Perak - Bagan Datuk Colorful Wall Murals...

"Each moment of the year has its own beauty..." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

(Bagan Datuk, a small town by the river)

After spending almost an hour sweating buckets in the Sunflower Farm, we drove towards Bagan Datuk town to cool down and look for a place to have lunch. This is our first time here and we were quite surprised when we arrived at this small colorful township. Because of the movement control order, the shophouses look deserted and lonely. We managed to locate a restaurant in front of the Bagan Datuk Al-Quro' Mosque. Lunch was simple but delicious.

(Parking at Al-Quro' Mosque)

(Simple delicious lunch in Bagan Datuk)

(The famous Bagan Datuk putu piring)

After lunch we drove around town to hunt for murals on the wall. Besides the impressive colorful shophouses and the Promenade, myriad of street arts became popular backdrops for taking photos. There are a collection of interesting and spectacular street arts in this tiny town, some of which depicts the modest living of its community.

(Colorfully painted shophouses)

(A small vibrant quiet town)

(Dataran Bagan Datuk at the river front)

Today we did not visit Pulau Sembilan with its ‘sky mirror’ and the ‘blue tears’. We will plan for the trip some other time when it is safer to travel.

(A beautiful local girl)

(A playful peeping tomcat)

(Local scenes on the walls)

(Harvesting coconuts)

(A flower and buzzing bees)

(A catfish out of the water)

Undoubtedly, Bagan Datuk truly possesses many undiscovered unique charms not to be missed.

Perak - Sunshine and sweat at the Sunflower Farm...

“A friend is one who overlooks your broken fence and admires the flowers in your garden...”

(Enjoying the sunshine and fresh air)

At the jetty of Bagan Sungai Burung, we asked the locals for the direction to the Sunflower Farm. It was only a short distance away and there is ample parking space for visitors. It was almost noon when we arrived at the farm. The sky was clear and bright and a perfect time to stroll in between the sunflower beds, making sure to avoid the crowd. 

(Parking area for visitors)

(Sunflower Garden tickets)

(Sunflower farms and fish ponds)

(The entrance to the Sunflower Garden)

(Japanese bamboo gazebo)

(Blooming bright sunflowers)

The farm is newly opened and has been planted with more than 2,000 sunflowers with scientific name Helianthus Annuus. Visitors came to the farm to take pictures with the giant sunflower plants and enjoy other activities such as feeding fish and ducks or having a picnic under the gazebos by the man-made lake.

(The sunflowers bloom in stages)

(The flowers is facing the sun)

(Morning facing east and evening facing west

(Like a sky with a thousand suns)

(Lazy stroll among the flower beds)

(A flower as big as my face)

The farm is open daily from 9 am to 7 pm. There is an entrance fee of RM13 for adults and RM10 for kids. The sunflower plants only live for a short period of time, so the farm has three lots to ensure that the farm would not run out of sunflowers and disappoint visitors who come from far.

(Stairways to the sky)

(A glass swing by the fish pond)

(Complimentary fish food)

Perak - Bagan Sungai Burung Fishing Village...

“Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after..." - Henry David Thoreau

This morning we drove for almost three hours on the Westcoast Expressway to visit the many attractions in Bagan Datuk. It was a nice sunny day for a leisure drive. The road condition is better with some stretches still under ongoing roadworks. Because of the PKP, most restaurants and eateries along the Kuala Selangor road are temporarily closed.

(Arriving at Bagan Datuk district)

(Bagan Sungai Burung, a fisherman Village)

Bagan Sungai Burung is situated on the southwestern part of Perak, bordered by the Perak River. This small fishing town is often overlooked and underrated by travellers but is home to a wealth of mesmerizing attractions including Perak’s very own ‘Sky Mirror’ and the fantasy-like ‘Blue Tears’ bio-luminescent planktons phenomenon in Pulau Sembilan. It is an ideal spot to spend some quality time on the beach of the island and watch the sunset. Firefly cruises are also available for tourists.

(A quiet small town)

(The many attractions around the village)

(Famous for its seafood restaurants)

As it was only a day trip, we managed to visit a few attractions around the area. Our first stop was at Bagan Sungai Burong, a small quaint fishing village only 11 km from Bagan Datuk town. It has a population of about 300 people, mostly of Chaozhou Chinese descent. We spent some time at the jetty and immersed ourselves in the peaceful lifestyle of the fishing village and observe their interesting trade. There are many fresh seafood restaurants at the jetty and could be quite happening at night. Bagan Sungai Burong was one of the fishing villages hit by the 2004 tsunami, which saw the destruction of many fishing ships as a result of large waves. However, there were no human casualties.

(Fishing trawlers taking a rest)

(The jetty is busy with fish vendors in the morning)

(Many seafood restaurants, busy in the evening)

(The village recovered well from the Tsunani)

(The jetty at low tide)

(The end of the jetty)

(Dried Blow fishes on display)

(A day-tour to Pulau Sembilan)

Pahang - Fraser's Hill in the mist...

"All seasons are beautiful for the person who carries happiness within..." - Horace Friess

(Heavy rain pour at the summit)

This whole week Iwan and Ella were busy taking care of Ella's father who has been admitted in Selayang Hospital.  Ella and her mom are taking turns to accompany him day and night.

(Driving to Fraser's Hill with Hana and Amir)

For the time being, Hana and Amir are staying with us in our Bidara House. As it was quite boring to stay indoor the whole day because of the PKP we decided to bring them for a day trip to Fraser's Hill taking the Raub route and back via Kuala Kubu Baru route . It was sunny at the start of the drive but it got cloudy and rained heavily when we arrived at Fraser's Hill.

(The highlands is soaked with rain)

(Heavy rain has flooded the skating ring)

(Hana on the swing in the drizzle)

Even with the Control Movement Order, Fraser's Hill was crowded with visitors. We had lunch at one of the restaurants at the Medan Selera. As there was quite a large crowd at lunch time, the service was a bit slow. Hana and I ordered western dishes of Lamb steak and Spaghetti Oglio. Amir shared a plate of Nasi and daging bakar with his grandpa.

(A selfie in the rain)

(The foodcourt is opened, luckily)

(Waiting for our western dishes)

(Amir is sharing nasi daging salai with Tok Abah)

Once the rain came to a drizzle, we carefully descended the slippery winding road and reached home safely late evening.

(A red postal box)

My Rides - Those were the days...

“It wasn’t until I went to college and I got my first motorcycle that I understood the thrill of speed...” -  Vin Diesel

(Honda Shadow 400)

(Kawasaki Vulcan 900)

(KTM 1190)

(1979 in Langkawi)