Kota Tinggi – 2nd Click Clique Adventure

Date of Exploration : 8 – 9 May 2010. Took a weekend trip to Kota Tinggi’s waterfall in time to cool off from the recent heatwave. Is it me or is the weather really climbing up the thermometer? I don’t remember May being so bitingly hot in the past…

But the weather wasn’t the only bother that got me boiling. Arranging this trip was a whole lot of chasing to the point where I almost wanted to give up. First of all, it was very hard to get the commitment from our driver to go. He was always ‘maybe’, ‘could be’, ‘have to make arrangements’, but never confirmed in the 2 months that the trip idea was discussed.

The driver (and his car) was the key to the trip and it was difficult to plan with ambiguity. If it was a last minute trip, I can understand the problem to commit. Then just say ‘no’. But if it’s planned 2 months in advance, there’s ample time to make any necessary arrangements to make the trip happen. Else, just a simple ‘no’ is welcomed rather than to leave me hanging. I guess when most people make their decisions, they forget that they’re a part of the decision-making process of others. It’s not a nice feeling having to give up another activity to make this trip happen while the other travelers are perpetual ‘Shouldbedoos’ (think Scooby Doo).

Decisive by nature, I have a problem empathizing with wishy-washy characters. If you can, say ‘yes’ and make any upcoming plans around this commitment; if you can’t, say ‘no’ and allow others plan ahead. If you’re not sure, tell me by when you can give a confirmed answer and give it. Sometimes I wonder if indecisiveness is a tactic to make ourselves feel important.

The other challenge was also to toe the soured relationships between some in the group. Based on my understanding from both sides, I could see that intentions were good, rationales were valid, but the execution was flawed and lots of miscommunication in-between. However, I’m so very glad that this trip worked out well and things were the way they were before.

Sometimes we get in trouble with people because of our words or actions intentionally or unknowingly, or we may be troubled because we hold on to being done wrong. With the flowing of a river or a waterfall, the same water will not pass by twice, so I’m glad bygones can be bygone and whatever that stole our joy was allowed to flow away and letting the waters put out all fires of fury...

ABOUT KOTA TINGGI

Kota Tinggi is a small town in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, well-known for its 34m cascading waterfall from the 634m Gunung Muntahak Mountain. The fall creates refreshing pools ideal for cooling off in the afternoon heat. The waterfall is also known as the Lombong Waterfall.

I’ve been there once a long time ago and had plain forgotten what it’s like so this trip felt virginal. The first thing that struck me was how murky and brown the water looked. Should be clean but definitely not crystal clear. And it was very chilly despite the morning heat. The difference in water temperature was really apparent when I took a dip in the resort’s swimming pool after soaking in the waterfall. The pool’s water was warm and felt light compared to the cold and heavy fall waters. However, I felt much more refreshed and light after a dip in Mother Nature’s saliva.

The Kota Tinggi town itself is rather small with its town centre and major developments, such as a very modest shopping centre and retail complexes, situated along a river. The waterfall is situated about a 15 minutes drive from the center. We drove to Kota Tinggi from Singapore and it took us about 1 hr 30 mins via the Tuas Link. Just take the highway and after clearing about 2 tolls (or 3?), you’ll see directional signs that point you to Kota Tinggi.

You’ll cross a bridge over a river when you enter into the town and along the banks is where most of the developments are including the boarding site for the Firefly Tour. Apart from the waterfall and Firefly Tour, there’s really very little else to do at Kota Tinggi. As part of our exploration, we drove up to the Desaru Fruit Farm and Desaru beach. We also had the Kota Tinggi Crocodile Farm in our itinerary but gave it a miss due to lack of time.

KOTA TINGGI WATERFALL RESORT
Weekend Hotel Room rate : RM150.00
Weekend Chalet rate : RM180.00

Around the vicinity of the waterfall, there’re 2 accommodation choices – Kota Rainforest Resort and Kota Tinggi Waterfalls Resort. Kota Rainforest Resort is about a 5 minutes drive to the waterfall, more expensive of the two, but looked in better condition and newer. Kota Tinggi Waterfalls Resort is right where the waterfall is located but has no ‘wow’ factor.



We stayed at the Waterfalls Resort due to its proximity to the natural pool. To get there, follow the brown signs that say ‘Air Terjun’. That means water (‘air’) fall (‘terjun’) in Malay. We missed the turn into the resort initially because we were looking for English signs that said ‘waterfall’. Well, they were right before our eyes the whole time but we don’t read Malay! The authorities should really include an English translation in the signs.



The resort is surrounded by forested areas and provides a rustic sanctuary embraced by nature. Facilities include air-conditioning, fan, TV, and fridge. There’s also a restaurant while food tents line the bank of the rock pool. But on hindsight, maybe we should’ve tried the Rainforest Resort instead because the room condition at the Waterfalls Resort was rather appalling. One of the room’s air-con didn’t work, I found gecko shit on the sheets, and the TV was the size for ants. Then again, maybe the other resort isn't any better.

Both resorts do not have online booking facilities. I had to email them to check rates and availability. The Waterfalls Resort is represented by Impressions (impressions@impressions.com.my) and I was required to TT the full amount of the lodging price to secure my reservation. Since it was such a hassle, we decided to just walk in and book 2 chalets. There’s no difference in rates for walk in or email booking and a RM200 deposit is required. Towels and remote control for the TV were issued at the reception counter and you must bring those items back to the reception for check-out.



The saving grace was of course its closeness to the waterfall. There’re 2 parts to the Kota Tinggi fall that are accessible. The lower part consists of a section of the natural fall with a dammed up pool with slides, while an upper part was kept pretty much natural. There’s a stairway by the side of the lower fall that leads to the upper fall. It takes about 15 minutes of easy trekking.



I preferred the upper part because there were less people and the feeling of swimming in a natural pool surrounded by a forest was just awesome! But be prepared to be nibbled on by fish in the rock pool much like those fish spas. They were not painful, more ticklish… or maybe because I have thick skin. Haha.

But I thoroughly enjoyed dipping in both the upper and lower falls. Totally refreshing and inspiring to think that the waters had gushed relentlessly and with such velocity over so many years… much like how youth slides from us with such vigour. Every droplet represented a second and how I will never get back the time which has flowed.

DESARU FRUIT FARM & BEACH

Our self-planned itinerary included a visit to the Desaru Fruit Farm. Located 39km from Kota Tinggi, it took us roughly 30 minutes to drive there. I read that many different varieties of tropical fruits can be found in the farm and there’s even a small petting zoo and aviary. A guide will take you around while giving you a commentary on the plants either on a bull cart or your car.

But when we got there, no one greeted us or showed us where to go for the guided tour. We planned to have lunch there too but it didn’t seem like the cafeteria as operating and a set meal costs RM45! So after wandering around for 10 minutes without seeing anything of interest, we left.

We had lunch at a nearby food stop where everything was fried with too much oil and headed for Desaru Beach. From the roadside hawkers, it was another 15 minutes drive. Again, I’ve been to Desaru eons ago. I think I was 15 years old when I made the trip with my secondary schoolmates. I remembered the beach was white and powdery, and the waves were huge. It’s impossible to swim in that tidal assault so I never understood why people want to go there from then on. Desaru became a joke of a vacation destination for me and never went back.

How very different it was this time round. The beach was still desirable, but the sea was a calm inviting blue! How I wished I could plunge in but alas, this wasn’t planned for so none of us came prepared to frolic in Poseidon’s embrace. Apparently, the mood of the waves has seasons. So I guess May is when it is on Xanax.

Like a diabetic kid in a candy store, the only way to release that pent-up enthusiasm was to find a replacement. So we decided to create our own fun by taking jump shots. With the beautiful sky and turquoise ocean as our backdrop, our frogging moments turned out really great. I love those photos.



FIREFLY TOUR
Touring hours : 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Tour ticket : RM20.00

One of the must-dos at Kota Tinggi is the Firefly Trip. After taking the cruise, we left in awe of the magical presence of nature. Like Christmas trees flickering by the water’s edge, the visual symphony was simply spectacular.

Found in the berembang trees that line the banks of the Johor River, fireflies are actually beetles and spend 9 months as a glowworm (larvae state) before becoming an adult. The lifespan of an adult firefly is 2 weeks with the sole purpose to mate. Different species emit a different pattern of light to attract its own kind.



We bought our trip tickets (RM20.00) from the resort hotel although you can also buy it on the spot (don’t know if it is the same price). There was no pick up from our resort or map given so we had to make our own way there. The boarding place is located along the river where the town centre is. When you drive into Kota Tinggi, you’ll cross a bridge and the firefly tour jetty is located not far from it. If you lose your way, just ask the locals for directions.

The tour lasts 45 minutes and it is best to go for the 8pm slot as that’s when the sky is dark enough. The best time to see the fireflies is during moonless nights. If it rained during the day, you’ll be rewarded with a bumper view of the flies. It didn’t rain during our visit so what we saw was pretty sparse but magical nonetheless. Also, it was impossible to take photos of the fireflies because it’s too dark. So forget about photographing and etch the image in your head.

THE FOOD

We didn’t explore much of the gastro-offerings of Kota Tinggi but we found this restaurant called New Mui Tou that’s affordable and good enough. It is along one of the streets near the Firefly Trip and opposite Hotel Seri Kota. We had dinner there and went back again for lunch.



Dinner : Chili Crabs (though they looked more like pubic lice), Cereal Prawns (so-so), Hot Plate Tofu (yumz!), Wild Boar with Ginger and Onions (super yumz!), Fried Potato Leaves, 5 Man Tous, 1 bowl of rice, creackers, tea, and 2 bottles of Heineken.
Total Bill : S$50.00

Lunch : Fish Meat Steamboat (so-so), Sambal Squid (yumz!), Wild Boar with Ginger and Onions, Sweet and Sour Pork, Stir-Fried Vegetables, Fried Noodles, 1 bowl of rice, crackers, and 5 drinks.
Total Bill : RM87.80 (S$37.80)

OTHER DISCOVERIES

After dinner and some shopping at the riverine pasar malam, when were wondering what to do and found this karaoke, Big Box. It was newly opened so the place was nice and clean, the karaoke system works superbly, and the drinks were really cheap.

A bucket of 4 bottles of Tiger beer costs RM38.00 and a cup of honey lemon tea only RM3.00! The room charge was RM25.00 per hour. I tortured my friends with my singing till 2am.



And we woke up at 6:30am the next morning to shoot sunrise. We don’t know of any place to shoot so we just drove out to a field about 5 minutes from the entrance of our resort hotel. Nothing really much to shoot and by then, the sun was too bright to be photographed well.



We left Kota Tinggi totally tired. Although it was a small town, we managed to max out our 2 days 1 night there. Even though I encountered some frustrations organising this trip, the company quickly dissolved the stains and the waterfall washed the black away. Don't waste time holding on to bad times.



For more photos from the trip, please visit my album Kota Tingi : 2nd Click Clique Adventure.

Bangkok - Top 5 Culture Shockers!

You love Bangkok and had been there umpteenth times. So much that the mosaic wats with their overbearing gold are beginning to seem blinding and your shoes have been worn through from bargain hunting. You wonder… is there more to Bangkok than the great shopping, delicious cuisine, clubbing and sleaze decadence?

Well, how about taking the road less travelled and discover some of the unusual and bizarre in this city of a thousand joys? Look no further! Here are top 5 of the most eccentric places to visit in Bangkok!

They may seem like sideline freak shows, but I think they exemplify the level of tolerance and acceptance that defines the Thai culture… Or maybe no definition at all because it seems there’s nothing too taboo for its people! I love Thailand!

*WARNING!* This post contains contains macabre contents and images that may be disturbing or downright frightening. DO NOT READ ON if you believe you'll live forever or deeply religious.

#5 – WAT HUA LAMPHONG
Address : Rama IV Road, Pathum Wan
Getting there : Take MRT to Hua Lamphong Station
Opening Hours : 24 hrs
Entrance Fee : Free

How about doing some charity on top of donating to Bangkok’s street beggars? At the Chinese temple (義德堂) tucked by the side of Wat Hua Lamphong, you can donate coffins for the burial of the destitute deceased. The cost of a full burial is approximately 500 baht (based on posts I read online) but you can donate any amount you wish.

Your donation pays for a coffin and burial ceremony for the poor whose families can’t afford the cost of death rites or for those unclaimed bodies from accidents or illnesses. I was told by a friend that the temple used to put up photos of the deceased on a board so you know who you’re helping but that practice has since been stopped due to controversy. Coffin donation is considered a form of merit-making for the Thais. Being Christian, I don’t treat it as accumulating good karma, but the simple fact that compassion and charity should transcend religious doctrines.

There’s an administrative area that handles your donation and you’ll be given two slips of paper – pink and white. The pink slip you’ll stick to a wooden coffin and the white slip you’re to burn at an altar where the deities are. It takes less than 15 minutes to make a donation and after that, you can visit Wat Hua Lamphong.

The wat is very prominent in downtown Bangkok and all the locals know it. It’s almost impossible to get lost getting to Wat Hua Lamphong (less than 10 minutes by cab from Silom) but remember that the donation place is along the side of the wat’s compound.



#4 – PENIS SHRINE (CHAO MAE TUPTIM)
Address : Swisshotel Nai Lert Park Hotel (formerly Hilton Hotel)
Getting there : Ploenchit BTS Station
Opening Hours : 24 hours
Entrance Fee : Free

This place will give even the most self-assured man a serious inferiority complex. The penis shrine, or more correctly known as the Chao Mae Tuptim Shrine, is hidden in a corner within the grounds of Nai Lert Park Hotel. The shrine area is small but rather amusing. Not many tourists visit this place so you can take your time to look around.

Getting there took a bit of walking from Ploenchit BTS Station, and the hotel was not prominent. When we alighted from the train, we stood on the alighting platform and scanned the area for the hotel. We barely saw it. Once you can see where the hotel is, just walk towards it from the station. Look for the hotel while you’re at the alighting platform because you won’t be able to see where it is on ground level.

The shrine was originally dedicated to Chao Tuptim, a female animist spirit who people believe has been residing in the banyan tree next to the shrine for hundreds of years. Years ago though, a woman came to pray at the shrine asking for help from Chao Tuptim because she couldn't conceive. Nine months later, she gave birth to a healthy son.

She was so pleased with her child that she came back to the shrine and left a large wooden carving of a giant penis in thanks. Others followed her lead and today, you can literally see hundreds of wooden penises, all different colors and sizes there. I wonder what could guys pray for…?



#3 – MAE NAK SHRINE (A.K.A. GHOST WIFE)
Address : Wat Maha But, On Nut, Sukhumvit 77
Getting there : BTS On Nut. Maha But Temple is 900m down Sukhumvit Soi 77
Opening Hours : Unsure
Entrance Fee : Free

Ready for some romance? This is probably the most romantic of all shrines in Thailand. Legend has it that about a hundred years ago, there was a beautiful young woman called Nak who lived on the bank of the Prakanong River. Nak married a man named Maak. During the war, Maak was drafted to fight for his country, leaving Mae Nak at home alone. She was with child and died during labour.

Because of the love for her husband, her spirit refused to leave the house and waited for his return. Maak finally returned home not knowing about the death of his wife. The couple went on living together for some time as if everything was normal.

However, once her husband discovered that she was just a ghost, he fled to the temple. Mae Nak was furious and began terrorizing people in the village. The whole community was terrified. The reverent 'mor pii' (ghost doctor) heard of Mae Nak's rampage, so he came to the village and defeated her by cutting a piece of her forehead bone to make a buckle and capturing her spirit in a bottle.

Mae Nak Shrine, supposedly her burial place, is located within Maha But Temple built in the late-Ayutthaya Period, and named after the monk who initiated its construction. Locals often refer to it as Wat Mae Nak Prakanong (Temple of Mother Nak of Prakanong). The shrine looks more like a 'home' for Mae Nak and her child as it's always filled with flower garlands, colourful Thai costumes, cosmetics, toys, diapers, and milk bottles offered by devotees as gifts for her child. One of the most fascinating items in the shrine is a TV that is on 24 hours everyday!



#2 – OLD PRISON MUSEUM
Address : 436 Mahachai Road, near Rommani Nart Park
Getting there : Take cab (about 15 mins from Silom Road)
Opening Hours : Mon - Fri, 9:30 am - 4:00 pm
Entrance Fee : Free (Donations welcomed)

The locals know it as 'kook gao' but not many know where it is located. I had a hard time trying to get the hotel staff to understand where I was going as I wanted to get the place right before I get in a cab. But apparently, none of them had heard of or been there. I even resorted to show them the webpage of kook gao only to draw blank stares and them talking amongst themselves without so much as a verdict.

After what seemed like a long sentence I was serving, someone knew and instructed my cab driver. Can’t remember the exact fare but I think it was less than 100 baht to get there. The old prison compound has been converted into a park so don’t be surprised when the cab drops you off at a playground.

Only the administrative block, some watchtowers and a cell block remained of the old prison. This prison was the first prison in Thailand to be built according to international standards. And the tortures meted out behind those walls should count it as one of the world’s most gruesome.

This is the place to learn about the cruel punishments meted out to offenders in Thailand in the past. Grisly corporal punishment tools and weapons exhibit the severities of the old penal system, a sadistic system based on retribution through severe punishment and suffering. At the museum, you can see life-sized wax figures act out with painful precision execution scenes.



There’re two parts to the museum. The admin block is an air-conditioned indoor museum that showcases the methods of execution – from beheading during the ancient times to gunning to lethal injection that is used today. Aged photos of the actual executions accompany the wax exhibits. I shuddered at the sight of real people being killed.



Again, this place sees very little visitors and it’s a pity because the exhibits aren’t too bad at all and you can really get a feel of hopelessness once you get behind those bars. After visiting the admin block, approach of one the blue jerseyed cleaners (I don’t know if they’re always there) to bring you to the cell block. I reckoned I can get there myself but I asked for directions and one of them took me there.



The ‘guide’ didn’t ask for a fee but I tipped her 20 baht as I’m out of fifties and hundreds. Initially, she just left me to explore but when I tipped her, she walked with me and pointed out some exhibits. She didn’t speak a word of English and a guided tour was really not necessary, but in our chicken-and-duck way, we had quite some fun. As it turned out, she liked being photograph but I could never get her to take a photo of me. But she’s funny.

At the cell block museum, you can see how ex-prisoners were punished and their living conditions. One of the grim highlights includes a man-sized rattan ball pierced with nails pointing inwards. Hapless prisoners were placed inside and an elephant was encouraged to play football with it. Ouch!



#1 – FORENSIC MUSEUM (SIRIRAJ HOSPITAL)
Address : 2nd floor, Adulaydejvigrom Building, Siriraj Hospital, 2 Phrannok Road
Getting there : Take cab (about 30 mins from Silom Road)
Opening Hours : Mon - Sat, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Entrance Fee : 40 baht (foreigners) 20 baht (Thais)

This is the Big Mac in macabre! It makes Gunther von Hagens’ Body Worlds feel like a pickle among the mangled patty.

Siriraj Medical Museums consist of the Songkran Miyomsane Forensic Science Museum, Pathological Museum, Parasitology Museum, Anatomical Museum, Prehistoric Museum, and History of Thai Medicine. The exhibits, especially those in the forensic museum, have been collected over many years and document the human condition in birth anomalies, accidents and murders.

Often touted as the Museum of Death, I read somewhere that it has lost a number of its exhibits over the years, many of which depicted rare medical conditions. Surveillance cameras have since been installed but I sure would hate to be the security personnel having to witness a necrophiles’ orgy party.

The other museums are pretty radical except for one where there’s the preserved exhibit of a 75kg scrotum that'd been amputated from a man suffering from elephantiasis. That poor man could even use his balls as a beanbag chair! Oh by the way, photography is discouraged in the museums and never take home sweets or toys that’s been offered to the dead babies.



Murder weapons, autopsy photos, body parts, diseased organs and glass jars containing stillborn children pickled in formaldehyde are exhibited alongside each other. It’s a grim reminder that we’re after all flesh and bones. We are mortal.



Perhaps the most ‘famous’ of all the exhibits is the mummified corpse of See Uey Sae Ung (labeled as Si Quey on his display case and sometimes also referred to as Si-oui or Si Ouey depending on who is writing about him). He was the most notorious serial killer in Thai history.

A Chinese immigrant who moved to Thailand in 1944; See Uey suffocated and then ate the hearts and livers of over a half dozen male children. He apparently believed that the practice made him stronger, healthier, and by some accounts, immortal.

He was captured and executed by hanging in the 1950s. After an autopsy, the cadaver was filled and covered with paraffin wax to preserve it. In recent years, the museum has added a film educating visitors about the story of See Uey and he became a sort of bogeyman for Thai children. Parents would threaten misbehaving kids with a visit from his ghost. The case of See Uey Sae Ung was also adapted into the 2004 Thai thriller Zee-Oui.



USUALLY UNUSUAL

Many a times, I asked myself why I keep going back to Bangkok for vacations and looking at all my previous trips’ photos, it was the constant mystery of what I was going to encounter that drew me back there time and again.

That place has so much to offer that each trip turns up different encounters and new discoveries for me. But then again, no matter where we’re at, if we look for the unusual in a place… or people, that’s usually what we get!

Pengerang - By Accident

I've always admired the beauty of peacocks and had encountered quite a few throughout the years. Their glistening green feathers with turquiose hues never cease to captivate me. But I've never seen one of them opening up its tail feather in full glory.

Likewise, many a times when we travel, we may see the beauty of sights, perhaps finding a stalk of the tail feathers along the way. But on those very few rare occasions, we experience the spectacular of an opened peacock fan. An encounter like this almost always happened by accident.

This trip to Sungai Rengit, Pengerang was one of those moments. Although the accident was terribly regrettable, I saw my perfect peacock.

While Pengerang has nothing much to offer in terms of sights or even qualify as a mediocre tourist destination, the warmth and helpfulness of its people made the trouble to get there all worth it. More than just delicious seafood at bargain prices and miles of natural-scape, have a sampling too of the local hospitality. I have a feeling you’ll leave fuller than the harvest of the sea.

PENGERANG FACTS

• Pengerang is a seaside area by the southeastern tip of Johor with a population of about 20,000. Sungai Rengit is its main town located at the fourth bay (四湾).

• Sungai Rengit is popular for its seafood, which is much cheaper than Singapore or Johor Bahru.

• Things to do there besides cholesterol-chugging include a visit to a World War 2 fort, Ostrich Farm, and Fruit Farm.

• Many long-distance cycling enthusiasts start their journey to Desaru here because of the straight open roads and lesser traffic.



GETTING THERE & BACK

From Singapore, you can drive (approximately 2 hours) or take a bumboat at Changi Point Ferry Terminal to Tg Pengelih, Pengerang’s ferry terminal. Bumboat ride takes 1 hour and costs S$9.00 per person. Additional S$2.00 is charged per bicycle to ferry it across.

Daily operating hours : 7:00 am – 7:00 pm. There’s no fixed departure schedule. Each boat will only depart once there are 12 passengers. So there could be some waiting during off-peak periods. If you can assemble a group of 12, you can charter a whole boat.



Avoid going to Pengerang during Qing Ming season and Chinese New Year as there’ll be hordes of people. No problem in getting enough passengers, but no boats. Our trip coincided with Qing Ming and we waited almost 4 hours (8:00 am – 11:48 am) to board. It was pretty chaotic because there were no clear signs or system to indicate which boat you are supposed to take or any indication of waiting time. You have to find out your boat queue number at the counter and listen out for it to be called when your boat is available.

It works the same coming back from Tg Pengelih. Boat ride costs MYR15.00, operating hours from 7:00 am – 4:00 pm. Be there by 3:00pm to avoid missing the last boat. All fares are collected onboard, passport is a must.

GETTING AROUND

Taxis are available at MYR5.00 per person to Sungai Rengit. The taxis will leave when there’re 4 passengers, or you can charter the whole car for MYR20.00. The ride is about 20 mins. You can also negotiate with the driver to bring you to Ostrich Farm, Fruit Farm, etc and back to Tg Pengelih ferry terminal. Rates vary according to where you want to go. A round trip from ferry terminal to Fruit Farm costs MYR150.00.



You can also rent a bicycle at one of the shops around Changi Point Hawker Centre and cycle from Tg Pengelih to Sungai Rengit. That’s about 20 km or roughly 1.5 hours of leisure cycling. There are no bicycle rentals around Tg Pengelih ferry terminal so rent from Changi if you intend to cycle to Sungai Rengit. Bicycle rentals are available in Sungai Rengit for MYR15.00 per day. We rented our bicycles from this shop behind Hiap Hwa Hotel. The bikes were in reasonable conditions.

ACCOMODATION

There are quite a few hotels in Sungai Rengit but don’t expect to see stars. They’re basic lodgings without frills, and mere minutes from each other on foot. We stayed Hiap Hwa Hotel although on hindsight, we should’ve gone with our original plan to stay at Tai Hoe Hotel because it has a provision shop below it, and located just opposite the taxi station. Then again, the town is very small so it doesn’t really matter where you stay.



Hiap Hwa Hotel is decent and clean although the rooms have the smell of cigarette smoke. I booked the MYR68.00 room via email but when we checked out, we were charged MYR88.00. The reason given was that we stayed during a public holiday (we checked-in on 2 Apr 2010, Good Friday). This wasn’t communicated to me in the email to confirm my reservation. Good Friday is a holiday in Singapore, but not in Malaysia.

I felt somewhat cheated. And I had to transfer S$30.00 to their representative’s POSB bank account as a refundable deposit to seal my booking. This was the first time I had to do something like that. It’s like paying before you consumed the service and the receptionist wasn’t conversant in English.



I changed our accommodation plans because I read from bloggers that it is a newer hotel compared to the rest. At five storeys, the hotel is easily the tallest building in town but there’re no elevators so we had to climb four levels to our rooms. Siow Har had her room changed to the first level after her accident (more on it later). We were allowed to park our bicycles in the hotel’s premises.

SEAFOOD SO GOOD?

Feasting on fresh, succulent baby lobsters on a pauper’s paycheck is the sole reason many Singaporeans come to Sungai Rengit. The few recommended restaurants are Si Wan Good Luck Seafood Restaurant, Crystal Jade Seafood Restaurant, and Jade Garden Seafood Restaurant. I had planned to try all restaurants during our 2D1N stay but our seafood expedition was cut short by the accident. We only managed to try Si Wan Good Luck Seafood Restaurant. It was full house when we got there… so the verdict?



Average. We had three Butter Baby Lobsters, Cereal Prawns, Stir-fried Chye Sim, and Hotplate Oyster Omelette. The bill came up to MYR152.90 (S$65.10) including two bowls of rice, three fresh coconuts, and a bottle of beer. That’s very cheap by Singapore standards. But of course, ‘restaurants’ there are more like non air-conditioned zi-char eateries in Singapore.

Taste-wise, the lobsters well deserved their repute. Though crusted and deep-fried, the meat was juicy and tender; it felt as though Hai Loong Wang was having a party in my mouth. But the marine celebration ends there. The Cereal Prawn was passable and felt patchwork. There were two halves of a really big prawn and the rest were much smaller prawns. I didn’t get to try the big prawn but the small prawns weren’t fresh. The shells were thin and stuck to the flesh, and the heads had fallen off in the plate.

The vegetable dish was stir-fried in garlic and ginger strips, but although fresh-tasting, had no boomz factor. The Oyster Omelette was the biggest letdown. I’ve seen snort bigger than the oyster bulbs they served. And the taste was Alice in Wonderland… you chew the movie for almost two hours and wonder when is it going to get exciting. That dish was so bland, dogs wouldn’t touch it.

Hopefully the other restaurants fare better. If I go back again, I’ll try the crayfish and pepper crabs I missed this time round.

THE ROAD TO UNWIND

The best thing to do in Sungai Rengit is to unwind because there’s simply nothing to do. No big shopping complexes, no fanciful tourist attractions, no nightlife. It’s just you and the open roads flanked by coconut trees towering above kampong houses. I had it in my itinerary to cycle to the Fruit Farm but because we were very much delayed in our arrival time, we visited only the Ostrich Farm. It was only about a half-hour ride from town and the many huge signs made it easy to find (cycling to the Fruit Farm would take about two hours at a leisurely pace).



Along the way, we stopped by many open fields and even a red rock quarry to take home some rustic memories. So used am I to my DSLR that I felt handicapped using a compact camera during the excursion. What’s great shooting here was the wide natural landscapes and dramatic cloud formations floating on an endless blue.



At an entrance fee of MYR12.00 per adult, the Ostrich Farm provided some amusements and learning points about these big birds. Here’re some info about the farm and ostriches :

• The farm is owned by a Singaporean ex-pilot. Most of the ostriches here are reared for their meat. Their only meat area is the thigh. They’re slaughtered when 18-months old because that’s when the meat is the leanest. Any older and the ostrich would gain too much fat.

• The fat is used to make cosmetic creams and lotions, while the feathers are used for costumes such as in cabaret fans and outfits.

• Ostriches are hollow-boned with a very hard breast plate. Its kick is lethal and is especially hostile if you’re near its egg.

• A female ostrich lays an egg every 2-3 days from age three onwards. Full lifespan is about 60 years. One ostrich egg is equivalent to 25 chicken eggs.



• The eggs are of porous calcium and will spoil if it has been soaked in water. It can withstand the weight of a human adult in sand but will crack if you stand on it on hard surfaces.

• Ostrich thrives in a dry and sandy habitat, and swallows sand to help digest their food. Without which, they will die. An ostrich soaking in a pool of water is also a goner.

• There’re three roles played by the three most dominant males in a flock – the egg protector, the protector of a female ostrich about to lay eggs, and the king. The king can mate with any female without bowing while other males have to bow to get approval. However, if the flock is under attack, the king is the first to die as it sacrifices itself to a predator to buy time for the flock’s escape.



After the tour, we tasted ostrich meat (stir-fry with ginger and spring onion) and had this most refreshing concoction of tea with evaporated milk and winter melon essence. Super yumz! The ostrich meat was so-so, the texture resembled pork without much of a unique flavour. Maybe it’s the way it was being cooked. The dish costs MYR20.00 and the yummy tea was at MYR4.00 per glass.

The lady manager of the farm also sat down and chatted with us about different ferry routes to get to Pengerang and how she once paid MYR180 to charter a bumboat for her and her son since she couldn’t wait for more passengers. Overall, the place is worth a visit. An hour there is about just right.

NINE STITCHES CLOSER

The biggest event during the trip was Siow Har’s fall from her bicycle near the Goddess of Mercy Temple. She fell during her bid to stop her S$100-plus hat from being blown away. I didn’t witness it but I was told that her fall didn’t seem serious. But when she stood up, the lower part of her left leg was washed in blood. By the time I saw her, the bleeding has stopped so I thought it was a minor accident until I got close to see the real damage.

She sustained a really, really deep cut, and in the words of the lady who brought us to the clinic, “As big as her mouth”!. When the accident happened, quite a few local motorists stopped to help. Eventually, a kindly woman who has fetching her son from school took us to a nearby clinic. According to her, that area around the temple is ‘dirty’.

Siow Har got her wound cleaned, anesthesia localized, nine stitches, anti-tetanus shot, antibiotics and pain medicine… we were expecting a medical bill that’ll send her into seizure, but all it costs was MYR52.00! That’s so cheap! Luckily it’s so affordable as she did not buy travel insurance.

I mentioned about it on our way to Pengerang and she said there’s no need to buy for such a short trip. I wanted to buy but forgot about it. Gosh, and I’m an insurance agent! Actually, I should’ve just asked both of them anyway even though they’re not likely to buy. I have this service, but didn’t offer to them. Thankfully, the accident wasn’t something more serious or the bill much bigger, else I would really feel bad.

Although the mishap was a terrible occurrence, it brought out the kindly and helpful side of the Pengeranians. Apart from this lady, there were many people along the way whom I spoke to or asked for directions, and I could sense a genuine warmth in their responses.

I can’t help but think that those nine stitches brought us closer to Pengerang and as friends, they held us somewhat closer too. Hopefully someday soon, I’ll go back to the laid-back town again and pluck me another peacock feather. :o)

Malacca – 1st Click Clique Adventure

When I signed up for the SAFRA Photo Club Basic Digital Photography course 4 months ago, my aim was just to finally figure out what the dials and functions on my DSLR camera meant. But to my pleasant surprise, I got more than just understanding how to capture picture perfect moments. I learnt how to create them. Not by myself, but through a strange, unseen force that no camera can put in picture.

My moments’ creators are my course mates. Since we completed our 10 classes in late November, we’ve been on many outings, about a dozen to date. That’s a photo outing every week! But we outdid ourselves this time with a 2D1N photography trip to Malacca. This is the first time I’ve been on a ‘holiday’ with the sole purpose of taking photos, and the first time with them. I suggested Malacca because it’s not too far from Singapore. And with its buffet of historical sites, our memory cards are guaranteed to be well-fed. Not to mention forgiving our waistlines because of the exquisite Peranakan cuisine!

Apprehensive at first as I’ve never travelled cross-country with my newfound friends, I was quickly amazed by how easily we bonded. The laughs kept coming just as much as our shutters go a-clicking! From this trip, I discovered the joy of ‘jumping’ shots; reflective sunglasses make for interesting photos; and spontaneity leaves the most lasting memories.

Travel Facts

16 - 17 Jan 2010... The five of us opted to drive up to Malacca from Singapore via the Tuas causeway link. With one rest-stop, our travelling time was about 3 hours.

Accomodation : Equatorial Hotel Melaka (MYR331.20 /room/ night incl. 15% tax)



The hotel is centrally located and very close to the historical sites and Dataran Pahlawan Shopping Mall. It was a pleasant stay and each room came with a MYR88.00 F&B credit. Any unused amount is refunded at 50% as deduction from the room charges.

Exchange rate : S$1.00 = MYR2.41
Travel insurance : S$24.00
Travel expenses : S$70.00

Malacca or Melaka?

Known as The Historical State or Red City of Malaysia, Malacca may confuse the unfamiliar with its name spelt as Melaka. So which is the right name for this 2008 designated UNESCO World Heritage Site? Well, both.



Malacca was used during the colonial occupation, but when the British handed the state back to Malaya (Malaysia today), it was renamed ‘Melaka’. The third smallest state in the Malay Peninsular, Melaka formed part of the early Straits Settlements with Penang and Singapore.

How Melaka Got Its Name

It is believed that a prince, Parameswara, who fled Sumatra founded Melaka in the 1300s. One day, as he was out hunting, his hunting dog cornered a mouse deer. In self defence, the deer pushed the dog into the river. Taking it as a propitious sign of the weak overcoming the strong, the prince decided to name the place on the spot he was sitting. He named it Melaka, after the tree he was resting under.



Another version of the story says that Parameswara chose the name 'Malacca' from the Tamil word 'mallakka' which means upside down or on ones back because the dog fell on its back when the deer kicked it.

I wonder what dog the prince used for hunting. Chihuahua?

Click Clique Encounters

Every photographer has his or her style and eye for beauty. My preference is for a documentary approach where I try to take a photo not simply because the subject is beautiful, but to link it to a story I know. I akin it to looking at an attractive potential lifelong mate, but going past the beauty and understanding that person before freezing the great moment (‘signing’ a commitment). Because looks will fail, but the strength of a character endures.



But with a short trip like this one, it’s shoot-and-go. I had much wanted to spend some time in Melaka’s many museums to kaypo about the place. Nevertheless, here’s a record of the state that started as a simple fishing village that was built into a major Southeast Asian trading port in the early days, and becoming a pawn that changed hands from Portuguese, to Dutch, to British rule.

A Famosa – The Famous

Yup, that’s what it meant in Portuguese. It is among the oldest surviving European architectural remains in Asia. The Porta de Santiago, a small gatehouse, is the only remaining part of the fortress still standing. A stairway behind it leads up the hill to St Paul’s Church.



St Paul’s Church

Constructed by the Portuguese in 1521, this church was named "Our Lady of The Hill". When the Dutch took over, they renamed it to St Paul’s Church and occupied the church until their own church, Christ Church, was completed. Old tombstones of noble Portuguese and Dutch nationals can be found in the church’s ruins today.



Dutch Square

Also known as the Red Square because all its surrounding buildings are painted red consists of the Stadthuys, Tan Beng Swee Clock Tower, Queen Victoria Fountain, and Christ Church.



Built in the 1650s, the Stadthuys (which means ‘Town Hall’ in Dutch) served as the office and residence for the Dutch Governor and his deputy. The buildings were painted red when the British took over to ease maintainability. Today, the Stadthuys serves as a Museum of History and Ethnography.

While the Tan Beng Swee Clock Tower looks Dutch, it is not. It was built in 1886 in honour of the so-named tycoon. It is commonly referred to as the Red Clock Tower. Opposite the clock tower, there’s an Indian chendol stall by the Melaka River. A friend told me it’s not to be missed, but I would say save your stomach space.



The other prominent heritage ornament here is the Queen Victoria Fountain. It was erected in 1901 by the British to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee. But perhaps the most iconic building of them all is Christ Church. Built by the Dutch in 1753, it is the oldest Protestant church in Malaysia. This is a quintessential proof of having been to Melaka.

With so many historic building gathered in one place, the Red Square seems the perfect place to start exploring Melaka. However, I would recommend that you start from A Famosa as that brings you nicely across St Paul’s Church to the Red Square, and crossing a road junction, you’ll reach Jonker Street.

If you started at the Red Square, to your right is Jonker Street, and to your left is St Paul’s Church and A Famosa… you’ll be stuck with a dilemma.

Jonker Street / Walk

This is an absolutely jolly street lined as much with antique shops as it is with old heritage houses. There’re quite a few restaurants here selling the famous Hainanese Chicken Rice Ball dish and in the evening, the street turns into a night market selling all sorts of knick knacks and goodies.



We went to Famosa Chicken Rice Ball restaurant to try the dish. The dish, not the restaurant, came up in a few friends’ recommendations when I mentioned that I’m visiting Melaka so I assumed it must be good. Wrong. It is no different than the chicken rice in Singapore except that the rice is made into balls the size of ping pongs. The ball rice is tasteless, has a hard crust, and nothing to shout about except for its novelty in shape.



The dish was a let-down, but the restaurant that we had in it made up for it. Famosa Chicken Rice Ball restaurant is very interestingly designed and modeled after the Imperial Palace in China. Two thumbs-up for the elaborate décor within a classic Chinese house of the olden days.



Peranakan Food

On the subject of food, not to be missed in the Peranakan cuisine there. I don’t know if it is right to call Melaka the birthplace of the Peranakan culture, but it does seem that the Straits-born Chinese proliferated here although the Baba-Nyonyas’ ancestry can be traced to inter-marriages between Chinese and Malays in Malaysia and Indonesia around the 1500s.

As a result, the food is a delightful blend of Southern Chinese and Malay culinary traditions, while their cultural style exploded in a myriad of colors and yielded some of the most distinctive fashion in costume and home decoration.



We had no idea which Peranakan restaurant to eat but we stumbled upon an eatery called Makko. The place was packed and we were told it was fully booked. Wow! So we wandered along Taman Melaka Raya and eventually had our lunch at a restaurant translated named 优雅 (translated as ‘Elegance’ or Indah Sayang in Malay).

The food is not bad but the attitude of the owner sucked. He came across as being somewhat haughty and impatient. The meal cost about MYR110.00 and the five of us had assam fish, squid fried with petai, chicken rendang, fried egg, steamed lady’s fingers (super yummy!), otah and chendol.



Bukit Cina

Earlier, it was mentioned that Melaka could be considered the origin for the Straits-born Chinese and Bukit Cina, or China Hill, would be ground zero. Diplomatic relations between small Malayan states with large kingdoms such as China and Siam were paramount at a time when these smaller states were like pretty maidens without a husband – everybody wanted to invade, own, and constantly fought over them.

But it was not without benefit to China to maintain good relations as these states (including Singapore) provided economic opportunities for the mainland Chinese to escape the dire situations at their home country. (With China’s emerging status as the new economic superpower, looks like history is repeating itself again.)



Central to the Chinese history of many East Asian states is Admiral Zheng He (Cheng Ho). A eunuch from the Ming Dynasty, Zheng He acted as the foreign minister of sorts and undertook several ‘Western Ocean’ voyages to give and receive gifts. Zheng He was a Muslim-Chinese.

Prince Parameswara was on good terms with the Admiral. The prince was the first Hindu to convert to Muslim in Melaka. According to legend, as a token of appreciation for Melaka’s tribute to China, the Emperor sent a princess, Hang Li Poh, to marry the Malaccan Sultan. Bukit Cina was a gift from the Sultan for his wife and entourage to settle in. Hang Li Poh brought with her hundreds of men and handmaidens who eventually married the local Malays and gave rise to the Peranakans.



However, the existence of Hang Li Poh is heavily contested because there’s no record of the princess in the Ming Dynasty’s royal lineage. Moreover, true princesses were bestowed with names of two characters such as 常平公主 (Princess Chang Ping) or 永乐咯咯 (Princess Yong Le), therefore Hang Li Po (韩丽宝) couldn’t have been a princess. It was more likely that she was a commoner given the title of princess to marry the sultan.



At the foot of Bukit Cina sits the Sam Po Kong Temple. The Chinese temple is not much of an attraction especially since its decorative style is very simple. Even the 剪粘 (chien nian – a popular Chinese decorative style where shards of colorful ceramic were cut and pasted together to depict celestial beings) on its roof were exceedingly modest compared to those found at the clan houses in Penang. It could be because this temple pre-dates many of the more extravagant clan prayer halls.



The temple houses two wells – one is the remaining of seven built by Zheng He, and the other is built by Hang Li Poh for her personal. The wells have never been dried even during periods of severe droughts. And it is believed that if one drinks the well water, he/she is bound to return to Melaka again in his/her lifetime. The well had also been poisoned a few times during the period of European in-fighting. One amazing feature of the well water is that it has a higher water tension and can rise above the brim of a cup. If the cup is covered with a piece of cloth and overturned, the well water won’t spill presumably because of its higher mineral contents thus increasing the size of the water molecules.

A small pathway beside the temple leads to a cemetery behind it. With about 12,000 graves, it is believed to be the biggest Chinese graveyard outside of China. Many of the headstones are really old so many semi-buried in centuries of neglect.



St John’s Fort

We also went to an attraction not so popular with tourists – St John’s Fort. The Fort was originally built as a chapel by the Portuguese but it was eventually renovated into a fort by the Dutch.



Sitting on top a hill, the fort is unique in the sense that it was built to defend from inland invaders, rather than the sea. Hence, the canons are faced rather awkwardly towards inland. It is located much further away from the cluster of heritage buildings and not really accessible. We were told we could get a different view of Melaka Town other than the usual scenery atop St Paul’s Church.

The view was different alright, but nothing breathtaking. Other than the fort, there’s nothing else to see so we entertained ourselves by experimenting with lots of ‘jumping’ photos. We ended up having a lot of fun there. An exemplary instance of 'it’s not the place, but who you’re with'!



Parting Shots

Some say those who constantly seek adventure is because they lead boring lives. I would say those who don’t seek adventure have yet to live life. And through photography, I’ve been brought to places I won’t normally go and be motivated to do things I otherwise won’t. And it’s great to have a bunch of like-minded people to enjoy it with! Let’s continue to experience each irrecoverable moment and make them live a lifetime…





For more photos on Malacca, do pop by my album Melaka : 1st Click Clique Adventure.