Drive 1000km in a round trip to see a tree

Ini cerita surat khabar lama.

Two years ago my buddy and I drove a round trip of about 1000km, just to look at this tree. Crazy ! isn't it?

Pokok Cengal Terbesar - The Malaysia Book of Records

Nama Spesies : 'Cengal', Neobalanocarpus heimii
Ukuran : 1,675 cm lilitan dan 65 meter tinggi
Tempat Dijumpai : Kompartmen 5, Hutan Simpan Pasir Raja, Dungun Terengganu

Pokok cengal terbesar dan berusia kira-kira 1,300 tahun ini ditemui di Hutan Simpan Pasir Raja, Hulu Dungun pada 1999 oleh Pegawai Renjer Durian Mas II, Encik Omar Mohamad.

Pokok tersebut yang berdiri setinggi 65 meter dan ukur lilitnya 16.75 meter, atau kira-kira 13 pemeluk, serta bergaris pusat 5.32 meter memerlukan 27 buah lori bagi mengangkut kayunya jika ditebang.

Isipadu pokok cengal ini dianggarkan 220m3 dengan keberatan 120 tan metrik.

Usia pokok tertua ini dianggarkan 1,300 tahun iatu berdasarkan kaedah pengiraan pokok di kawasan tropika mengikut pertumbuhan gegelang (growth ring) pada kadar 0.4sm setahun.

Pokok yang terletak lebih kurang 200 meter dari sempadan Taman Negara dan 390 meter dari paras laut di kawasan Kompartmen 5 hutan ini, telah menerima pengiktirafan The Malaysia Book of Records sebagai pokok terbesar di Semenanjung Malaysia dan didokumenkan dalam keluaran edisi ketiga pada tahun 2001.
Pokok cengal kedua terbesar pula terletak dalam kompartmen 4, Hutan Simpan Pasir Raja dan dianggarkan ketinggian 45 meter dengan ukuran lilitan 10.75 meter.

Source:http://www.forestry.gov.my/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=98&Itemid=101


It was a 4x4 expedition. We started from Penang, took the Simpang Pulai route to Cameron Highland first.


Routine check on the 4X4 to make sure it would not act up during the trip.


After lunch in Brinchang, we drove to Ringlet and exit to some jungle track.


The government was building a highway that links Cameron Highland to the Karak Highway. We drove some stretch along the alignment of the highway that was being constructed. These photos were taken 2 years ago. I wonder whether the Hway is open to traffic now.











After many hours of driving in the jungle, we finally joined the Karak Highway at somewhere near Bentong. Drove on to Kuantan and put up a night there.

We had dinner here:


and the next morning breakfast here:


Actually only 2 cars were from Penang, the Land Rover joined in from Cameron , and 4 more
were from Kuantan.
From Kuantan were drove up to Pasir Raja.






Then drove through some Felda scheme.


and reached a river. Our cars were not well equiped enough to cross the river.



Only the Land Rover attempted to cross ,buttttt.............. aiyayoh, it got stuck


Team effort to free it.


The rest of us left our cars at the riverbank and walked the jungle track.

Aiya, stuck again.




After tracking for more than 1 hour, we finally reached our destination and saw this:











After we had seen and touched enough, we track another hour back to the river. Originally we planned to pitch tent and camp 1 night here.

But it was only 3 pm, still had enough time to shoot home. So we started our engine and brooommmm....., straight to Kuala Trengganu, then to Tanah Merah, then East West Highway.

Finally, home sweet home at 11pm. Still in time to yam char at Jln Raja Uda.

DIY- Change stabilizer bar bush

For quite some time I have been feeling that my car has 'loose legs'. When driven over bumps it gives me the feeling that the suspension setup is a bit loose and has too much free play.
I decided to take a peep at the undercarriage and realised that the bushes of the stabilizer bar are quite old and worn out. The bar can be easily removed by just unsrewing 8 bolts. I took up the challenge and did it myself. Too bad I was so engrossed in the work that I forgot to snap photos. I can only share what it looks like after the job has been done.

These are the 4 worn -out bushes

I believe they are original bushes that came with the car when it left the assembly plant. So they are about 14 yrs old already.


This is the stabilizer bar that runs across the front undercarriage. It is a very chunky and heavy steel bar, weighing many kg.

This is the smaller bush at the end of the bar, fixing it to the lower arm of the suspension.

This is the larger bush, fixing the bar to the car chassis,just below the engine oil sump.
I spray-painted the brackets and the bar, that's why they look clean.

Removing the bolts and nuts were easy but fixing the bar back needed more effort because new bushes are always slightly smaller. They need to be pushed hard before the nut can be screwed onto the bolts.

End result?
Wou!
The car is more fun to drive now.The steering has better control and the handling is better. Going over bump is more sure-footed now.
I should have changed them long ago. The parts cost RM24, labour is free, just sweat only.

Injecting BOTOX to an old dame

Year of Birth: 1992
Marriage : Twice
First "husband": Younger bruder
Second "husband" : Elder bruder
Hospitalisation due to serious sickness: None
Major operation:
1. Retrofit power steering
2. Converted from manual to Auto


Market value : about RM4K
Make-over cost : about RM4K





" Ah?! siau meh! boh tat"

" Gila! otak tak center.....'

" chi sin, ng chektak"

" not worth it la, bruder......"


" Aiyah, syiok punya pasai la!"


Step 1 : 'Detox' the 'internal organs'

Step 2 : Rip off the scalp

Step 3 :
Put on a new scalp with 'semi-value' hair implant.


Step 4: Put on new 'face' with no wrinkles

Step 5 : Add a new 'buttock'

Step 6: Do facial to remove black spots

Step 7: Put on foundation


Step 8: Tattoo the eyebrows

Step 9: Do up the denture.

Step 10: Apply SKII




the shine is beginning to show

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NOW!!!!!! Let's see how the old dame has been transformed into a SYT ( sweet young thing)
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Sparkling new face with sexy lips.......


with nice curves


and a beautiful butt.....

Total damage to the wallet:

1. body work and paint job : RM2900
2. engine overhaul : RM 600
3. chrome body lining : RM 150
4. interior plastic claddings : RM 220
5. 4 doors rubber linings : RM 80
6. number plates : RM 50
7. flush radiator : RM 50
8. changed all oils & fluids : RM 200
9. new temp and fuel gauge: RM 150

TOTAL : RM4400

Aiyoyoh!!! SakitNYA!!!!

But looking at the end result....... SyiokNYA!!!!!!!!!! Wuahahahahahahaaaaaaa!!!!!!!

Going Home

After 4 nights in China and 2 nights in Hong Kong, it was time to go home.
I entered China through Macau ( stamped passpost into Macau and stamped again out of Macau within an hour), and I exited Hong Kong through Macau as well .
I checked out from the hostel at 10 am, took the MTR to Sheun Wan.

One won't get lost using HK's MTR. You see, the signboard is so comprehensive. The underground station has so many exits, each accessing to different locations.

I exited to the HK Macau Ferry Terminal to take the TurboJet to Macau.
My friend cautioned me that my plan may be spoilt if the weather is bad and the ferry stops its service. In fact I was a bit worried because HK was very misty and visiblity was very poor. The morning news reported 2 accidents of boat and ferry colliding. Just kept my fingers crossed that I won't miss my flight.

The 1 hour Turbo Jet ride costs about RM 73, not cheap.
But the service is good. Ferry schedule runs 24 hour. Day trips at 30 min Interval.
I bought the ticket for the 11.30am trip, but was able to line up at the queue for spare seats on the 11 am trip, which finally I managed to catch .



In my opinion, the cabin is of much higher standard than the Langkawi ferry.


At the terminal, it was another long queue to stamp passport to enter Macau.
Comparing immigration check points of the 3 countries, the most efficient and proactive one is HK, next is China. Macau comes last in my preference.
Took a quick lunch at the terminal before boarding the airport minibus AP1 to the Macau airport.
Ooop! Only remembered to take out the camera after walloping most of the food. This plate of Muichoy pork rice and the simple soup cost me RM15. Si peh kui!

Some scenes on the way to the airport.




Macau didn't earn much of my tourist money for this trip. I only spent RM2.30 airport bus fare 2 times, RM15 for a plate of rice and about RM100 for some almond biscuits at the airport souvenir shop.

My plane, a quite new Airbus 320 with 180 seats, all occupied.
2 groups of travellers with tourist guides from Penang were on the same Penang-Macau flight with us. Coincidentally 1 of the groups was also returning home on the same flight with us.

Finally, home sweet home!!!!!

Central 中環

Before I went up the Peak, I toured the Central,中環.
This is a commercial area with a lot of highrise buildings


This is The Bank of China building


Not sure about this building.


This is the HSBC headquarter

The building was designed by the British architect Lord Norman Foster and engineers Arup and was constructed by Wimpey Construction[5]. From the concept to completion, it took 6 years (1979–1985). The building is 180-metres high with 47 storeys and four basement levels. The building has a module design consisting of five steel modules prefabricated in the UK by Scott-Lithgow Shipbuilders near Glasgow, and shipped to Hong Kong. 30,000 tonnes of steel and 4,500 tonnes of aluminium were used. It is rumoured that the building's modular design enables it to be dismantled and moved, if there was any possibility of a disrupted handover to the People's Republic of China

Source: Wikipedia

Taking the tram is a very convenient and cheap way of getting around the HK island. Each trip costs HKD2 irrespective of distance.

While I was there, I chanced upon this gathering of a group of mothers with their children in front of a government building ( The legislative building I guess) . They were there to voice out some request about children education. The crowd was very orderly and the men-in blue just stood and watched.

Talking about the men-in blue there, I feel that they are very clean cut and smartly dressed, and rather handsome too.