Kota Bahru

This small town has a tranquil rural setting and it boasts a wide river, the Sg. Kelantan.

It is very close to the Thai border and there are many Thais who live here and their influence can be seen in the local cuisine offered in the restaurants.

There are also many temples.

                                                        Statue of Kwan Yim

                                                         The Sitting Buddha

                                                         The Standing Buddha
There is one mosque with Chinese- styled roofs and an entrance that is like no other.

                                                     The Entrance to the Mosque

                                                        The Unique Mosque

Its grounds are immaculate and there are lovely poinsettia bushes that are now in bloom as it is the end of the year.

Another unique building is the Siti Khatijah market which houses many stalls selling all kinds of products from fruit and vegetables to poultry and meat on the ground floor.  The other floors sell dried fish products such as kropok,  clothes, costume jewelry, etc. and the vendors are all women.

                                                       The Siti Khatijah Market
                                           (Below)  The Roof of the Market

On the outskirts are rice fields.

 Kota Bahru is connected to other main towns in Malaysia by road and air.

The North Borneo Railway Steam Locomotive

The North Borneo Railway runs a twice weekly steam train with a wood-fueled engine from Tg Aru Railway station in Kota Kinabalu to Papar, a small town 38.5 kilometers away.

This steam engine or locomotive was built by the Vulcan Foundry in England in 1954. The one we rode in was a Vulcan 6-016 engine which runs on steam fueled by  wood shoveled into the firebox from the locomotive tender.

It has green livery with polished boiler bands while the running plate and tender frame have red edging.  This steam engine is named “Kota Kinabalu City”  in honor of the town achieving city status.  It has five carriages which were restored to reflect the era of the steam train.  Each carriage is named after a town along the route,  beginning with Tg Aru, Putatan, Kinarut, Kawang and Papar. Every carriage has its own washroom and the carriage can accommodate 16 passengers. There is also a Pullman carriage which serves as the kitchen and holds a generator as well.

Each carriage has high-powered ceiling fans which provide passengers with maximum comfort in the warm weather.

 The Tg Aru railway station platform had small trestle boards posting information about each town, its history and its current status.

My grandchildren and I were allocated table 7 in the Papar carriage. The carriages have wide open windows which facilitated the taking of photographs as the train meandered its way through the countryside and scenic beaches, passing the small towns of Putatan, Kinarut and Kawang before its destination Papar.

Kinarut was the first stop and passengers alighted to visit the Shim Shen Tsui Temple, which has a 20 foot  smiling Buddha and 18 statues of Buddhist monks in its vicinity. Giant incense coils give off a pungent aroma at the entrance of the temple.

 Along the route to Kawang, there are mangrove swamps, fruit orchards and nurseries.
After Kawang, the train went through the Pengalat Tunnel, 450 meters long, built in early 1900 by the British.

 Our final destination was Papar, where despite its growth, still retains its unique old wooden shop houses. Before we entered the town we had to cross a steel trestle bridge built over the Papar River.

 It was fascinating to watch the engine being turned round on a turn-table so that it could lead the carriages back to Tg Aru Railway station.

 Breakfast was served as we departed Tg Aru station. We were served a welcome drink of ice-lemon tea before a continental breakfast of croissants and Danish pastries, washed down with a cup of aromatic local coffee ( or tea )

 Lunch was served in tiffin carriers just before we left Papar.  The food was delicious, served in the four-tiered tiffin carrier.

  The train stewards were dressed in white period style uniforms with khaki shorts and colonial white pith helmets.

The tables were well-set for each meal and the service was excellent.

This train journey is an experience not to be missed.

From Mountains to River Banks

Zhangjiajie in Hunan is mostly mountains with sheer sides while Guilin is located in Guangxi province through which the River Li flows.

My first trip to Guilin was more than 20 years ago when China was just opening up and this second trip saw many changes. Many buildings and multi-storey apartments are sprouting everywhere.

There is a “People’s Walking Street” ( pedestrian mall ) with trendy boutiques and bars to cater to tourists both local and foreign.

 Beneath the large central square lies hundreds of shops known to the locals as “Little Hong Kong”. They sell clothing, shoes and bags. Two glass pyramids are the entrances to this underground mall.

 We saw senior citizens waving pink fans, marching, rehearsing to the clash of cymbals and drums in this wide open square.

 Another photo stop was a man-made lake, home to twin copper pagodas, the Sun and Moon Pagodas standing serene in their water bed.

Another scenic spot showcased the Zig Zag bridge or bridge with nine turns.

 Close by was another bridge which is a favorite spot for bridal couples.

 A short boat ride along the River Li took us past the Elephant Trunk Hill.

 This ride was very different from the one my siblings and I took together with my late father. We had boarded the boat from Guilin to go down the River Li to Yangshuo, a small town two hours away. Along the way, small boats came alongside to sell us their wares and my father bought big red Chinese paper fans for us as souvenirs. This time, no such boats were in evidence.

 The river did not seem to be as pristine as it used to be although in some parts, the water was still clear. However the scenery along the river banks is still lovely, with reflections of the karst hills.

It was quite a change from Zhangjiajie.

Caves, Zhangjiajie

Where there are mountains, there are caves. So it was no surprise that a visit to a cave was part of our itinerary.

 Before we made our way to the entrance of the cave, we were advised to go to the toilet first.  This was a small building built on the side of a hill and we had to climb up a flight of stairs to access it. The toilets were all squatting toilets. Unfortunately, the chest high doors had no locks so you can imagine having to hold onto the door while easing yourself.

 A short walk led us to where the cave was. We had to go down a steep flight of steps into the dark interior.

 Once inside, the wet and slippery steps cut into the floor had to be negotiated carefully.  In some parts, there were railings to hold onto so that we wouldn’t fall into a dark chasm. Quite a frightful experience, it was.

 The guide pointed out the clusters of stalactites and stalagmites in the cavernous chambers that we walked through. Some of the steps were steep as we descended further and further.  Spotlights highlighted some clusters.

 I was more than glad to get out of the cave, even though it was a steep ascent back to the mouth and into the daylight.

This particular cave is a huge one with many levels but it being a wet and rainy day, we were more than satisfied to visit the first level.