Have a fond Memory
The mini-bus JPT 4480 arrived at the first pick-up point at the Bedok
Taxi Stand near the Ya kun outlet punctually at 0800 hrs on Monday, 24 August
2015. Five of us, namely Tan Boon Hong, Jessie Thum, Ng Seng Kee, Tin Toh Wan
and Cheng Chew Peng boarded the 18-seater bus and guided the Johor driver, Mr
Tivas to pick up more passengers at the Ang Mo Kio MRT Taxi Stand at Ang Mo Kio
Avenue 8.
On arrival at the Ang Mo Kio pick-up point, all our other
friends, namely Koh Lay Eng, Goh Kee Huat, Teo Choon Kiang, Liang Chye, Koh Lee
Meng, Lim Lee Boey and Ng Cheow Yang were already there at 0830 hrs.
Surprisingly, the boss of our tour agency (Gunung Ledang Resort Sdn Bhd), Mr
Tey Chee Yen was also there to receive us.
The bus immediately brought us through the Woodlands Causeway
via the PIE. Soon we arrived for our breakfast after the customs clearance. It
was a place known as Taman Perangi, 8km away from the Johor Customs Office. We
had noodles and hot drinks as our breakfast at the 2-storey Agape Foodcourt at
Jalan Jingga.
Without much delay, we proceeded with our journey by bus
while My Tey Chee Yen drove his private car leading us all the way.
At 12 noon, we had our sumptuous but economical lunch of
Chinese Cuisine at the Restoran Shan Ghai Tang (上海滩酒楼), opposite the Tangkak Post
Office. That was a good lunch after a long journey. I presumed that everybody was
hungry.
After our lunch, Mr Tey showed us the Station Box KTV in
Tangkak where some of us had our hands-on session singing a few songs with the
accompanying sounds of applause. Thereafter, we continued with our coffee break
at the Nanyang Kopitiam downstairs. It was an enormous fun having chit-chatted
happily with no lack of the favorite drinks and tit-bits available there. We
bought some durian on our way to the Resort. Some local flavors were chosen to
please our palates.
We were quick to check in at the Gunung Ledang Resort at
2.40 pm that afternoon. The weather was fine though not very sunny. The
air-conditioned rooms were very spacious and each came with two king-size beds with
attached bathroom and toilet. The bathroom was conveniently equipped with
heater. The outdoors were very scenic and attractive, especially the Puteri Waterfall
at the hilltop 600 steps above the ground. Very kindly, the Village Chief, Mr
Ng and the Park Ranger guided us up the hill amidst the tropical rainforest.
The weather remained fine at 3.30 pm when set off for the
mountain trail. The view was majestic. However, some of us decided that we
called it a miss for the trail as some steps were uneven and tracking could be quite a
challenge. Others who remain robust and strong continued the trail until they
reached the top. According to them, the waterfall was a thrill and they enjoyed
the great fun dipping in the water. A sudden rain came at 3.40 pm to the
surprise of all of us. Luckily, there was no lightning or thunder. The siren
was let off to remind visitors to take shelter. The ranger guided the visitors downhill in the rain. All were drenched in the rain before they reached the
resort downhill.
It was durian hour after the showers and change of clothing
before we set off for another sumptuous dinner at the Golden Sand Restaurant （金沙滩酒楼） at
7.00 pm with the boss treating us with a special dish of roasted suckling
piglet to go along.
The evening was perfectly fine until I got into the trouble
of an unexpected pain I suffered at the waist area. The boss, Mr Tey took no
chance and brought me to the Tangkak Hospital at Ledang as all other clinics
were already shut at around 8.00 pm. Mr Liang Chye and Mr Mr Tey were kind and
helpful. They stayed with me in the Hospital Emergency Unit until I was
admitted in the ward there for the necessary treatment needed urgently. I
stayed in the Hospital until the next morning when Dr Ammar Bin Abdul Hamid
released me at 10.30 am on Tuesday, 25 August 2015. What a great relief after
that.
We continued our pleasant journey to Muar for more
sightseeing and shopping spree. We stopped every now and then to buy local
products. The town is nicknamed "Fabric Town" or "Syurga Kain" in honor of its many cloth shops. Besides keropok and other tit-bits, we also bought many mooncakes for
the coming Mooncake Festival.
A visit to Dataran Tanjung Emas, after a famous Asam Ikan
lunch, was a good place for a group photo near the Straits of Malacca.
While the bus was full of goodies, we realized that we had
to head our way to buy Otah before we proceeded home via the Woodlands
Causeway. It was really a great fun for a tour we enjoyed as a group. That was
the first tour of the 4th Batch Organising Secretaries. We certainly cherished the fond memory of our overnight stay at Gunung Ledang. Special thanks to Liang Chye and Choon Kiang for the recommendation. Till we meet again. Good luck, dear friends.
