This was indeed the reward of trekking in Mulu national park: to see millions of bats fly in a single stream in a snaking formation . At sunset, every day, they leave the Deer Cave (where they rest and roost) to spend the night feeding on insects in the rainforest of Mulu National Park, a world heritage site in Sarawak, Malaysia. Ten trekkers from Singapore were there on 18th Sep 2008 to witness this unforgettable sight. For over 20 minutes we saw the beauty of God’s creation: bats in flight formation!
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The trek began early in the morning. We were all geared up and well covered. There was nervousness and anticipation mixed together. It really helped that we were team and we had a reliable guide in Pasang. We all wanted to enjoy the beauty of sunrise at Poon Hill. We arrived early. The sun was not up yet. It was dark and moonlit. Everybody was jostling for good positions. Men were setting up camera stands from different points each wanting the best perspective. Some were drinking hot coffee or chocolate. When we talked we could see vapour from our mouth. Our teeth chattered. I lost track of where my friends were.
It was after much thought and prayer that I decided to organize and lead a church-based expedition – Mt Kinabalu Youth Adventure 1, in March 2005. The idea was to use a physical challenge that was demanding but doable, to imprint confident life attitudes that will be useful for young and old to learn. A large part of EQ has to do with the setting of a goal; preparing and sacrificing in order to seek it (even postponing the gratification of desires); being able to relate with others and work as a team; and, persevering and never giving up despite obstacles. The preparation and the expedition itself brings these qualities to the fore: and the youths will learn from the experience.
It was a memorable trip with about eighteen young and middle aged adults. The youngest was eleven and the oldest was 50. Some were parents and their children, but most were youths. It was a joy to have my daughter Elaine with me on this adventure.
March was a dry period and the weather was good. A simple slide was put on YouTube (the post is reloaded but the slides are new) so that you can see what the terrain was like, the clothing and equipment needed, and any other information you may observe.