Bukit Fraser - Lure of the hills

Lure of the hills
Culture Cul De Sac
By Jacqueline Pereira
Sunday May 10, 2009

On a recent trip to Fraser's Hill, our columnist – who spent the first six years of her life there and then returned intermittently for holidays – discovers that the most important things always stay the same.

THE road is winding but the car seems to curve around familiar sharp corners. Half-way through the journey up to the hill station, the air-conditioning is turned off. Windows are wound down to let in the cool air.

The journey to Fraser's Hill is always the same. Thoughts turn to the past. On arrival, it seems as if nothing has changed.

The clock tower in the centre of town – just like the police station, health clinic and post office – has been there since 1919. The greens of the country's first golf course lie lush. The Tavern around the corner, though now empty and lifeless, is filled with memories of sparkling conviviality, drinks in hands, stirred with laughter.

Similarly, the old trees unwaveringly stake their claim, and old grey-stone colonial bungalows sit prettily on choice lots, looking out at scenic vistas while implicitly carrying the secrets from within their walls through to the next century.

Some of the people, too, stay the same. Durai stills leads groups of enthusiasts to watch birds. Then there's Annakili, always spotted by the road-side, tending to plants and flowers. There's the pakcik who runs a food stall with his wife, and the daughter now enlisted to help. Hill View Restaurant, perched behind the Tavern, still serves piping hot meals for those seeking respite from the chilly air.

But progressively over the last 20 years, Fraser's Hill slowly lost its mojo.

Quaint and charming, it used to attract a variety of visitors on weekends and holidays, especially those wanting some solitude. But slowly, it was appreciated only by those who enjoy long walks and trekking trails and, in the last decade or so, by bird-watchers.

Struck by acute neglect and increasing inertia, this quietly appealing hill resort drew fewer and fewer people. The poorly maintained accommodation options remained largely empty, deteriorating rapidly as guests stayed away from mildew and cockroaches. With would-be visitors deterred, cafes and stalls strained to stay open. The locals moaned as the resort slipped into a struggle for survival.

Then, in 2008, the Fraser's Hill Development Corporation announced that the hill resort would receive a Little England makeover.

Thus, it was with much trepidation that I headed to the hills this time around, very aware of our authorities' penchant for "beautifying" tourist attractions.

I was taken aback while attempting to book a room over the weekend – everything was "fully booked'' and it hadn't been that way in years. A series of phone calls did not yield any hope, and I began to wonder what everyone was doing up on the hill.

I still made the trip and when I arrived, I couldn't see much change – despite the millions spent on upgrading – until I turned left at the clock tower.

Could that be the Puncak Inn, one of the hill's biggest eyesores in the past, that suddenly not only looked unrecognisable but somehow ... inviting? The old Tavern's facade now has a certain sparkle in the early afternoon sun, lifted by a fresh coat of paint, scrubbed-down walls and a tiny, neat lawn with fresh flowers.

The improvements that have been made are, fortunately, tasteful. And suddenly the buzz is back, just like before.

This renewed activity brings back memories of the days when people drove up The Gap (whose rest house is also undergoing a sensitive spruce-up) every weekend at even hours, bringing with them the promise of connectivity and commerce.

"Come back in June," the locals told me, "When everything will be ready." The completion of the facelift will coincide with the annual Fraser's Hill International Bird Race 2009 that attracts aficionados from all over the world.

"It will be just like the old days," said one long-term resident with hope brightening his eyes.

That's another thing in a place like Fraser's Hill. No one forgets you. In a community such as this, the people still retain a close-knit kinship, laced with proprietary pride.

No matter how you define yourself or how other people see you, once you are back in the hills, you will always be remembered as the child who grew up there. And whenever you do go back ... it is always as it was before.

People, places and perceptions inspire writer Jacqueline Pereira. In this column, she rummages through cultural differences and revels in discovering similarities.
-- The Star Lifestyle