Chattering at Kem Botak

Finally at 1707hrs we set foot on Kem Botak an almost barren piece of flat rock face at 1943m. Being the last team we had the last plot of open space to set our tent. We had to quickly claim our piece of land before an expectant crowd of 30pax arriving the same day.

We took a piece of grassy land at the edge of camp and set up our tents quickly and headed for a bath which we really needed after all we just dry cleaned the day before and in the morning. So we needed the bath. There was a nice running stream collecting in a well further up the campsite. Beautiful cold running water on a sunny day. While we were enjoying our bath suddenly without warning it started to rain! Bugger! It was not the drizzle that we had at Kem Kubang but cold hard rain. We ran back to camp as we most of our stuff was outside our tents. Thankfully our backpacks and stuff were all put into our tents by the rest of the guys.

Relieved? One would think so till we found the base of our tent felt like a waterbed. We had placed our tent on a waterway and it was collecting right below us. Bloody hell. We had to dig a drainage or we would be royally fucked! Lucky i had my Coleman collapsible spade cum chankul. So it was back out into the cold hard rain. It was like thrusting ourselves into the meat freezer kinda cold. After freezing our nuts off for about half an hour the drain was draining the water from under our camp...the rain seized after pelting us for another 10mins. Someone must have thought we stank to high heaven and gave us the rain.

Obviously we moved our tent just in case rain decided to revisit. Move to higher and harder ground. A little slopy but better than collecting water. Set ourselves in and by 2000hrs we were cooking our dinner.

Keeping warm with a little hug from a friend. Nothing sexual here.

Trying not to freeze or is it a mountain turtle? Some might say the earlier but most would suggest the latter.

Halfway thru dinner the expected 30pax arrived. They were from S'pore on a company trip. Their Filipino colleagues arriving first and was given a warm welcome by us which was reciprocated in kind. Tired as they were they quickly and quietly set up their tents unlike their S'porean counterparts who were obnoxious and a noisy inconsiderate bloody lot. They practically took over the place screaming at the top of their lungs and not bothered that there were people who were just as tired and trying to sleep. Their ruckus could be heard way till 0200hrs. We gave them M'sian hospitality and they returned it with this obnoxious couldn't care less attitude. I heard of how obnoxious they can be but this is first hand experience. Hope the whole island ain't like that. We took into account the tough day they have had and gave them the benefit of the doubt...besides as a team they were rather disjointed and it was every man for himself. I'm glad i'm not part of their crew.

Tough day, hard cold rain and a sleepless nite with noisy obnoxious people. That pretty sums up end of day 3.