For the most part, I dislike treks. I don't think I'm lazy, though I cannot really be sure. I just don't like pushing myself up a hill, or feeling undercurrents of sympathy when some people don't walk/climb as fast as others. Sure, everyone is nice. People help other people out. It's just that my body is not convinced that it is worth it.Walking, on the other hand, is a whole different thing. A walk in the jungle is incomparable. Sometimes, at rough patches that require a little climbing, I am a bit of a scaredy-cat, but once I take a few steps, I love it.And that is why, on our first morning at Taman Negara, despite my determination to sleep in, I could not stay in bed. I lazed till about 7:30 and then, I had to get up. We made our way first to Lubuk Simpon, a place we'd visited the previous day. It's a sweet spot by the river where people apparently go for a swim. We … [Read more...]
Night Walk at Taman Negara
We read a lot about the night walk at Taman Negara before we left India. Most people said that it was a waste of time and money and that all you could see were spiders and insects.That did not deter either of us. Honestly, I did not expect to see an elephant in the jungle at night, and I cannot imagine why anyone would. Isn't a walk through the rainforest at night thrilling in itself?At every forest we've visited, we've tried to spend time with the guides listening to their stories. Often, guides tell different versions of the same tale, embellishing it and adding drama that I love. I'm never on the hunt for "facts" there; I'm just in search of a good story!Taman Negara was no different, but I couldn't help smiling at the anecdotes our guide chose to retell - for me, they highlighted how rare a 'sighting' is during the night walk."In 2010," he said, "we saw an elephant … [Read more...]