RECOUNT : A Hiking Trip

During the last school holidays my family decided to visit the great outdoors. We had decided to hike up Gunung Pulai in Kulai. Early on Saturday morning, I helped my mother pack essentials like water bottles, freshly cut fruit and some sandwiches. Meanwhile, my father and brother were in charge of the equipment such as binoculars, camera and hiking sticks. We departed at around 6.30am in order to make it to the top before the sun got too hot.

Gunung Pulai was already quite crowded by the time we arrived. There were many morning hikers and families that had come to enjoy the trek up too. We opted for an easy waterfall trail which was about 3 KM long and not very steep. Some avid nature lovers took the challenging route that would bring them to the peak some 7KM away. 

During our journey to the falls, I marvelled at the wonders of nature surrounding us. It was easy to get lost among the gigantic trees, cool wind and distant calls of families of monkeys. My brother and I started a scavenger hunt. We had prepared a list of various elements of nature and tried to capture pictures of everything on the list. Father did a little bird watching while mother was captivated by the different exotic looking jungle flower species that we passed.

At around 8am, we could hear the bubbling, rushing water from the falls. Soon we arrived at a small, fast-flowing stream. Mother unpacked our snacks and we set up a small picnic mat by the river. My brother and I enjoyed a refreshing dip in the crystal clear and ice-cold water as father and mother decided to unwind with a steaming cup of coffee and books. 

Finally, we decided to call it a day at around 11am . The weather was getting warmer and the scorching heat made it impossible to hang around much longer. After the downhill trek back to our car, we arrived home at about 12pm. I felt completely exhausted and my muscles ached after the workout. Nevertheless, I was rejuvenated and fulfilled as the trip allowed me to spend quality time with my family and appreciate the marvels of Mother Nature. I hope that such outings become a regular feature for our family.