TRAVEL MEMORIES TO 'MIDDLE EARTH' ..Part 1

It would be almost a year now since my visit to the 'Middle Earth'. Gosh, time does zoom at an alarming speed doesn't it?  I have not really shared my experiences of my travel there apart from some of the pictures taken.

Though almost a year has gone, some incidents are still so fresh as if they happened only yesterday. The  memories of my almost 3 weeks visit to this beautiful country shall always be something most cherished. So before they get stolen by the mist of time, perhaps it might be a good idea to just pen down some.  Ok, be prepared to yawn.. haha..

We were supposed to travel in a group of around 10 but due to circumstances, the rest couldn't make it and so only 4 of us proceeded. 3 of us ladies and a gentleman, the thorn among us, much to his dismay. Well, him with us was actually a blessing as afterwards he became our porter, photographer, sometimes driver, bodyguard etc etc.. haha.. poor guy.

We traveled from KK late in the evening of 26th April 2012 and supposed to arrive KL LCCT International Airport around 9pm. Due to weather conditions, to our horror, the plane couldn't land!  We felt the plane tried several times to land but had to abort it and so hovered around mid air for a while.  And I was thinking...die lah this time...hahaha... and of course everybody prayed and I guessed even those not religious suddenly knew what prayers were all about!



The plane later proceeded to the nearest airport and landed in Subang but we were not allowed to  disembark.  We waited and the almost 200 passengers were couped inside the plane for almost an hour! 

Not sure but I think I was looking down at the Great Barrier Reef Aust.

Our prayers must have been answered for we later heard the pilot telling us that the flight would be proceeding to KL LCCT in a bit. A sigh of relief pervaded through the air when the plane finally landed safely!  The 4 of us spent the night at the airport as it didn't make sense to stay in a hotel as our flight was due the following morning. We boarded the Air Asia plane all ready and excited for the 13-hour flight bound for Christchurch.



                      our first motel..

Christchurch.. taken the following morning during our walkabout..

We arrived Christchurch late at night, took a mini bus to our motel.. felt the sharp cold autum air on my face and made me feel I was really abroad!! As our arrival was at an ungodly hour, the motel we booked wasn't manned but they had left instructions through email that keys would be under the doormat.. it was there.  We were delighted with the self-contained motel complete with kitchenette and utensils,  smallish but was nice and cosy.  We even managed to cook maggie mee brought from home!  

After the long journey,  we could not do without a hot shower even though it was freaking cold. I think it was only about 8'C, but to us, it was like being in a freezer! For the rest of my stay there, the gloves, socks, thermal undergarments were my constant companion....Jakun kan... haha.....  With the heater on and the electric blanket, we actually had a most restful night.. .

..to be continued.... but first, let's laugh ... hehehe

THE CALL OF A STRANGE BIRD..

Our mama passed away on the day that we were supposed to go clear the land. I can't even describe the shock and trauma it did to me and my family, my siblings and to all who loved her on her sudden passing. 

That morning, she woke up early in anticipation of the day ahead. She must have been excited, as we found out later, she was preparing lunch to be packed for the day.  But little did we know, God had other plans for her... the Angels took her that early morn. She had been attacked by an acute asthma.   

In the kitchen, we later found boiled yam, rice, vegetable, fish...all packed nicely.  Sometimes, one can't help but question God.  But I take comfort God didn't let her suffer, took her away from the pains of the world. The Angels  came like a thief. We know that one day that day of coming home to the Lord will come, but that only God knows when.  

This reminds me of my cousin saying on his 60++ birthday when we wished him happy birthday through watsapp and his response was,   "If age were to be measured in the length of a string, what's left over for me is very short indeed. But I heard that life in Heaven is a lot better.. so actually I look forward to that. If I be there earlier, I would throw roses on your paths to remind you all, that there is indeed a better place.. should that be so, I would indeed be a senior citizen there receiving you guys."    Hehehe... haishhh..morbid.  

And my other cousin responded  "Life is a journey of adventures  - some exciting and some not so, when the auld lang syne is sang at last, you would have lived, loved and laughed well. In the end it's the agape love that matters..For now, let's all live well, love deep and laugh often. Rejoice in the light of dawn, and pray for surcease from pain and sorrow at dusk..."   Wow, that's deep and  I was like  "Ohh..oh.. blessed are ye of good faith." 

But back to my mama.. After she passed on, we could not even mention the land without tearing up. Henceforth, we never did go to the land and we carried on with our respective life just holding on to her memory.  On the back of my mind, our mama was constantly whispering, hey you all.. go and do something about the land.  All that she had planted or cleared must have turned  into a ghostly thick jungle. 

We did, after nine long years!  When we decided to do something about it, we had no idea where the boundaries began and ended.  The thick foliage was daunting and there wasn't any resemblance of it's previous state.  

We managed to have it cleared after a lot of challenges. To think that about 5 months ago, it was still a jungle.  We did think of hiring a surveyor to re-do the boundaries but it was too costly. So we decided to try do it ourselves.  We were in luck as my brother had some knowledge and experience about jungles, being educated in Agriculture related.  

 The Google map of the land

 Taking a breather and studying the map and bitten by mosquitoes same time..

the siblings... another 2 not in picture

.. through swampy areas..bitten by leeches..

So in October last year, we went randomly into the jungle.. armed with the Garmin instrument that detect stones on boundaries. We 6 of us - my 2 brothers and 4 of us girls went into the thick jungle and came through hills and swampy areas. There was an area the jungle so thick and swampy, trees so big full of hanging vines, it was so dark inside  -  we called that patch the lost world!!  Bitten by leeches, mosquitoes, we also worried about snakes and poisonous plants, wild animals and bees.. That was frightening but our excitement  over came all those obstacles! 

                 the cleared land

my favourite tree wasn't spared..  sob sob

We were saying, our mama and papa must be looking down at us from up there and smiling proudly... hahaha.   As of now, we have planted several fruit trees.. durians, rambutans, lemon, avacado, sour soup, mango, jackfruit and lots more. The guys are currently making a small house or a hut for us to take refuge on. 

..my sista and the lemon tree..

 the road where we parked our vehicle is quite a distance..

 so the powerful 4WD helps..

            ..the youngsters helping in the planting of fruits..

This has become our Sunday activities.  Our kids from the eldest to the youngest revel in this once a week activity. It not only help us till the land but have made the bonds of our families stronger. 

..dukung langsat planted by Yours Truly..

It was one of those Sundays while we were trying to pluck some of the cempedak that grew in the land that we heard this strange bird.  It was unlike any bird that just sang their meaningless tune. It must have been our imagination, but this particular bird kept repeating  - singing or saying something so clearly, our hairs stood on end!  My brother tried to 'talk' to the bird playfully against our protest!  We later remember that whenever my brother repeated what it sounded like, it stopped like as if it was listening and in 'conversation'.  My sisters and I admonished my brother for being 'naughty' fearing that it was some sort of bad spirit!!  haha

Guess who is in white...see the long knife or parang.... don't play play..hahaha

            the cempedak tree..

That night our mama appeared in my sister in law's dream. (She wasn't with us at the land that time and she didn't know about our encounter with the bird the previous day).  Our mama supposedly said that she was very happy that we did something about the land and she said that she was always with us during those visits but in a form of a bird! 

Google pic

Strange and unbelievable!! Then we recalled the strange encounter with the bird!  Really uncanny and difficult to believe. It was probably a coincidence but we like to believe that it was real, that our mama was really with us but as a bird!. 

..squirrels are the culprit I think..




..we may be in the wilds, but the handphone is never away..

The following week, we all went to the particular tree in the hope of encountering that phenomenon again...but the bird never came. We never saw or hear of it again. Oh,  there were several other birds, but none of that strange little bird.

Mama rest in peace, don't worry about us. We are doing ok.

my nine-year old nephew trying to plant some seeds...