Hill climb at Sungai Buaya (part I)

Peace be upon you all. Feels like getting this off my system...

The broken leg I've suffered since late April last year has limited my moves for quite a long time. It was only 4 months ago or so I can walk again, even then supported by a walking stick. Since then I've entertained the idea of climbing some hills but held back for fear of aggravating the leg. Then I saw this hill close to my new house at Sungai Buaya, Rawang.

These pictures are dated January 6th 2014. I have yet to move to the said new house which was being renovated and repaired. After having a meal at a nearby restaurant, the hill caught my eyes so much that I must attempt a climb. Fighting all doubt regarding the still not 100 per cent full recovered state of the broken leg, I decided to have a go.

I can't run and jump yet. In fact I can't fold my toes without feeling pain. Still I walked slowly but surely up...

That's when I found out there were higher places to reach, places hidden from sight if looked from lower points.

Finally what should be the highest peak of this hill came to sight.

I just have to climb all the way to the top and savour the views, as usual going anti-clockwise...

Pulau Pinang HIKMAH mission

For the past 2 weeks or so I have been making articles on a little trip made to Pulau Pinang 27-31 December 2013. The trip was made to attend a traditional Malay-related function while arranging the 9th HIKMAH function, my little NGO outfit. Let related articles from all my blogspots be compiled here...

1. The tower at Kuala Kangsar RnR

2. Misi HIKMAH Pulau Pinang - Ke Pulau Mutiara selepas lebih 3 tahun...

3. Masjid (Mosque of) Bagan Dalam, Pulau Pinang

4. Views from the ferry to Pulau Pinang

5. Masjid terapung (Floating mosque of) Tanjung Bunga

6. Views from the floating mosque of Tanjung Bunga

7. Views from a cosy spot at Batu Feringgi

8. The road from Teluk Bahang to Balik Pulau

9. Masjid (Mosque of) Bagan Air Hitam, Balik Pulau

10. Festival Adat Istiadat Warisan Melayu di Balik Pulau

11. Misi HIKMAH Pulau Pinang - Berpusing ke Balik Pulau

12. Masjid jamek (Main mosque of) Bayan Lepas

13. Masjid (Mosque of) Kampung Seronok, Pulau Pinang

14. A visit to Telok Tempoyak

15. Masjid jamek (Main mosque of) Batu Uban

16. Makam Nakhoda Intan atau keturunan? (Tomb of Nakhoda Intan or descendant?)

17. A look at the waters facing Pulau Jerejak

18. Casual walk (or not so) at Lebuh Aceh

19. Misi HIKMAH Pulau Pinang - Mesyuarat di Bayan Lepas dan mencari keMelayuan di Lebuh Aceh 

20. Masjid (Mosque of) Haji Saad, Tanah Liat, Bukit Mertajam

21. Batu Bersurat (Inscribed stone of) Cerok Tok Kun

22. Bukit Mertajam recreational forest

23. Masjid jamek (Main mosque of) Cerok Tok Kun

24. Masjid (Mosque of) Tengku Menteri

25. River view at Kuala Sepetang

26. Kuala Sepetang mangrove forest

27. Makam (Tomb of) Tok Sagor

28. Misi HIKMAH Pulau Pinang - Batu bersurat Cerok Tok Kun dan panggilan Kuala Kangsar

29. Perak river from Temong

30. Makam tepi sungai di Temong (Tomb besides the river at Temong)

31. The river view from Kota Lama Kanan

32. Misi HIKMAH Pulau Pinang - Menamatkan 2013 di sekitar Kuale ke Teluk Intan

The river view from Kota Lama Kanan

Continued from Perak river from Temong.

A few kilometres downriver lies a place called Kota Lama Kanan.

Like at Temong I found a path leading to the Perak river bank cleared...

Perak river from Temong

On to the last day of the small trip to Pulau Pinang which saw us making a stop in Perak. Continued from Kuala Sepetang mangrove forest.

Tuesday 31st December 2013. After spending the night at Temong we went down this staircase.

It leads to the Perak river bank.

One can see some superb views from here...

Kuala Sepetang mangrove forest

Continued from River view at Kuala Sepetang.

Just outside town lies and area gazetted as the educational mangrove forest of Kuala Sepetang.

Despite it raining cats and dogs I went to check it out...

River view at Kuala Sepetang

Continued from Bukit Mertajam recreational forest.

From Pulau Pinang we went down to the state of Perak on to the district of Taiping. Moving westward we went to the small town of Kuala Sepetang and decided to check the river view.

Bukit Mertajam recreational forest

Continuing with the Pulau Pinang travel story.

Monday 30th December 2013. We spent the night at Bukit Mertajam and decided to visit its recreational forest.

There is a small stream along with a number of wading pools.

The closest I saw to a waterfall was water rushing down from a small reservoir.

There is a path leading further up into the jungle. But I decided to not explore more.

Casual walk (or not so) at Lebuh Aceh

Continued from A look at the waters facing Pulau Jerejak.

Just before dusk we arrived at the street called Lebuh Aceh.

Once upon a time the street and its surrounding was a Malay majority area. In fact it was THE place to gather and spend nights at for Muslims from half if not all the Malay Archipelago before taking ships to do the haj or pilgrim in Mecca.

Now, one is hardpressed to find evidence of Malay or Muslim control.

Sure it has its own attractions like this second-hand market I came across.

But does this reflect any Malay/Muslim control over it, over a place with the name Aceh still resounding as a once strong Muslim nation in South-East Asia? You tell me...

Another attraction is this mansion turned into an Islamic museum. Casually one would not notice anything except happy looking on-goings. But on deeper introspection, Lebuh Aceh nowadays started to smell like Kampung Gelam in Singapura where the Malays and their values seemed to have become like museum items for show.