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QUEST FOR RAFFLESIA - 2 by Evelyn Yoon Lai Wan

The Rafflesia, commonly known as bunga patma, is a very remarkable flower. It is the world's largest flower with an average diameter of 24 inches. This exotic flower is parasitic one and grows on woody vines of the Tetrastigma genus. The buds which are brown and cabbage-like, takes several months to mature (many abort half-way) and are believed to have medicinal value. The Rafflesia blooms for 3 - 4 days and when they whither, they give off and offensive smell that attracts the carrion flies which help in pollination. This flower is unisexual and it consist of a tube-like lower portion called the perigone which is surrounded by 5 thick and fleshy maroon (depending on species) petals which are spotted.

It was on the 17th August 1997, when 17 of us decided to go off the beaten track to look for the exotic one. It wasn't really an eventful outing as we only spotted a few buds. We were either too early or too late. Too early in the sense that there were a few buds which only open in two weeks time and too late because there were a few decayed blooms laying around.

Merdeka day came. Four of us, Dr. Chan Ah Lak, Iris Kok, Kok Kai and I, decided to venture into the tropical rain forest once more. Though I've vowed 2 years back never to enter Ulu Geroh in small groups, (as 6 of us nearly had tiger stories to tell) the lure of the Rafflesia in bloom was just too great to resist. That morning itself, I prayed that we would be rewarded for dragging ourselves out of bed at such an ungodly hour. We started our journey to Gopeng at 8.30 a.m. and was soon winding up the hill heading for Ulu Geroh. It's 14 km from the Esso station in Gopeng to the site which was trickling with mineral-rich water. One can see Raja Brooke butterflies here. After taking a few snaps (one should see how Dr. Chan does it �.. the way he walked towards the rock was like poetry in motion whereas the three of us were more like gorillas) we journeyed on to Ulu Geroh.

On reaching Sg. Pachat, Ulu Geroh, we searched for the "tongkats" which we kept under some undergrowth 2 weeks back. It had been raining heavily the night before and the track up the Rafflesia trail was very slippery and full of leeches.

The first Rafflesia area was around 10 minutes away whereas the next spot was about 50 minutes away from Sg. Pachat. I was stumbling most of the way. At times we had to track along the ridge which was so narrow that one wrong move could mean tumbling several meters down. Other spots on the trail were almost vertical where one has to grasp at rattans or anything to get a firm grip. We had to pass through a thorny rattan patch and clumps of wild banana trees. When one is deep in the jungle, one can indeed feel the age-old trees rustling close around and it's indeed spiritually and mentally refreshing. It nourishes the body and stimulates the mind until you are poked by thorns. Yes, thorns! 2 big ones pierced right into my head after we stopped to admire some wild ginger plant with cone-shape red flowers (Zingerspectabile � the Black Gingerwart). Shenanigans ruled that day, but we carried on.

Finally we reached our "happy hunting ground." Treading with care as not to destroy any vines or Rafflesia buds, our perseverance paid off. We saw 5 blooms. All were of different stages � from one day old to at least 7 days old. The biggest bloom measured 23 inches. There was one that was dissected by nature. It was actually trampled by a wild boar which might have scented us. It's indeed a blessing in disguise as the inner part of the trampled Rafflesia was a sight to behold.

One really has to be there, amidst the great beauty of the Rafflesia, to truly appreciate nature's gift to mankind. It's like stepping into a whole new world where one who is "Fatt far teen" will be overwhelmed by the wonders Nature created.


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