Getting To Know Kuantan

Tepi Sg. Kuantan

It had been a few months DITH and I had not gone for lunch outside together. Last Monday we had an oppotunity to have our lunch together and we decided to go to 'tepi sungai', a place known as Medan Pelancong.

On the left is 'telur ibu gelama' dish on display

Facing the main road we can see Kedai Amad Gundal known to make excellent songkok, a few kedai kitab, boutiques and kedai kasut. On the other side, facing the river are the kedai gunting rambut, kedai peluru and kedai makan. There are a number of kedai makan preparing masakan kampung such as sayur masak lemak, ikan patin asam tempoyak, ikan bakar, sambal tumis petai, udang besar, ketam goreng, sotong masak berlada, keli masak berlada, gulai rebung, gulai pucuk paku and all sorts of ulam including petai, jering and kerdas. However my favourite is telur ibu gelama masak lemak. Usually we makan 'beridang' (hidang) under the canopy facing the river watching the fishermen returning with their catch. This is not a place to be missed if one visits Kuantan.

FPG plant at Gebeng

For this weekend, the initial plan was to attend a wedding in Raub but since I was not well we decided to go to kenduri aqiqah at Kg. Sungai Karang. We then made a short detour to Pelabuhan Tanjung Gelang, Gebeng.

Silos (KFM) (using polar-c filter)

FPG Plant

In the 70's before the port was built, my family and I used to go to the beach wading through the shallow water (due to low gradient water-bed). We even had a class trip to pantai Tg. Gelang when I was at lower secondary in SEMSAS. Gebeng is totally different from what it used to be. It is now a port servicing the Gebeng Industrial zone, full of activities, polluted and has lost its beauty.

Pantai Gebeng- overseeing Tanjung Gelang

Weekend of Nostalgia and SOS

Some of us from Class of 74 posing(using a self timer)

ExSAS or Persatuan Bekas Pelajar SEMSAS had their homecoming with conjunction of it 7 th AGM at SEMSAS, Kuantan, Pahang last Saturday 4 March 2006. I am from the second batch, class of 74. SEMSAS or Sekolah Menengah Sains Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah started its first batch which had to 'squat' in Abu Bakar School Temerloh temporarily for a year in 1973. We started from form 1 until form 5 but some of us had to stay until form 6 'sementara' which was first introduced i 1979.

Our first classroom in SEMSAS(Form 1 sci. 1)

Our AGM ran smoothly and the incumbent president Ir. Mohd Imran Baharuddin was re elected for the second term. He was my classmate. My hearthiest congratulations to him.

This is the padang we used to train and play hockey.
We were the Kuantan District champion for 2 consecutive years.

Penyanyi jalanan (KLCC tunnel)

On Sunday, batch 74 had a class gathering at Nina's place. I was not able to attend after receiving an SOS call from Momad a day earlier. Roza and I rushed to Lembah Beringin on Saturday evening. We arrived at KYUEM Lembah Beringin around 10.15 pm and spent the night at Ampang. We had everything straightened up, gone to KLCC, then sent Momad back to KYUEM on the next day. We took Bukit Beruntung- Rasa-Batang Kali-Genting route to Kuantan. We arrived home at 8.00 pm.

A view along the road at Bukit Beruntung
(shooting against the sun with polar-c filter)



Class of 74 at home coming

Visiting Pakcik Sulong of Ganchong

Sungai Pahang-Ganchong

Last Sunday we decided to visit Pakcik Sulong of Ganchong, my distant relative. I remember Pakcik Sulong quite well, up to when I was about 4 years old. He would come all the way from Ganchong to our house in Kuantan. Ganchong was considered quite remote at that time. And this would mean a whole day visit for him. He never failed to bring along 'buah tangan' which was usually 'setandan pisang'. What made me remember him well is that he was an extremely nice person who was very generous with his smiles. Pakcik Sulong's left leg is swollen gigantically, a complication of filariasis/ elephantisis but this didn't hinder him from making those visits to see us.

Pakcik Sulong

Ganchong is in Pekan, a traditional Malay village by Sungai Pahang. Other kampungs adjacent to it are Kampung Batu, Kampung Telok and Kampung Pulau Rusa. It was said that the people from these kampungs originated from the same root, a wellknown figure who was supposed to be our great ancestor called Tok Ki Abbas.

Tok Ki Abbas of Ganchong was said to be very religious and a great warrior. Another known figure of Ganchong, a nephew to Tok Ki Abbas was Panglima Kakap Husin. Panglima Kakap Husin was with Sultan Ahmad I and later became Penghulu of Tembeling Tengah and Kuala Tembeling. He was one of the figure who was involved in Projek Taman Negara Kuala Tahan. Btw, Panglima Kakap Husin is my great grandfather.

Panglima kakap Husin

Pakcik Sulong is not well lately. He had some bowel problems, off and on and being weak and all,he would just stay at home. However his memory of the past is still strong. He can still tell us stories about our elders, the 'salasilah' or family tree. He was a bit quiet after the demise of Mak Dayang Saedah, his beloved wife, 2 years back. Our 'doa' to Pakcik Sulong :may Allah give him His Blessings.

Kerbau necking at Kuala Penor

Jerangkang Retreat

Jerangkang Waterfall: a heritage

19 February 2006

Last saturday, Roza asked me,"Are we going anywhere this Sunday?" "I dont know." I answered back. "How about going for a picnic." She blurted out.

Wading through a stream. We had to park our car

Initially we planned to have the picnic near our home. It then got further to Sg Lembing, then Bekelah and finally Jerangkang. Roza and Maman had never gone to Jerangkang before. I went there twice. P5 and I went for the Jerangkang climb; up Sg Berakit, camp near jerangkang waterfall and climbed up the mountain to the upper stream. That was about 10 years ago. The last time I went there was about 7 years back with my friends from the reserve military unit.

Exausting climb for the newbies; a kilometre walk to the first large pool

We started at 9.30 am and after a stopover for breakfast we reached Jerangkang at 12.30 noon.
The road was bad, suitable for 4WD offroad sport however our faithful Nissan Sentra managed to get us there. The clear water was cooling(Nahang was cold) and refreshing. We had a nice 1 hr picnic without opening our nasi lemak pack or water to drink. :)

Taking a breath; the water was cooling and soothing

Taking a dip: she got bitten by a fish

Lowest big pool.
There are bigger with higher falls upstream.
Crystal clear water. The deeper part is greenish.

This place is far better than Nahang. It is supposed to have 7 big falls (the magic 7) and more than 40 (another Malay magic number 44) small ones. The climb is good and at 80% of its maximum height, the climber is already at cloud level. On a good day you can see bandar Maran, that is about 30-40 km away.

Lesser fall and pool

The smaller fall

Here there are ferns, periok kera, flora and fauna of almost untouchable jungle. The highest peak is Gunung Serundum.

A red periok kera seen along the way

Weekend Retreat

Beserah: beach 200 metres from our home

12 February 2006

We had been planning and finally we were able to get ourselves visit Kg. Paya Pasir which is in Chenor, Maran. On the otherside of Kg. Paya Pasir, across the river of Sg Pahang is Kg.Pesagi where our late grandparents used to live for more than 40 years before they moved to Kg. Sungai Ling(short for darLing). I could still remember that our dad had to open the car bonet, facing the river and sounded the horn to signal our relatives across to pick us up. Our late grandfather or one of the uncles' will pick us up with the long boat(to start this boat one had to anchor the lever to the wheel and turn it fast).

Maman with a Goat called 73. He is the Marshal of this barn

Going across Sungai Pahang: Maman with Ayah CIk

Back to the Kg. Paya Pasir retreat. Kenakelayan's parents were there waiting for us. We visited Bing Bing which made the loudest 'embek' when we were at the stable. We went across the river to Kg. Pesagi, this time with a fast speedboat, had kambing curry for lunch and mandi manda. We arrived home late evening and could only meet Orang Kilang (who had a seminar at Swiss Garden) that night.

Rumah Tok Pesagi: Nobody is staying more than 15 years

Roza: Selamat Hari Lahir

Sekuntum Mawar

Nahang revisited

The Nahang

Last week was chinese new year. It is a chinese tradition for members of the family to be home for dinner on new year's eve. We too had our get together dinner on the 30th of January at our parents' place celebrating the maal hijrah. We recited the du'a for the end and the coming hijrah year. We had roasted lamb and chicken with noodles to fill our empty stomach. Boogey arrived late for he had to attend his sister in law's wedding in Johore the day before.

Temerloh Bridge at sunset (image compressed): For Paul Moss

River bank: Sg Rimau

For this particular meet, P5 had planned to bring the kids camping, however it had to be changed for some reason. We then decided for a picnic at a place called Nahang with a tributary stream to Sg Rimau. Sg Rimau is a river flowing through pekan Sg Lembing and also a tributary to Sg Kuantan.

The kids enjoying themselves at Nahang

Momad cooling himself

My first time at Nahang was about 4-5 years ago. However I could still remember the serenity of the place with its clear cool water flowing through the rocks creating musical sounds and the birds chirping from tree to tree. The stream was untouched. The trees were tall and the water banks were covered with cobwebs here and there.

Freestyle, backstroke and vanakam

The tall trees

We had a family friend at Kg Sg Rimau to take us across Sg Rimau to Nahang. All of us had a good time bathing, taking pictures and playing with the rocks. The sedimentary rocks can be used as black or red chalk to paint our faces to resemble the moaris or the red indians.

Maori pose

It is indeed a beautiful place that need to be preserved. Sg Lembing is a unique town that offers a country-like getaway for the adventurous. Gunung Tapis, the highest peak on the east coast lies here.

By the window: For Sarah

Latest litter: specially for Sofi