The Long Trek 'Home'

My long awaited return to my beloved haven continues with a trek up the hill. I walked and take in the all too familiar sights and air.

The smell of impending rain fills the air and a cool breeze blows across my face. I take a deep breath and fill my lungs with the fresh rainforest air. The smell of the forest of old i know only too well. The winding & narrow mc adam tar road is only all too familiar to me. I may have travelled it by jeep many many years ago but it's still the same and strangely i remember it as if it was yesterday that i travelled this path.

Road signs a bit worn and covered with algae making it redundant unless one gets up real close to see them. It serves as direction of sorts i guess. Left right or something like that.

Plants growing by the slopes enveloping the hillside like an emerald carpet. One would feel tempted to just lie on it and forget one's woes but i had a mission.

Mist shrouding the surrounding hills. A pretty sight to behold as the mist and clouds dance and weave their way through the trees and it's branches.

Caterpilars frolicking and getting a bit of the waning sunlight. The bright orange caught my attention. They must be awaiting their turn to metamorphose into butterflies but at the moment they seem to be enjoying being caterpillars mulching away at the succulent fern.

I continue my trek as i take all the sights and sounds in. I was on a tight timeline as the jeep's scheduled downhill trip was to be at 1500hrs. I had about only 30mins to explore as i had to take in the time required to go back to the jeep station or i would have to trek all the thousand plus meters back down. I began to feel anxious. I walk faster and faster and as i was about to turn back i smelled it. The all too familiar smell of my favorite tree whose roots my ah poh used to make an ointment with. I knew i was close...i trekked faster.

I take all this in but my mind is in a place i once called Home.