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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.


Tuesday, September 04, 2012

Walking from Tanah Rata mosque

Last article for the day. Continuing from Bharat plantations from a higher point of view.


Upon reaching Tanah Rata I immediately headed for its mosque.


I intend to spend the night here.


 The mosque is located on top a hill overlooking a field next to town.




After washing myself and wearing a set of fresh clothes, I walked to town.


Tanah Rata has a nice colourful side walk that is best enjoyed on foot.




Then I saw a staircase behind the shoplots.


Climbing up I took different views of the town.






Back to the main road. If I remember correctly this view is towards the south with the road leading to the lower town of Ringlet.



Bharat plantations from a higher point of view

Going on to the 1,001th article in this blogspot. Continued from A misty after rain look at the Bharat plantations .


Further up towards Tanah Rata lies another tea house.


Unlike the previous, this one is directly accesible from the main road.


Operated by the same tea company it faces the same plantations albeit from a different and higher angle.











A misty after rain look at the Bharat plantations



The nice weather I have enjoyed since leaving Raub soon gave way to heavy rain. Due to the lack (or rather, non-existence) of shelters along the way I had to push on till I reached a petrol station in Ringlet, the first proper town in Cameron Highlands along the way. After the rain had subsided only did I continue heading for the bigger town of Tanah Rata. On the way lies a tea plantation that is hard to miss.


It is must stop for many.


The tea shop here provides the ideal rest...


From here you get some of the best views in Cameron Highlands.


If not for the fact that I was doing the obligatory Ramadhan fasting I would definitely have a cuppa.


Still it's so serene to just enjoy the misty after rain view. For the record this is the 1,000th article in this blogspot. :]












A look at some development just after entering Cameron Highlands



Soon I entered the district of Cameron Highlands. After passing some logging area I caught sight of a valley.


Vast tracts of the it has been cleared.




It seems plenty of logging has been done making way for some sort of development.





Is it part of the resort development of Cameron Highland? Well, I doubt it as the location seems hard to access for casual visitors. For the record this is the 999th article in this blogspot.



The views from a fully elevated part of the Sungai Koyan-Cameron Highlands road



Some 25 minutes later I saw another point of the road which merits a good stop.


By then I was also much further up the sea  level as wide vistas of hills and mountains widen up.


What is interesting about this portion of the road is it is totally elevated.


A look down.


While the road elsewhere follows the contours of the land this portion sits on a number of concrete stilts to optimise travel.




Notice the stilts underneath?


A look behind shows this portion is practically a curved bridge.



Jelai river from further up Pos Betau

Continuing from Jelai river near Pos Betau.


Going up further towards Cameron Highlands I could soon see parts of the Jelai river from a distance above...


Zooming in with my camera which has 12.5 x optical zoom I could also see the settlement which should be Post Betau.


That's the river closest to the settlement.


Zooming out, you could see the river in relation to the settlement furthest right.


Turning further anti-clockwise I could surmise the bridge shown in Jelai river near Pos Betau  is somewhere below behind the greens.


Turning more anti-clockwise. That's part of the road I have just passed.



Jelai river near Pos Betau

Continued from Lipis river at Batu Malim.


From Batu Malim I continued up north to a place called Kuala Medang where lies a rather long bridge crossing the river Jelai. Look at the old article Foray to idyllic Kuala Medang in Pahang.... Then I  turned back about 10 km to Sungai Koyan where lies the latest road going up to the resort area of Cameron Highlands, up the main mountain range of Banjaran Titiwangsa. Taking the road for the first ever in my life, I soon arrived near the Orang Asli (aborigine people) settlement of Pos Betau and stopped at this bridge.


I found out the bridge crosses the river Jelai which forms the river Pahang. This should be a look upriver.


As usual I would take in views from both upriver and downriver directions.


This should be the view downriver. My calculation using the satellite pictures in Google Earth showed the river twisting and turning for about 25 km before it is joined by other tributaries near Kuala Medang.