Raub revisited

Optimising my off days..
I had a few days off.
The previous working days were spent on proof-reading my new book.
Now that its going to print, I can sigh with relief.
One year of ding-donging and yo-yoing between emotions was put to rest.
So, I rang up Ah Pan, an old buddy of mine who wanted to show me his new project, a budget homestay on the foothills of Raub in Pahang.
Since I met him, Ah Pan had been living in Bentong for eight years.
He was very excited to show me a villa, which is rented to corporate big-wigs.
Its owned by a developer and was named after his daughter.
The name's too cheesy to mention.
Anyway, I took a drive from my home in Subang Jaya to Karak where I met Ah Pan and Farmer Wong, another friend of mine.
We had breakfast and parted ways.

Breakfast with my farmer friends

A beautiful view of the mountains in Raub

We drove towards Bentong and made a turn near the Fraser's Hill junction.
The villa is located near Sang Lee, a Chinese village some 15km away.
Seems like its a good cycling route.
But the road leading towards the junction is laden with heavy traffic.
I was really surprised with the villa that the developer had built.
We met him at the reception area of the accommodation facility.
A night at this villa costs about RM8k. They have three of such facilities that are fully equipped.
To me, its just another yuppie getaway.
I heard that the place was used for some high-powered meetings. So, all those Snakes, Crocs and Lizards would hang around to talk business.
Since the owner was busy, we went over to the proposed budget accommodation on the other side of the road.
At this point in time, it was just a worksite.
I don't know what Ah Pan had told the guy because he had expected some publicity from my visit.
But seeing as it is, the guy was not hospitable. So, after we inspected the site, we drove back to Karak town to meet up with Farmer Wong's arms dealer for lunch.

A posh set-up

The Samo-mobile mkII on its maiden long-distance voyage...

A view from the budget homestay site..

I don't see any prospect in staying at the villa because the cost is out of this planet.
As for the budget homestay, there's nothing yet.
But the route is something that I was really interested in.
Perhaps in the future, I will organise a short scouting ride from Bentong to Raub using the Sang Lee route..