JJCM in KT #14 - Pantai Chendering

Further down the road, about 6 km away from Kuala Terengganu is Chendering – the site of the Malaysian Handicraft Centre. This centre offers a wide variety of Malaysian handicraft and also a chance to see how these handicrafts are made. Cendering is also the site of a national deep sea fishing project with a long jetty that is excellent for fishing. These we heard about but knew we did not have the time to make a stop. There are just too many things to see and the days are too short.

So we stop instead at Pantai Chendering which is about 10 km away from kuala Terengganu town. It is a bay with a very wide sandy beach. There is a fishing village at one end. We would love to check it out but again time did not permit. The wide sandy beach and the gentle slope made this stretch looked very inviting but it is also quite treacherous as the undercurrent is very strong.

At one end of the beach, it ended in rocks and that is where I will find them. I loved these few very tall coconut trees swaying under the strong breeze. I had been here before and I always looked forward to seeing those coconut trees again. But I sadly noted that one of the trees has lost its crown and only its trunk is left standing. It will stand there much longer and I fear the other trees will also die out not too far into the future. That is a real pity for the trees added so much to the empty beach. I was shocked when I came across an older photograph recently that showed nine coconut trees where now only three still stands. If the tourism officers are doing their job, they ought to be planting some new trees here.

I loved them so much that I shot them from different angles to remember them in case they are gone by the time I got there again. If you go to Kuala Terengganu, do stop by Pantai Chendering and see those trees before they are gone. How many decades they must have stood there facing the South China Sea. I will miss them. I wonder if I am the only one who will?

Everywhere you went, you can see huge Pas flags. Some with one moon like this one, some with two, four and more. I am not political and they don’t bother me. However, I think planting them on rocks and islands everywhere spoilt the natural beauty. There ought to be some places where politics do not intrude. There are better ways to make a statement.

The sun was blazing hot that afternoon and there were no shades on the beach. But among these rocks are trapped colorful stones, sea shells and broken shells of crustaceans. If not for the hot sun, looking for stones or shells among the rocks can be a lot of fun. I took back a number of these small rocks for souvenirs. Free gifts from nature. I once even took back sand from Pulau Redang.

As we left, we saw this recently expired colorful crab among the white broken shells and grey rocks. Its sad end is an ominous sign. Somehow I don’t think I will see those swaying coconut trees again.

JJCM in KT #13 - Pantai Batu Buruk / Beach Of Ugly Stone

The first beach we stopped at on our way back home is Pantai Batu Buruk or Beach of Ugly Stone just a few km away from Kuala Terengganu. We wonder how it got its name for though hard I looked, I could not see any ugly stone just miles of sandy beach. There was a strong wind blowing and the Casuarinas trees that lined the beach giving it shades bend and sway to it. This is an ideal weather to fly kites.

There are many kites for sales mostly drawn after cartoon characters such as Batman, Spiderman, Doraemon, Ultraman, SpongeBob SquarePants etc. My favorite is the demure Mermaid. These are the simpler kites suitable for the families. Those who flies more elaborate kites brought it themselves.

Source: Why Visit Malaysia.

Malaysia also has kites that are uniquely hers which she called “Wau”. There are many types of Wau, each with a distinct name. The Wau above is called Wau Bulan or Moon Wau as its tail resembles that of a crescent moon. The Wau Kuching or Cat Wau is so called because in flight, it made a humming sound like a cat. Other famous categories are Wau Barat (Leaf Wau or Morning Wau), Wau Merak (Peacock Wau) and Wau Jala Budi (Woman Wau).

Under the shades of the Casuarinas trees and a strong steady wind, the kite fliers are really enjoying themselves.

It is such a pleasure to watch whole family get together to enjoy the activity.

There is something very soothing about watching kites fly.

A small boy and his brother flying their kites.

Pantai Batu Buruk is also famous for their hawkers stall besides being an ideal place for kite flying. The water is a bit too dangerous for swimming. The food stalls served a diverse varieties of food ranging from Nasi Dagang (Terengganu traditional rice), Yunnan chicken rice to fried ice cream. We unfortunately too full to check them out.

If you happen to be there on Friday, you should visit the “Friday Market” which have many additional stalls selling shoes, clothing, toys, handicrafts, souvenirs, fruits, foods, daily products, practically everything you can think of. There is also a cultural centre located here that put on stage performance on Fridays from 5.00pm to 6.30pm. The performance includes Malay martial art “Silat”, kite flying, sepak raga (a rattan ball game) and top spinning.

At that time when we were there, I heard the name of the beach wrongly and thought it was Pantai Batu Busuk or Beach Of Smelly Rock. As we drove away, we suddenly got a strong whiff of bad smell. I thought then that must be why they named the beach so. But for some reasons, all my co-travelers all pointed the finger at me. I still maintain that there are only 5 suspects – my four fellow travelers and the beach. That is the beauty of writing a blog, it gave you the last say, ha ha. No comment accepted from my fellow travelers, please. :-)

JJCM in KT #6 – Onward To Kuala Terengganu.

The car felt heavier with all those food we consumed. The road we were traveling on hugged the coastline and at certain stretches there were unobstructed views of the sea. Coconut trees lining the road gave a rustic feel but we noted dying coconut trees losing their crowns. The East Coast without ample coconut trees would look like a sad lady shorn of her hair.

Life is carefree but sometimes you don’t know whether to be envious or horrified. Like this underage boy on the motorbike with only slippers and no helmet. He grinned at me, eyes hidden by huge sun glasses. I have seen up to five on a motorbike, a parent with 3 small kids sandwiched together. While we are alarmed at the danger, would we have done the same in their situation?

By 2.00 pm, we reached Teluk Ibai, just 4 km away from our destination – Kuala Terengganu. We stopped there to visit the famous Tengku Tengah Zaharah Mosque also known as the “floating mosque” (Masjid Terapung). The architect is relatively simple and clean cut but beautiful. The white building under a blue sky and fluffy clouds reflecting on the calm water of the surrounding lake evoke a pleasing serenity. This was further enhanced by the sea breeze of the South China Sea at the backdrop. Time slowed down to match the feel.

We reached Phua’s house by 3.30 pm and his niece took an interest in us. We chatted with his parents who showed us very interesting old sepia photographs of their school days. Well mannered girls in black and white uniform, teachers with their bouffant hair style and 60s clothing lining up under fern trees in front of their wooden school building standing on concrete legs. We were treated to home brewed tea prepared from wild sugarcane. A delicious curry chicken and rice was served with “Acar” (a spicy, sweet and slightly tangy vegetable salad). More food but how could we refuse?

We reached out hotel – Gem Beach Resort (RM160.00 per night) in Batu Rakit by late afternoon and of course the first thing we noticed is the lazy chairs under the coconut trees facing the sea. It is inviting but we decided to take a rest first and wait for the sun to go down a bit.

Our rooms have balconies where we relaxed, chatted and ate the snacks we brought along. I know, still eating.

There are plenty of luxuriant plants especially bougainvillea giving it a hanging garden feel.

What is this lonely boat doing out there in the open sea?

Towards evening, we headed for the beach. The oppressive heat has by now given way to cool evening breeze and it was very pleasant walking along the beach.

As the evening deepened with the sinking sun, the sky gave a wonderful display of color. We are pleased with the fact that the beach is so deserted. The Malay New Year celebration must have something to do with it. After many years of traveling, I often treasure quiet moment more than hectic ones rushing around to take in more of everything.

A tender moment shared between father and son.

The waves and undercurrent are very strong on the East Coast and many inexperienced swimmers have got into difficulties here. As I stood on the sand, I could feel the waves pulled them away from under my feet.

The lights came out.

Enough time has passed by now for us to be hungry again so we drove out to Kuala Terengganu’s Chinatown.

In the restaurant named Golden Dragon, we ordered (from top clockwise) steamed Garuba fish, 5 spices meat rolls, Xing Jiang bean curd, bitter gourd fried with roasted pork. Unfortunately, they ran out of all the soups that night so we did not get our lotus root soup.

It had been a long day. After the heavy meal, we were ready for bed thus ending the first day of our road trip to Kuala Terengganu. We have seen and savored much during the 500 km journey. It had been lovely so far. Tomorrow promises more.

To be continued...