Tuesday, February 24, 2004

........After the meal we proceed on our tour of the island, our driver talk as he drive providing us valuable informations of the sight that we see on the round, we stop at many places of interest and among the many, the former Dutch Fort is an interesting place to visit.... Nearby is a huge rock carved with inscription in Dutch and the year seventeen forty three .... the Dutch fort consist of an imposing brick building, well built and not far from the sea front... It is at the beach side that this huge rock is sited, probably this rock was there and they just decided to carved some message for others to see..... It is indeed great that those Dutch sailors did carved year on this rock, had it not, then it would be difficult for us to know the year this Dutch adventurer visit this island and decided to build such a magnificent fort..... for such a building to be build in this isolated island.... far from their homeland.... this piece of territory must be of great significant to them..... It look like that the building material must have been brought from other places, for at that time brick making was yet to be introduce to the Malay society at that time.. Most probably it came from India for India in the eighteen century was already a well develop country with many buildings in brick and mortar...... Being interest in History, a favorite subject of mine.... I browse along those building and happy that the local administration had decided to preserved this site as an historical site.... It has added a sort of garden around this ruin and a shop that sell souvenir nearby..... It is not only good for the tourist industry but it is indeed something for the future generation to see for themselves, a part of the history of the country in bygone era...... From the quick tour I found that the tourist industry here is indeed very well organized.... It not only provide employments to the local but its as well benefit the tourist like us,making our tour productive and kept us informed all the time..... I never knew that the Dutch had been here at that time, until I visit this island on this trip.... This Pangkor island actually act as a breakwater for the port of Lumut.... I guess it is for this reason that the Dutch decided to build the fort to safeguard their ships that ply this route in that century..... It look like the Malaysian Navy had the same reason for choosing Lumut as it base..... What a coincident... Or was it!!!!... Today Lumut is on the Map of the world as it host the armada of the Malaysian Navy.....It look like History do repeat itself..... Part of the coast were doted with fishing villages with large seafaring boats and ships for deep sea fishing.... And on the shore there are many factories that churn out seafood products for the local as well as the international markets..... On one side of the islands many international standard hotels were set up to lure tourist to this tropical paradise, whose beaches is golden in color and great for swimming and sunbathing, as well for scuba diving.... What a destination this Pangkor island is.... To me it is a must place to visit if one wanted to sample the luxury of the tropical paradise..... the mountain range is still blanket by virgin forest and the beaches is still not commercialised as yet.... It it not only for the Rich and Famous but for those budget travelers as well.... My friends.... It is worth a visit and stay at this Pangkor Island... It is a place where one could while away with peace of mind, for the whole island is still in its natural form and untouch by modernization... like that continue to happen to tourist destinations elsewhere...... Our driver and tourist guide actually made our days and thanks to him we all had a wonderful tour of this Island in the sun...... Pangkor Island..... We returned back to the mainland just before two in the afternoon, pack our luggage and after a brief lunch at the resort, head for home, well satisfied with this weekend trip to this part of the country.... A joyful and a day to remember.... The visit to Lumut and Pangkor Island....

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