opinion
JULY, 2018 | The HEALTH
03
Different
Strokes
Ulu Legong Hot
Spring Resort where
the writer and his
family stayed.
by ADI SATRIA
T
HE long hari raya
break for many of us
means going through
the traditional ritual
of balik kampung
traffic jams and an indulgence of
ketupat-rendang, glorious food and
reunions of family and friends.
Seldom do we hear about ea ting
in moderation. After all it was a
month of abstinence, so why not
indulge. All the discipline and
goodness of fasting seem to be
irrelevant now.
After our family reunion at
Sungai Patani on the third day of
raya, we left for the Ulu Legong Hot
Spring Resort about 40 kilometers
away in Baling. As the traffic on
the Plus highway from Alor Setar
to Penang was moving at a crawl,
the Google map lady instructed us
to take the old dark winding road,
passing numerous kampungs and
in the pouring rain. We arrived two
hours later.
I wanted to find out what was so
special about the hot springs at Ulu
Legong. Legend has it that it was
the place where Raja Bersiong, the
Malay version of Count Dracula
had left one of his fangs in this area
after being hounded by the people.
The other tooth was thrown away
at Baling, hence the origin of the
town’s namesake, also famous for
the failed meeting between Tunku
Ketupat, rendang
and hotsprings
Abdul Rahman and Chin Peng.
When we arrived at 9pm, the
resort was already crowded with
hundreds of people soaking in the
seven natural hot spring pools.
Ulu Legong is at the border of
Thailand and used to be the main
hideout of Chin Peng.
The water in this hot springs
contains a variety of minerals
including calcium, sodium bicar-
bonate and sulphur. Apart from
boosting blood circulation, reliev-
ing nasal congestion, sinus and
digestion problems, heat relaxes
tense muscles and refreshes the
body and mind.
It also relieves pain naturally,
especially chronic muscle pain
and arthritis. The buoyancy of
soaking in warm water encourages
PRESCRIPTIVE
LAUGHTER
A FAMILY is at the dinner table.
The son asks the father: “Dad, how
many kinds of boobs are there?”
The father, surprised, answers, “Well
son, a woman goes through three phases.
In her 20’s, a woman’s breast are like
melons, round and firm. In her 30’s and
40’s, they are like pears, still nice, hanging
a bit. After 50, they are like onions.”
“Onions?” the son asks.
“Yes. You see them and they make you
cry.”
This infuriated his wife and daughter.
The daughter then asks, “Mom, how
many different kinds of willies are there?”
The mother smiles and replies, “Well
dear, a man goes through three phases
also. In his 20’s, his willy is like an oak tree,
mighty and hard. In his 30’s and 40’s, it’s
like a birch, flexible but reliable. After his
50’s, it’s like a Christmas tree.”
“A Christmas tree?” the daughter asks.
“Yes, dead from the root up and the
balls are just for decoration.”
Ulu Legong is at the
border of Thailand
and used to be the
main hideout of
Chin Peng.
freer movement by supporting the
joints naturally.
Those who suffer from skin
problems like eczema and psoriasis
can also testify to its benefits as it
smoothens the skin. However, those
who suffer from blood pressure and
other heart ailments should consult
their doctor before soaking in.
The next day we continued for
another hour at the pool. This time
nonetheless, the water was not as
hot as the day before due to the cool
temperature of the surrounding
hills and jungles.
Feeling refreshed and rejuve-
nated, we checked out at noon
and set off for the journey back to
Kuala Lumpur with an unscheduled
overnight stopover in Kulim as the
traffic jams had already started.
ADI SATRIA is a veteran
of the marketing
communications industry.
He continues to discover
hot springs in Malaysia
and the region as a
refreshing and healthy
way to travel.