Kota Bharu In Pictures Part 4

Today I am free as my son inlaw who is back from Labuan for a short course in KL came back for a few says break to see his daughter and he has taken Balqiss to his mom's place in the next village. With this free time I would like to continue our exploration of the town of Kota Bharu and its vicinity to update you the cyber travellers on the Kota Bharu of today as of 30th January 2008.

This posting is specially dedicated to my friend U Lee from Ontario Canada, who some 23 years ago, had painted this town red. He had also used the very popular beach wellknown by it's initial of PCB which stood for Pantai Cinta Berahi meaning The Beach of Passionate Love which the present state government found to be abit sexy and thus renamed it Pantai Cahaya Bulan meaning the Beach of Moonlight which is very apt as the ruling party in the state carries the logo of a full moon. Anyway since the beach and the village is known more by its initial of PCB, nothing is amiss unless people like U Lee choose to come back to Kota Bharu one day and ask to be taken to Pantai Cinta Berahi, the taxi driver who might be carrying him will correct him on the name change.

As usual before you proceed reading this, I encourage newcomers to this blogsite and all those who are not familar to Kota Bharu to carry out the following procedures:

Click on the URL below to see a map of Kota Bharu at the bottom of the page. Please enlarge the map, focussing on Kota Bharu until you can locate the intersection where Jalan Mahmood, Jalan Padang Garong, on the left and Jalan Pengkalan Chepa to the right meets. We will be going straight ahead into Jalan Kebun Sultan. You are on the right track if you can locate our present location as we wait for the traffuc light to turn green.

http://realtravel.com/kota_bharu-malaysia-destmap-d51813-50.html

Please open Life As I See It in another browser window to read this post and refer to this map from time to time to see where I am leading you. Enjoy the rideabout.

We are at the traffic light of Jalan Pengkalan Chepa and Jalan Padang Garong. If we turn right we will go to Pengkalan Chepa where the airport is and to the left is Jalan Padang Garong where the road ends abrubtly in front of The Store Supermarket and where Giant Supermarket will make its appearance soon.

Look right, did you see The Kamdar Store? They too want to have their presence felt in Kota Bharu.

Diagonally to us is a new building going by the name of Center Point. CIMB Bank who financed the project when it was still known as Bank Bumiputra occupies the lower floors. Locationwise it is a superb location but parking is quite difficult here.

The traffic light has turned green and so we moved straight ahead into Jalan Kebun Sultan. Look to your left and see the magnificient architecture of The Dewan Perniagaan China which is dwarfed by the newer Wisma Abrar.

Abrar International was once an iconic public listed company once chaired by someone no less than the present Second Finance Minister and Mun Loong was in its stable of companies. The guy who started Abrar International was a very intelligent local boy who chose to do actuary science because it was purported to be the most difficult subject. Nothing less is challengging enough for him. Being perceived to be a close aide to the then Deputy Prime Minister popularly known as DSAI has its downside that led to his downfall from grace. He was made insolvent even though Abrar Discount, one of the companies in his stable of companies, is so profitable that selling that single company alone could solve his insolvency problem. But alas when you are stuck on the otherside of the fence, nothing will go your way. So this bright young Malay entrepreneur from Kelantan is now stuck with a debt of about eleven million ringgit. The laws are applied on him such that he can't liquidate any of his assets.

On the opposte side of the road I saw this large poster of Dato' Annuar Tan The State Exco for Tourism. From the look of it, everybody is prepared for the GE. Rumour has it that Tengku Razaleigh will be pitted against him too while he will be the incumbent for the parliamentary seat of Gua Musang. It will be interesting to note the result if the contest really happens.

I wonder how the translation of PAS is in Chinese as the translation of the one in English seems to differ from the one in Malay.

We have to move on. We are on route D2 on the map and the road is still Jalan Kebun Sultan. We will just drive ahead and after passing two traffic lights we reached the junction of Jalan Wakaf Mek Zainab and still on route D2. We turned left heading for Kampung Cina. Almost immediately opposite the junction to Jalan Atas Banggol watch out for a big building to the right with the name of Kelantan Match Factory. This factory produce matches by the symbol of a red chilly. Somebody mentioned about the Kelantan Match Factory and I had a small headache trying to look up the person who made the comment so that I can mention him/her here.

During those old days lighters were unheard of. Matches are the only source od fire unless you are going back to our primitive ways of producing a fire rubbing sticks against a piece of wood or the more sphisticated way of using a 'Gobek Api' which I last saw when I was about 12 years old. (I will post the picture of a gobek api when I get it.)

Anyway this factory belongs to the family of a former classmate of mine who is now a well known name in the theater circles. Those who loves theater definitely knows Shabera Shaik. We were classmates when I was doing my sixth form in Sultan Ismail College. I remember Shabera vividly as she used to come to school in a car longer than two proton sagas joined together from end to end. I remember her too from the fiery oratory when we were on the opposite side of a debating team in the class. How I wish she was on my side then.

We took a 3 oclock at the roundabout at Kampung Cina. The route is now designated as D1. In the map the road is still named Jalan Pantai Cinta Berahi. Just ignore it as this map must be quite old. After the roundabout in Kampung Cina I saw the sign of a Chinese temple by the name of Tokong Mek. I will have to skip it for now as it is slightly off our road as it is located quite close to the river. From my previous trips on river cruises along the Kelantan River, we could see this temple clearly from the river boat.

The sight of a traditional Chinese house on the other side of the road caught my sight. The architecture of this house is peculiar to Kelantan. Read more about it in my friend's Leong Siok Hui's take on this houses in A marriage of traditions published in The Star Weekender of March 24, 2007.

You won't miss this prominent house of Songket in Penambang on the route to PCB. It is the famous Che Minah Songket. Don't worry they will accept your credit cards here.

Kite making can be best demonstrated by Pak Wil at Ismail & Sons batik outlet. Pak Will brought the demonstration of kite making to such a finese that no words need to be spoken to describe how he makes his kites. I did't stop at his place to see how he is now as the last time I saw him doing the demonstration, he was so fragile that he can't even spin his tops for guests to see. Who knows if he isn't around anymore? I will update you about him in my next blog.

This shop is located beside the entrance to Ismail & Sons. It is a place where the making of silverware can be viewed. You can stop here to buy some as souvenirs.

Corns on the cobs are sold along the road to PCB. If you are hungry, just stop by to enjoy boiled sweet corn going for RM1 for a cob. As the cob is quite large, it is quite filling.

Hey is the election war already declared here? Saw these on the way to PCB.

When we reach Kg Semut Api, the village where the beach is located, we saw many batik shops displaying colorful batiks for sale. Find a batik piece to take hom as souvenirs. This village is home to many small cottage industries making batik.

Another shop.

Jalan Pantai Cahaya Bulan ends abruptly at the seashore. Previously you could see the sea from here but with the construction of the wave breaker levees, you will have to climb the levee to see the shore.

As you stand towards the sea, PCB resort is on your right. A row of new chalets has been built at the resort. I guess the old ones must have succumbed to the attack from the big waves since it was made of wood.

To our right is a row of eating stalls displaying such food as in these pictures.

Where the old foodstalls stood, they have lined up beach umbrellas to shelter the many visitors that will congregate here in the evenings. As we were there during the hot noon hours, the place is still deserted.

Come in the evening and the ambience will be better.

Feast your eyes on these fried lobster. Ask them for the price first so that you won't be shocked once you started digging into the delicious seafood.

Have you seen a flying boat? Here is one kite in the shape of a boat. It really flies.

More Kites.

The next picture taken on a gloomy day sometime ago is a silhoute of my son whose son wanted to see where the sound of the waves was coming from because it was obscured by the levee.

We need to rush back to Kota Bharu to visit my wife's brother in law Tuan Haji Hussin Musa who is leaving for KL soon to have a bypass done at IJN KL. We will back track until we reach the Jalan Atas Banggol to see Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Chung Hwa where I had intended to send my son Azuan to study after he had completed his primary school education in a chinese school in Gua Musang. The idea was aborted due to accomodation problem and he went to Sekolah Menengah Ahmad Maher instead because the school has a hostel.

I am sorry to say goodbye to you now without taking you to Pengkalan Chepa to visit the new airport. While there I promise to show you arond MRSM, Royal Kelantan Golf Club, Penjara Pengkalan Chepa and the industrial area of Kota Bharu. Can you wait for Kota Bharu In Pictures Part 5? It will be the finale.