Yan again... The call of Gunung Jerai...

19th January 2007. If memory serves me right, it was a Friday... So the Yan main mosque would play host to the Jumaat or Friday congregational prayers soon. Still, I want to continue exploring around but not too far as I didn't want to miss the weekly congregational prayer which is obliged by men.

Actually Muslims in the midst of travel are exempted from this obligation. They can opt to conduct the normal daily Zuhur or early afternoon prayers as a replacement. Why, a person travelling far like me could even delay the Zuhur prayers right well into the ends of the time for Asar prayers, that is just before dusk but I chose to conduct the Jumaat because of the feeling of brotherhood it evokes having many people congregating at one place all in the name of God, the Creator of all in existence!

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And so I just walked around the town centre... It's just a kilometre away and I could make the Jumaat prayers in time at a moment's call...

It's only after the Jumaat prayers that I decided to take the rather long walk going inland away from the town of Yan. That's when I passed Kampung (village) Aceh, said to be the place where Aceh immigrants were originally concentrated at in Yan.

Too bad I didn't feel much connection. The locals said, most of the old folks of Acehnese descent have either moved out or passed away. The remaining young didn't keep close to their roots, as in practicing the way of their elders especially religious-wise... Perhaps that is why I could only scarcely feel the connection? Nevertheless, I do feel slight spiritual pulls here and there, maybe because of the aura left behind by the deceased elders? It's just I felt a stronger pull calling me to walk on... To where? Let's just continue with the story...

I walked on and came across this school. My legs still want to go on...

As it is, the peaks of Gunung Jerai seemed to beckon!

Interesting to see this tree right in the middle of the road. I learned later (actually I did feel it there and then), there's a strong spirital presence emanating from the tree!

Much later I came to this sign-post... Both places mentioned are local resorts... Which one should I go to... The answer came rather obvious. Just follow the pull like a spaceship being sucked by a tractor beam in an episode of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century... Head for the foot of Gunung Jerai... Just walk on straight... (Now I'm beginning to sound like a Zombie... Say this with a drawling voice: I need brains! Haha!)

And so I arrived at the resort area of Titi Hayun, literally translated as the 'swinging small bridge'. It seems there was one such bridge there at one time. Now it is replaced by this concrete one which can only swing if there's a Tsunami or a Transformers giant robot swinging it for fun... Hmm...

Right after crossing this bridge, I saw this staircase up the hill...O o.... I though I just want to have a splash at the ravines here but something is pulling me up the stairs... Ah... Just follow the light... Is it the call of Gunung Jerai grabbing me by the balls?

And there I was, this unfit self for the lack of sporting activities the last 20 years with a huge rucksack behind my back alone climbing up this stairs... Coincidently, the locals call this staircase Tangga Seribu or the thousand steps... I found out why while almost being flat!

I found this shack and decided to stop for rest. After all, I couldn't see any more steps... Perhaps there are some more and I was told later, the steps actually leads all the way to the peak of Gunung Jerai but I think enough climbing for the day. I was already having breathing trouble the last few weeks for reasons I'm not sure of... Maybe because of the side-effects of abruptly stopping smoking since September? After 22 years of hardcore blowing and puffing to clear my stress away? Or maybe I'm having breathing problems of the black magic attacks I believed were instigated against me my some people who wants me dead? I sure can't reveal the details...

Whatever, I was nearly out of breath then. I swear, it's only a strong self-will which contributes a systematic control of breathing which stops me from passing out alone in this jungle... Otherwise, God know what would happen to me next...

Nevertheless, I managed to put my body and breathing in order and went down the steps safely. It's time to take a dip in the cool waters and ease myself...

Later, I was taken to this surau (small praying hall)... Let me continue the story in another article ya... Cheers! :]