THE "COW's" ON THEIR THIRD ROAD TRIP (Continued)

At the Army Museum in Port Dickson. During our trip to Cameron Highlands, Lau Goo's neighbour, a retired Chief of the Malaysian Army, a General, passed on. As he could not attend the funeral, he asked for permission to pay his respects at the Army Heroes' Cemetery in Port Dickson. Following that, we were invited to the museum. On display are some of the anti-aircraft guns and artillery used by the MAF. 

Under the belly of a Caribou aircraft used for troop transportation. In addition to the outdoor displays of military hardware such as aircraft, there are two blocks with exhibits and history of Malay warriors who struggled for the independence and freedom of the country during the pre-Colonial days, WW II and other operations during the Malayan Emergency and  Konfrontasi. Lt Adnan, from the Royal Malays, who became famous in Singapore (Bukit Chandu) is also acknowledged. It's worth a visit for the history of warfare in Malaysia.

The Brigade Commander (in beret) of the First Malaysian Infantry Brigade came by to touch base with Lau Goo at the museum. The General was a young Subaltern who was posted to the regiment which Lau Goo was setting up then. The bond of friendship and camaraderie is very strong in their officer corps. 

As the sun was setting over Port Dickson, an aircraft decided to give a fly-by.

The Camp HQ in Jeram Besu, as referred to by Lau Goo, for the place he runs courses and management training for student leaders and corporate staff. He started this outfit in the early 1990's after returning from the UK. In addition to Outdoor Corporate Wargames which he pioneered , he also did eco-tourism.. Now his focus is on corporate management training.

This structure is used for abseiling, a confidence booster for leadership training. On the other bank of the river is a "Flying Fox" which is also strongly encouraged for trainees to "fly" on.

The rapids at Jeram Besu where whitewater rafting may be carried out. Nearby the camp is a recreation ground for people to do whitewater rafting, kayaking or picnicking.

In the course of the training, the participants are strongly encouraged to dive into the rapids and be sucked in to emerge somewhat flustered at the bottom.

This is the part of the river after the rapids where participants are taught "capsize" drill i.e. should the rubber raft or boat capsize, how it should be turned over so that no one gets trapped in it.

The hall where lectures and debriefs are conducted or team building exercises are planned Around it are open huts where trainees sleep on mattresses. City folks will have to forego most creature comforts they are used to when at Jeram Besu.

Benta is the nearest town to Jeram Besu.

Lau Goo in Benta with father and son who sell Roti Canai which we had for breakfast. When the camp is running, a kitchen will be activated and meals for participants will be provided.

Lau Goo with "Indiana Jones" Keung, owner of a durian farm in Sungei Ruan (short for Aruan). Keung has been in the durian plantation biz for some 30 years, so he's quite an expert in it. As he told me, Mau Shan Wang (MSW) actually originated in Thailand and was also grown in Tanah Merah, Kelantan. From there they were transported to Gua Musang by train for sale. It became famous and a group of lumberjacks (like Keung) brought it to Raub 30-40 years ago for cultivation. MSW then started to be very popular. Presently, after harvest, the durians will be transported to Bentong for distribution to wholesalers. Myths that it originated in Gua Musang and that it is grown in Bentong are put to rest.

The Master showing me where a MSW trunk had been grafted onto a D24 one. The tree bore fruit three years after grafting. Many farmers are switching from D24 to MSW for they are priced higher and in greater demand. In Tanah Merah, the durian is named "Raja Kunyit" with Raja meaning king and kunyit being a spice which is yellow in colour. There are similarities in the names as MSW in English is "Musang King". The word "wang" in Chinese stands for both yellow and king.

The bundle in black is a net which is opened to "catch" durians so they don't fall on the ground.

MSW durians clustered together. In addition to nets, you may notice blue strings tied to the durians to prevent them dropping on to the ground. Another significant feature of MSW is that the stems are formed in two segments.

Two of three MSW durians which the Master opened for us to try. One of the fruits is from a 3-year grafted tree and it tasted very nice. According to Keung, MSW is better value for money than say Black Thorn bec the flesh-to-weight ratio is 30-35% for MSW vs 20-25% for Black Thorn, which is very pricey these days. It may surprise you that in a year, the plantation may have 4-6 seasons bec of the care and attention given to the trees, like fertilisation and watering in dry periods. MSW are classified into Cats A, B and C, by size, weight and shape. Cat A durians are the big and well-shaped ones and these are usually exported. Cat B ones are mostly sold in Malaysia. Those classified C are the smaller and odd-shaped ones. The taste? What is your take?