#SSNC ~ Monyet King & Gang

                                                                      MK & I

This is the story of how I met Monyet King and gang. It all started from a blog post of his, inviting his readers to join him and friends on a hike up Mount Rinjani. I have always wanted to visit Lombok and this seems like a golden opportunity not to be missed. However, since I have never met Monyet King, I don't know who he really is and I wasn't sure whether it was going to be safe for me, I decided to ask a good friend who knows him, for advise. Once I have gotten the green light and was told that MK is trust worthy and a jolly good fellow, I went on to approach him via FB and shared my interest. The next thing you know, we were all on our way.

Mk is a very thorough and organized person. Right from the start, I already knew that I was going to be in good hands. His wife, Sathya made us feel so welcomed. I also enjoyed teasing their elder son, Jay Murali throughout the climb. I called him Jay-Li and he is such a shy boy. Not until much later after the trip, that I found out that he is such a talented young man.

As I didn't know any of them before the trip, I felt pretty intimidated but I tried my best not to show it. I am sure you would be feeling the same way, if you had known that most of them have had the experience of trekking the Himalayas before. To top it all up, having Manai with us got me awestruck. I was pleasantly surprised to find out what a humble and nice person he truly is. Luckily, everyone was super friendly and that made the trip totally awesome and unforgettable.

I can't really remember what went on during the climb but I do remember enjoying every moment of it. The scenery was gorgeous. The weather was pretty mean to us at one stage. I nearly got blown off the mountain but thanks to uncle Vem, he pulled me back right in time. Our tents were nearly ripped apart by strong winds but thanks to the unrelenting efforts of Manai, Sabri, Pak Firman and their team of trekkers, we were kept safe, warm and well fed. I have never been treated more like a queen than when I was up there in the wilderness with them.

I saw the other side of MK too, during the trip. I admired his devotion towards his family. How protective, loving and concerned he is towards the people that he cares deeply for. He truly walks the talk and I will be the first to attest to that. Every decision was discussed unanimously before it is made.There were times when it got pretty tensed and dangerous during the hike but we managed to turn it into jokes and were able to laugh at ourselves. I kept on falling down especially during descend, I don't know why. It started from the time when I went to pee on a big rock somewhere behind a bush. We made a joke about my big butt cushioning each and every fall therefore saving me from serious injury. Then there was once when Casey went flying downhill and nearly hit her head on a big rock and once we knew she was ok, we laughed with her about her flying skills albeit feeling sorry for her torn clothes. We also had free music going on at full blast entertaining us each night from all the snores going around, that after a while, it became a beautiful symphony and how can we ever forget MK's * nyanyukness * trying to pull a bag out of a tent thinking that it was his, tugging and heaving to only find out later on, that he had woken up a guide unceremoniously by dragging out his sleeping bag!

All in all, it was an amazing trip and since then we have kept in touch. MK made it possible by always being the first person to initiate a gathering, and including us in his events. Sathya has always been such a gracious host and I love spending time at their home with their two sons and Lulu their family cat. Thanks to MK and family, my circle of friends have widened.

Happiest Birthday MK. May God Bless you and family always..YOU are one of my very own cool & committed Malaysian :)

                                               At the foot of the climb

                      First Indonesian meal that we had upon arrival

     The ever dependable Sabri giving us a short briefing on what to expect

Makan time, camping style

Kit Kat moment with the ladies. This is where I fell down right after taking a pee break :P

  Mid point. Our home for the night

                                     Aimi, Casey, Briony & Fong

                         
                              

Our two heroes ( Azmi & Ravi ) at the peak with our guide, Pak Firman

Ming Lombok Rinjani, our trekker

Manai & I 

Sathya's surprise birthday lunch before heading home

MK's birthday dinner last year. ( Sathya's an amazing chef ) Shortest speech ever ~ " JOM MAKAN! "

                                         Jay-Li's works of Art

   Ryan got a chance to experience playing with jay-Li's drums & keyboard

                                      End of the year gathering

                                                LULU the cat