Kuala Trengganu...

After 3 days of sun,sand and sea with an 'oral' overindulgence to boot, I was actually looking forward to leave the island and escape the noise and crowd of Redang Laguna. In our haste to get to the jetty for the ferry ride back to the mainland, my partner, makdokter, did not realise that she had left her Nikon on a bench by the Tupai Bar where we had asked a Bangla sweeper to shoot our group photo on the beach. Makdokter only realised the missing camera half-way across the sea and immediately informed the ferry pilot who radioed back to the hotel. Lo and behold, the honest Bangla worker must have found the camera, sent it to the reception whose staff had the quick mind of delivering the camera to the pilot of the next ferry which left Redang a short interval after our departure. To our relief, the camera was delivered safely to makdokter almost at the same time that we arrived at the Merang jetty. Thank you Laguna Redang...and as I had said earlier I am quite impressed by the overall organisation and management of this resort.

The complex on Pulau Duyong built for the Monsoon Cup

We drove to Kuala Trengganu and saw the so-called Islamic Civilisation Park - a miniature replica of several mosques from different parts of the Islamic world - while crossing the bridge that span the Trengganu river. I wonder whose miniature brain had come up with the idea of spending so much money for such a stupid project. ( I remember reading an article in the New Straits Times by a Professor of Architecture at Universiti Teknoloji Malaysia some months ago which was highly critical of this project from its architectural, environmental, educational, spiritual, functional and whatever other perspectives you can think of - and I cannot disagree more than this learned professor about this project). Can't the administration think of a better way spending our tax-payers money for the benefit of the community at large? I am not bothered to post any picture of this "park"!

shop-house in KT chinatown

We diverted into town to check out Kuala Trengganu and was pleasantly surprised at the rehabilitation of KT's chinatown. So....there are some smart people around I guess. Many of the old shops have been maintained, spruced up and painted without destroying their original character. It was a delight for makdokter who took this chance for photo-shoot.

boat to Pulau Duyong

We then checked out Pasar Payang....the central market where we collected some tit-bits and could not miss checking out the newly completed Kompleks Warisan across the market - a mall to cater for arts and crafts I guess - for the few shops that have operated there are mostly selling good quality (and of course pricey) batik and songket. I guess this project is to complement the development on Pulau Duyong which hosts the annual Monsoon Cup Regatta and its expected influx of international tourists.

Pasar Payang...KT Central Market

durian in season.....outside Pasar Payang

wanna expensive batik or songket? Kompleks Warisan

I am not too critical of the Monsoon Cup though - for I believe - if organised and promoted successfully - it will be another opportunity for Malaysia to become recognised worldwide as what the Formula One races have done to us. Except I am not sure if the Monsoon Cup has as big a following and audience as the F1. I have travelled through Eastern Europe during their communist days and nobody knew where Malaysia was but today you will be proud that in Budapest, Prague, Bratislava, Warsaw....Malaysia is on their radar because of F1! And just keep yours ears open when F1 is in KL.....you hear a lot of strange languages on the street. F1 has brought in many tourists from the New Europe.