BERPETUALANG KE ACEH: Flight to Padang, Sumatera

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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, February 08, 2017

Flight to Padang, Sumatera

Referring to the introduction in the article Views from the mosque of Sultan Sulaiman at Singgora (Songkhla).. Time to start sharing stories on the new trip covering the central part of the island of Sumatera 25th January till 1st February.

Wednesday 25th January 2017 which is exactly 2 weeks ago. After a delay of an hour or so, I boarded the plane for my new trip.

It is to the city of Padang on the island of Sumatera, Indonesia. Flight was scheduled to take off at 1.55pm But when I finally settled in my seat it was already 2.46.

The plane took off after 3. As usual I can't help taking pictures from the window.

View as we started to cross the Straits of Melaka.

Soon it became too cloudy.

By the time I could see land again we were already above the island of Sumatera. A check with Google Earth shows this flight need to only cross 40 km of water as it passed among the narrowest parts of the straits.

We spent more time above land than above water. Google Earth also shows we need to cross about 350 km of Sumatera before we can reach Padang.

Soon I could see a beautiful stretch of highlands which I recognised from maps as the central area of the Minangkabau world, the world of the people of West Sumatera which covers Padang. Seen here is part of Danau (lake) Singkarak.

Situated at around 1,200 feet above sea level it is about 21 km long and 7 km wide.

A check with Google Earth also shows that many mountains here rise up to more than 4,000 feet above sea level. There are two which goes up to more than 9,000 feet high, the Singgalang and the Merapi mountains.