Guess what this is. A spiky chicken pie? :-D
Sabariah is so eager to leave. Can't blame her.
And I'm bringing up the rear again, but now downhill walk.
50min later we reach the Lata Jarum car-park, and day-trippers are already at the pool I mentioned earlier. A dip in the water would be invigorating, but we have to return to KL for a prior engagement.
Epilogue
Thanks to Pak Din and his team of exuberant and passionate young researchers, Sabariah and I were able to witness our first ever Rafflesia bloom. We hope to visit more blooms in the future.
They are doing some seriously cool work in the study and preservation of this God's wonderful creature, only found in Malaysia and in some of our neighbours. In all our many travels, locally and abroad, this event has to be in the top 10 of our highlights. Dr Kamarudin Mat Salleh and his research team need all the assistance, recognition and encouragement they could get, in order to carry on this good work. Well done, folks.
Footnote: I emerged from the jungle with just a few leeches stuck to my socks, so I thought I made it leech-less. An hour later, as I was driving from Raub to Bentung, I noticed my dark-blue T-shirt was soaking wet at the chest level. I thought, heck, have I spilled some drink? With my left hand, I tugged at the wet spot, and then I realised my fingers were bloodied! A leech had managed to get to me after all, and at the chest to boot. The critter was nowhere to be found, probably dropped off bloated somewhere. I bled all the way home. Potent anti-clotting stuff, this leech's saliva. Bloody opportunist!
