Stuif's Adventures
| Sekeping Serendah (4-5)-12-2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Probably not many people will know that near the 'cowboy town' of Serendah, a piece of paradise can be found. It is called the Sekeping Serendah Retreat. We went there with our British friends Pat and Roger for an overnight stay. First we had lunch in Serendah, a one-street town north of Rawang. Good hokkien mee and char kway teow. We take the small road to the Serendah waterfall. Just before reaching the fall, a nondescript road to the left seems to lead nowhere. Follow the power line, the website says. Then there is a wall, a dog barks and a friendly man opens the gate. It is the caretaker, he has been informed about our arrival and prepared a glass shed for us. That is how the metal construction in the jungle is called. Made of galvanised iron and glass. Lots of glass. Two floors, sliding glass doors. Next to a bubbling brook. The bathroom has no roof, two small trees grow inside. It is clear that this is the work of a gifted designer. But hot and cold water, ceiling fans all over the place, fridge, stove and microwave. A barbecue pit. A swimmingpool. In the afternoon we relax in the swimmingpool, surrounded by secondary jungle. We listen to the birds. Then it is time for dinner. We will have steamboat, prepared by Aric. Roger takes care of the fire. There is no TV, no radio, only a concert of cicadas and frogs, and the sound of gurgling water. We talk, have a drink and go to bed early. Peace. The next morning we have a lazy breakfast and we explore the surroundings. There are spiders and butterflies. A jungle trail gives a view of the Serandah plain. Around noon we reluctantly pack our belongings and leave this garden of Eden. We have a quick look at the waterfall. It used to be a nice fall, but in recent years it has been 'developed' with shelters, stalls, a surau, and lost much of its beauty. A new bridge was built to access a huge parking place. A clear example of overkill. Then, a big surprise. The bridge has been destroyed by the river! The caretaker tells us that some months ago there has been a heavy downpour, resulting in flooding of the usually very quiet stream. No plan yet to rebuild the bridge. Hopefully the jungle will take back the place...! Before returning to KL, we have lunch at Ulu Yam. With loh mee and fish cake, of course. More information about this beautiful retreat can be found at the Sekeping Serendah website. | |||||||||||||||||||||
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