Gunung Ampungan & Pancur hot spring

[kuching]

I'm back to the summit of Gunung Ampungan (around 2000 feet) again to re-visit the site of Nepenthes reinwardtiana. It was not a good trip.

By the time we reached the summit using my friend's 4WD car, his car's engine was over-heated & couldn't start the engine. All of us were a little bit worry because that place is a bit remote. If we call the mechanic, nobody knows where or how to come up to the summit as the road to summit is not known by public.

I suggested to everyone to let the engine cool down first, and we went to visit the site where I found Nepenthes reinwardtiana for the first time in year 2005.

When I reached the site, I couldn't believe my eyes. Almost all the Nepenthes reinwardtiana were burnt into ashes by irresponsible people. That small area is not suitable to do the farming but yet, they burnt the bushes and killed lots of pitcher plant there. However, some of the pitcher plants managed to survive and flowering.

The scenery at the summit:




The temperature is pretty cool as it rained half an hour ago:




The dirt road at the summit area. In 2005, some people cleared the forest in the summit area & now the secondary forest is replacing the virgin jungle.




The most common bamboo orchid, Arudina graminifolia var. graminifolia:

[kuching]

Found the fruits of Amorphophallus sp. This one is almost 1 metre tall !!! Too bad I missed the flowering season for this species of Aroid.




My heart fell after seeing this : the destruction site for Nepenthes reinwardtiana :





The dead pitcher plant. Some survived (at the top right corner of this photo):





The beautiful pitcher of Nepenthes reinwardtiana :

[kuching]

Hope those survived plants can grow well in that area in this rainy season. Another pix of Nepenthes reinwardtiana :





The inflorescence:





Half an hour later, my friend managed to re-start his car, so we got to leave earlier. There are some remaining forests in the summit area that I haven't explore. I will be back in the future.

The next destination is visiting a hot spring at Pancur. Not many people in my hometown know this place, including my two friends.....so, I showed them the way to this hot spring.





The water in this pond is pretty hot:




There is no fish or water plant living in this hot spring:

[kuching]

The steam coming up from the pond:




Untitled:






How to call this plastic thing? (For bathing purpose)






THE END.

[Jungle-mania]

How to call this plastic thing? (For bathing purpose)

A scoop?

[kuching]

I think its called "ladle"?? Right?

[kuching]

More on this link:

http://www.ibanorum.netfirms.com/ampungan-pancur.htm

My left feet was bleeding for almost an hour caused by the wound left by blood sucking leech. I hate leech!

[XnSdVd]

I believe they're called dippers. Like the big and little dipper constellations

[Simon]

Sad to see more destruction to the rainforest and I heard spray baygon on your legs will discourage leeches. (But not sure, try out and let us know )

[hwchoy]

then when he wade to the water he will polute the place with the baygon. I think better he let leeches suck

[kuching]

The baygon contains the toxic chemical. If my leg got wound.....I'll be in danger. So, I think it's better let the leech sucks me.

[kuching]

Updating:

This is fruits of Amorphophallus hewittii