Taman Negara & Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
15th - 19th June 2007
There were 2 meeting points on 15th June 2007 (Friday). One was at KTM railway station at 5pm and the other meeting point was at Harbour Front MRT at 4.15pm. After we met up with our instructors from Pac West (S) Pte Ltd, we were split into our groups, with each group consisting of 16 to 19 people, including 1 group leader, 1 assistant group leader and 1 safety leader.
We boarded the train at 6.15pm and departed for Jerantut. We reached at about 2am and we proceeded to a nearby transit motel to have a night’s rest before setting off next morning at 8am on a bus to Gua Kota Gelanggi caves. After the 1-hour bus ride, we had our breakfast before settling our bags down in our tents in the cave.
After that, we had a briefing on how to wear harness and also on the safety aspects during abseiling, rock climbing and caving. After the briefing, we split into 2 groups to participate in the various activities. Groups A and B did the abseiling and rock climbing first, while groups C and D went for caving. They switched over their activities after lunch.
Everyone cheered their team members on when they were abseiling down or when they were scaling the natural rocks during rock climbing. These activities, especially rock climbing, require perseverance from our participants as some parts of the the natural rock wall were sharp and slippery due to the morning rain. Many overcame the difficulty and scaled to the top.
During caving, everyone helped by warning each other of sharp edges and also by navigating through narrow holes. The guide introduced us to many natural limestones and it was indeed an eye-opener for some of us.
We were scheduled to have a campfire dinner on that night but due to a heavy downpour, we had to retreat back to the caves for dinner. Our participants rested early.
On Day 3, we packed up our bags and left the caves for Tekam Plantation Resort on a one and a half hour journey. After settling our bags in the rooms, groups C and D set off for flying fox and river crossing first as the bus supposed to fetch groups A and B broke down. The planned schedule was delayed as groups A and B reached the resort later. After they reached, they set off for a rafting competition.
It took a few participants to overcome their fear of heights and attempted flying fox. The process was tough but the journey on the flying fox was enjoyable and exciting. The flying fox was familiar to some of our participants but river crossing was a fresh experience for all our participants. Armed with life jackets, everyone who landed after the flying fox had to return back to the original shore by pulling themselves across a river using the rope which stretches across both shores.
After lunch and a water break to hydrate ourselves, the 2 big groups swapped their activities. For the rafting competition, we split up into 3 smaller teams to compete against each other. It was then followed by a briefing by our Pac West instructors then a 30 minute scavenger hunt around a huge field for 5 coloured cards with the words “barrels”, “poles”, “strings”, “paddles” and “life jackets”. We were taught how to tie different knots. Communication and team work were needed in this activity as some of the group members held the poles and barrels in place while a few others tied the raffia strings. After working as a team to tie up our raft structures, we carried the raft to the river and paddled along the river. It was a satisfying experience as this is the first raft-building activity for many of our participants.
After dinner, we had our usual debrief session and also a cross-dressing pageant, which requires team members to dress up one of their group members as someone of the opposite sex. Each group sent out 2 contestants to compete in both the “male” and “female” categories. Everyone had a good laugh as our contestants were doing their best to impress the judges from the main committee. Each group participated actively in dressing up their group members and also thinking of various stunts to outshine the other groups’ contestants. It was a fun and entertaining night for all our participants as everyone was tickled by the contestants’ actions.
After the announcement of results, everyone took photos with their groups’ pageant contesants then had a short rest. The programmers also planned a scavenger hunt, which requires groups to demonstrate their teamwork by finding clues placed around our resort area and then following instructions written on the cluecards. At the end of the hunt, the chief programmer counted the score for every group and concluded the night.
The next morning, we set off for trekking at Taman Negara on a one and a half hour journey. While some took the opportunity to rest on the bus, some chit chatted all the way to Taman Negara. Bonding was evident as those who stayed awake interacted with each other. After we reached, the chairperson gave a safety briefing for the trekking, canopy walk and rapid shooting activities. Groups A and C set off first followed by B and D to maximise interaction among groups. Trekking encouraged team spirit and is also in line with part of our motto of “give without condition” as team members reminded each other of slippery paths, roots jutting out, etc, and helped each other when the routes got more difficult.
After reaching the summit, we had a short rest before proceeding on to the canopy walk. The view was breathtaking as the bridges were fixed amongst the trees. Finally, it was lunch. Everyone was famished after lunch. After lunch, we split into groups of 14 and boarded the motor boats. Rapid shooting was new to everyone. The trip started and in no time, we were all dripping wet as the boatmen from other boats splashed waves of water onto each other’s boats.
To prevent ourselves from catching a cold, everyone was reminded to bring a dry change of clothes. Thereafter, everyone returned to Tekam Resort. After bathing, we went for dinner. Our chairperson gave his ending speech and thanked everyone for their participation in this year’s camp. All our volunteers and HI participants were also encouraged to step forward and share with the rest their experiences and thoughts during this camp. A handful came forward and thanked the committee as well as their volunteers and HI friends for all the fun and memories they can keep for life. Many expressed that they enjoyed the camp and will join again next year.
The last night was free-and-easy. Many participants went over to each other’s rooms to chit chat before retiring back to their rooms.
Day 5 was the last day of our camp. We packed our bags and travelled to Kuala Lumpur’s Community Service Centre for the Deaf. It was an enriching experience as all the HI participants were new to this place and they also got to know more about the history and background of the centre. The deaf kids also put up many performances as an introduction. We had lunch at the centre and after lunch was a couple of light games which are planned by the centre’s volunteers. We were grateful for their accommodation and hence everyone pooled a sum of money together to help the centre with their tight budget. The centre’s person-in-charge and volunteers were touched by our moves and requested a big group photo. The session was heart-warming and indeed a wonderful and memorable experience. Afterwhich, we set off on our buses back to Singapore.
The camp ended on a high note and everyone brought back with them wonderful memories and friendships which can continue even after the camp.
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