Chapter 6: Forests and Plantations Hills and Plantations
The road south wound through Pulai, once a gold-mining region, now
a corridor of hills and plantations. Each descent tempted me to gather
speed, each ascent stole it away, my loaded bike grinding against
gravity’s pull.
Halfway to Kuala Lipis, a monstrous incline rose before me,
swallowing trucks one by one. Seven broken-down vehicles lined the
roadside, silent witnesses to the gradient’s ferocity. I pushed onward,
sweat pouring in the humid air, the forest alive with monkeys and
lizards.
Yet even here, the jungle was scarred. Palm oil and rubber
plantations stretched across the land, reminders of how quickly
wilderness can be tamed. By the time I reached Kuala Lipis,
exhaustion gave way to relief. Air conditioning, a shower, and the
familiar comfort of roti canai and nasi goreng soon made me forget
the day’s hilly 120-kilometre ride. The day had been a battle, but the
reward was sweet.