Terengganu Hari Raya Haji -- Part 3
by prudence on 28-Oct-2012
After our fabulous Saturday, Sunday was a teentsy bit of a letdown.
We had several plans, but they all foundered. The "heritage bus" never seemed to turn up where we expected it (like at the bus-stop marked "heritage bus"), and the bus station seemed given over to big, important buses going to faraway destinations. Of small, local buses there was no sign. These qualities turned Pulau Duyong and the museum into difficult destinations -- especially as we couldn't get any confirmation from the museum that it was actually open today (it certainly wasn't answering any calls).
We did catch a rough, tough little workhorse of a boat across the river to Kampung Seberang Takir, the fishing village on the opposite bank. Licensed to carry 12, our barque swallowed 22 adults plus several infants before setting off. Once ferried, we encountered boats of various descriptions, simple kampung houses, a half-completed, mosque-like posh house, a graveyard, a few simple food places, a beach, more sea defences, and lots and lots of heat. We strolled (pretty wearily) round this assemblage, drank some iced milk tea at the brightest of the food-and-drink establishments, and boated back to KT. This was a busy little service today, with big family groups a very perceptible part of the clientele. Presumably it's balik kampung time again.
Anyway, never mind. We had lunch at Madam Bee's Kitchen, back in Chinatown. Another version of nasi kerabu. Good again, although my photo didn't come out. Starting yesterday at the beach with our Bandung, I decided I'd do a week-long photo series called "The Colours of Food". Blue rice is a must -- but not this time, it seems.
On the bright, hot, distinctly unmonsoony way home, we parked ourselves on a shady, breezy bench for a while, and watched the comings and goings in the estuary, while prayers rose behind us from the brilliantly white city mosque.
After recovery time in the cool of our hotel room, we headed out again for tea.
Strolled some more of KT's pleasant streets while sussing out the food options (and non-options, like some of those featured on another of Lonely Planet's dodgy maps).
KT is a place on the cusp, I guess. There's still enough traditional kampung-style housing to give its tree-lined streets real atmosphere. And there are many, many cheap, informal roadside eateries, such as tend to vanish when places get wealthier. I suppose it's only a matter of time before it all changes. What it changes into will not necessarily be bad, but I'm happy to have seen it as it is now.
We eventually opted for a busy eatery on the riverside road that leads to our hotel. My nasi kukus (individual moulds of rice stacked in a steamer, served with a massive hunk of chicken, cucumber, curry sauce, and spicy relish), plus Nigel's nasi goreng and two lime juices, came to 11 ringgit and 30 sen.
Up nearer our hotel there is a row of the kind of eating places we know from Subang Jaya -- there's one of the modern versions of the kopitiam; there's a Secret Recipe; there's even a Tutti Frutti. T-Time, with its natty purple decor, made a nice backdrop for Roasted Japanese Tea (iced, no topping). Which rounded out the day very nicely.
Said an appropriate goodbye to KT with nasi kuning and fish curry for breakfast this morning. Then the scenic tour to the airport. Across the famous bridge, from which we got views of the Crystal Mosque. Over the top of Pulau Duyung, alas unvisited. Over the top of Pulau Tengah and Pulau Besar. Past the signs to the kampung where we were yesterday.
Then that super-convenient Firefly flight back to Subang Jaya, where you arrive at a lovely, spacious terminal, and can get a taxi home for 20 ringgit.
We're so going to miss everything here...
We had several plans, but they all foundered. The "heritage bus" never seemed to turn up where we expected it (like at the bus-stop marked "heritage bus"), and the bus station seemed given over to big, important buses going to faraway destinations. Of small, local buses there was no sign. These qualities turned Pulau Duyong and the museum into difficult destinations -- especially as we couldn't get any confirmation from the museum that it was actually open today (it certainly wasn't answering any calls).
We did catch a rough, tough little workhorse of a boat across the river to Kampung Seberang Takir, the fishing village on the opposite bank. Licensed to carry 12, our barque swallowed 22 adults plus several infants before setting off. Once ferried, we encountered boats of various descriptions, simple kampung houses, a half-completed, mosque-like posh house, a graveyard, a few simple food places, a beach, more sea defences, and lots and lots of heat. We strolled (pretty wearily) round this assemblage, drank some iced milk tea at the brightest of the food-and-drink establishments, and boated back to KT. This was a busy little service today, with big family groups a very perceptible part of the clientele. Presumably it's balik kampung time again.
Anyway, never mind. We had lunch at Madam Bee's Kitchen, back in Chinatown. Another version of nasi kerabu. Good again, although my photo didn't come out. Starting yesterday at the beach with our Bandung, I decided I'd do a week-long photo series called "The Colours of Food". Blue rice is a must -- but not this time, it seems.
On the bright, hot, distinctly unmonsoony way home, we parked ourselves on a shady, breezy bench for a while, and watched the comings and goings in the estuary, while prayers rose behind us from the brilliantly white city mosque.
After recovery time in the cool of our hotel room, we headed out again for tea.
Strolled some more of KT's pleasant streets while sussing out the food options (and non-options, like some of those featured on another of Lonely Planet's dodgy maps).
KT is a place on the cusp, I guess. There's still enough traditional kampung-style housing to give its tree-lined streets real atmosphere. And there are many, many cheap, informal roadside eateries, such as tend to vanish when places get wealthier. I suppose it's only a matter of time before it all changes. What it changes into will not necessarily be bad, but I'm happy to have seen it as it is now.
We eventually opted for a busy eatery on the riverside road that leads to our hotel. My nasi kukus (individual moulds of rice stacked in a steamer, served with a massive hunk of chicken, cucumber, curry sauce, and spicy relish), plus Nigel's nasi goreng and two lime juices, came to 11 ringgit and 30 sen.
Up nearer our hotel there is a row of the kind of eating places we know from Subang Jaya -- there's one of the modern versions of the kopitiam; there's a Secret Recipe; there's even a Tutti Frutti. T-Time, with its natty purple decor, made a nice backdrop for Roasted Japanese Tea (iced, no topping). Which rounded out the day very nicely.
Said an appropriate goodbye to KT with nasi kuning and fish curry for breakfast this morning. Then the scenic tour to the airport. Across the famous bridge, from which we got views of the Crystal Mosque. Over the top of Pulau Duyung, alas unvisited. Over the top of Pulau Tengah and Pulau Besar. Past the signs to the kampung where we were yesterday.
Then that super-convenient Firefly flight back to Subang Jaya, where you arrive at a lovely, spacious terminal, and can get a taxi home for 20 ringgit.
We're so going to miss everything here...