On top of Ampang!

OK... While I'm still on the Net and have streak in me to continue posting, let me just pick up from where we left off at Fooling around the Semenyih Dam... .

And so after leaving the lake and taking the road straight to Ulu Langat, we then took the road which connects that small town straight to Ampang. Underwise one would have to get to Cheras first before taking the Middle Ring Road pass Pandan Indah to Ampang.

Apparently, the friend and his wife who were travelling with me on this particular trip (oh, we went up the Gabai waterfalls before going to the Semenyih Dam) don't even know that the road connecting Ulu Langat to Ampang exist. Actually it have existed for years and since 'discovering' it about 10 years ago, I would make a trip every now and then through the road.

For one, it is a shortcut to get to the Ulu Langat area from mid Kuala Lumpur... If memory serves me right, Ulu Langat is only 5 to 7km from Ampang through this route... Otherwise (through Cheras that is) it would take up to (or more than) 20km! But the best thing is, it is very scenic. Wait until you see the view of the Klang Valley available from the route!

Anyway, the road from Ulu Langat to Ampang (and vice versa) have to pass a range of hills which forms part of the Peninsular's main range of mountains, better known as the Banjaran Titiwangsa. At the highest part of the route, on top of a hill, lies a rest place developed by the state authorities...

As my friend and his wife have never been here, we might as well stop. Besides, the last time I went here myself was probably over a year ago. But first order of things, we were pretty famished. It's time to head for the restaurant...

The restaurant itself offers a nice view of things. But my cheap digital camera couldn't catch it properly due to the contrasting lights...

So I had to go the edge of the verandah and snap this picture. There! Magnificent view of Kuala Lumpur isn't it? There's not much place around where you can get this sort of view!

After lunch, we went up the stairs seen in the first picture. Decided to snap the rooftop of the restaurant and the adjacent buildings... Seen in the background is the 5,000 feet-high or so Gunung (mount) Nuang, the highest peak in the state of Selangor...

At the highest part of the hill lies a viewing tower open to all and sundry...

At its foot there's a few seats apparently very popular for couples trying to 'discover' each other, hehe! :]

As always, a trip like this is not complete without going up the tower. Not that you have to pay anything...

Ah... Now, a much better view of KL...

And this is how the restaurant and the buildings beside look from the tower... The design of the rooftop gives the view a certain flair...

The view available from the highest level of the tower. Enough ya! Cheers...

Fooling around the Semenyih Dam...

Last time someone pointed out that I haven't updated this blogspot for some time... Well, here's a new update. Although frankly I don't feel well enough to weave a good story (for reasons I'm not sure of, my whole body hurts like hell the last few days!), let me just tell a tale my usual way ya... By uploading some pictures of any of my past travel and try to describe it, thus letting whatever comes out becomes the order of the day. Here, shoot...

OK. I just happen to have some pictures of a trip made around the Semenyih area of Selangor almost a month ago inside my new 2GB pen-drive... I recently lost my old 256MB drive which have served me for more than 2 years. In this particular posting, let me talk about the Semenyih Dam ya...

The Semenyih Dam is one of the main water reservoir for the Klang Valley... Situated about 20km (or is it 30km? Never mind... It is not so far...) from the city centre centre, it is located within one of the most scenic area accesible to city folks within an half-hour drive.

I remember when my trusty 535cc big bike was still operating well. I would make a point at least once a month to take a ride towards Ulu Langat and pass the quaint villages alongside with its beautiful streams waiting for me to take a dip. Then it's time to stop by at the Semenyih Dam and enjoy the view of its expansive waters. I'd swear that's when my mind starts to get into some sort of poetic mystical mood...

For many city-folks and those nearby, the lake (or rather the reservoir created by the dam) is heaven to those who enjoy fishing...

As for me, I never really care about fishing. I just like to sit beside the lake and stare out into the open...

I remember once going down a certain nice spot with some friends last year. Too bad in this latest trip I can't find the exact spot. Then, it was the Muslim fasting of Ramadhan. After converging in Ampang for late supper, me and the friends decided to take a trip up the winding road of Kuala Klawang in the state of Negeri Sembilan which is past the road to Ulu Langat and enjoy the fresh mountain air of the jungle in the wee hours.

Still, that is another story. Before returning to Kuala Lumpur, we stopped at the Semenyih Dam. Oh... One thing I like to do at the dam is shout my heart out and wait for the echo... Try it... It is much fun and very therapautic. Suffice to say, that's what we did for sometime early that morning before we started to bet, who could throw the farthest stone across the waters.

We then drove to another part of the lake and found a nice spot where some people were fishing. That spot even have a nice strecth of sand! And so there were we racing down the hill to enjoy the water when we saw a staggered drain on the hillside which looks like a very welcoming waterfall.

Now, none of us brought any extra clothings for swimming or dipping. Thus most were content to just wade through the waters. Me on the other hand just couldn't resist the call of the rushing waters up the staggered drain. I went up for a climb and found myself a nice spot when the friends down there said "Don't mind us...". I guess they already knew me too well...

So without much further ado, I stripped off my clothes bare! Suffice to say I enjoy a very nice skinny dipping session indeed!

Whatever, that was for last year's trip... In the latest one made almost a month ago with some other friends (actually a fan of my "Berpetualang ke Aceh" book series and his wife), we decided to return to Kuala Lumpur via the road which cuts straight to the town of Ulu Langat. That's when I decided to stop and take this picture... Notice the Petronas Twin Towers?