Murud 2015 - before

Wow... it has been such a long time since I posted anything here. Nothing much going on in life apart from the norm, plus now I don't have the luxury of sitting infront of the computer with free fast internet access as I did when I was working in Sanmina-SCI last time, makes me so lazy to log in and post any entry.

But... this is special case ;) in addition to the excitement shown by Barbara in her blog From Notes to Diary made me excited to share my journey this year too.  I am babysitting my niece today and she is taking her afternoon nap, so I will share what I can until she wakes up.

After being on Murud in 2013 (and after facing all the "hardship" during the climb) I thought I would not have the strength to go back.  Yes, I believe that God gave and will continue to give me the strength should I decide to go, and my heart truly yearns to go back but as the bible say "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak".  One day mid 2014 I was talking to Barbara about the experience and she said she wanted to go.  I said okay, gave her the dates but in the back of my mind, I was telling myself that I was crazy to attempt the climb again.  True to her excitement, Barb got us tickets in December (MYY-BKM MAS Ticket:  RM211).  Being a coward to go up "alone", I contacted Lydia and Alie (my climb gang in 2013) to see if they too wanted to go.  Lyd said yes.  Alie said she didn't feel called to it this year.  So it became the 3 of us.  [Note:  Barbara is my junior from high school.  Never were friends / close during high school but got reunited during one of those school gatherings and clicked - perhaps because of our faith]

The 3 of us - Barb, me (what's up with my face?) and Lydia

By January 2015, I knew that I had to loose weight if I wanted to climb Murud.  In 2013, I was 75kgs then and now I was 90kgs - that's 15 kgs extra!  As usual, I spread out the kgs and said if I could loose 2kgs / month, I will be fine by July.  At that time, I met Lyd for coffee and we both made a pact to start training early and shed our extra kgs (mine more than hers).  Did it happen?  Of course NOT! :D  Come mid June, 1 more month to the climb, I met Lyd and was sooooo happy when she said that she don't think that she can climb as she have not been training and she would be happy to just stay at the kampung.  I danced in my heart and said great! I will stay in the kampung too.  I will connect Barb with those I knew was going up and leave her to be taken cared of by them.  Easy peasy - so I thought.  18th June - got my KCH - MYY tickets - AirAsia - RM 177.00 inclusive 15kgs baggage to and fro.

2 weeks before the trip, I started to worry about getting ration (food), about how to cook, about places to stay and I started bugging Lyd to help me think as Barb didn't have the experience yet.  In addition to that, our experience in 2013 thought us that it would not be an easy thing.  After discussing about the ration we will need, the logistic etc for a few days, Lydia whatappsed me saying, "Today, I think, I can naik. Haha!".  Done deal.  We were going up.  I was so worried, that I went on a "diet" that says I can loose 10kgs in 15 days.  Just enough time I thought.  Nope, I didn't loose 15kgs but only 5kg.  Haha. So I was now 10kgs heavier than 2013.  I started going to church more often - not to pray but to climb up and down the steps in church (church has 4 levels of staircases).  I went for walks at the Amphitheater as well at Reservoir park every morning for at least 1.5 hours.  But at the end of the 2 weeks, I knew that I my success in the climb will be only because of God, for I have neglected to prepare myself well for this trip.

Do or die - Murud, here I come.

Food:

What we prepared for the trip - I wish I can just post up screenshots of our whatapps here, but that will not be fun right?

Food for mountain:

We were going to be going to the Mountain on Wednesday afternoon so counting from Wednesday dinner till Monday breakfast, we were to have 15 meals there.  So 15 cans of tin stuff, one for each meal divided between the 3 of us.  Lyd and I knew instant noodle would taste great up there in the cold - fast to cook, fast to eat too, so budgetting 2 meals/day with 2 packs noodle/meal between the 3 of us, we decided 20packs will be enough.  2 kgs rice (1 kg rice = 7 cups.  1 cup/meal 15 meals = 15 cups = 2 kgs).  Milo and cereal drinks too would taste great in the cold - so 20 of each.  Because Lyd and I had spent the night at Lepo bunga with Ibu Bulan in 2013, we wanted to also have fried chicken and fried pork in our list because it tasted sooooo nice when Ibu Bulan shared it with us at that time.

Summary (shared between the 3 of us)

Instant noodle - 20 packs

Tin stuff - 15 cans

3 in 1 Milo - 20 packets

cereal drink - 20 packets

Rice - 2 kgs

Biscuits - Osborne, Munchy, Peanut butter

Fried Chicken cubes - 1 kgs - RM10

Fried Pork cubes = 1 kgs - RM18

Salted fish - a few sticks - can't remember how much

Snickers - 3 packs - 1 to go up, 1 during the stay up there, 1 to go down

Dates - 1 box Yusoff Taiyoh Yuta dates) - can't remember how much

Lyd brought fried anchovies, fried peanut, tea bags and coffee.

I got all the stuff and packed them into 2 separate boxes, making sure we had a balance of everything in both boxes just incase the box went MIA.  Each box weight about 7kgs.  We ended up not taking any rice with us as we then had a better arrangement for accommodation where the host will prepare rice for us.

Ration part 1 - for mountain

Mixed Snickers on promo

Food for the kampung:

We were also going to stay at my grandma's house in Buduk Nur, Bakelalan for a few days.  We would be coming down from the mountain on Monday morning and our flight was to be on Wednedsay - that will be 2 nights.  It being Grandma's house, board was free and I knew there would be at least another person there with her (Uncle Pudun).  We might have to take care of our own food if there was no aunties around.  So, I packed another box of 7kgs - instant noodles, tin stuff, biscuits etc.  I forgot to buy beverages.  It might seem a lot / too much to some, but really, when you go back to kampung and stay with "family", wouldn't you buy lots?  If there is one thing I regret is that I didn't buy much more!  The weight limit did not allow us to do so.  On our last morning there, grandma had asked who bought the groceries.  I told her we did.  She then said, if it's you, then it's good, I can eat it as much as I want.  If it was your uncle / aunty-in-law, then I don't want to eat much as I am shy and afraid to eat it.  My heart broke.

Ration part 2 - for kampung

Accommodation

In 2013, we had to stay with the bible school students where it was bare, the walls had HUGE holes where wind would blow into your skull and you can hardly sleep.  We had to seek their help to cook our rice using firewood as well as we lacked the utensil and know-how :D  So this time, I was very much ready to lug up things (well, taking for granted there will be porters to help lug them up!) to make the stay easier.  I was ready to bring a portable burner + stove, pots and pans as well as plates etc.  I also knew we needed a tent to be able to sleep.  Barbara had a tent that she could borrow from her sister so that was taken care off.  I went for a search of all the other stuff, trying to find the smallest yet most reliable gadget to survive. Dad even wanted to give me tuition on how to cook army style! I think he was more worried that I was.

3 days before the trip, I met my cousin-in-law Pastor Sabiyah and lamented to her about the preparation.  Then she asked, why don't you stay with us at Pak Paran and Ibu Martina's place.  Hearing that, I was ecstatic!! I have been to their house on the mountain for a visit in 2013 so I knew that it was well equip and comfy.  That would solve every worry that I have!  Praise the Lord!  I quickly asked Lyd and when she said OK, I whatappsed Barb as well.  We had only to give a love token of RM25/night.  So it was decided.

Transport

I have asked my uncle Pudun to arrange for transport to take us to Lepo Bunga when we arrived, but had gotten no updates from him.  During the same conversation with Pastor Sabiyah, I asked if there was still room for the 3 of us to hitch a ride with them.  She said she will arrange it, to consider it done.  Wow.  Praise the Lord for this providence.

The most worrying thing for me is to be caught still hiking in the jungle at night.  I quickly did my maths, arrive BKM 10.30, change, go up Lepo Bunga at 11, reach at 1 (it used to take 2 hours) start the climb - 1pm - 7pm (6 hours from previous experience).  Guaranteed to be dark.  Oh no!  I asked Lydia if it was a wise plan.  She replied me  "Don't worry much.  God has taken care of our accommodation, transport.  We just need to get there".

Bah... iya lah... Be at rest dear heart, God will take care of everything.