The Threat on Sungai Sia

It has been awhile since I had the time to revisit this place (or to go dipping here) but I was working on a photobook about this place and I needed more photos... For a start, the magnificent Tualang is still standing tall at the edge of the tiny village. However, the same cannot be said about the state of the once pristine river as a swath of the bank had been cleared for farming! That was actually not the most frightening thing - from far, the right side of the mountain that makes up part of the few mountains that feed this river is being logged!!! Tell-tale signs of bare laterite patches can be seen and I seriously hope the authorities have GOOD reasons for this. Already, the stream is no longer crystal clear even on a hot dry day...

A wild begonia from Gua Keling

Photos from April 2009

Many years back when I was a teenager, I used to frequent the cluster of caves in the vicinity of Ulu Gali. This cluster of limestone outcrop is part of the Benom Range on the Raub side and at least two hills are currently being exploited for limestone. Among the most visited cave is the one called Gua Keling – former guano collecting site now abandoned because the bats do not roost there anymore – or maybe there just isn’t enough insects to feed the population of bats now that the surrounding area has been developed into farms (meaning use of pesticides).

I used to explore the caves with my cousin who seemed to know every nooks and corners and one day, we even climbed to the top of the hill and descended from the other end! I remembered that the slopes were extremely angled and at the top, one had to “jump over” a deep crevice to get to the other side. Luckily, and out of ignorance of youth, we managed to overcome the danger and came back in a piece, something which we never should have done. It reminded me of a scene from Marcel Pagnol’s famous semi-autobiography Château de Ma Mère where he would spend days exploring the hills on his own or with his friend during his childhood in the region of Provence, South of France.

One thing that I used to collect was plants that I would grow in my own garden and among them was an extremely brittle begonia that grows in the shades of the cave. The begonia used to be very common but helas, I have not seen if for quite awhile until recently during a visit with a friend:

These photos are as good as a compact pocket camera can manage in deep shades of the cave. Hope someone will be able to tell what it is (Could be Begonia nurii Irmsch). This begonia develops a reddish tint on its leaves on exposure to sunlight (very filtered). Otherwise, strong light and overwatering will definitely kill it – a trait that most begonias share.

Oldest Bus in Raub Ever - relics from the late 60s

The KEAT Bus in Raub is THE oldest bus still running...I sat in it as a child and that was more than 40 years ago! It is still serving the itinerary it used to serve. Back then, we used to take the bus from where we lived (Bukit Koman Raod) to town or to Sungai Lui Village where my sister lived. Sometimes, we would take the bus up to the Raub Golf Course ( a nine-hole) where we would pass the day playing in the park. Today, it still plies the same route, up to the Raub Hospital and to the two villages of Sungai Lui and Bukit Koman. In the evening, it is parked at the village of Bukit Koman.

I saw a few old folks still using the service regularly. Guess this bus should be maintained as a touristic attraction. Sounds fun...

The bus parked at the town's bus stop.