An Impromptu Trip To Bukit Aup Jubilee Park

The moment I stepped into the park eatery area, a waitress at the beverage stall asked me (in Foochow) if I want to have Rojak, I smiled and declined politely then asked for a plate of fried noodle Foochow style.

While waiting for the team to arrive from Kuching, I was musing what was I going to do in between waiting time then the thought of, take a look at famous Bukit Aup Jubilee Park sparked in at that moment as I was just few minutes away from the junction to the signboard that said 'Bukit Aup Jubilee Park 2.5km'.

It was a warm afternoon. I dared myself to drive another few minutes further up the unsure road although it was a lonely-spooky drive I was feeling.

Many years back, when I was still a kid I heard of spooky-ghostly stories told by some people visited the park, the stories even came out in the local paper with visitors photographed beside them some vague shadows.

When I reached there, I thought it was only a park but was glad the park has got a eatery place. I took a seat at the park eatery and chilled myself with a can of 7up. A mom and her little child were feeding fish in the pond when suddenly the child screamed in excitement, wonder what she saw, I walked over and looked down at a huge school of fish swarming for feeds thrown at them. My goosebumps stood out on my arms, I'd never seen so many fish before in my life.

More and more fish coming towards us...

After the goosebumps experience, I decided to take a short walk just within the eatery area looking at the surrounding views of huge Jubilee Park while waiting for the team to call to inform me they've arrived and I can just move out from here. After awhile the phone didn't ring and begin to feel a little bored, I walked to the side of the pond when I spotted turtles coming out of the pond to grab their meals.

Unfortunately when I moved closer the shy turtles submerged under the water but the glutton Tilapias swam as fast as they could from everywhere around the pond swarming towards the edge of the pond at where I was standing.

First it was only few of them, then it was hundreds and thousands of them and I thought if only the fish can walk out of the water, I'd have been attacked thinking I've their feeds.

All of a sudden, I felt like thousand pairs of eyes staring at me. I had another goosebumps.

Bukit Aup is a recreational park with jogging track, juggle trekking and a place where families come for the weekend breaks. There are BBQ pits provided in the park. Looking at the view towers ahead of me, I wanted so much to walk up the steps and without any second thought and uncertain of when the team was supposed to arrive, gah! I went on anyway.

I walked passed by Naga Bari Pool which I heard 'a pool where many local dwellers come to offer Miring (offering) to seek the godly assistance from Naga Bari for wishes'. I felt a bit chilled as I walked passed by Naga Bari Pool.

As I walked up the steps, I can hear my heart pounding in my inner ear. Phew! I've not been getting enough good exercise lately, I felt tired very fast but insisted I should finish the steps and reach the top.

I made it to the top finally after many steps and stood on top of Bukit (hill) Aup looking down the park landscape.

I Spent good few minutes enjoying the views over looking the greenish of Teku area, huge site of Chinese cemeteries and springing up like mushrooms after the rain housing estates.

The murky Rajang River from the top of a view tower.

Rain was approaching when I took my last picture of the bridge. The cloudy view was the rain coming.

I realised it was coming very fast and I should be leaving and hurry back to the park eatery before getting caught in the rain. It was then my handphone rang, I picked the call not in time to finish the conversation when the heavy rain reached me, splashing me partially wet while I was trying to find shelter where I can avoid from the rain and wait till the rain abates to move on.

I managed to reach a shelter that looks like an abandoned eatery place and saw a couple enjoying themselves in the company of each other and in spite of that, I thought to myself, 'great! I'm not alone at least in the middle of the park'. I was stranded for awhile.

The rain just kept getting heavier and heavier and the thought of, with the team just arrived from Kuching waiting for me somewhere I reckon I didn't have a choice but to walk in the rain. I walked cautiously, careful with the wet planks at every step I take.

Then there at a point, I was startled at what makes one's flesh creep, I thought I saw a black figure sitting in the rain, I rebuked it in my heart and walked a step faster. After a distance, I took a daring look back and saw it was only a lamp post sitting there.

When I reached the last stage of the steps going down the hill, the rain eventually stopped. I was already soaked wet from top to bottom.

Walking passed by the security guards at the shelter with a smile, and visitors at the eatery area looking at me soaking wet. I hurried to the car and left the place to meet the team from Kuching.

I should make a habit to bring an umbrella with me everywhere I go.