It still feels the same. The exhilirating push to leap forward, to skip on the little rocks and bounce on the brown fertile soil.
To push my body to the brink of its metabolic capacity, to feel my lung constricts and fights for the air, to feel my heart leaps out from my chest - fighting to live, fighting to survive, fighting to capture the essence of life I rarely feel on my ordinary, or as aptly put by my friend; shabby, confusing, over-worked days.
The trip to Broga Hill was a much needed escape. Jaunts to nature like these remind me of my dreams, what I'm made of and what I live for - to live, really live, to feel pain inside and out, to break free, to strip myself of my own fears and limitations, and to conquer impossibilities as big as the mountains.
Saturday morning I wake up at 4.00 a.m. to drive to Semenyih, a small town about 15-minute drive southeast of Kajang. I brew coffee for myself and pack chocolate-coated digestive cookies for breakfast, before heading out to pick up my friend along the way.
An amazing crowd was already gathering by the time we reach the oil palm estate where the trail starts. I find myself bouncing with energy and raring to go while we wait for another group of friends to arrive. We start off strong but linger at the first stop to catch our breath.
The journey has a secret intrigue to it which I adore; stepping on the coarse rocks and hardened soil in utter darkness awaken my senses, and the terror which catch me off-guard at the sudden slip even when I thought I knew where I was going make me aware of my fist sized red heart.
There is no realisation as sobering as one which says "I am human, I am living now".
We reach the first peak after 30 minutes, and immediately scour the spot to sit down and wait for the sunrise. Cool morning breeze and little swifts hopping around from one tree to another make us forget the climbing ordeal we had previously, and despite the cheering noise made by the young crowd around me, I was totally enraptured by the sight in front of me.
As the darkness lazily made way to the sunlight who march silently but forcefully like a majestic king taking its rightful throne, I thought "what better way to celebrate such rare morning with a touch of warmth and familiarity and friendliness such as coffee?"
2 comments:
A hike! it's been a while since I did that. I miss it! T-T
I've never been to Broga Hill, but my colleagues and I had the opportunity of taking a drive thru the back roads of Semenyih (from Pasoh, NS!) back to FRIM.
It was a rainy afternoon and we were driving through the foggy hill forests towards the Semenyih Dam..
I swear to God, I have never seen a sight more beautiful.. :)
Any sunrise pics? ^^
Kak Sofie,
I learned recently there're a lot to discover in Malaysia if we're looking hard enough. The key to it is to keep the traveller/tourist spirit in us alive no matter what!
PS. I don't have any pics with me as I don't bring my camera along. I passed the camera to my brother as I wasn't using it enough.
Perhaps you know me well enough to realise by now I'm not really a camera person. :)
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