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This blogspot is a medium to share my thoughts and adventures apart from promoting my books. Below are the books which have been written or authored and published by myself.


"Berpetualang ke Aceh: Mencari Diri dan Erti".

ISBN 983-42031-0-1, Jun 2006


"Berpetualang ke Aceh: Membela Syiar yang Asal"

ISBN 983-42031-1-x, May 2007


"Berpetualang ke Aceh: Sirih Pulang ke Gagang?"

ISBN 978-983-42031-2-2, November 2007


It is interesting to note that while these books were written in Malay it has gained enough attention to merit being part of the collections of the American Library of Congress and National Library of Australia. Look here and here.


While the first three books were published by my own company, the fourth titled "Rumah Azan" was published in April 2009 by a company called Karnadya with the help of the Malaysian national literary body Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. It features beautiful pictures along with stories behind selected mosques which could be related to the history of Islam and the Malays alongside the formation of the Malaysian nation. Look at the article A collaboration of old collegemates - the book "Rumah Azan".


My fifth book "Ahlul Bait (Family) of Rasulullah SAW and Malay Sultanates", an English translation and adaptation of the Malay book "Ahlul Bait (Keluarga) Rasulullah SAW dan Kesultanan Melayu" authored by Hj Muzaffar Mohamad and Tun Suzana Othman was published early 2010. Look here... My 5th book is out! Ahlul Bait (Family) of Rasulullah SAW and the Malay Sultanates... . For more information check out my Malay blogspot CATATAN SI MERAH SILU.



Like my fourth book "Rumah Azan", the sixth book "Kereta Api Menuju Destinasi" is also a coffee-table book which is published by the company Karnadya with the cooperation of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (the main Malay literary body in Malaysia). Coming out January 2011 it features pictures and stories on the adventure travelling by train to all of Peninsular Malaysia along with the interesting places which could be reached this way.


My seventh book "Jejak keluarga Yakin : Satu sketsa sejarah" in turn is a coffee-table book which is written, editted, designed and has pictures taken by me. Coming out of the factory October 2011, this book which combines family history with history of places such as Singapura, Johor, Batu Pahat, Muar and in fact the history of the island of Java and England has been reviewed with me interviewed live in the program Selamat Pagi Malaysia at RTM1. Look at the article Siaran langsung ulasan buku "Jejak keluarga Yakin : Satu sketsa sejarah" dan temu ramah di Selamat Pagi Malaysia. Some selected contents have been featured in Sneak peek "Jejak keluarga Yakin : Satu sketsa sejarah".


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The "Berpetualang ke Aceh" series of novels could be obtained in e-book form. Enter http://www.e-sentral.com/, click general novel and go to page 4. You can also type the word "Aceh" at the search box. Or click straight Book 1, Book 2 and Book 3.


Saturday, November 26, 2011

The waterfall of Sipiso Piso

Continued from Bukit Gundaling, the "Good bye darling" hill.


After having enough of Berastagi we took a hired car which brought us to certain place down south.


There is something special to be seen here. Notice it?

A close-up look.


Closer and there's no mistaking the fall of water. Welcome to the Sipiso Piso waterfall!


Situated at 1,000 metres above sea level it is complemented by an amazing surrounding.


You see, the waterfall goes down a deep valley forming a stream.


And the stream flows into an immense lake.


Walking down to a vantage point closer to the lake I could see better how the Sipiso Piso waterfall is connected to the lake.


While it's hard to have a good look at the stream as it is so far down the valley you could surmise it from here.


Ah. What a great view of the lake.


For the record this is the northern part of the great highland lake called Danau (lake) Toba, a giant lake said to be created from the crater left of a super volcano which exploded some 74,000 years ago!



Bukit Gundaling, the "Good bye darling" hill

Peace be upon you all. It's been more than 3 weeks since I made any update in this blogspot. Did I tell you that from November 2nd to 13th me and family was on a trip covering Medan, Danau (Lake) Toba and a number of places up to Banda Aceh? Then from November 18th to 22th I brought along my stepkids to places in Melaka, Muar and Negeri Sembilan. For the Nov 2-13 trip I've started a series in my main blogspot CATATAN SI MERAH SILU... well, with only one article so far. Tonight I want to write the second article and with that I shall be making a number of supporting articles at my other blogspots starting with this. Come... :]


The trip was started by taking a plane from Sepang to Medan, the biggest city in the Indonesian island of Sumatera. For the record Sumatera is one of the largest island in the world with a size almost twice that of Peninsular Malaysia. From Medan we took a hired car to the highland resort town of Berastagi. The next day, Thursday 3rd November we started exploring a bit of Berastagi by going up a hill with some vantage views of the surrounding.


Mind you, Berastagi is situated at 1,400 metres above sea level. The top of the hill is about 75 metres higher, just 50 metres lower than the summit of Fraser's Hill in Malaysia but with a climate that feels the same.


Its name is Bukit (hill of Gundaling).

Interestingly the story goes that the name Gundaling is derived from the words "Good bye darling!". It is said that a Dutch officer once married a local and lived here. Something happened driving the wife to commit suicide. As as she jumped off the the top of the hill she cried out loud : "Good bye darling"... but in a dialect that sounds more like Gundaling!


Anyway Bukit Gundaling is a pride of the locals. For the record the town of Berastagi is located on a vast highland populated by the Batak Karo race. Here'a statue of their legendary medicine man ( I don't know from what era) called Pawang Ternalem.


Views of the surrounding...



And the town of Berastagi seen from the hill.