คำตอบที่ 6
By the Rivers of Babylon
At daybreak, behold the pristine and crystal clear waters of Sg Merantai. Together with its sister, Sg Mas, this is the region named by RFC as the Rivers of Babylon.
Leg 4 started off with 6 SS of splashing fun along the stony riverbanks and trails which was followed by another 6 SS the following day (10 Dec). Some of SS included manual winching, the use of hilift jacks and other non-motorized exercises like tyre changing and axle lifting which took place on probably the hottest day of the event.
Just before sundown, the SS were completed and all were compensated by the cool river campsite after a hard days work.
Twilight Zone (TZ)
The original plan to send in the competitors to the Twilight Zone (TZ) was redrawn to allow more camaraderie and intermingling between the non-competing convoy with the competitor teams. Thus, each of the competitor teams were assigned to take care of at least one official or media truck in the convoy, and all of them must reach campsite 3 together. The reward? Each competing teams earned 200 bonus points for the journey.
Under a hot sunny sky, the first half of the route was uneventful as the most difficult areas were already secured by log bridges. The convoy rumbled through, the feeling of an easy passage was on everybodys mind.
Sting of the Scorpion
However, there were surprises in store; this is after all, part of the TZ. After moving through the section of majestic trees, suddenly, there were no more log bridges over gullies and streams anymore. A total of 4 such gullies with river water meant that that everyone had to work overtime. Out came the winches, the shouts in various languages and the teamwork of various nationalities. It was just starting to turn dark by this time, a timely reminder that twilight was just around the corner.
When they have finally made it through, or so they thought, they came straight to Sg Selai and its uphill challenge of its river bank to campsite 3. The night was cool but the action was hot winching and recovery exercises right into the wee hours (3 am) for the last vehicles to make it through. This sting from the scorpion added a touch of thrills and spills on the 7th day of the event. The last vehicle to ascend the river bank of Sg Selai was 3 am. The sting was intentional, and it worked well to the overall plan of this years RFC.
Rest Day
12 Dec at Camp III was located in Taman Negara Selai, within the jurisdiction of the National Park of Johor. The rest day was included to allow the competitor teams to make repairs and get ready for the final 6 SS of the event. For the media representatives and others, it was also a chance to explore this beautiful jungle region with its picturesque river and waterfalls. Re-supplies and fuel was half an hour away at Bekok. For everyone, it was a welcome break.
Final Assault
The final day of competition was also the fiercest fight of them all for the teams. The 6 SS were a combination of uphill, downhill, undulating terrain, gullies and water obstacles. For those in the leading contention, it was the final assault for top placings. With 6 SS there was plenty of opportunity to catch up, and everyone put up the best strategy and skills of the event. It was a good final assault for the competing teams.
Finishing Touch
The magnificent escort back to JB and the closing ceremony night added to the finishing touches of RFC 2009. The well staged ground and air support by the Police from Bekok right to JB city was a scene to remember, it was 5 km long! As for the closing ceremony, it was a fitting finale with a blast of pomp, razzmatazz and glory, the best awards night ever presented in the RFC.
Its mission accomplished. Mother Nature has been kind. But even without the rain, there was a touch of everything this year. The route, the adventure, the challenge, the drama, the enjoyment of the Rivers of Babylon campsites, the efficient use of manpower and machinery, the razzmatazz of the opening and closing and the camaraderie. All in, a great beginning and ending to RFC 2009. I would like to express a Big Bang thank you to everyone involved, especially the organizing committee and my officials, summed up Luis J.A.Wee.
