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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.


Wednesday, September 16, 2009

One more fortress to go, Benteng Iskandar Muda...

Continued from Walking to Malahayati's fortress, the Benteng Inong Balee...

Having spent some time at Benteng Inong Balee @ the fortress of Laksamana Keumala Hayati @ Malahayati, its time to head home... I mean back to Banda Aceh...


We walked back to where the car was parked at. Still a distance away. This gave me time to digest what has been happening that day... the fortress that is Benteng Indrapatra, the tomb of Malahayati and the nearby hill-slopes which gave me a long deja vu, the fortress of Malahayati @ Benteng Inong Balee. Now it seems I MUST go to one more fortress before I could truly call it a day...

You see, the Saturday trip that day was originally made only to visit Benteng Inong Balee. I came to know about it after reading some materials on it back in Malaysia a few years before. I only learned about Indrapatra after some time in Banda Aceh. And just an hour earlier before going to the Malahayati fortress did I realised her tomb exist around the vicinity.


Now. I have long came to the conclusion that Laksamana Malahayati also has a secret royal identity. Now it's time to connect the dots especially because of a certain feeling and inspiration which I got when visiting her tomb. It happened that the travel pamphlet I brought along shows there's one more fortress I have yet to visit close by. As it is, the fortress is situated on the way back to Banda Aceh!



If I remember corrcetly, at this juncture we are already back inside the car and moving out towards the main road. Just stopped as I couldn't get enough of the view over the Lamuri bay...




Soon we were back on the main road to Banda Aceh...





Pass the houses at Pelabuhan (harbour of) Malahayati...










Over the river Krueng Raya whose mouth practically marks the western tip of the bay...




We looked for the junction which lead to the next and last fortress we intend to visit. Thank God the pamphlet gave a good idea where it is situated at, close to Krueng Raya...







Ah. There it is, direction to the fortress Benteng Iskandar Muda...





A look behind at the road we have to take to reach here...





And here it is, the fortress which is named after Aceh's most well-known ruler, the venerable conqueror Sultan Iskandar Muda Mahkota Alam (ruled 1607-1636). As per the pattern in my last few postings, more pictures of this proud monument would be presented in the blogspot SENI LAMA MELAYU (MALAY OLDEN ART) after this.

Anyway this is the last place I went to in and around the bay of Lamuri. Thus this is the last story here regarding my Saturday activities in Aceh ya. Just for my record, this is the 377th article in this blogspot. Take care! :]

p/s:
Later on in the night I found the old pamphlet from Aceh which features the fortresses I've highlighted here. It says the official name of bay is Teluk (bay of) Lamreh. Never mind, it still refers to an area which is said to be the seat of the ancient kingdom of Lamuri. Thus calling it Teluk Lamuri or the bay of Lamuri is not far off the mark. Besides don't the words Lamreh and Lamuri sounded almost the same?

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