Crown of Shyness (FRIM)

Friday was a public holiday in Malaysia so a few of us went out to FRIM or Forest Research Institute Malaysia. Basically it is an area where they have protected the rainforest and put in trails to walk on, a canopy walk (which was closed), a Malay teahouse and there are tours as well. We were just out hiking along when we met a Malay family who had a tour guide, a young girl from Malaysia Nature Society (MNS). We joined the tour and she showed us this amazing phenomenon called the 'Crown of Shyness'. In the rainforest there are certain trees that will give room to other trees and don't even touch as they spread out to form the canopy. I have pictures below but it doesn't do it justice. It reminded me of those optical illusion pictures, when you looked up it made you dizzy and you searched to figure out what was going on. It is one of those things that you never expected and are surprised by it. Stunning really.

We were headed down the slope and our guideline was already staked out by this massive caterpillar.