Bogus Buddhist Monk in Hatyai,Thailand South.

Amazing Thailand Grand Sale 2011 is back between June 15 till August 15.
This grand Coca-Cola bottle and the shopping bag display model was just beside the ODEAN Shopping Centre in Haadyai.

 It's an annual shopping extravaganza which offers world-class shopping, a diverse selection of quality products and services, special discounts of 10 - 80 per cent and promotional offers being extended by leading department stores, shopping complexes, King Power Duty Free shops, airlines, hotels, spas, hospitals, jewellery shops and participating retail outlets.

Special attention is also being paid to promote the sale of locally-made products; such as, handicrafts, apparel, decorations, and home-use products made under the umbrella of the One Tambon One Product (OTOP) scheme.




On Sunday 31st August 2011,there will be an International Alms Offering And Mahasanghadana to 12,600 Monks along Niphat Uthit 3 ,that is the Hatyai Walk area.

It's a very grand ceremony that should not be missed by all visitors and tourists.

  As early as 6:00am in the morning,Thai monks were already on their alms round at the Kim Yong market.

  Eldery Thai monks with their new orange saffron and alms bowl passing by the street vendors.

A lone Thai monk being offered food by a well wisher.

A group of Malaysian tourists took this opportunity to offer food and made a prayer.

The chief Abbot leading the group.

As I moved along I managed to capture a monk who has a bald head front but with some hairs behind.
The two Thai Buddhist monks have their saffron and alms bowl with barefooting.

As the well wisher knelt after the offerings,the monks will do some chanting.
The same well-wisher came over to this bogus monk to offer a little bit of token not being aware whether he's a real monk or not.
Now where is the alms bowl so that well-wishers may put the food into.
How can the bogus monk "wai" with the foodstuff in his hand.I doubt he's chanting at all.

He is supposed to stand still and not look left or right.
Over here is not similar to his hangout around Pavillion/KLCC/Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur where the tourist police will nab him.

 He's looking to my left hoping to get some prey.
By the way why are the slippers on,must be bare-footed the general rules.
You have no alms bowl so how much foodstuffs can you store.

His bag has a cap ready for instant transformation into lay people.

So greedy..wanna check what's in the plastic bag.
Don't worry lol,no rotten eggs.

As I approached near him to have a closeup photo,he instantly moved away.
When I have left the spot,he came back here again.










I've seen him in Kuala Lumpur so he must be here looking forward to cheat on the generosity of others.
 This photo was from an old Malaysian news report regarding their Modus operandi which is very simple.
They work in a group and aim for the tourists walking along the the Jalan Sultan Ismail and near the Pavillion Shopping Complex area in Kuala Lumpur.
Firstly they will try to hand over a charm or amulet and a booklet for the foreign tourists to write donation amount on it. So to all tourists in Kuala Lumpur and Hatyai as well,beware of this particular scam!!

 Elderly nuns taking a rest.

Kampung Pantai the early traders business hub in Malacca.

The main trading hub of Kampung Pantai has a more wider road in old Malacca.
The early Chinese immigrant chosed this point which was just beside the Malacca River and very near to the Straits of Malacca for easy transport of goods and services to other countries.

 Most of the merchants were rice dealers and general merchandised traders where trading with mainland China has already started as early as the 18th century since most of the Chinese people here has their roots in Fujian,Guangdong and Hainan Provinces in China.

I should say Malacca is the only state to have the longest established relationship with China.
Despite the authorities preventing Chinese citizens below aged 55 to visit China till late 1989,the local Chinese communal associations played a vital role in the process of communications linkage.
The taxi in the photo is travelling towards Jonker Walk which was just a short distance away.



 You can see some of the old  traditional businesses that still existed along the small lanes.
The olden days Chinese owned shoplots building are quite similar to those in Cholon(Ho Chi Minh City) and Thonburi(Bangkok)

They used to have an attic in the building.
 Admiral Cheng Ho arrival: China had been warring with the Siamese over the control of the Straits for a number of years and sought to hold the position in Malacca to control the trading route.
The emperor sent Cheng Ho to bestow upon Parameswara - two silver robes, a mandarin's hat, a girdle of office, and an embroidered silk robe.
Parameswara in return,presented the Emperor with a pair of spectacles. That was the introduction of spectacles to the Chinese.
The Emperor proclaimed Parameswara as the ruler of Malacca and declared that it was a city-state under the protection of the Emperor of China and paid homage to the Ming throne.

With the Chinese securing the trading routes and its special interest in developing Malacca as its regional warehouse for trading of goods, Malacca claimed its position as an entreport.
Malacca was successful because its own Malay traders traveled and traded with the rest of the archipelago bartering with Indian textiles from Gujarati in return for spices, aromatic woods, sea produce and other tropical exotic items highly prized by traders from the East and West.

Kampung Pantai is centrally located in the heart of old Malacca and each and every of the UNESCO heritage sites are all within walking distances.

Areas around here have the most guesthouses.
Malaccan has a good culture of hospitality and will be very happy to greet visitors.

Roof Top Guesthouse located at No:39,Kampung Pantai is one of the gueshouse in the vicinity with a room rate from MYR22.00(USD7) onwards. Raymond and Mani will be on hand to assist all visitors ensuring that everyone will have a memorable and happy stay while in Malacca.

River One Guesthouse is just across Roof Top occupying two shoplots which were formerly a textile company and the back of the building is the Malacca River.

William is the manager here with his excellent public relationship and the interior settings are very cosy while room rates are from MYR15 onwards.
Just in case you did not make a booking,give a call at +6(016) 6846616.

Heading out of Kampung Pantai after the bridge,towards the left is Jalan Bunga Raya and the Chinatown area while the right goes to Melaka Raya and the Dutch Square.
 Jalan Bendahara(old name Wolfeston Road) was the main arterial road during olden days where you have  the Little India of Malacca where you can try Indian cuisine like the famous banana-leaf rice and tandoori.You'll sure love it.

Walking further straight ahead from the Kampung Pantai bridge is Jalan Temenggong,(old name Egerton Road or Mill Road) which is near Bukit China hill and the Sam Po Kong Temple.
There were so many Indian shops milling curry powders at that time,and that's where the British named it.The oldest market in town is here also.I spent my childhood days at Egerton Road.

 





Behind Kampung Pantai is the Jonker Walk where you can find antiques shops,souvenirs,restaurants and many Chinese clans associations with their superb colonial style buildings.

This arch here is the end part of Jonker Walk just beside the Tamil Catholic Church.
Keeping to your right will be Jalan Kubu and heading to nearby Tesco,old bus terminal and turn back to town.

The left turn will lead to Tranquerah Road along the coastal stretch but unfortunately coastal land refill and reclamation has spoilt the beauty of this section.
At this corner on the left is a small coffee shop and the wonton noodles taste lovely as it was a recipe pass down from generations.


Jonker Walk is also beside the oldest Chinese temple in Malacca.The locals called it Kwan Yin Teng(Cheng Hoon Teng)

Cheng Hoon Teng was founded in the 1600s by the Chinese Kapitan Tay Kie Ki alias Tay Hong Yong.

 During the Portuguese and Dutch eras, Kapitans were appointed chiefs or headmen of the various ethnic communities.

 In its early years, besides serving the community's religious needs, the temple also functioned as the official administrative center and a court of justice for the Kapitans.

Just as you were to exit from Kampong Pantei after the bridge right at the corner is Discovery Cafe & Guesthouse.

The room rates are as follows:
Dormitory RM 17 (aircond with lockers)

2 Single Beds / 1 Double Bed Rooms =RM 40.00 (Fan) ,RM 50.00 (Air/Condition)

 Double Room with Attached Bathroom = RM 60.00 Triple Room (1 Double + 1 Single Bed), RM 70.00 Air-Condition

Triple Room with Attached Bathroom (1 Double + 1 Single Bed), Air-Conditioned = RM 90/=

Quad Room( 4 Single Beds), RM 90/= A/Condition Extra Mattress = RM 15.00 Each.

Contact person:-Mr. Teng : 012 – 6835606 Guest-House : 06 - 2925606

At the end of Jalan Temenggong(Egerton Road) is a small roundabout near the Japanese Occupation Memorial Monument which is also beside the Sam Po Kong Temple.

Herein lies the Princess Hang Li Po's well at the foothill of Bukit China.
This is one of the 7 wells of Admiral Cheng Ho.The Seven Wells are also known as the Dragon's wells according to Feng Shui principles.

The local government bulldozed some of these wells during the 1950-60s on the pretext of road building.
To-date only three wells are left intact and they have never been dry even through the worst of drought. An evening walk up the Bukit China hill to the highest point can be breathtaking to have a panoramic view of Malacca and watch the evening sunset in the horizon.
This hill is the biggest and oldest chinese cemetery outside China and the locals used to jog around here ever since when the nearby seaside has been reclaimed and developed.
The path beside the Sam Po's temple has a gentle gradient and near the peak.
 Some guesthouse nearby:
 The Eastern Heritage Guesthouse at No:8,Jalan Bukit China is a baba and nyonya owner.The interior woodcraft and mother pearls furnishing were imported from Holland.

Old Town Guesthouse along No:119,Jalan Temenggong.

 



  Malacca in the early 1960 was faced with the great flood when the Malacca River overflowed.
It went to the extent of rising nearly half of the shop front.

This old photo was taken along Jalan Bunga Raya,the main shopping and entertainment area those days.

Now you have the Chinatown as an added attraction. Tai Chong Restaurant Ice Cafe is the only western style cafe that have existed since colonial days and still remained as it is. BATA shoes is the only branded footwear and every school going students will never missed this brand, in fact there were no other competitors at that time.

Malacca a journey back in time.

Malacca City is the magnificent tourist attractions in Malaysia and together with Penang Island,both are the only two UNESCO World Heritage site in the country.

So a Malaysian tour would be incomplete if you do not make a visit to Malacca City.
Witness the rich inter cultural heritage of customs,festivals and a variety of cuisine.
 The city is divided into the new and old sections. The older part of city is fairly compact and tucked into the nooks and crannies of its narrow streets within the Town Square and waterfront area near the river which are all within walking distance.

This nice building with its rich meaningful design architecture can be seen along Jonker walk.

This bridge across the Dutch Square leads to a major section of the old Malacca and straight ahead is Jonker Walk.

The main focal point of Chinese ancestors from Guangdong,Hainan and Fujian Provinces in China landed here during the early 19th century.

Most started with a humble beginning as labourers,traders and rickshaw pullers.

 In early April 2007,the famous Hong Kong actor Chow Yun Fatt was here filming part of his script "Tragic Hero" located towards the left side of the bridge near Heeren Street(Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock) corner.

 Heeren Street has the most Baba & Nyonya houses of the Peranakan Chinese and there is a Dutch era shophouse built in the 1700s located at No 8 which is open to public as an interpretation and resource centre for the heritage zone.

The first finance minister of Malaysia ,(Tun aka Sir)Tan Siew Sin family house is at No:111

Across the Melaka River, is the new section of Melaka which  is mostly built on land reclaimed from the Malacca Strait.

 Dataran Pahlawan area has mega malls,complexes private hospitals and office block centres and straight head after a small roundabout is Melaka Raya where you can find cheap dormitory hostels.

 Hotel Equatorial is seen in the horizon along Bandar Hilir Road.

Those days the sea was just beside here and everyday as early as 5:00am,the young and old came in droves to do their morning walk where the sea breeze was fantastic.

 At that time I used to walk to a small lighthouse a short distance from here to do some fishing.There were shoals of duyong swimming around while the larger ships were anchoring nearby.

Even there was a lady that collects oyster among the rocks by knocking the shells with a spike hammer.So gone are the days where we have the chance to play with the mud skippers and baby crabs.

Makam(tombstone) of Hang Kasturi lies in between the row of shophouses along Jonker Walk.

He is one of the five Malay warriors apart from Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat, Hang Lekir dan Hang Lekiu.

 The tombstone has a bit of Indian influence as there were cavities that allow candles to be placed.

 Outside Melaka town is the Air Keroh district close to the North-South Expressway which has many recreational theme parks including the traditional style of housing of all the 13 states of Malaysia call The Taman Mini Malaysia cultural park.
There are also a few offshore islands and beaches outside Malacca City.

Ethnographic Literature Museum,entrance fees RM5.00 which is a short distance from Dutch Square.

View inside of  Ethnographic Museum.

The trishaw(malay:becha) is now mostly seen around the clock tower vicinity.

The Tranquerah Mosque is about 5km from town and just beside the Anglo-Chinese Primary School(ACS) entrance.

A mixed of Chinese Pagoda structure,temple style roofing but a muslim place of worship.

When the Japanese occupied Malacca. the ACS building was used as a Training Centre for the Japanese Navy.

Moving up Tranquerah Road along the coastal will lead you to seaside towns like Tanjong Kling,Terendak Camp(army commando training centre),Masjid Tanah(transport terminal),Tanjung Bidara,Kuala Sungai Baru and onward to Port Dickson.

 Motels and chalets can be found along the way.

Tanjung Kling is a coastal town about 10km north-west of Melaka with numerous condominiums and hotels situated all along the coastal road. It is a regular weekend retreat for eating out and relaxation.

 Pantai Kundor is about 2km further down. It has a nice beach with a good stretch of white sand.

 A domineering presence in the skyline of Malacca, this twin-spired neo-gothic structure was built on the site of an old Portuguese church by a French priest, Father Farvé, in 1856, in honour of St. Francis Xavier, a prominent 16th-century Catholic missionary also known as ‘Apostle of the East’.

 Getting to Malacca Air:

The airport is located at Batu Berendam about 10km from the town centre and is best to use this airport if you are planning to go to Indonesia's Pekan Baru and Medan town in the island of Sumatra.

Served by Riau Airlines,Wings and Firefly.
Batang Bus (yellow, cream and red) from Melaka Sentral will go past the aiport.
Buses will stop by the main road about 200 m from the airport building.
Tuah bas No. 65 (blue and white) to Taman Merdeka also goes from Melaka Sentral past the airport via Bachang.  

Train:
 no train lines,only at Tampin town (Alor Gajah district) in the outskirt near the boundary to Johore state.
Tampin rail station is now called Pulau Sebang stop(wef from:1/1/2013)
 Tai Lye Bus No 26 passed by the train station which is 400 metres off the main road.
 Fare to Malacca city MYR4.30.

 Alor Gajah town and Tampin are about 8km distance apart so don't be confuse when travelling from Malacca city to Tampin town as buses normlly stop at a small terminal in Alor Gajah town to pick up passengers.

Salira (light blue and yellow) also goes from Melaka Sentral to Tampin via Ayer Keroh and Durian Tunggal. Get off bus at same spot as Tai Lye.

 Both the above are very inconvenient and waste of time and money but good to go for a countryside ride and see the inner heart of Malacca.

The best option to reach Malacca is by express buses which will bring you to the new Malacca Sentral Terminal hub about 3km from town.

 Express Buses:

1) Malacca-Kuala Lumpur Express: Hourly buses between Malacca City and Kuala Lumpur from 6:30AM-7PM. Tickets cost RM12.50.

2) Jebat Ekspres: Buses to Kuala Lumpur via Masjid Tanah and Alor Gajah.

3) Malacca-Singapore Express: Hourly buses between Malacca City and Johor Bahru and Singapore from 8AM-7PM. Tickets cost RM19.00 to/from Johor Baru, and RM22.00 to Singapore. The route from Singapore to Mallaca is SGD$20

4) Delima Express: Buses from Singapore to Malacca/ Malacca to Singapore. Tickets cost $20.80/ RM22. The boarding location at Singapore is City Plaza @ Payar Lebar.

5) Mayang Sari Express: Buses to/from Johor Baru. Tickets cost RM19.00.

 




Near the Maritime Museum(a replica of Flor de Lama-the Portuguese flagship that invaded Malacca) is the Harbour's jetty where ferries to Bengkalis,Pekan Baru,Dumai and even Batam(paradise island off Singapore) are available.

Bus No:17(green colour) from Malacca Sentral reach here.(so if you want to avoid high paying taxis fare,get this option to town which is just near Dutch Square.

 Ferries to Sumatera Island of Indonesia.

1) Malacca to Dumai at 9AM and 3PM. Journey time is just under 2 hr. Tickets cost RM110/170 1-way/return.

 2) Malacca to Pekanbaru, depart on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 9:30AM. Tickets cost RM120/210 1-way/return.

3) Malacca to Bengkalis in Riau Province, Sumatra, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays departing at 1100. Ferries connect to Selat Panjang where there are onward ferries to Batam and the other Riau Islands. From Bengkalis, ferries depart on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30AM.

Malacca ticketing office stalls on Jln PM10, Plaza Mahkota Melaka Raya.

4) Malacca to Bengkalis. Ferries connect to the town of Pakning. From Malacca, ferries depart on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 1PM. Tickets cost RM50/80 1-way/return. Tickets from Bengkalis to Pakning cost a further Rp 10,000. Bengkalis are not listed as a visa-free or visa-on-arrival point of entry into Indonesia.


 Travelling around by local bus from Malacca Sentral:

Malacca Town Bus No 17: Melaka Sentral Terminal to the historic core, Mahkota Parade, Melaka Raya and the Portuguese Settlement. The fare from Melaka Sentral to Makhota Parade is RM1.
The last bus from Melaka Sentral leaves at 8:30PM, after which you would have to take a taxi which costs RM20 to Mahkota Parade.

Bus 8 goes from Melaka Sentral to Town Square for RM1.
Malacca Town Bus No 18: Melaka Sentral Terminal to Tengkera(ACS School) and onwards to Pokok Mangga

Malacca Town Bus No 19: Melaka Sentral Terminal to Ayer Keroh (Melaka Zoo and Taman Asean/Malaysia). The fare from Melaka Sentral to Ayer Keroh (Melaka Zoo and Taman Asean/Malaysia) is around RM 3

Malacca Town Bus No. 50: Melaka Sentral Terminal to the Mahkota Parade shopping centre and nearby seafood restaurants

Kenderaan Aziz (red and white): Buses from Melaka Sentral to Muar via Padang Temu also go past the historic core, Mahkota Parade and Melaka Raya

Panorama Melaka (red and blue) : This hop-on-hop-off bus brings tourists to the attractions in town for a flat fee of RM5/day (red bus) and RM2/day (blue bus). Among its fleet are 2 double-decker buses, one with an open top. The bus service runs at 10 min intervals from 7AM - 12.  

Public Swimming Pool: Behind those food outlets restaurants at Dataran Pahlawan is the only public pool in town,just beside A&W fastfood reaturant outlet and a short distance opposite the Municipal Office.