Monday, 21st January 2008. I arrived in Kedah the day before with a friend, Badrul driving from Ipoh. Oh, perhaps I should also mentioned I went to Ipoh from Kuala Lumpur by train on Saturday.
In Kedah, we stayed at an elderly friend's place in Kampung Ruat, Yan, Kedah. I took the opportunity to explore some of the places in Kedah which I haven't been at before and one of it is Pantai (beach of) Merdeka which lies at the southern estuary of the river Merbok.
I have wanted to see this place since I saw it for the first time about a year ago, from the other side of the river that is... There's just something strangely attractive about the vast body of water forming the estuary of the river Merbok. After all, history mentioned this area as the landing place for many traders and traveller to Kedah more than 1,000 years ago!
There, a better view of Tanjung Dawai. Perhaps having a pair of binoculars would help... The green (is it really green?) building in the middle is the jetty where one could get a boat from Tanjung Dawai to Pantai Merdeka.
At first, my plan was to get here from there but since Badrul was going to Seberang Perai through Sungai Petani which lies on another route and a meeting has been arranged for me to meet another friend there, the plan was changed.
What happened then, the other friend whose name also happens to be Badrul took me to visit the tombs of Tok Soh (see Makam Tok Soh di Kedah dan kaitannya dengan Merong Mahawangsa (The tomb of Tok Soh in Kedah and its relation to Merong Mahawangsa)... I've posted just now) and Daeng Parani (the story Makam (tomb of) Daeng Parani was posted a month ago)... Then only I took a bus to Pantai Merdeka via Kota Kuala Muda...
This place is quite relaxing, after all it is one of the main tourism spot around here. But I'm only here to enjoy a bit of the air and try to breath in the history flowing inside...
The boat to commute to Tanjung Dawai. At first I thought I would do just that... Get a boat to Tanjung Dawai and from there get back to Kampung Ruat in Yan where I was bunking then. But the boat would only move if there's 6 passengers and above. Otherwise, you have to charter the whole boat which to me is just too much...
So instead, I had rojak buah, mixed fruits cut to pieces and served in spicy gravy here while I figure out my next route...
View of the rooftop of the stalls and beyond...
One across the river mouth, hindered by the shades. Still you can see the mosque at Tanjung Dawai...
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