Trekking with Yen
Thursday, October 16th, 2008Yesterday the weather managed to hold off long enough in the morning for me to go for an unofficial trek with Yen, a man who, it is very clearly stated on the noticeboard of our guesthouse, is ‘in no way affiliated with Camaronian Inn.’ While I was sure that this statement was some sort of tax-dodging ploy made by the guesthouse and the guide, I was still slightly nervous when, standing alone at the guesthouse’s gates at 10 a.m. I noticed that I seemed to be the only person who would be included in this trek.
Soon Yen came walking heartily round the corner, smiling and said to me in fluent, unbroken, English; ‘let’s get going then.’ He didn’t break his stride and I ambled along to keep up with him. A man of Chinese descent, from anywhere between 40-55, Yen explained to me that as long as the weather was nice, he would trek in the local jungle, regardless of there being anyone to trek with. This is why he wasn’t affiliated with the guesthouse, he told me, because then he wouldn’t be tied down to taking groups out on treks when he just wanted to go off exploring by himself. Fair enough.
The walk started well, a bit too easy for my liking, going over a well trodden and in some places bricked path through the outer regions of the jungle. Yen was a phenomenal guide, giving insights and information into the development of the Cameron Highlands as a tourist attraction, the interratial politics of Malaysia and the day to day working life of someone in the big cities (he had moved from KL 10 years ago to get away from all that.) I listened attentively, genuinely interested. Every now and then he would pick up some leaf or a shoot and point out its medicinal properties or its herbal uses.
‘Anything dangerous in this jungle?’ I asked while we were still on the easy path.
‘Oh no, no, it’s too high up, and all the tigers went away when the deer were hunted,’ content with his answer we pressed on.
Soon it was getting a bit more ‘jungly’ and we were on one of the trails proper. It was still well marked, and wide enough that I wasn’t impeded by any overhanging branches, but it did put another thought in my mind, especially considering my experiences from the previous day.
‘Any, uh, any snakes in these parts?’ I asked, aware that I had seen a cobra only yesterday.
‘Some,’ he said, ‘but you won’t ever see them, if you do they will be as thick as your little finger and running away. They’re not dangerous at all.’
Phew I thought.
‘Oh, and there’s green pit vipers, they’re really dangerous, I’ve seen a few round here. They don’t run away, just coil up and if you get close enough-‘ he snapped his right hand onto his left to demonstrate, ‘they’ll bite you, poison can kill a man.’
We went on in silence for the next few moments.
‘Hah,’ he laughed, ‘don’t worry, we’re safe.’
I would have been much more inclined to believe him, had we not, after our second hour of walking, come across two trees with a big yellow tape between them, clearing indicating not to cross.
‘This is just for the day hikers,’ said Yen, ‘come on,’ and he ducked underneath it.
Immediately the path disappeared to a trickle and I found myself looking more at the floor than the scenery so as not to fall flat on my face. Yen went on in the same casual strides. We crossed and recrossed a river at least a dozen times, each time having to hop from one stone to the next and occasionally Yen would go on ahead and throw down dead logs to make passage easier.
‘You know when you said if there is anything dangerous?’ Yen asked cheerily, ‘well the bees here build their hives just underground and if you step on them,’ his face darkened, ‘there’s no escape.’
Tip for any trekkers from Yen himself: If you go trekking in a big group, make sure you are at the front or the back that way if anyone does step on a hive at the front, by the time the bees get above ground the front will be clear, the back will be clear but the middle will be turned into Macaulay Culkin from My Girl, and ain’t no one going back for your glasses.
After 4 and a half long hours, we returned to the guesthouse. Yen hadn’t even broken a sweat. I was muddy, sweating and my calves felt as though they were about to explode under my skin. But it was a super awesome experience. Highly recommended!
At a tea plantation
In the jungle, it’s hard to see here, but there’s like a 50 ft drop behind us
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