It was only 8.30am when we arrived. Even though it was too late to catch the sunrise at Lembing Hill, we didn't want to miss out any attraction over here. All of us were raring to go. It was already scorching hot when we started our ascend. Any hope of catching the view of the serene sea of cloud was gone. However, that did not deter us. We huffed and puffed, dragged along our heavy, flabby legs while pushing to the limits of our stamina. The steps are really steep, it was indeed a good workout for us. At that hour, the only thing that greeted our eyes were the whole Lembing town at the bottom of our feet. I can imagine how mystical and misty it would feel in the wee hours of the day. It is a favourite spot for avid photographers to capture the breathtaking sunrise. I did not keep track of the time as one the whole idea of escaping the hustle and bustle of the city is to forget about time. The peak is small, with a small booth for you to rest and enjoy the scenery. After taking group photo, we headed back down.
Our tummies were already growling and seeking attention. It was only a stone throw away from the foot of the hill to the morning market. Having done prior research and study before this trip, we know Lembing is famous for its noodles, coconut biscuit and tofu/beancurd. For breakfast, a rather late one i have to admit, we decided to go for the noodles and the tofu. We decided upon Sister Ah Fong's noodle stall in the market.
The noodles is indeed different. It tastes so light and fresh and definitely very yummy, well, maybe because we were all very extremely tired and famished. The noodles is served with yong tau foo and you get to have your noodles with curry soup, clear herbal soup or with brown gravy. I opted for curry and i think the curry is a tad too salty for my liking. It left me really thirsty. Other than that, the noodles and the yong tau foo are just perfect. Not to forget is the famous tofu. We ordered one each and it really lived up to its name. The beancurd is so soft and smooth it can practically melt in your mouth. To add some twist to their beancurd, a small minced pork ball is inserted in the tofu. The dish is then topped with a simple yet tasty gravy that completes the dish. It is unimaginable how something so simple can taste so good. First, it is definitely hand made and second, it is done with loads of care and attention. All in all, breakfast was good and best of all, it is very cheap. A bowl of noodle with approximately 10 pieces of yong tau foo costs only around RM5.
It got hotter and hotter and we were yearning for a good, refreshing bath to remove the dirt, sweat, stench and our tiredness. We drove towards Lembing Court, where we have booked 1 night. In a small place like Sungai Lembing obviously you don't expect to get posh glamorous hotels. This Lembing court is rather huge. It has a big field right in front of their karaoke bistro lounge. Beside the lounge area is the lobby, which actually is just a wooden hut with a receptionist there. Sandwiched between the lounge and the lobby is the toilet. It is clean, that is extremely important. We weren't allowed to check in yet but we could use the toilet to shower and freshen up ourselves. That was the best shower i have ever had.
Having time to kill, we visited the musuem and the remains of the tin mine. The tin mine is worth visiting as you would never imagine the small dark entrance that leads you into the heart of the hill also leads you to a mega grand structure underground. Even more astonishing is the fact that this was built in the early 1900s! Who would have thought that Malaysians were already exploring so deep underneath the ground and dig so deep into the heart of hills at that era (with the technology from Britain).
All the activities started to take a toll on our mortal bodies. Following our body clock again, we went onto a quest to look for elixir. Recommended by a local to try out their most popular hang out kopitiam, we almost barged into the coffee shop under the tight scrutiny of other locals gathered in the shop. We rummaged every table as this coffee shop placed snacks like cakes, buns on the tables with price tag on them. There was also the famous tomato noodles but this one here was prepacked. We devoured whatever we could find like scavengers: char siew bun, tomato noodles, cakes and gulped down a minimum of 2 glasses of drinks each. If we were all dressed up in shabby clothes, we could easily pass as starved famished refugees. All the snacks were pretty tasty, unlike the snacks sold in coffee shops in KL, expensive and tasteless.
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