Friday 30th March 2012 - Taman Negara

Friday 30th March 2012.

I woke up at 8.30, packed up my bags and made my way over to Burung's office where I would get picked up by the mini bus that would take me to Taman Negara. I got to the office and Burung's colleague called Burung telling him that I was there. I was not expecting to see Burung as he had explained the night before that he would be busy with work today so I couldn't understand why she was calling him but apparently he had told her he wanted to speak to me. He said he was sorry he couldn't be there but he hoped to see me again in Perhentian Islands in a couple of days, after Taman Negara. He said he would pick me up with flowers. As much as I loved my time there and adored Burung, I didn't have the heart to tell him that it wasn't going to happen I just said ok, bye Burung. About 20minutes later his friend turned up. I have no idea if it was planned but he helped me lift my things into the car of a man who said he was driving me to the minibus, I hugged him, said thank you and said goodbye.

The man drove me for maybe 3minutes! I could have walked! He spoke to me about finding myself an Asian boyfriend and that it was nice! I could only laugh!

I got to the mini bus and saw that there were 3 other girls getting the bus with me. They all seemed to be together and sat talking to eachother as I climbed into the back. We didn't really say much to eachother at first but they offered me some nuts and then when we stopped for lunch we all sat with eachother. They were all around 20 years old, from Sweden, and had just finished college. They were spending three months travelling through Asia. Their names were Frida, Mollin, and Rebecca.

When we got about an hour away from Taman Negara we stopped at a travel agents to get information on the different trips that they offered at the park. This is when something Maria had mentioned to me a couple of days ago replayed in my mind. She had just got back from somewhere when I met her and she told me she had done a trek through the jungle and stayed overnight in a cave. - There was a tour on one of the sheets i was given that had that tour - I didn't realise that was where I was going! I immediately started racking through my brains about whether this was something I should do. Maria had told me that she slept in a cave with no tent or anything, just straight out on a mat in a sleeping bag. When she told me about it I was adamant that I could never do anything like that! I am scared of all insects so didn't know how I would cope. But reading about the tour on this bit of a paper also echoed in my mind something else she had said - people are only afraid because they don't know. I started thinking and it was really true. I don't know the capabilities of most of the different things I see and am afraid of and so I decided that now was my time to deal with these insect fears that I have - I am going to do a 3 day 2 night tour in the jungle and spend one night in a cave and one night at a tribes village.

We arrived at Taman Negara at 6pm

- an 8 hour bumpy drive through endless woodland. Me and the Swedish girls walked off in separate directions to find somewhere to sleep for the night. There was an introduction video at 8pm at a floating restaurant called Mama Chop so I headed there to get some more information on the tour I wanted to do. I walked into the restaurant and saw the Swedish girls. I asked if I could join them. I ordered fried fish in chilli and fried rice. Whilst sitting and waiting for my food I was immediately aware of the hundreds and thousands of bugs that were flying around us and landing on us. We were on a river so it was expected i guess. In usual Natalie fashion I squealed and swung my arms around trying to get them away from me. I laughed and blubbered that I was intending to do the 3day 2night tour but I couldn't even handle these bugs and had no idea how I would cope. At that moment I decided, no I can't do it!! I will start small. But then they said that I had inspired them to want to do it. We all went to speak to the man at the tour counter to find out about everything. The first day we will take a boat to our starting point on the Keniam Trail and then hike for 5hours. Our guide will then cook for us before settling down to sleep in Kepayang cave with just a mat to sleep on and a sleeping bag.

The next day we will trek for maybe 5hours more and then visit the homes of the Batek Tribe - aka the Orang Asli Village, which means the original people. We will then spend the night with them before trekking back to kuala Tahan to get our boat.

Honestly, this is a massive thing for me and I am absolutely pooing my pants but the girls seem just as scared as me and I guess we will all have get through it together!!! I just know my luck - i will probably wake up with a tarantula on my face or a snake in my sleeping bag! But this is my chance, and they don't come around often, to try and face my fears head on.

I will not be able to update my blog as I will be in the wilderness but I will take a notepad with me to make sure I write down all the grisly details.

I leave tomorrow at 10 in the morning so Hasta la Vista!!!