My stomach was rumbling as we rolled into mid-day.
The breakfast that we had was burned out completely.
There was a makan stall outside the camping grounds, but it was closed.
Our only hope was a small canteen near Lata Lembik Park's administrative office.
We found a small convenient store that also offers food.
I asked what they serve and was told that there's fried rice and noodles.
So, I settled for the nasi goreng kampung and a piece of fried egg.
Harun and I were the lucky ones to have rice for lunch.
Over our meals, we had a conversation while the rest waited for their meals to be served.
During makan, I distributed my calling card to Suzali and company.
He said he was very interested to contribute to the Malaysian Foldie magazine.
"I want to write about my adventures in Malay," he said.
I told him that all forms of contribution is welcomed and it will be cool to have a bilingual edition that will benefit everybody.
After a good fill, the campers began to roll out to their campsite.
By this time of the day, the Lata Lembik Park was already packed with holiday makers.
Some came to take advantage of the school holidays.
Suzali and RJ had set up their tent and helped En Ghani to pitch his hiker's tent.
The other guys were hanging out at the makan place.
I wasted no time in getting some shots taken as part of my fact-finding mission.
After getting the information I needed, it was time to part ways with the campers.
I targeted a late arrival at Raub with an estimation of four hours or more on the road.
We have 45km to cover, making this a 90km round-trip.
There's the heat and plenty of hills to cover over that distance.
My goal is to reach Raub before 8pm.
I said goodbye to Suzali and gang and thanked them for hosting us as daytrippers.
Harun, Radzi and I began our ascend to
Cycling through 22km of hills was a shock to the system.
From being dormant over the past few months, my body was subjected to stress.
My legs felt like raw meat and with the 8% gradient during the last ascent, my thighs began to cease.
Fortunately, I brought along a can of Hisamitsu Cooling Spray.
This became a great help in preventing the muscles from being completely immobilized with cramps.
With the Raub - Kuala Lipis road in sight, it was a matter of mental endurance as the body began to slowly breakdown and succumb to lethargy.
We continued and got closer to our goal by reaching the outskirts of Raub town around 06:50pm.
As for the trip, it was worth my time and informative.
I made new friends and have the option to join them in future adventures..
TOP LEFT: Climbing the slope back to Batu Malim.
BOTTOM LEFT: Arriving safely back at the Raub Rest House before departing for Kuala Lumpur.
TOP RIGHT: A signboard promoting Lata Lembik placed at the junction near Batu Malim, 23km away from Raub town in Pahang.