Tropical Classical

A walk in the forest has been arranged for us post-dinner. Armed with torches and insect repellent, we gather around our guide, Qadri, who cautions us that if we want to communicate, we should just whisper.

His advice works. The jungle starts speaking as we go silent. The flap of an owl that has just spotted its prey; a diamond stud hanging in air is actually a spider8217;s eye; a rustle on the tree is a flying squirrel; two orange fluorescent spots reflected right above is a Loris practising his scales. Throw the torch beam down and it may hit a colony of scorpions having a Saturday night out.

My chalet borders the park8217;s natural boundary with the Tahan river. The rumble of water below and a cuckoo8217;s play in a grove above is the wake-up call for a day packed with activities in the forest. After a quick squid-lamb-juice breakfast, we set out on a 1.8-km trek to scale Teresek Hill. Stare through the thicket and one realises that visibility gets dull beyond five meters and the humidity sucks you dry.

On our way up, Qadri talks about never having seen a tiger in the jungle and Malaysia8217;s IT-enabled capital Cyberjaya. It8217;s being built by Bangalore geeks, he says, and then moves on to how India will probably launch Malaysian satellites because the Americans charge too much.

We smell a chicken-shit flower it8217;s a put-off for Malay girls, says Qadri, pick up a creepy-crawly and put it on our palms, learn the difference between the blue Peacock fern and the green one, and get introduced to a variety of orchids specific to the tropical rain forest. Taman Negara or Forest Garden is like an eco-museum that unfolds as you walk along. A mighty tree falls on the trail and the metre-thick trunk is cut just enough to let you trek through. Cup-fungi colonises the dead giant and they will in turn be consumed by creepers. Nothing goes waste in the jungle.

Once back from the summit, we swing through the world8217;s longest canopy walk perched 25 metres above ground. The dense foliage reveals itself in its three dimensions with our bird8217;s-eye view advantage. A panorama opens up before us8212;green forest, wide river and little boats.

Post-lunch, we head for the Lata Berkoh cascade in a kayak-like wooden boat. The water is shallow and you see quick-moving fish, a curious monitor and a kingfisher along the river, which is lined by huge trees.

The roar of the cascade can be heard from a distance. As the water is deep near it, we leave the boat and trek to the cascade through the jungle again. At the waterfall, the river blows sirens with rocks obstructing its way.

The next day, we head home. The adventure is over, but the aftertaste8212;of an ominous silence, of the rush of water and the smell of damp wood8212;still lingers.