A moment in Lake Louise

Posted on April 13, 2011 by JoeyG

Canada’s spectacular mountain views that hang atop and along trees, rivers and lakes are well known. Stately illustrated in guidebooks and the likes, many vivid descriptions about the majestic works of nature, however, lack context.

Staring at Lake Louise from the edge puts all that elaborate descriptions in perspective. The view breathes life into illustrations laid out in the brochure scrunched up in my grip.

The waves of rugged mountains present a charming ensemble of honest beauty. Observing this marvelous vista from a distant, I feel closer to this majestic being that seems to have a pulsating rhythm of its own. Again and again, the chilly breeze brushes across with a muffling sound. The sound of serenity. An absolute quietude is floating above my head, in the horizon, not perturbed by any human disturbance.

Better known as Diamond in the wilderness, Lake Louise is gleaming under the late summer sun, glittering with waving ripples. Lake Louise is also crowned as Hiking Capital of Canada. Be it winter or summer, this jewel of nature offers a colorful diversity of recreational and sightseeing opportunities. At this time of the year, Lake Louise would entice many ski enthusiasts with its downhill ski areas, one of the best in North America.

Much has been talked about The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise that sits on the eastern shore of Lake Louise. Especially its premium price for a luxurious night in the wilderness. The colossal concrete stands proudly amidst the mountainous beauty. I hope the operator has taken under its wings the responsibility to sustain such delicate surroundings. To be fetching a price of up to CAD500 per night during peak periods, they better be.

A resident bee outside the garden of The Chateau Lake Louise.

The still tranquility is open and embracing.

There are a total of 19 trails in and around Lake Louise with Fairview Lookout being the shortest, 1KM one way and takes approximately 1 hour for a return journey. The more famous one would be Lakeshore Trail that measures at 2KM one way and takes up to 2 hours for a return journey. The more challenging trail would have to be Sheol Valley that is 12.5KM from the viewpoint near boathouse on the shore of Lake Louise. The return journey may take up to 5-6 hours.

The hidden solitude on the side of Lakeshore Trail.

The hidden solitude on the other side of Lakeshore Trail.

For a change of viewpoint, we took a ride on the Lake Louise Gondola, and were hoping we could catch a glimpse of the grizzlies around the area. But, luck was not on our side. At 2088m from the ground, you feel the world was at your feet. The ride took us 14 minutes and was probably my shortest 14 minutes ever.

Lake Louise Gondola.

Being lifted up to the skies.

We reached the lookout point near the interpretive centre and found ourselves staring at a spectacular mountain range, the Ten Peaks Valley where Morraine Lake is.

Ten Peaks Valley.

Our pad at Lake Louise Campground. The fire pit was much smaller and we really needed a hatchet.

For information about other trails in Lake Louise:

Boulder Pass
8.6 km to pass, elevation gain 640 m, 6 – 7 hours round trip Trailhead: From the village drive towards the ski area, turn at signs for Fish Creek Parking area, follow gravel road for 1 km to parking lot on south side.

Bow River Loop
7.1 km round trip, no elevation gain, 2.5 hours round trip Trailhead: Parking lot opposite the Lake Louise train station (restaurant).

Louise Creek
2.8 km, elevation gain 195 m, 1 hour one way Trailhead: From the Samson Mall parking lot walk along Lake Louise Drive to a bridge crossing the Bow River. Cross the bridge and then look for the trailhead on the downstream side of the bridge.

Tramline
4.5 km, elevation gain 195 m, 1.5 hours one way Trailhead: From the Station restaurant a 3% grade follows the old narrow gauge railway bed to the Chateau Lake Louise.

UPPER LAKE LOUISE TRAILHEAD
Lake Agnes
3.4 km one way, elevation gain 385 m, 2.5 hours round trip Trailhead: From Lake Louise shoreline trail, in front of Chateau Lake Louise continue up to Teahouse. Side trip: Big Beehive 1.6 km one way, elevation gain 135 m from Lake Agnes Side trip: Little Beehive 1 km one way, elevation gain 105 m from Lake Agnes

Lake Louise Lakeshore
2 km one way, no elevation gain, 1 hour round trip Trailhead: In front of the Chateau Lake Louise

Plain of Six Glaciers
5.3 km one way, elevation gain 365 m, 4 hours round trip Trailhead: Follow the Lake Louise Shoreline trail to the back of the lake and continue on to Teahouse. Option: Connect the Lake Agnes and Plain of Six Glaciers trails, via the Highline trail, to form a 14.6 km loop. 5 hours round trip.

Fairview Lookout
1 km one way, elevation gain 100m, 1 hour round trip Trailhead: Same as for Saddleback. Follow the Saddleback trail for 0.3 km then branch right.

Saddleback
3.7 km to pass, elevation gain 595 m, 4 hours round trip Trailhead: Viewpoint near boathouse on shore of Lake Louise.

Fairview Mountain
4.5 km to summit, 1013 m elevation gain, 5 – 6 hours round trip Trailhead: Same as for Saddleback.

Sheol Valley
12.5 km to Paradise Valley Trailhead, elevation gain 595 m, elevation loss 576 m, 5 – 6 hours total trip Trailhead: Same as for Saddleback.

PARADISE VALLEY TRAILHEAD
Follow the Moraine Lake Road for 2.5 km to a parking lot on the right hand side. Paradise Valley trail was rerouted in 2006.

Lake Annette
5.7 km one way, elevation gain 245 m, l.5 hours one way

Paradise Valley & Giant Steps
10 km one way, elevation gain 385 m, 7 hours round trip
Paradise Valley / Larch Valley 17 km total distance, elevation gain 880 m, 7.5 hours

MORAINE LAKE TRAILHEAD
Larch Valley
2.8 km one way, elevation gain 465 m, 3 hours round trip Trailhead: 100 m past Moraine Lake Lodge, along lakeshore. A 2.4 km trail switchbacking steeply through the forest to a junction high on the north slope of the Valley of the Ten Peaks. From the junction it is another 0.4 km uphill to Larch Valley.

Sentinel Pass
5.8 km one way, elevation gain 725 m, 5 hours round trip Trailhead: Same as Larch Valley. Follow up steep switchbacks to this 2611 m pass. Sentinel Pass is 3 km beyond Larch Valley.

Eiffel Lake
5.6 km one way, elevation gain 370 m, 5 hours round trip Trailhead: same as Larch Valley

Wenkchemna Pass
9.7 km one way, elevation gain 720 m, 7 – 8 hours round trip Trailhead: same as Larch Valley

Consolation Lakes
2.9 km one way, elevation gain 65 m, 2 hours round trip Trailhead: the Bridge at the rear of the Moraine Lake Picnic Area.

Next up is Takakaw Falls in Yoho National Park, our very first backcountry experience.

Banff National Park – Tunnel Mountain Village 1

Posted on April 13, 2011 by JoeyG

I understand nothing about Plate Tectonics, the theory that explains the formation of Canadian Rockies, and all the mountains in the world for that matter. All I know is, the rolling hills, valleys and mountains that stretch along the drive on 16th Avenue, Transcanada Highway that connects Calgary and the Canadian Rockies were nothing less than spectacular. A piece of art that took 100 million years of building and earth movements.

The Trans-Canada Highway passes through Banff National Park, from eastern boundary near Canmore, through the towns of Banff and Lake Louise, and into Yoho National Park in British Columbia. This scenic route was, on many occasions, backdrops to many Hollywood productions as pointed out in http://www1.travelalberta.com/en-ca/index.cfm?pageid=7&id=1379. When you gather all these facts, the route seemed to have an unidentified airs to it.

The view on 16th Avenue. The scenic rolls by as what you would see in movies.

The 1.5 hours drive was too short to take in all the beauty. We were, however, getting closer to more natural wonders at our first stop, the Banff National Park.

Established in the 1800s, the body of this wilderness treasure encompasses 6,641 square kilometers of conifer forest, rugged mountainous terrain, ice and glacier fields. The neighbours are Jasper National Park to the north, Yoho National park to the west while the south and east of Banff are occupied by Kananaskis Country, which includes Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park, Spray Valley Provincial Park, and Peter Lougheed Provincial Park.

While there are numerous accommodation options ranging from dormitory to luxury resorts, nothing beats the intimacy with nature you get within the forest. Rough it out it is. Our bunk is pitched for the 2-night stay on Lot 47 in Section C of Tunnel Mountain Village 1 for CAD24 per night. We got a fire permit too and the fee of CAD7 included quality fire woods in abundance. We didn’t have a hatchet though.

Everything was good except for the tarp. We should have gotten a bigger one.

These take no time to warm us up in the zero degree temperature.

As I write this, Banff Town is covered with snow with a mix of sun and cloud and a minus two chill. It is a stark contrast to the late summer last year, when we were there. I remember clearly the blissful walk we had with the sun shining on snow-free driveway and the wind whispered at our ears. Many Canadians dread the winter, except for ski enthusiasts of course. But, we were curious to find out for ourselves. For now, we will have to wait.

Even Jessie, the dog, loves the sun. The owner, Michael was envious of the attention we showered on Jesse. What a lovely dog it was.

Banff Town during summer.

The long-hour journey had taken a toll on us, so, we skipped the hiking trails, though they were generally well manicured. But no one should pass on the chance to canoe in the Bow River no matter what, especially when the sublime beauty beckons with calm sparkling water and waving grassy bushes. The wind too gently coaxes in the background. The name “Bow” refers to the reeds that grew along its banks where local aborigines in Canada used to make bows. The river’s source is from the Bow Glacier, which is part of the Wapta Icefield.

We picked up our canoe from a private canoe rental hut nearby and headed out for our first adventure.

Our canoe.

Calm and serene.

We never knew how difficult canoeing was until the wind suggested so. Even with constant paddling, we weren’t moving much forward. The wind was pushing us back. It felt like that. We eventually gave in at some point and let the wind and water buoy us along the grassy bank. The picturesque view in front of us was dramatized by the passing train, burping clouds of faint smoke as it curls by.

Pacific Central makes timely appearance.

In less than 20 minutes, the paddling got harder when the wind became excited. Steering our canoe became challenging and we got slightly panicky. As if on cue, the wind let up, just enough for us to heave a sigh of relief. On and off, the wind teases us until our arms got sore. In the game between the wind and us, we grew familiar to the rhythm and merely played along for another 20 minutes before we surrendered the canoe.

Our arms took a good beating. It’s time to work the leg muscles now. We went on cycling next. We rented 2 bicycles and hit the road in no time. It is officially a paddling day.

On the way to Vermilion Lakes.

Though dry, Vermilion Lakes is still charming with its rustic look while the snowcapped Mount Rundle peers over.

Our little friend was waiting at our pad when we got back. We politely sent it off with no casualty.

At almost 8:00 pm, our surrounding in the campground was dark and peaceful. A few active fire pits glittered from a distance with light chatters filled the air. Our orderly day was wrapped up with a hot cuppa by the fire pit. Sipping smoking hot tea in the chilly outdoor was an all-new experience.

We bid the forest good night and hit the sack. I wonder how does Lake Louise look like. We will soon find out.

Calgary – The Cowboy Town

Posted on March 27, 2011 by JoeyG

After Vancouver, we moved east to the much talked-about Canadian Rockies. Before that, we made a quick stop at Calgary, the largest Canadian metropolitan area between Toronto and Vancouver.

Calgary is approximately 985 KM east of Vancouver by road. We boarded one of Greyhound’s buses bound for Calgary at 6:00 pm at the Pacific Central Station, the hub for intercity coach services in Vancouver. The stop-and-go journey took us 15 hours passing scenic towns including Chilliwack, Kamloops, Revelstoke and Golden before we arrived at Calgary at 10:30am the next day.

I’m not sure how many people did that but we walked from the bus depot at 16th ST SW to the closest C-Train station at 10th ST SW. As if the long-hour bus journey was not tiring enough. Talk about being suckers for punishment. We threaded along highway interchanges where, on a couple of twitchy occasions, our lives flashed by in split seconds. But, the late summer sun made the walk irresistible. We reached the C-Train station in a cosy housing area under 30 minutes, with no incidents. My back was still intact at least.

Rumbling tummies led us to Stephen Avenue Walk, one of the local attractions. Built in the 1900s, the street lined with historical buildings later turned into a pedestrian street in the 1970s. Today, the street houses nine major shopping centers and departmental stores, a good mix of boutiques and galleries, and some highly recommended restaurants, pubs, cafes and bars.

A chalkboard and a cheerful waitress in front of BR& beckoned us with inviting set lunches. I thought the name was unfancy for a supposedly fancy restaurant that takes pride in its steaks.

We walked through a decorative fence marking the outdoor territory of the unassuming (from the outside) restaurant. We poked our head into the restaurant and saw nothing but sheer darkness. And there was a shadow of a chandelier on the ceiling. Was there? We picked the bright outdoor seats over the mysterious dining hall within.

BR& is also known as Brand Steak and Frites at the Bank. The 100-year old heritage building used to house Nova Scotia Bank, the Scotiabank we know today, and later became The Bank nightclub for a short period of time before it became home to Rococo Restaurant. And today, BR& is standing proud and hopeful amid the colorfully buzzing street with sound competition as neighbors.

Our eyes got bigger than our stomachs when the menu came. Since steaks were only served during dinner, we ordered the house signature burger, rocket salad and french onion soup, just thought we should try some local recipes. We completely forgot about the portion until there were all served. Nibbling on them could possibly fill up a true blue Asian-sized stomach, like mine.

Rocket salad with a HUGE toasted brioche. The french bread is a meal on its own. Somebody was sleepy.

BR& signature burger with tomato confit, honey and truffled onions, foie gras (serious?) and the star: juicy burger pate from short rib. The frites (french fries basically) were awesome though.

French onion soup. More like cheese soup.

I forgot. We ordered turkey melts too! Too much cheese for the day.

A glass of mojito and a bottle of London's Pride made the chowing easier and more fun as while we people-watch.

The cooling sensations.

We spotted a group of hunks parading for a good cause: The Canadian National Suit Drive, sponsored by Moores, a men's clothing company. The campaign aimed to collect lightly-used suits from donors to help low income or no income men to dress proper for a job interview. Kind hearted souls were helping the needy group to step up for a brand new start in life.

Statistics have it that there are potentially between 5,000 and 10,000 people traversing the street every hour during peak period, a good crowd for live performance, buskers, music, festivals and culture galore to thrive. Talking about busking, we had a close-up magic trick performed by Andy (not his real name but I thought he looked like an Andy) who earned a living by performing for gratuities. Our tip was by no means generous but the young chap accepted it with gratitude.

Andy (in black and white daypack) teases an intimate crowd with one of his tricks.

[pro-player width="640" height="480"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvZmKRC_NdI[/pro-player]
Video: Street tricks in Calgary.

Souvenir from Andy. It came out from his mouth!

Stephen Avenue Walk is managed daily from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm by the Calgary Downtown Association on behalf of the City of Calgary. We had not the time to trace back the heritage of the street but the brief stay was refreshing nonetheless. We subsequently rented a Dodge Calibre from Rent a Wreck, a “wreck” that matched our expectation. The windscreen threatened us with a severe crack across the screen. We were advised not to speed unnecessarily. Otherwise, it would be a safe ride.

We took a drive to the other side of Calgary and legally pitched a tent on a camping and RV park run by Mountain View Campground. It was a good feeling when our cheery hostess, Minnie Brautigam, informed us that there is proper facility within the compound. There was even WIFI connection chargeable by the day.

Our pad with resort-feel for the night.

Our neighbours.

This expansive park stately erected by the side of Trans Canada Highway also enjoys hosting visitors during the Calgary Stampede in July every year. For more info, please visit http://www.calgarycamping.com/.

We drove a good 130 km the next day to Banff National Park.

At a glance – North Shore Mountains – Cypress Provincial Park

Posted on March 26, 2011 by JoeyG

We put up our final night at North Shore Mountains in Cypress Park. By then, waking up to numbing chill is a sign that we are still alive. No complains as we approach the brand new day with an attitude.

Standing at the High View Lookout point, we silently warm up to the chill. This became a morning virtue. The silence steers the mind clear of clutter and we start a brand new day full of promises.

After breakfast, we drove along the waving trees by the broad driveway. The first thing that came to my mind was: How I wished I was cycling now. The broad winding road is beckoning, the wind is teasing and the sun is smiling. Cycling seems to be the best thing to do to embrace nature. We will do that next time. For now, we will just wind down the window and stick our head out so we don’t miss any tree that bows and waves as we drive pass.

The driveway leading up to Cypress Park Parking Lot.

Cypress park is an ancient forest with plenty of yellow cedar, also called yellow cypress, hence the name Cypress Park. We stroll along the drive way in our compact sedan, at an illegally slow speed, 20 kmph.

Our aim today is to do some serious hiking but at a leisure pace. Hollyburn Mountain is our destination, which intersects at some part of the 42km Baden Powell Trail. No leeches, no bugs and the soil was dry and air was fresh. It was a pleasant change compared to hiking in tropical rainforest. We chose to start our hike at the parking lot, which turned out to be an excellent idea.

Hollyburn Mountain it is!

The return journey of this trail is 7KM with 450 elevation gain. Technically you should reach the peak in under 2 hours and would use the same amount of time or less to get back to the parking lot. The route was fairly easy, but slightly misleading at times as markers stop showing in some parts of the trail. We made it nonetheless. I find http://www.vancouvertrails.com/trails/hollyburn-mountain/ really useful for a more detailed direction.

Along the way, we were looking out for the Fourth Lake but it turned out to be dry in late summer last year. Even the mountain lake at the peak was dry. We reached the peak in 2 hours and the fog was thick and clouding the view of the Burrard Inlet, Sections of Vancouver and the Lions.

Fourth Lake on a dry day.

Even the mountain lake is dry.

But we found something more interesting along the way during our descend: animal footprints. We couldn’t tell if it were wolf’s or cougar’s, which had reportedly showed themselves in the jungle. We were glad they weren’t exactly there when we were. But we knew they were there, coexisted with us in harmony.

Animal footprint. I am hoping someone would tell me this is a cougar's footprint.

Another set of animal footprints that I thought looked like bear's. Maybe a small one.

With this piece, it is a wrap for North Shore Mountains. We bid temporary farewell to Vancouver and head towards Alberta for Banff and more adventures.

Klang Bak Kut Teh in Connaught, Cheras

Posted on March 4, 2011 by JoeyG

After we have had a long day strolling in the mall, we went to Taman Connaught for Bak Kut Teh. We have been there a couple of times and things seemed a little different this time. It was full, more brightly lit and busier.

A girl no older than 25 took our order with a tone of voice that was much older than her looks. She was expressionless, quick and forward, staring down the note pad while penning down our orders. She looks like she was in charge of the running of the humble eatery with the way she waves her order sheet and checking things around.

We were sitting across the cooking station where a young lad took charge of the incoming orders. Tall, skinny and an oily face that is on the verge of breaking out. The lad is probably in his late 20s. Based on the incoming orders, he organises the ingredients in a small bowl before putting them to boil.

The soup is as clear and as tasty as I’ve tasted it before. I absolutely love the combination of stomach, intestine and ribs. I was hoping there would be yao char kwai, maybe I should have brought my own. I am just wondering why there is no enoki mushroom since it’s a popular demand.

While waiting for our order to arrive, I find it amusing observing this lad at work. He is totally undisturbed by his hair, which practically covers 3 quarter of his face. He flicked it sideways whenever he needs to look up. Otherwise, his concentration is all on the pots of ingredients and the sheets of incoming order.

When I was his age, I used to see his station being a throne to some mid-fifties with a pot belly. And today, the scene has aged in reverse. Although this young lad is running a task that is traditionally mastered by seniors decades older, he is no less efficient. In fact, his meticulous measurement of the ingredient is probably one of the secrets of the eatery’s success. He constantly wipes his station with a damped cloth, a task of the least priority for the mid-fifties pot bellies.

The servers who run around the floor were much younger too. A much younger girl, probably in her late teens was tending the cash register. A foreigner in his late 20s was drying dishes on the side. Although young, but these group of people showed no infancy services but are assuring and determined as their seniors.

I think I am witnessing a time of change where the generation my age has come up to take over a dominant economic role. Looks like the moms and dads can take a much deserved break now.

The stall also serves steam fish that appears in every table, quite a popular dish here.

口香正宗吧生 Bak Kut Teh
Price Range: RM10 per single serving with varieties of ingredient except for mushroom. Need some luck to get Yau Char Kwai though.
Business Hours: Opens daily (Night)
Address: 147, Jalan Sarjana, Taman Connaught, Cheras
Coordinate: 101.737053°, 3.082333°

Untimely nature’s call in Mount Seymour

Posted on March 3, 2011 by JoeyG

All tucked in, I’m ready to call it a night in the car at the Parking Lot #1 in Mt Seymour. Chill is gliding through my vinyl sleeping bag, teasing my heavily clothed skin. I feel the chill bumps rising and fading in a matter of seconds.

Even with six layers of clothes that include my jacket stuffed with duck feathers, the cold still tunnel down my neck and eventually get trapped at my feet. I could imagine them turning pale and the toes blued. The cold is now poking me all over and even my scalp is shivering.

My thighs are numb from the prolonged stagnant position on the car seat that has been converted into a sleeping berth. Although I am all zipped up, I constantly have to cover my face with the hood to trap the heat from leaking, in order to stay warm and alive.

I wiggle cautiously within the sleeping bag to avoid cramps as well as to get more comfortable. I learned that if you rest your head high enough with a pillow that fills up the gap at your neck area, it would feel more tolerable. It almost felt like an ideal position to lock myself in for the night. I occasionally stretch my muscles to improve blood flow. Just when I was about to get comfortable, my lower abdomen twitched and my bladder flinched. Nature’s call. Ringing loud and clear. There is no toilet nearby. Well, none that I know of at that point in time.

In that split second, my effort to tuck in for the night is down the drain. I contemplate ways to answer this untimely call. My body slumps. The goose bumps continue to rise and fade at their own rhythm.

Out of the sleeping bag, the chill is assaulting me crudely. I wipe away the sweat on the windscreen to see if I could ease myself by the bush. Looking out, the mist is thick and lingering, the cold is too fierce for a bared bottom.

Very quickly, the windscreen becomes blured again. My mind is as blank as the fogged up windscreen and windows. I am stuck with the call and have no idea how to answer it. The commander is fast asleep and I don’t have the heart to wake him.

As my bladder detests more aggressively, I finally pull up my less-than-efficient-looking urinal bag.

The urinal bag is a 4″ wide and 10″ long plastic pouch with a zipper. Once opened, there is a hard card folded below the zipper. To ease yourself, you are to unfold the hard card outward to make a half-covered funnel. Then, cup it against you know where. The problem is which half.

Although the print says it is good for both female and male, I don’t see how it is so for female users.
With no specific instruction, I can’t imagine easing myself without making a mess. The skeptic in me thought the inventor must had been a male, not the sensitive type.

I am in a developed country and situation like this should not be happening. However, I am desperate and helpless. I decided to improvise the solution at hand with a little common sense I could gather at this pivotal moment.

I unfolded a few travel literature to make a pyramid cone. I must have used the Mt Seymour one as well. Dang. I loosen the cone so the tip makes an opening. I stick the pointed tip into the urinal bag. Now, I have a perfect round funnel for you know where.

Now that my latrine is ready, I need to figure out a position to put it to use. I squeeze into the leg room with a half squatting and half standing position, just like the kung fu movies where a student would tuck his arms at the waist, sitting on an invisible chair. I would be tired very soon. The constrained space would make me feel it sooner than expected.

My bladder is nudging hard again, urging me to get down with business. With my left arm on the seat, and my right hand holding the improvised urinal bag underneath you know where, I let go.

My muscles contract, my bladder fights the tension a little and slowly, my bladder loosens and I am relieved. Half way through, my legs muscles vibrate. The tension is fading but my doubt about the urinal bag is not.

Suddenly, I hear a familiar sound, like water dripping on a surface. I move the funnel (now a little wet) closer but realised that the urinal bag is not filled, not even a drop. Now, I am scared. I have to do what I have to do. I touch the floor carpet to confirm my fear. It is soaked through and through. I just peed on the floor carpet, a tragedy that I was trying extremely hard to avoid that I almost compromised my bladder.

Easing yourself is supposed to be a naturally effortless task. In a car, it is a new motor skill. When you mess it up, the aftermath could be frustrating and embarrassing.

This is déjàvu. I’ve had the same experience when I had to pee in a zipper bag on a bus when my fellow Cambodian passengers could not comprehend my need and urgency. My common sign language was uncommon in that part of the world.

I had to stack up my backpack to block the view from other passengers especially those sitting behind me when my face gradually turned green. Thank goodness for the extravagantly tall backpack. It was a plus when the bus was barely occupied. I would spare you the details. But basically, I relieved from one problem to another. The content in the bag leaked. The rest stop was 1.5 hours away.

Besides the different geographic location, I was pretty much dealing with the same problem with the same miserable outcome. Only this time, I might have to deal with the stench in the mobile home when the sun comes up the next day. I might also be penalized for compromising the cleanliness of the rented car.

Cypress would have to wait, we needed a detour tomorrow: to Safeway to get a fabric freshener. As for now, I need to crash.

15 Ways How NOT To Get Bitten By Leeches

Posted on March 2, 2011 by JoeyG

Prevention

Leech Socks
Wear it like how you would wear a sock and tie it just below your knee, this will prevent the leech from getting in between your toes and feet. The socks are generally light colored, which also makes it easier to spot leeches climbing up from the feet and looking for skin to attach to.

Tobacco
Get yourself a small bag of raw tobacco leaves which you can get from the market. Soak it inside the water, transfer it into a small bottle to carry around and spray on your clothes and pants. The smell of the tobacco is able to slow down the leech and ultimately intoxicate it. But it takes time, there’s no immediate effect.

Salt
Apply salt or water mixed with salt onto your hands or any exposed area. Remember not to apply any salt to any leech if it is already sucking your blood, this causes the leech to regurgitate its stomach contents into the wound and quickly detach.

Tobacco Socks & Armcover
Put some tobacco in a container and add some water (but not too much). Soak the socks / armcover in the tobacco & water overnight. The next day let the socks / armcover dry out. To certain extent, it should prevent leeches to cling on your socks, but according to some, it doesn’t stop leeches from doing so. You can use the same procedure with salt as well.

Bath Soap
Mix a bath soap with water and then rubs it on your skin. Spray if you can, since it’s easier and covers your exposed area much more evenly. Bath soaps are alkaline and it will prevent leeches from having direct contact with those areas.

Insect Repellant – Mozzi-Guard
It is an insect repellant but its Eucalyptus extract can prevent mosquito, as well as leech attack up to 6 hours. Click here for the full article. The effect of insect repellents is disputed, but it is generally accepted that strong (maximum strength or tropical) insect repellents do help prevent bites.

Stocking
Tightly woven lady stockings (to prevent penetration) and light colored (to enhance leech visibility), to be worn over outer garments, serving as a barrier.

Dettol
Apply / spray Dettol on your hands, necks and legs. The strong smell apparently keeps the leeches away. You may also soak / spray your socks, shoes, trousers or any exposed areas with concentrated Dettol.

Snuff In Castor Oil
Mix snuff in castor oil or any oil into a paste and apply the paste up to your knee level. With the existence of oil, this “conconction” stays on your legs even if you get into water.

Citronella Oil
You can purchase this from any aroma therapy shops. It is excellent as an anti leech solution as well as for other bugs, and also effective against sand flies.

Rubber / Diving Shoes
Their thickness and material prevent leeches from penetrating and getting a bite off your flesh.

Cover yourself sufficiently
The most reliable method is to cover exposed skin. Tuck your shirt into your pants. This will prevent the leech from crawling to your belly, armpits and anywhere warm. Cover yourself well so that it doesn’t give the blood sucking creature any opening to creep into your body. But long sleeves is not necessary. Tightly woven and light colored materials are the key.

Avoid contact with surroundings
Keep walking and not lean on anything. If you need to stop and take a rest, find a spot with direct sunlight, leech do not exist in dry and hot places. Typically you’ll find brown leech on the ground and tiger leech on the tree leaves as shown above.

Other home remedies
There are many home remedies to help prevent leech bites. Many people have a great deal of faith in these methods, but none of them have been proven effective. Some home remedies include: baking soda, citrus juice, Neem oil, eucalyptus oil or vinegar. Diluted calcium hydroxide may also be used as a repellent, but may be damaging or irritating to the skin.

Alcohol
In the BMJ medical publication back in 1994, Anders Baerheim and Hogne Sandvik said that “Exposure to beer tended to disrupt the leeches’ normal behavior…”. Read the full article here – http://www.donramon.net/articles/articles_level2_007.htm

Removal

Correct step by step on how to remove leeches from your body parts.

Knife
The easiest way you can get a leech off of your skin is to use a knife and slide it underneath the leech and flick it away. Pocket knives and butter knives work best for this. You will probably end up bleeding, but regardless, make sure you wash the wound out and put a bandage over it to avoid infection.

Fingernail
One recommended method of removal is using a fingernail to break the seal of the oral sucker at the anterior end (the smaller, thinner end) of the leech, repeating with the posterior end, then flicking the leech away. As the fingernail is pushed along the person’s skin against the leech, the suction of sucker’s seal is broken, at which point the leech should detach its jaws.

Leave them to full satiation
An externally attached leech will detach and fall off on its own when it is satiated on blood, usually in about 15 – 20 minutes (but will stay there for as long as it can), while internal attachments, such as nasal passage or vaginal attachments, are more likely to require medical intervention.

DO NOT USE …
Salt, heat, flames, soap, caustic chemical such as vinegar, alcohol, insect repellent, lemon juice, heat rub, or certain carbonated drinks or even other “natural remedies” to get leeches off. Also avoid using heat rub as many believe leeches have an adverse reaction to the menthol contained in it and will detach quickly upon contact with the substance. This causes the leech to regurgitate its stomach contents into the wound and rapidly detach itself. Typically, a leech sucks the blood out and some of its own “stuff” gets into your body. The last thing you would like to happen to you is to reverse this procedure. The vomit may carry disease and increases the risk of infection.

Simply pulling a leech off by grasping it can also cause regurgitation, and adds risks of further tearing the wound, and leaving parts of the leech’s jaw in the wound, which can also increase the risk of infection.

Treatment

After removal or detachment, the wound should be cleaned with soap and water, and bandaged. Bleeding may continue for some time, due to the leech’s anti-clotting enzyme. Applying pressure can reduce bleeding, although blood loss from a single bite is not dangerous. The wound normally itches as it heals, but should not be scratched as this may complicate healing and introduce other infections. An antihistamine can reduce itching, and applying a cold pack can reduce pain or swelling.

Some people suffer severe allergic or anaphylactic reactions from leech bites, and require urgent medical care. Symptoms include red blotches or an itchy rash over the body, swelling away from the bitten area (especially around the lips or eyes), feeling faint or dizzy, and difficulty breathing.

“Stalls under the trees”, Taman Bukit Serdang

Posted on March 2, 2011 by JoeyG

After so many years, coming back to stay in Seri Kembangan brings back childhood memory.

I’ve not been able to take time out to be a stranger somewhere else lately. But, I thought, I am an equal stranger to my own place sometimes. Why not exploring my neighbourhood for their food and people that I so casually miss.

Many out of towners would call Seri Kembangan a food haven, if you know where to look. And I couldn’t agree more.

Instead of exploring the mundane shop houses, I would like to introduce to you to a humble stretch of food stalls that took 6 years to form a community. It was later tagged by out-of towners and locals as the “Stalls under the trees” or in Chinese “大树头” and slowly became a common joint for lunching crowd. Over the weekend, people pour in from various junctions from Seri Kembangan to take in the breeze and warmth at the humble setup, all put together n shared among the stall owners.

The food here is not spectacular but each owner has something to take pride of. Food aside, sitting under the tree with a whole coconut to yourself while the tender breeze brushes across your face is worthy enough for a visit.

Panoramic Picture of the Stalls Under The Tree. Click for a larger version (Warning: Large filesize 1MB)

This stretch of nowhere stalls was started by the ever cheerful Uncle Tian Sang (天生）, a 50-year old who sells chee cheong fun on a mobile truck. 6 years ago, there weren’t many eateries around. He used to drive his truck around the light industrial area during lunch time, delivering hot and steamy chee cheong fun to the working crowd in and around Bukit Serdang Light Industrial Area (Kawasan Perindustrian Bukit Serdang). When he is not paged or called by hungry workers, he would find shelter under a tree by the shoulder of the road for the rest of the afternoon. And since then, the chee cheong fun has been a staple food for passers by as well as the locals.

There is nothing fancy about the chee cheong fun and the regular accompaniments. But, the soup is what I crave for. The soup is a seasoned pot of boiling water where Uncle Tian Sang would boil the ingredient before serving. I guess it’s all the accumulated tastes that make the soup tasty. It was not a pleasant sight but the taste won me over. There are three sauces. The sweet brown sauce, chili and curry gravy. If you want them all, just say Sam Dai Man Zhuk (cantonese) 三大民族 that simply means Three main ethnic groups, a symbol of unity inspired by the young heritage of this food haven.

Each piece is RM0.70.
Uncle Tian Sang – Tel: 012 314 3118

When there is food, there ought to be drinks.

Lim, a quiet spectacled young man, joined Uncle Tian Sang and started selling drinks and desserts in the same year. Lim alternates his dessert and drinks menu on a daily basis, but in total, he offers more than 10 types of creative desserts. Apparently soya bean with ginko, white fungus tops the list.

Price ranges from RM1.60-RM2.40.
Lim (Drinks & Desserts) – 012 372 7989

Left: Soya Bean with White Fungus & Ginkgo. Right: Refreshing Cendol.

The duo enjoyed an exclusive bond for 2 years before another stall joined in, added coconut water (served in a glass) and sugar cane to the menu.

Joining the community forth in the rank was En. Sugarto Salleh who took over the mamak spot nearby about 4 years ago. Sugarto brings patrons the freshest and youngest possible coconut served in whole, all the way from Sungai Besar, Kuala Selangor. The coconut grown by the seaside is hard to come by and is Sugarto’s personal pride. I love the soft and slightly thin flesh, sweet and smooth, a must-try on a hot day.

On a good day, Sugarto sells more than 200 coconuts in just half a day from 11am. Though money is good, but choosing the 200 coconuts is another challenge that only Sugarto knows. Sugarto is an Indonesian and had come to Malaysia at a tender age of 17. He also sells Nasi Lemak with sambal ala Indonesian along with a variety of local delicacies such as lekok, banana and tapioca fritters.

Sugarto has a business license hung on the wall of his truck and the address aptly tag the place by the authority as “Bawah Pokok”, means under the trees.

Coconut is RM2.70 and other delicacies start from RM1.00.
Tel: 016 – 3737 191

From Left to Right: Sugarto serves freshly fried lekok, Coconuts Galore!, Freshly fried lekok - hot and irresistible.

Joining the community after Sugaro was Yap, a soft spoken young man in his 40s, frying up hot plates of char kueh teow, sometimes with scorching sun burning behind his back. Unlike other char kueh teoh, Yap’s is supposedly healthier than it looks as he uses less oil, hence drier, and without lard. It’s halal. If you like it a little salty, you have to tell him.

Without lard, the halal char kueh teow does taste different, but it is not too far from the original. And one that is worth trying is the one with duck egg. I tried once in Taiping, which was supposed to be the famous one but it had an acquired taste. Yap said it’s possibly because the noodles were too wet. So, he made it dry enough with his for a more palatable taste. Well, it must have some truth in it. The duck egg char kueh teow tasted as good, with not much difference from the chicken eggs. But, don’t compare to Penang’s one if you know what I mean.

Each single serving with duck egg is RM4.20 and with chicken egg is cheaper.
Yap – 016 275 1961.

Left: Halal Char Kueh Teow with duck egg, not much difference from the one with chicken egg only cholesterol level I guess. Right: Yap, frying up hot plates of char kueh teow.

I was more interested in the new comer who is a Penangite, serving hot bowls of asam laksa that are made with original Penang recipe. Slightly more salty than sourish. I would have gobbled down a second bowl if my stomach gives some leeway. The banana leaf wrapped otak-otaks travel all the way down from Penang. With a truck that is still sparkling clean, Chong is the latest member of this food stalls haven.

Asam laksa starts from RM4.50 while otak-otak is RM3.
016 – 4358 912.

Left to Right: Chong brings Penang Asam Laksa to the community, Penang Asam Laksa, Penang Otak-Otak

The asam laksa truck is the only one that operates on weekdays except for Wednesday while everyone else operates daily from 11am until 5:30pm. Some starts later at 1pm.

Even if there is nothing to shout about the food, it is still something new in a concrete jungle.

Mount Seymour

Posted on March 1, 2011 by JoeyG

Enjoying the view of mountains and jungles from afar freezes our mind momentarily. For a moment, you wonder how the rugged formation managed to impose such majestic presence on earth but yet hold a fond place in humans’ eyes and heart.

During our brief visit to North Shore Mountains in BC, we visited a few provincial parks namely, in chronological order, Mount Seymour where we took our first nature walks, followed by Lynn Canyon Park, Grouse Mountain and Cypress thereafter in a span of 3 days. While the view of the mountain range from a distant is both breathtaking and mysterious, getting inside and underneath the canopy has a totally different but rewarding experience. Mount Seymour came to be our first stop.

The entrance to Mount Seymour Provincial Park is located on Mount Seymour Road, north of Mount Seymour Parkway in North Vancouver, 15 kilometres northeast of downtown Vancouver via the Second Narrows Bridge and Mount Seymour Parkway. Deep Cove, North Vancouver and Lynn Valley are just nearby.

Winding through Mount Seymour Road.

The park offers rewarding lookout points that overlooks the city of Vancouver and east over Indian Arm Provincial Park. If patience is your virtue, there are even opportunities for bird and wildlife watching. There are designated picnic areas too. With 14 hiking trails of varied length and difficulty in Lower and Upper Mountain trails, anyone can enjoy a little stroll in the wild. Lower mountain trails are used extensively by mountain bikers and hikers, while upper mountain trails are restricted to hiking.

The shortest trail in Mt Seymour is Old Cabin Trail, an easy route of only 430m and would take more or less 20 minutes. Elsa Lake is the longest with 7 km and a return journey might take up to 10 hours. This rugged trail begins on the main Mount Seymour Trail and follows it until the trail divides just before First Pump Peak. The trail is well developed until a point northwest of Gopher Lake where the trail narrows and is marked with flashers and tape.

Sections of the trail can be extremely rugged and easy to loose in inclement weather. A small backcountry shelter is located at the end of the trail. Only experienced and well-equipped backcountry travelers should hike this trail. Hikers are encouraged to plan their hike early and not to under estimate travel time.

As we were still nursing jet lag, we took a stroll from Baden Powell Junction and intersected at Three Chop Trail that, for some unknown reason, was not mentioned in the park brochure.

The starting point of our stroll, Baden Powell Trail Head at the Lower Mountain Trails.

It was late summer in end of August, the beginning of the trail was dry and the air was chilly and fresh. Sounds from the occasional snapping branches jerked us a little but the serene walk overall has a therapeutic effect on the wandering mind. As we stroll through aisle of trees in a semi-wilderness forest, standing tall and proud, the wide-gap forest seemed to have taken on a time-fashioned appearance. No spectacular views, but trees standing straight and tall amid muffling silence, the sound of peace and tranquility.

A well maintained trail at the start of Baden Powell Trail Head.

The view around us was universal. We couldn’t tell left from right neither back from front. We struggled to get our bearing right. Our going was merely guided by a well maintained trail. At some trail forks, we depended on guesswork and a scrunched up map in our backpacks. Our map reading, by experience, was not great.

When we reached Three Chop Trail, the trail slowly revealed an ominous silence, slightly darker and more bushy. We carried on to Deep Cove Lookout point via Old Buck trail. This is where wilderness got its name, and slugs like Banana Slugs and Black Slugs called it home.

Three Chop Trail, the ominous silence starts muffling.

Top left: Black Slug, Top Right: Banana Slug, Bottom: Yellow Slug.

Later, we succumbed to the chilly breeze and took a rest at the elevated path along the trail. With a tarp laid underneath us, our break soon turned into a snooze. If found, the rangers would have given us a good lecture.

The snooze got the better of us and we forgot where we were until the wind woke us with poking chill. As we looked around, the azure skies had silently retreated during our snooze and the grey tinted sky slowly loomed in in the past 20 minutes. We quickly got up, packed up the tarp and hurried back to the car. We did not make it to the Deep Cove lookout point. We drove up instead.

Main Picture: Cove Lookout Point - the distant brown color sign says this is a group campground. Bottom Left: Our bunk for the night.

A ranger told us there was no camping in Mount Seymour but we later found out that there was a group campground near Parking Lot #1. Since our plan did not go as smoothly as planned, we made the parking lot at Cove Lookout Point our base for an overnight camping, in the car. It is no fun when a ranger knocks and wakes you at 7:30 am with stern legal warning. We at snail pace, half awake, packed up and moved on to our next park. I still have no idea why we couldn’t camp when the campground was there. Anyway, next up is Lynn Canyon.

Other trails information:

Old Buck: Length: 2.3 km to Baden-Powell Trail junction. Suggested time: 45 minutes. 5.5 km to Perimeter Trail junction. Suggested time: 2 hours. Total elevation change: 670 m. Trailhead is located near the park entrances across the road from the Gatehouse. The trail winds its way up to the beginning of the Perimeter Trail following the grade of an old logging road.

Old Buck Access: Length: 1 km. Suggested time: 30 minutes. Elevation change, minimal. Commences by the Vancouver Picnic Area parking lot. This short trail terminates at the junction with the Old Buck Trail. Easy.

Horse Trail: Length: approximately a 2.5 km loop. This trail is used primarily by mountain biking enthusiasts.

The Mushroom Parking Lot: Length: 750 m. Suggested time: 15 minutes from road. Elevation change, minimal. Trail begins just across the road from the Vancouver Picnic Area parking lot and offers hikers an opportunity to experience more of Mount Seymour’s past as it developed toward a major ski area. Moderate to Easy.

Baden-Powell: The Baden-Powell Trail was a British Columbia Centennial project initiated in 1967 by the Girl Guides and Boy Scouts of Canada. Completed in 1971, the trail connects Deep Cove on Indian Arm with Eagle Ridge Drive near Horseshoe Bay, a distance of approximately 42 km. About 5 km of the trail are in the park and may be accessed from the Baden-Powell picnic area and parking lot located 2 km along the main road from the park entrance. One section of the trail leads west from here to the Mushroom Trail junction. Length: 1.7 km. Suggested time: 40 minutes. Elevation change, 130 m. The other section leads from the road to park boundary. Length: 1 km. Suggested time: 15 minutes. Elevation change: 100 m. These sections of the trail are considered moderate. Condition of the trail outside park boundaries varies considerably. Please use caution.

Perimeter: Length: 1.5 km. Suggested time: 45 minutes. Elevation change: 240 m. Begins at the Deep Cove lookout and ends at the Goldie Lake access trail junction. Moderate.

Dinky Peak: Length: 750 m. Suggested time: 15 minutes. Elevation change: minimal. A short, scenic trail that starts 250 m along main Mount Seymour Trail and leads to the peak of Dinky Bluff. Beautiful view of the Lower Mainland.

Goldie Lake Loop: Length: approximately 2 km from the parking lot. Suggested time for loop: 1 hour. Elevation change: minimal. The trail starts behind the First Aid Building and winds its way down past the Goldie Rope Tow area to Goldie Lake. This trail also connects with the Flower Lake Trail and the top end of the Perimeter Trail system. Easy.

Flower Lake Loop: Length: 1.5 km. Suggested time: 45 minutes. Elevation change: 150 m. A pleasant trail that starts 500 m along the Goldie Lake Trail and leads through subalpine bog and pond communities. Opportunity to see a variety of bird species. Easy.

First Lake Loop/Dog Mountain: Length: 1 km to First Lake, 2 km from First Lake to Dog Mountain (one way), 3 km from First Lake to complete loop. Suggested times: 30 minutes to First Lake; 40 minutes from First Lake to Dog Mountain; 45 minutes for loop trail from First Lake. Elevation change: to First Lake and Dog Mountain, minimal; Loop Trail, 60 m. Trail begins just west of the chairlift and climbs gently through dense subalpine old-growth fir forest to First Lake and the trail junction for Dog Mountain or Mount Seymour. From this junction follow the trail west to Dog Mountain for a spectacular view of Greater Vancouver and the Seymour River Valley, or follow trail north from the junction towards Mount Seymour and eventually loop around back down to the parking lot. Moderate. The Dog Mountain, First Lake Trail back to Parking Lot 4 via Mount Seymour Trail serves as a winter route.

Mount Seymour: Length: 4 km. Suggested time: 2.5 hours. Elevation change, 450 m. A busy trail that starts near the north end of the top parking lot, traversing Brockton Point and First and Second Pump Peaks. From the summit there is a panoramic view of Vancouver, the Lower Mainland and, on a clear day, the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island. Moderate to difficult. From Parking Lot 4 along the Mount Seymour Trail to Second Pump Peak serves as a winter route.

Mystery Lake: Length: 1.5 km. Suggested time: 45 minutes. Elevation change: 180 m. A popular summer trail that begins at north end of Parking Lot 4 and follows along the chairlift right-of-way beside Loch Leman. There are no fish in Mystery Lake but it is a refreshing swimming spot on a hot summer day. Moderate.

Jenny Diski – Stranger on a train

Posted on February 21, 2011 by JoeyG

When you are bound by the desk, or whatsover reason, which stops you from hitting the road, you find ways to allow the fantasy of being routine-free thrives, at least in your head. It is comforting to know that there is still such luxury in spite of the hectic daily runabouts. It’s a form of brain exercise, for me.

More often than not, travel plans are made with very minimal attention given to the actual traveling itself. To many, the journey is more likely to be a commercial break where we can’t wait to get to the destination for the actual fun.

Sitting through a plane ride means you sit tight in the miserably more or less 10° reclined seat with a paperback on hand, flipping through pages after pages so it would make the clock ticks faster. As if. Some would try laboriously to configure a most comfortable slumber position possible in the restrained space to catch up on some lost sleep. Only if you are no taller than 5 ft and no wider than 34 inches, in such a space-constrained surrounding, movement is extremely restricted. You keep things to yourself as proximity makes one conscious of his movement.

Jenny Diski, the author of Stranger on a train was well aware of that and wiped all that off her traveling and took the less beaten path, the train. And in the US, people like you and me might not even consider that as the ancient mode of transport. Besides her departure point and arrival point, pretty much nothing was planned.

Unlike plane, train takes its time to weave through mountains and ridges, winding rivers and great plains, some time a no-man land. And these views are usually in plain view if there is daylight. Taking in the view, in itself, is a sheer pleasure that is hard to come by in a concrete city.

As there is ample opportunity for communal interaction with other passengers, naturally, Jenny’s exploration starts during the journey and includes various interactions with other passengers. During her long-hour train ride, Jenny strikes conversations with other smokers during a puffing session in the smoking cabin and only to be excited by the least expected stories.

She finds exchanging pleasantries during meal time makes miserable train meals less miserable. And of course she weans off her need to be isolated during long transit hour and gives way for new acquaintance to unfold more stories.

Having no planned agenda gives her the flexibility to accommodate experiences and encounters that could only be accorded by spontaneity and openness. The long winding train ride gives her the luxury of observing details and images of people that would otherwise went by unnoticed: the frown and sorrow hanging on a traveling retiree’s face, the confusion clouding the mind of a 15-year old mentally challenged teenager. The ride also slips in some boasts of self-centred and insensitive Irish that gets under her skin. The random opinions about the local infamous political scandal spices up everything else.

In her story on the train, it also reflects her past as a psychological patient. I will leave Jenny to tell you the rest.

Jenny Diski, the winner of the Thomas Cook Award and the J. R. Ackerley Prize for Autobiography, she has the simplest but the truest emotion in verbalising her surrounding. After reading her travelogue, I have gained an insight on how to enjoy the simplest journey, no matter the destination.

Stranger on a train – First published in 2002 in UK.

RMXX