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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.


Monday, November 08, 2010

Walking to Beting Beras Basah

We move on (again) to Perak... practically a continuation from the article The difficult land route to the tomb of Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain made some 2 weeks ago.

OK. Referring to The difficult land route to the tomb of Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain... have I told you the visit to that tomb means I have stepped foot on the tombs and touched the tombstones of every deceased Sultan of Perak available in the state?


Well, I was just following the old rite and route taken for the coronation of a Sultan of Perak.


That means I have to complete the whole process at a place called Beting Beras Basah which lies at the mouth of the Perak river.


What is the Beting Beras Basah? It is a sandbank potruding out of the river during low tide.


See the 'black line' in the background? That is Beting Beras Basah.


The problem is how to get there safely. For the mud here could be deep at some parts. You don't want to risk getting stuck or sucked in...


The best way is to get a boat from Bagan Datoh 6 km away. But I just couldn't afford to pay the rather exorbitant fee so decided to take a risk.


Having studied satellite pictures through Google Earth and got feedbacks from some locals, it seems best that we approach Beting Beras Basah from the cape seen in the horizon. Oh, that's my wife ahead. By the way we took our steps on the recent Friday, while the nation was celebrating the Hindu festive celebration of Deepavali...


Me with one-year-old Al-Rasyid. No, we were not celebrating by going to Beting Beras Basah. It's just we wanted to take advantage of the holiday especially after learning the time for low tide. Come at high tide and the sandbank would be submerged under 2 metres of water. Wait another weekend and we're told it would be the period for air mati (static water?)... that is no low or high tide meaning the sandbank would just remain submerged albeit at less than 1 metre of water.


And so on we walked...


A look again at the target...


Ah, the cape...


We started to make our approach...


It seems there's quite a distance to cover...


This picture shows the less deeper part. Mind you when you start sinking to your hips you certainly don't have time to take pictures. You have to scurry out fast even if you have to crawl out of the mud. If you sink up to your waist then you are in real deep trouble. And I don't want my baby to suffer because of my mistake. To be continued...


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