GRAND TOUR – DAY 2
Delayed release due to lack of internet connections in my last hotel.
“That’s it! I am officially giving up climbing Malaysian mountains” I said to myself a few hours ago as I was scrambling up a steep, exhausting and never-ending trail up to the summit of Gunung Lambak, near the town of Kluang in the centre of Johor.
Yesterday I had chickened out of climbing Gunung Ledang (wisely) and today I thought I would restore some pride by doing a quick stroll up Lambak.
I had done some prior research and read that “Mount Lambak is an easy climb as there are pathways and wooden bridges there to help make climbing easier.” The person who wrote that had clearly not not been further than the first couple of hundred meters. It does start out easy but when the concrete path runs out it gets a lot harder.
After a while I met a friendly guy on the trail, Mr. Teng, who kindly offered to show me the way to the top. He set a cracking pace (they are obviously a fit bunch these Kluang-ites)and very soon my heart was pounding and my glasses steamed up. Since I was slowing him down I told him to go on ahead. He said he would wait for me at the top, which he did.
I plodded on and eventually I reached the peak which is only 510m high but seemed much further.By the time I got there it was completely clouded over and there was no view at all. 
As for Kluang, it’s a town which hides its charms very well and I found little of interest in the town centre. The old railway station is home to the original Kluang Rail Coffee shop which looks quite cosy (the brand now has branches elsewhere).
While walking around Kluang I could see the twin peaks of Gunung Lambak and by now of course the cloud had cleared. Typical!
Earlier today, en route to Kluang I visited a number of other attractions:
- Parit Jawa, a fishing village famed for its seafood.
- Grisek Hot Spring.
- Parit Sulong bridge, scene of a WWII battle.
- Air Hitam, famous for ceramics.
