Pulai Tree

What can be seen in a jungle? This is kind of stupid question. In this rainforest at Cerok Tokun, giant aged trees with perimeter of more than the arm-span of two men can be found scattering here and there along the hiking trail.

This tree which has been my closer friend recently and starred in my previous posts are named Pulai Tree. I dare to declare openly only since I learnt their name from local newspaper last week. (You are not going to show your mum your girl friend without first getting known her name, aren't you?)

I am fond of elderly trees, not only they have been rambling to me decades long of history, they also show the kind of sturdy and rugged shape which cannot be matched by a young one. This is the beauty of an oldie, like me.

In the other hand, besides being benevolent enough to serve as a helpful staircase along the trail, its vine is always a good friend indeed for us to hold the balance or to pull ourselves up from the steep slope during the hike.

(Many places in Malaysia are named after a variety of trees. Simpang Pulai has been better known since the launching of the highway that takes us from Ipoh to Cameron Highland easily. Pinang of Pulau Pinang, or Penang Island, is the Malay word for Betel Nut or areca nut. A small village which is nearby to where I live is called Nyior Satu Batang, or A piece of Coconut tree. My familiar Mengkuang Dam is the same whereby Mengkuang is actually one type of tree. There are many more such examples).