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Title: Alien Life Form in District 9?
Location: Sungai Chiling Waterfalls, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 18th August 2009, 2:40pm
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 180
Nope. These are strange looking fern fronds that will develop into fern leaves. The frond in front has three circular loops while the frond at the back has a lollipop curve.
Title: Split
Location: Sungai Chiling Waterfalls, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 18th August 2009, 2:45pm
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 200
A unique looking leaf. Gee...it reminds me of something :)
Title: Fallen
Location: Sungai Chiling Waterfalls, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 18th August 2009, 2:25pm
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/9.0, ISO Equiv.: 100
An irregular leaf fallen on a bed of fern leaves.
Title: Green!!
Location: Sungai Chiling Waterfalls, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 18th August 2009, 11:08am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 180
A fern leaf illuminated by the sunlight. A close-up shot.
Title: The Green Pitcher
Location: Sungai Chiling Waterfalls, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 18th August 2009, 10:33am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/8.0, ISO Equiv.: 100
Pitcher plants are carnivorous plants whose prey-trapping mechanism features a deep cavity filled with liquid known as a pitfall trap. I peek through these cups and discovered mostly drowned insects. Hold the pitcher gently to avoid yanking off the fragile extension at the bottom of the pitcher cup.
Title: The BIGGEST LOOPER
Location: Sungai Chiling Waterfalls, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 18th August 2009, 2:24pm
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 140
These loops will grow into fern leaves. Different species of fern has different looking loops. Some of them even look like an attacking centipede!
Title: Just Landed
Location: Sungai Chiling Waterfalls, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 18th August 2009, 12:29pm
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/7.1, ISO Equiv.: 100
A butterfly resting on a piece of fern leaf. A blooming fern leaf - the leaflets were growing outward.
Title: The Jungle Trail and The River
Location: Sungai Chiling Waterfalls, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 18th August 2009, 2:26pm
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/6.3, ISO Equiv.: 100
Halfway trekking, you will encounter multiple pathways. If you are moving towards the waterfalls, remember to choose the trail closest to the river. Walk against the flow of river. NOTE: The jungle trail and the river is visible in this picture.
Title: Ready to GO!
Location: Sungai Chiling Waterfalls, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 18th August 2009, 2:54pm
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/6.2, ISO Equiv.: 100
After crossing several rivers, my shoes is all wet and soaked with water. I should have brought along a pair of slipper. Surprisingly, there are no leeches in Sungai Chiling. I guess the sandy and rocky surface is not a preferred habitat for the blood suckers.
Title: The Jungle Trail
Location: Sungai Chiling Waterfalls, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 18th August 2009, 10:53am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/6.3, ISO Equiv.: 100
Almost 90% of the jungle trail is wet and muddy.
Title: The Suspension Bridge
Location: Sungai Chiling Waterfalls, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 18th August 2009, 10:22am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/7.1, ISO Equiv.: 100
This is the first river crossing. The bridge is located next to the fishery office. Once you crossed the bridge, you will see a cross junction. Turn to your left, the path that look like a small stream is actually the trail.
This is my second trip to Sungai Chiling Waterfall & Fish Sanctuary. First trip was a failure - read my first post. My prime objective is to reach the waterfall in Sungai Chiling. On that day, my adrenaline was pumping. I was all gear up and very excited. I was speeding on the highway trying to reach Chiling's entrance as soon as possible.
I reached Sungai Chiling Waterfall & Fish Sanctuary by 10:00am. The jungle trail starts from the fishery office. So, I walked 400m to that entrance only to discover the wooden gates were locked. I decided to proceed anyway. I look left and right sheepishly, before climbing over the gates like a crook. It was pretty easy - a small rectangle gap to place my foot and leap over.
It was a great day for jungle trekking and river crossing - bright and sunny sky. To reach the waterfall, you need to trek for roughly 2km. After that, you have to cross five different rivers.
The first river crossing is the easiest. You just need to walk across the suspension bridge. Soon after the bridge, the jungle pathway is divided into three different trails. On my first attempt (Day 1), I lost my way trying to figure out the correct trail to the waterfall. It was confusing and frustrating!! I wasted 45 minutes trekking the wrong trails. The fishery department can do a better job by placing more informative signboards. Choose the left trail and walk all the way until you see a blue signboard that indicates the second crossing.
Trekking in Sungai Chiling is easy. But, 90% of the trail is narrow and overgrown with bushes of gigantic fern and thorny shrubs. The trail is sandy, rocky and 100% wet. Halfway trekking, you'll encounter multiple pathways. The safest way is to walk against the flow of river.
The lush greenery in Sungai Chiling is simply amazing. As usual, I was walking at a moderate pace searching for exotic floras and faunas. There were loads of pitcher plants, gigantic ferns and some wonderful creepy crawlies. After trekking for nearly one and a half hour, I finally reached the second river crossing.
More photos from jungle trekking in Sungai Chiling Waterfall (Slide show)
Coming Soon! Part 4 - The River Crossings & The Waterfalls. Detailed info about Sungai Chiling Waterfall & Fish Sanctuary (including road directions, maps and YouTube videos) are available in Part 4.
Interesting plants!
Have you seen a type of fern plant called "Golden Chicken"?
It has "fur" like orangutan!!!!
@1ondoncalling,
Thank you for looking!!!
First time reading about "Golden Chicken" fern. I did some research and discovered Cibotium barometz, golden chicken fern, Scythian lamb or woolly fern is native to the western part of the Malay Peninsula.
The fern plant in Sungai Chiling are mostly gigantic species, not the smaller type chicken fern.
Cheers!
mylo