Santai Recce to Kg Sg Jeram (22 September 2017)

Serendipity

At the concrete jetty, Kg Sg Jeram

Having tea and coffee while waiting out the rain

Rickety stall at Kg Sg Jeram

Sipping tea by the jetty

Wooden walkway to see the wildlife

Boats moored to the riverbanks

Peaceful

Water conservation

Watergate

Food menu and cruise fare

On the morning of Awal Muharram, while our fellow Muslim friends were busy with prayers to usher in the new Islamic year, the few of us went on a recce ride to Kg Sg Jeram. This public holiday is observed with great importance in Islam as it marks the historical journey of Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medinnah. On a flip side, Philip and Wai Mun attempted a similar migration when they travelled from Singapore to Malaysia to meet us!

We started off on a beautiful morning where the sky was covered in a rich blanket of altocumulus clouds. Heading out, we took our usual route to Pekan Nanas.

Midway to Gelang Patah, Claudine was enthralled when she spotted a rainbow in the sky. Her joy soon dissipated when the sky started to leak droplets of water. Faraway, Pekan Nanas was shrouded in grey....exactly where they were headed today!

Somehow, the weather held most of the way. Other than a light mist of rain that cooled their skin and dried up fast enough, they arrived in Pekan Nanas' coffee shop more drenched from their own sweat than rain itself!

Sitting down for breakfast, Claudine had an uncomfortable time when a tiny pebble lodged itself in her right eye. It rolled around but refused to dislodge no matter how many times she blinked and tear up! Finally, the doctor had to be called in, inverting her eyelid and pouring distilled mineral water in an attempt to remove it. The treatment brought instant relieve or otherwise, she will have to sport an eye patch the rest of her life!

Breakfast at the corner coffee shop next to Public Bank was overall satisfying if one knows how to appreciate the poor man's food! The school room curry noodle is drowned in watered down coconut milk; a very light but tasty stock. The char koay tiau does not follow Penang or Ipoh's famous recipes but one which is strictly reserved to Pekan Nanas; tasty, oily and rich in carbohydrates! The nasi lemak is the bestseller as the rice does not clump together, possibly cooked through a steaming process, while the sambal blends well with the ikan bilis and egg.

After breakfast, we headed for Kg Sg Jeram. Turning into the village road, we initially passed through some light industries. As we cruised further down, we came upon a small durian plantation, a small cluster of homes and a mosque.

Arriving at a T junction, TH led us on the left turn, passing palm oil estates that was lurking with wild animals. Every now and then, we heard the faraway sound of monkeys whooping. We saw how the undergrowth rustled, followed by the squawking of a hen that had probably just laid an egg. Once, a chameleon tried crossing our path before thinking twice and turning back into the bushes. Nearing the river, the fluttering blue feathers of a kingfisher caught our eye. Approaching the swamp, magpie robbins called out to each other on our invasion.

Take the boat out to visit Tia Dalma, the soothsayer from Pirates of the Carribean!!!

Close to the river tributaries, we made a quick stop at a standalone, 4 storied bungalow house equipped with CCTV. A blue watergate at the riverside controls the amount of water drawn in from the swamp to irrigate the surrounding palm oil estates. A rickety jetty beside it becomes the entry and exit point for boatmen using the river as a passageway.

Leaving this small jetty, TH took us right back up the road before turning left, at the communication tower. As we approached the village, a row of torch ginger plants stood in ceremony by the side of the road. Just as well, when we turned the corner, we saw their pink flowers, freshly harvested and arranged on the verandah of someone's home.

At the end of the road is the concrete jetty that serves the bigger sampans. Here, the river proper of Jeram Batu eventually connects with Pulai River before dunking their gallons into the Straits of Melaka. 

As we entered the walkway, the small concrete office of the Forestry Department stood on our left. Detached from it is a wooden stall suspended on stilts. It serves hot beverage and food to the hungry few. Let's just say our four orders of tea or coffee plus a curry puff did not make us sick though the water source was a bit dubious!

The rain came, the rain went. When we could no longer wait, we rode out in light drizzle, passing the school and more village homes. Almost out of the hamlet, we had to rush past a dumpster, the only blemish to our otherwise beautiful day.

On the main road again, we hurried back, waiting to regroup at several points. At Amin's, TH decided to take it easy with a drink while we rode ahead without him. Henry turned off at Nusa Sentral while the Singaporeans left us at Horizon Hills to return home on their own.


Photo credits :
1. Philip
2. Henry
3. Desmond