Negeri Sembilan: Seri Menanti and Udang galah ride to Sg Timun…

“After you find out all the things that can go wrong, your life becomes less about living and more about waiting...” - Chuck Palahniuk



(Istana Seri Menanti...)

Today the bikers’ gang planned to have udang galah lunch at Pengkalan Nelayan Sungai Timun. We met at McDonalds Senawang and only started riding around 9 am. On the way we stopped at Tanjong Ipoh, a small town in Negeri Sembilan situated between Seri Menanti and Kuala Pilah. We had roti canai with the famous hot rendang cili api at one of the warongs in town.



(Roti canai breakfast...)

(Very hot rendang cili api...)

After a good heavy breakfast, we rode to Seri Menanti, the royal capital of the state of Negeri Sembilan, situated in the Kuala Pilah district. According to local literature, the early explorers found three stalks of fresh green paddy and named the area Padi Menanti (literally awaiting paddy). Over time the name changed to Seri Menanti. It is believed that the word "Seri" means paddy in ancient Javanese language.

(A group picture of some of the gang...)

(Taking a rest @ bawah rumah...)

In Seri Menanti we visited the Istana Seri Menanti. Set in a quiet green valley and surrounded by paddy fields and forest, the palace is a strikingly unusual structure, an unabashedly traditional building in this rapidly modernizing state. The current building was constructed between 1902 and 1908 for the 7th Yang Di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan. The Istana served as the official residence of the royal family until 1931, before it was converted to a Royal Museum in 1992.
 

(Orang-orang guarding the paddy field...)

(Serene scenic view of the palace garden...)

The single most noticeable feature of the palace is its roof. The steeply upturned, layered gables are strikingly peculiar, recalling the majestic sweep of a buffalo’s horns. The unusual roofline is a fairly common feature of more traditional village houses in the state and is emblematic of the local Minangkabau culture.

(The entrance to the jetty...)

(The new jetty for the fishermen...)

(Boats for rental...)

After visiting the old palace, we rode direct to Pengkalan Nelayan Sungai Timun. The jetty was newly built a year ago after the old one collapsed. The river is abound with udang galah. It is also reported that there are crocodiles in the river. The jetty is also the place where one can take a rental boat for fireflies’ sightings at night.


(Hungry bikers patiently waiting for their meal...)

(Udang galah masak lemak and sambal tumis...)

Although it was quite a long wait for our meal, the udang galah dishes were really sumptuous…

Total mileage: 322 km

Route taken: KL – Senawang – Tanjong Ipoh – Seri Menanti – Rembau – Lubok China – Sungai Timun – Pedas - North/South highway - KL

The bikers' gang: Mus/Mun, Din/Yati, Syawal. Tawfik, Rozlan, Zali, Fadley, Syed and 4 others