Jungle Heart

Story#4

On our first off day we decided to
go to Penang hill.

The main attraction of this
hill-mountain thing seems to be the view from the top. We were told
that from there you can see a beautiful view of the city and island.

We rode up the hill on an electric
train.
But,
contrary to
expectations, once we
got to the top what greeted us was not a breathtaking panorama–
it
was cloud.

We wondered around for a while, saw a Hindu temple and a Muslim
mosque- literally built on the highest of places. Then we started
down.

This is where the great part started. You see, although
being inside a cloud makes for a lousy panorama (we did eventually
see the city), it does have a great affect on the scenery; adding
both romanticism and mystery.  As we began to walk down the hill
clouds swirled through the trees, settling into a gray canopy
overhead.

               and I was in love. 

     We trekked through the
leafy rain forest. Giant ferns perched like huge birds-nests in the
trees. Jurassic looking screw pines lifted shaggy heads like ancient
things. Some trees towered tall and strait, others formed broad
arching canopies, huge in their near perfect

symmetry. Rattan palms
tumbled with spiky leggy strides up and over their neighbors, streams
tumbled gently down the mountain.  There were small hairy leaves
clinging to cliff-sides, huge elephantine leaves, and tiny succulent
ferns carpeting trees.  The air smelled sweet and fresh, and sometimes
loamy and sharp. I kept thinking that someone was wearing perfume!

     My heart was in awe.

          I never thought places like this existed in
real life,

     I thought they were just an artists fancy, living only  in the
woodcut prints of musty books and imagination.

        Surrounding me was the story come to life.

             It started to get dark, started to rain. We were not down
the mountain yet-

             in fact….