"Moon" Ong Boo Kuan told us it would be a simple trekking trip to cool off at a waterfall in the Sahom area  as it is the hot season. Thirty seven participants including 3 non-members assembled at the the Sam Poh Tong pomelo stalls before Moon briefed them on the way to the falls. As the bridges at the Sg. Siput South area were being repaired we had to head towards kampar before turning at the Sg. Palai water treatment plant.

After parking our cars a small group led by Moon trekked to a nearby durian plantation for a stint of bird-watching but the leeches emerged in their multitudes to give us a warm welcome. Dr. Neoh and family from Penang joined us for the trip. His eagle-eye vision helped spot a crimson- winged woodpecker and a striped-throated bulbul near the public toilet which was locked. Near the bridge Dr. Neoh pointed out a red-eyed bulbul in a nest and a gold-whiskered barbet in a patch of forest behind. The wet sand behind the toilet which was sprayed with urine by a few young kids stored valuable nutrients for some butterflies which I have not seen for quite some time - the Orange Tip, the Orange Albatross, the Tailed Green Jay, the Sailor, the Chocolate Soldier, the Pendlebury Zebra, the Leopard, the Mapwing, the Red Helen, an unidentifiable species of the Delia family (similar to the Red Spot Sawtooth) and many others. A small barred buffy under-winged Precis landed on Dr. Chan Kai Soon’s padded sporting scope and gave everyone a lesson in mimicry and deception with its rubbing of its spotted hind wings thus twitching its antenna-like tail. To the uninitiated its hind portion really looked its head! I counted more than 25 species of butterflies during the half hour I was there.

Climbing up a flight of steps led us to the base of the falls where most of us had an enjoyable time wallowing in the cool clear water. Loke and a few others enjoyed a good massage from splashing water while the rest soaked in the ambience, clicking their cameras, catching up on the good times or exploring the track up the falls. Soon the smell of fresh coffee, nasi lemak and Mabel’s murtabak wafted to our noses.

I looked around the lowest falls hoping to see some gesneriads but could only spot the Aeschynanthus obconica. Unfortunately none were flowering. Hoping to discover something else I clambered up the falls via the dry granite rock surfaces. Again I couldn’t find any gesneriad but noted a few species of orchids which either had flowered very much earlier or had no signs of blooming. However I noticed a fluttering black and white butterfly but I could not even safely class it. I then spotted a climbing paired-leaves plant with creamy white flowers that looked like a Hoya but noticed that it does not produce the milky sap when crushed and not thick as other hoyas (please refer to the Branch’s website).

Soon we had to leave. At 2.30 pm. I was the last to leave with my wife who discovered a leech on her foot at the last minute. Nevertheless this easily accessible place holds a lot of promise for the naturalists and all nature lovers who wish to get away from the stressful conditions of the concrete jungle. I will certainly make a return trip.
By Cheaw Hon Ming