Lake Titiwangsa & Jungle Style

11th May 2021

Saturday afternoon and MCO 3.0 (aka another lockdown) has descended. We learn deep in the night that the decision to prevent outside sports such as jogging and cycling has been reversed. We are not too sure about walking, so set off to Lake Titiwangsa with our jogging shoes on, just in case.

We arrive to find it almost completely deserted: no walkers or picnickers, or people strolling hand-in-hand. Just a couple of joggers and cyclists within this 95-hectare park. The gates are open, so we go in. Skirting the east and west lakes on a well-laid out and perfectly manicured path, we expect the police to spring out from a bush at any minute and demand to see our ID. But we are left in peace.

It is truly blissful, having this place to ourselves, with the backdrop of the Titiwangsa Mountain ranges, which form the backbone of Peninsula Malaysia, behind.

Not far from the city centre and the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, the park is situated around a lake which developed as part of the tin mining industry in earlier times. In 1883, Malaysia was the tin mining capital of the world. Nowadays, Titiwangsa is a fully-fledged recreational park, with bicycles to rent, sports facilities and playgrounds and even kiosks with library books to loan.

On this rather quiet and reflective day, as we contemplate the consequences of a spike in Covid rates and further lockdown extensions, there is not much going on. The only interactions we have are with a couple of hungry-looking turtles, who are clearly used to being fed from the bridge above them, and a couple of equally friendly zebra doves.

The towering fountain in the middle forms a focus for spectacular views and we feel truly privileged to be able to take in these sights undisturbed.

The following day, we head over to Bukit Kiara for a late afternoon hike. I show Gary the entrance into the jungle and after less than a kilometre, thunder and lightning strike right overhead and the heavens open. Time to head back and pronto, we’ve mis-timed this one… but who cares if we get a bit wet?

We slither and slide our way back on a different path, checking our route as we go. Strange dark figures clad in lycra appear from nowhere, heads bent, unable to see ahead, water in their eyes, concentrating on placing their feet on the paths which have now turned to small streams of gushing sand and water. There is barely a gap between lightning flash and its thunder crack. We make it back to the car, drenched, muddy, but laughing with a mixture of fear and joy!

We made it - this is more our thing - jungle style. Bukit Kiara jumpa lagi, we’ll be back!