Aidil-FIT-ri

I went hiking on Raya Pertama. Yes, I did. Please don't faint or laugh hysterically. I did not go nuts. My mind wasn't taken over by aliens. KH, SK and I actually went to Wawasan Hill to hike. Wawasan Hill is part of the Air Itam Forest Reserve just beside Taman Wawasan. It's so close to the housing area that while hiking, one can still hear the traffic and the Aidilfitri prayers. We started at a little before 9:00 AM. At first, we went the wrong way. Followed a big group to a steep climb that went past a small Taoist shrine. Actually, that wasn't the main trail, but a side trail heading towards a waterfall. It got increasingly more difficult and SK seemed to be struggling, especially since she was wearing Birkenstocks instead of trail shoes. Didn't want an untoward incident, so we decided to head back out. That 25 minute detour KO-ed SK. She decided to wait outside, while KH and I headed to the main trail.



The start of the trail was rocky, a trail carved out from an exposed rock face. At the first look out point, one is 'rewarded' with a view of the nearby residential and light industrial zones. From there on, we were on a forest trail of moderate difficulty. Luckily the inclines weren't too difficult and the path we as easy to follow. As we progressed, we passed by hikers of many age groups. We would greet each other with a simple "Good Morning". One sullen looking kid gave me a pitiful "....chooooouuuu sannnnnn....". Outside of the track, I think it's very un-urban-like behaviour to talk to strangers. Not something common. And I think Malaysians aren't too familiar with hiking etiquette, some choosing to hike with portable AM/FM radios blaring and talking loudly. Far off, I also heard a Christian group singing hymns. Kinda defeats the purpose of immersing oneself in nature. Can't enjoy the serenity and the soft sounds of nature.





Along the quiet stretches, KH would steal a kiss and be a little grabby. That's what happens when the blood gets flowing from exercise. Haha. Finished the trail before 10:30 AM. Didn't catch sight of any cuties which was a disappointment. My sister and BIL was also there and we finished at about the same time. She came later and took a shorter route. We went to breakfast together after picking up mum and Little Monster. Ventured to Restoran Phangkey, Jalan Lazat for dim sum. The brunch crowd was crazy due to the public holiday. Hard to secure a table, hard to order, hard to pay even. Been years since I actually ate at that area. Their yu mai, fried radish cake and  fried prawn rolls were actually quite good. Prawn dumplings weren't up to standard and I did not get to sample any of their siew mai due to the limited supply.

*** too tired and hungry to take any photos ***

Once I got home, I washed off my sweat and changed. Just plopped onto the bed, ready for a nap. But that was not to be. KH wanted me to join him at his colleague's Raya open house in Kepong. Zzz. Dragged myself out of bed to get dressed. While KH drove, I nearly fell asleep in the car. Glad that I made the visit because his colleague's mother is a terrific cook from Kelantan. She made laksam and nasi dagang! Heavenly. And there was also ketupat dakap which I had never seen before. Basically paired-up pulut panggang without the filling and eaten with dry rendang. KH's colleague was very nice and we chatted till tea time. Over a cup of tea she told us about her youngest daughter who loved to watch Peppa Pig and snort like her. LOL. She said that it helped her daughter's command of the English language!





In the evening, dinner was at my sister's house. Found that the porch was dominated by a shanty town made out of cardboard boxes! Big Monster was relaxing in one of the 'rooms' which had ventilation provided by several fans. At another corner was a snack station with water and potato chips. Little Monster was busy popping in and out of a sky light, yelling "Cuckoo!". So cute.