The ancient valley of Bujang in Merbok

The British-built clock tower at Sungai Petani...

After leaving Kota Kuala Muda, I immediately head for Sungai Petani, the main Kedah town some 60km south of the capital Alor Setar. I arrived just before dusk. That's when I had to make a choice whether to spent the night there or continue the journey towards Yan, a coastal town in Kedah which I've never visited before and thus was well on the current travelling programme.

The answer that came - If I could find a cheap hotel for under RM20 per night that night, then I would sleep there. Otherwise, just head towards Yan whether I reach it or not that night. Just get out of town.

As it happened, I couldn't find a room for that price... And there was one last bus to Yan. And so I headed there but decided to stop elsewhere...

The small town of Merbok seen in the morning...

I spent the night at a surau there. Apparently just before I stepped on the bus to Yan, a new 'instruction' dawned into my heart - go to Merbok and visit the places there. There's answers to be found related to my search to understand more the coming of Islam to the Malay Archipelago.

Actually, I was already thinking about going to Merbok even before stepping foot on the northern part of Malaysia more than a week before. It's just Merbok was not a 'complusory' destination, just like Bukit Meriam is not must-visit place in this particular trip.

Having problems trying to understand what I mean? Well let me give you a clue. As far as this particular trip to the North is concerned, I must visit Yan and Alor Setar among other places. I would feel sorely inadequte if I don't do so because it is complusory on my list. Bukit Meriam on other hand is not a must-visit place. That's why I could go straight from Kota Kuala Muda to Sungai Petani without feeling guilty. But Merbok become 'compulsory' when I received the 'instruction' just before stepping foot on the bus. Otherwise, I would have saved time and energy by going straight to Yan. So there...

So what is in Merbok that makes it compulsory to visit? Just look at this signboard... The archeological museum of Bujang Valley, 2km away.

It was early morning and I had the energy... Decided to walk all the way and came across this big house said to belong to a very wealthy Malay...

Some 15 minutes later (or was it more?), banners greeting visitors enter the view...

And so after a brief stop at the main museum building, I headed straight for the artifacts on display outside, things which I don't know function for what originated from areas in and around the Bujang valley from as early as the 2nd century AD!

Some of the artifacts won't be out of place if put alongside ancient Greek city ruins and such...



Hmm... Pillar like this make the word Atlantis comes to mind...

There, more ancient gadgets on display... These bowls (or bowl-like things) could either be soup bowls for giants (legends say they do exist in Kedah sometime ago) or maybe it was for cooking people inside? Hehe! :]

Hmm... One look at this particular artifact and the word trilobite, those ancient insect-like sea animals which were supposed to live before the dinasour appeared 70 millon years ago came to mind...

Ah... My heart urged me to share the remaining pictures to be used on the Bujang Valley story at my Malay blogspot CATATAN SI MERAH SILU instead, so there I go now...