The early morning shower had stopped long before our ride began. Unlike the main roads, the narrow passageways to the kampung were still wet with the occasional puddles. Droplets of moisture gathered on leaves gave an ethereal feel against the sunlight.
It was all rustic and beautiful at the charcoal kilns except for the wet, soggy ground. The tide has gone out, grounding the 2 boats filled with logs. Evidently, without a bobbing boat, unloading the logs becomes an easier task.
While we breathed in the air reeking in vinegar, the occasional sound of chainsaw biting into wood muffled our small talk. Nearer to us, the random thudding sound of a rubber mallet coming into contact with wood saw a primitive way of debarking a log.
As we ogled over the activities before us, a strange creature had followed us all the way from Gelang Patah. Falling from an angsana tree near KFC, it had landed on Claudine’s shoulder before taking refuge in her helmet.
 |
| The praying mantis had stayed on Claudine's helmet throughout the journey! |
 |
| The praying mantis had deftly crawled up Henry's neck before it was released onto the grass |
Assuming it to be crow’s droppings, she had come face to face with the insect before brushing it aside with a shriek, startling Henry at the same time. Perhaps it was good to have harboured it, for its incessant “prayers” must have helped us escape the huge hole in the palm oil estate with only screams and a fallen water bottle!
Convinced that we will bump into Philip, Peter and Richard as we head out of the Charcoal Factory, we left the little village. The trio were caught in an unusually long queue at the Woodlands CIQ this morning, a probable indirect cause to Malaysia’s GE14. Quipped as the mother of all elections which saw Pakatan Harapan coming into power, many Singaporeans had avoided coming into Malaysia in fear of unrest during the transition period. Perhaps, after lying in wait for 10 days, they are now, back with a vengeance!
We did meet them midway out of the palm oil estate. By then, we were hungry and decided to rendezvous at Restaurant Xing Ho, Gelang Patah for seafood noodles instead.
When our Singapore friends were finally seated down for breakfast with us, Richard was all excited over his little Malaysian souvenir. Picking up a blue Barisan National flag left unwanted in the kampung, he could very well be holding on to a little piece of fortune. Just as modern scales had replaced beam scales, the party logo could be a piece of heritage one day and the flag’s value will surely sky rocket!
Photo credits :
1. Ang Yee Ling
2. Richard Toh
For more information on how charcoal is made, please read :
