Monday, February 09, 2004

I am back to normal life again after that visit to Kuantan...., first I had to attend to a family matter and then decided to do some upgrading of our holiday home in Kuantan.... As usual call a few friend on the cell phone and then make a visit to some relative.... Meeting friends and relative are indeed interesting and sometime it bring back past memories of good times..... Well as usual with me we just take it easy and on Saturday went for a drive to the nearest town in the state of Terengganu, it is on the map as Cukai....but is well known as Kemaman.... I just do not understand why they still call this town Cukai when everyone knows it as Kemaman.... Anyway it was a pleasant drive to this town.....We took the bypass road to Kemaman and in just an hour we were there..... My wife and our nephew suggest we visit the nearby seaside village, just outside the town and try the local delicacies.... The Otak Otak and the Satar... , both these traditional delicacies are made of fish and it is indeed delicious.... The Otak Otak is fish flesh in freshly scrap coconut with some herb wrap in coconut leaves whereas the Satar is made of fish ball of a sort and wrap with banana leaves and then roasted over open charcoal fire....Just like they did with Satay..... So we set and enjoy those sea foods delicacies and then had more for a take away..... We circle around this small town and then head home to Kuantan via the coastal road and enjoy the drive... On both side of this coastal roads are traditional Malay villages that have remain the same for years, with dilapidated houses showing its ages and some have even being left without their occupants.... And in between we saw new modern housing scheme emerged.... The sign of new prosperity in this once neglected part of the fishing community.... The coastal road was narrow.... but there are many cars using this roads, so one had to be real careful driving on this road.... Anyway it was interesting to see some new development on the seaside.... New stopover R & R had been set up.... Giving comfort to those weary travelers... We stop at one, a place call Batu Hitam [Black stone]...... It is has a long stretch of sandy beach punctuate with black rock, thus it got it names as Batu Hitam..... In those day I would camp at this beach on weekend with my scout mates and now I still could see some youth did just that..... Well that is youth.... Enjoying the outdoor.... The adventure is still the same and I guess they enjoy sleeping in those tents and under the evening sky.... with the sea breeze blowing at time hard and strong... making the tents to move and sway..... it was like those good old days again.... camping in the open and enjoying the weekend with friends...... We decided to get some refreshment at one of the seaside stall.... Me... I order a black coffee...My usual, my wife and our nephew had a local sort of drink call ABC [Air Batu Campur]... It is a mix goodies of brown beans, jelly in scrap ice and top up with milk and red color syrup, it real look tempting and taste great.... and it quench the thirst as well.... If you are ever at such a stall... do ask for the ABC and I am sure you would love this local iced delicacy..... It is something Malaysian.... Cool and refreshing.... These ABC.......

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