me, Tianqi, Laiyee, Meena), together with some our our ex-Datuk participants (Andy, Andreas, 'nu er'Shuying, Pei Geok, Tze Hwee) as well as our dear 'Stong Papa' Tze Han certainly helped to ease the pre-trip awkwardness.

In short, all of them knew each other almost immediately. A small group size, certainly helped.

For one, we cooked with the participants at the base camp together! Weather permitted and we were given the luxury of space to choose our own camp area, and make use of as many trees as possible for the hanging of our stuff! Is that good or what?!

The only grouch I have is the sky. If it were clearer, I might be able to see stars...Maybe I'll do that at Berkelah instead, haha.

But other than that, the entire trip cannot be easily described in words. It's the feeling, the homely feeling you get on the trip, as well as the various fun stuff (as well as crazy things) we people do on the trek (like singing songs, camera-whoring, scandalising, etc)

This return trip up Ophir is much much happier for me in a way or so. The view was fabulous. U guys who din go, really missed out on it!

Day 1:

Danger! Danger!


Tze & Jianlong - Scandal #1


SY & Geok


'Stong Papa' & Char


'Gui Gui' Hair (as LY would say - I need the correct wordings...lol)


Route of Advancement - We shall go forth from HERE.


Awww...whats up?!


Yea!


Cooking @ Night - Together!


The 'seniors'


The rest of the 'juniors' (ok, Andreas aint that junior...haha)


Outfield cooking, pictorial form


One-eyed


Yings playing with the peas which we're gonna eat! Ewwww...!


Greenies up on the mountain!


Slurping Yings


Our 'Da Chang Jin' and 'Act Cute' Yings


Whazzup?


Cooking dudes


That's dangerous...kids dun try that at home...


'Da Chang Jin' showing off her culinary skills


LY with her Nata De Coco (Now I know why I din manage to eat so much....)


Same attire! And that's our burger store btw ;)


Gonna sleep, blog more and more pictures coming up soon!

Current Mood: Happy

Current Music: Cao Ge - Superwoman

Phew!

What a day!

Night Cycling recce can be considered done for me, after attempts to locate the elusive 24-hr eating places. Lucky for me I have a companion and a car in hand to take me around the Eastern sector of Singapore. Thanks for accompanying me! =D

Early morning yesterday was spent rushing to school and washing the tents, after which I went for 3 sets of our Rovers special concotion of Sabah training - Stair training.

Legs felt cui-ed after that. Must be the after-effects of Stong. But at least they are still in better shape than TQ's.

Rain spoilt our tent washing agenda and we had to adjourn and move all the things to another location for drying. Took longer than usual, and we only managed to leave school at around 1345. We included: Yours truly, Tianqi, Shuang Hui and Liquan.

Went down to Harbourfront to have our belated lunch (my stomach has been empty since 10am?) and we made up our minds not to go Ubin after that as it was approaching 3pm. (If we went, we would not have enough time to recce AND get back to mainland via ferry/bumboat)

So I went home on 57, and collected my Datuk photos. Like finally.

Rested at home and prepared to go out for my Night Cycling recce - 5 places in total, all in the Eastern area of Singapore. Shucks. Passed TQ his tent for Ophir trip this coming Monday, and proceeded to pick up YS from Esplanade, and we went down to Blk 85 for our first stop.

And what a stop. Couldn't find a parking lot for about 15 mins, and luck finally came to me as I was presented one, only to be taken away by another driver who cut queue. Basket. So we waited and talked in the car, and finally justice was served with us having another parking lot.

Was wondering where to put a clue to link to that area, and the sign could've said it all. Well, almost.

After resting at Blk 85 and having a drink (plus some talk), we proceeded down to Bedok Interchange (no 24-hr makan places...?), Joo Chiat (nice Bak Chor Mee) and Old Airport Rd Food Centre (construction undergoing, road diversion, temporary premises too)

By the time we finished off with a plate of Zhu Chang Fen @ Old Changi Airport, we sat around, talked (well the whole nite was talking, so it was pretty good, other than having music accompanying me) and basically lazed around.

Time flew us by and I sent YS home, and managed to reach home at around 2am. But oh well, I overshot my limit by 3 hrs. Dang. Now I wonder if my parents would allow me to borrow the car again for Rovers activities...

To do FOC proposals...or not...?

Tze tagged me. But never post on my blog...so should I do the survey? Haha! Maybe later tomorrow. Too many things, too little time!

Current Mood: Awake

Current Music: Wang Lee Hom - Ai Ying Wei Zai Xing Zhong

Stong (In Pictures)

A picture speaks a thousand words. Indeed ;)

Stepping aboard the train...Carriage 1


My "Mission Impossible" bag


Landing in rural Dabong on a misty morning


We're left high and dry...


Committee Picture


Face-off


Peek-a-boo!


Our base camp


Our backyard


Hashbrowns out in the field!


Egg omelette!


Jimmy cooking up a storm! (I mean, food)


Our backyard


Stong-ers!


Me & Tze Han


Group Pic


Dangerous things lurk overhead


In the jungle


The guys (TCHS!)


Tree-top walk to summit!


Us!


Me and one of the groups


Left: Before trekking
Right: After too many treks


Jimmy sleeping atop the summit


Us & the Guide


Smoke emission


Sunrise


Recognise who's who?


Aeron doing a hand stand?


Chris & I


The lone stone


Another view from Stong


Nice sunny day


Too much abseiling?


More pictures to come...Plus, I hope to re-visit Dabong again. Such an idyllic place, so peaceful, so away from the many distractions which make up our life. How I'd wish we had lived a life doing things you enjoy, and not continuously chasing after something else. We live, indeed, in a messy world. Complicated. Results orientated.

Something has to give, maybe.

But the people there are happy as they are! Lack of handphones do not cripple them; lack of advanced tools do not disable them. They just make do with what they have.

And I admire them. In fact, I wish I could be like them at times.

Getting back to trekking, the main point of trekking trips is to enjoy, not to break records. (Well, the record breaking is just on my side la. It's just for the fun of it.)

Stong-Angsi anyone?

Current Music: Lee Jiu Zhe - Zhui Hou Yi Shou Ge