Pekan Baru downtown

Pasar Cik Puan which was just nearby Poppies Guesthouse along Jalan Tuanku Tambusai/Jalan Nangka has about 1000 wooden stalls and kiosks.

This old market was a fire prone area and way back in April 2009,nearly 400 stalls were engulfed and burnt to ashes.

Currently a new building is under construction and once completed by year 2012 will soon see a modern trading hub replacing this traditional market.

Meanwhile the oplet(angkot) vans are using this area as a terminal.

The market is about 3km from the Siak River which divide Pekan Baru City into two section.

 A new flyover bridge is still under construction linking Jalan Jenderal Sudirman across the Siak River.Jalan Jenderal Sudirman which is a short distance from the market is the main artery with many of the Riau Provincial administrative offices are being located.

The second tallest building Masjid Ar-Rahman ,located on prime lands along the golden Jalan Jenderal Sudirman road.

 It is among the most beautiful mosque after An-Nur Grand Mosque and Masjid Raya Pekan Baru.

Beside the mosque is Gedung BAZ and KPU Pekan Baru.

There is a road circle fountain nearby these two buildings.

One of the buildings has a windmill on top being an outlet of the Holland Bakery.

Being a newcomer in the Indonesian market,Holland Bakery has over 150 outlets spreading all over Jabodetabek,Batam,Lampung,Surabaya and Pekan Baru.

The outlets open from 0700-2200hrs. The "Kek Lapis Legit " (Layered cake) is the most popular Indonesian cake not to be missed.





 A very unique landmark housing the Soeman HS Library.

The design resembles a book or rehal(small bench serves as a base for the Al Quran).

It can accomodate 1000 visitors in every floors. It operates from 8:00am till 8:00pm weekdays except every Fridays which will be closed between 11:30am to 1:30pm for Friday prayers.
On Saturdays will be 9:00am to 6:00pm and Sundays frm 9:00am till 3:00pm.

The Governor of Riau Province,Indonesia administrative office.

The Riau Province encompassed 11 districts:
1) Kota Pekan Baru
2) Bengkalis
3) Kampar
4) Indragiri Hulu
5) Kuantan Singingi
6) Siak
7) Pelalawan
8) Rokan Hulu
9) Rokan Hilir
10) Dumai
11) Indragiri Hilir.

The Province of Riau was established way back in 1958 with the first governor through martial law with the Central government in Jakarta making all decisions.

After a series of reformasi demanded by the Indonesian people in year 2001 at national level,there were drastic changes in political and government at provincial level thus making the Riau Islands an autoomous 32nd province of Indonesia on July,1,2004.

Gedung Kantor Gabungan Dinas Provinsi Riau Building beside the governor's office.

 In the decentralization era,the Riau Government has emphasized tourism as a revenue earner.

There are many rich historical sites in Riau such as: 1) Istiqomah Mosque in Bengkalis

2) An-nur Mosque in Pekan Baru

3) Senapelan Grand Mosque in pekan Baru

4) Juang 45 Building in Pekan Baru

5) Muara Takus temple in Kampar

6) Sang Nila Utama Museum in pekan Baru

7) Ar-Rahman Grand Mosque in Rengat

8) Tuan Guru Syekh Abdurrahman Siddiq Mosque in Indragiri Hilir

9) Al-Huda Mosque in Tembilahan

10) Ashserayah Hasyimiah Palace in Pelalawan

11) Syahabuddin Graand Mosque in Siak

12) the grave of Sultan Mahmud Shah I in Pelalawan

13) Hibah Mosque in Pelalawan

14) Hok An Kiong Buddhist Monastery in Bengkalis

15) Air Tiris Grand Mosque in Kampar

16) Grave of Sultan Syarif Kassim II in Siak

17) Graveyard of Indragiri Kings in Indragiri Hulu

18) Benteng Tujuh Lapis (Seven Layers Fortress) in Rokan Hulu

19) Graveyard of Marhum Pekan in pekan Baru

20) House of Kerabatan Adat Siak in Siak

21) Al-Badar Grand Mosque in Dumai

22) the Grave of Putri Tujuh (The Seventh Princess) in Riau.





Ramayana Departmental Store,a retail chain company was first established in 1978 whose founder was Mr Paulus Tumewu and his wife ,Tan Lee Chuan who left their family home in Ujung Tanjung,Sulawesi.

Their vision of selling quality merchandise to the lower income segment has now seen the fruit of success.

The word RAMAYANA is synonymous with the Hindu epics and out of coincidence Java and part of Sumatra were once the Srivijaya Empire,a Hindu Kingdom.

Suzuya Departmental Store started in 1983 is a leader in retail business throughout Sumatra Island with its head office at Jalan Iskanda Muda,Medan.

Its business synergy includes department stores,supermarket,superstore,fashion outlets(Romp),Furniture Plaza,Hotel and Restaurant.

There are currently 28 outlets in 8 localities that is Medan,Tanjung Morowa,Binjai,Permatang Siantar,Rantau Prapat,Pekan Baru,Padang,Lhokseumawe and Banda Acheh.





  Komplek Mal Pekan Baru along Jalan Jend Sudirman is an integrated shopping complex with an annexed Grand Jatra Hotel(a 5 star category) beside Jalan Tengku Zainal Abidin.

The room rates are from 976,000 Rupiah to 3.176m Rupiah.

Food stalls lining along the streets in the late evening .Surprisingly the streets of Pekan Baru were very clean.

  A mosque with a different kind of architecture. A medieval Moorish style castle.

 Hotel Asfri along Jalan Dr Setia Budi has a total of 15 rooms.
Tel:(076) 33190-33134-31613.

The hotel is at the corner end junction of Jalan Jend Sudirman and also very near to the Siak River.

Across the road is Jalan Insinyur Haji Juanda leading to the Chinatown area and the Pasar Bawah market.

Another 5 star Furaya Hotel is nearby with room rates from 650,000 Rupiah onward.

Penginapan Kautsar is directly opposite Hotel Asfri has 12 rooms.Tel:(076) 34682

Impressive real flowers embossed wordings.

Pekan Baru a major gateway to Sumatra Island.

On arrival at the Sultan Qasim II International Airport or formerly known as Simpang Tiga Airport in Pekan Baru Province, Sumatra Island of Indonesia,visitors will be very surprised to see the airport being used for commercial as well as airforce base of the powerful Indonesian 12th squadron.

The airforce fighter planes were making non stop training flights.The sound of the jet fighters taking off were deafening as the immigration control was quite near to the runnway.

Only those smaller Boeing aircraft were suitable for landing here.

Last November 2010,when US President Obama visited Jakarta,the Indonesian Airforce was given 24 ex-USAF F-16 Fighting Falcon for free.

PekanBaru is one place to see these 'air shows'. As I walked out of the terminal,I couldn't find where the bus stop was so I took an ojek(motor) ride to town which was 8 km away.

The bus route as seen do connect the airport but I have walked on the wrong side to the right.

After much bargaining,the ojek ride cost me 15,000 rupiah. Pekan Baru is a very modern oil city of Indonesia and is the third most populous after Medan and Palembang.

Centrally located in the island of Sumatra,the local people are of the Minangkabau origin which is the largest ethnic group mainly from the highlands of West Sumatra.

The Minangs are the world's most matrilineal society in which the female lineage will inherit all assets and properties.

After a 15 minutes ojek ride,I was dropped off at Jalan Nangka/Tuanku Tambusai Road which was south-west of the city. The first hotel I went to was Hotel Holie,room rates 120,000 rupiah for.

Unfortunately I was denied registering as a guest due to paper work involved and submission to the police station for foreign guests which is quite troublesome.

Hotel Lido which was a few metres from Hotel Holie had fan room costing 65,000 rupiah but was full and accepted foreign guests.





A 10 minutes walk further down in the direction of the traffic is a market square and old bus Terminal Mayang Terurai,just across it was Hotel Linda 1,room rates at 95,000 rupiah.

Again I was rejected for being a foreigner. A few metres further up was Hotel Linda II just beside a side lane has room for 110,000 rupiah and foreign guests acceptable.

Even Wisma Dwi Pharma guesthouse nearby at Jalan Nenas was strictly for locals only.The rates are from 85,000 rupiah.





A bus stop platform along Jalan Nangka/Tuanku Tambusai Road just in front of Pasar Cik Puan market is specifically only for Trans Metro buses which were implemented on the 18 June 2009.

One need to pay for the fare inside here and a receipt will be issued by a clerk.

When the bus arrived just hop into it. This side here goes to the city centre.

A total of 6 route corridors currently functioning.
 Route 1: Pandau - Pelita Pantai
Route 2: Terminal Payung Sekaki - Kulim
Route 3: Kampus UIN - Sudirman
Route 4: Terminal Payung Sekaki - Jalan Riau
 Route 5: Pelabuhan Sungai Duku
Route 6: Terminal Payung Sekaki - Torganda.

We may switch buses using the same ticket if it happened that the route was not covered by the bus.

 


Trans Metro Pekan Baru fleet of buses were a flat rate of 3000 Rupiah irrespective of the distance that you want to go.

The Trans Kota buses will ply routes different from many oplet and angkot.

Since the bus drivers were monthly salaried,they will not rush in their duties compared to the commissioned drivers of oplet and angkot.

 The buses were air conditioned and very comfortable similar to those Mass Rapid Transport(MRT) implemented by neighbouring countries.

They were very punctual and help you to plan your journey efficiently as special bus lanes were alienated for this purpose.

With cost efficiency and forgoing about privatisation,the people will not be burdened with inflated ticket price.

There were 33 seats and could accomodate 32 standing passengers.





Right across the market was a side road Jalan Takurun.
Walk for less than 5minutes and turn left into the first lane.
A short distance away make a right turn along one graffiti wall and you'll find Poppies Guesthouse as listed on Lonely Planet.

In the event you have difficulty finding, a couple of ojek riders were hanging near the corner shop will fetch you for 5,000 rupiah.


This is the family house of Eddy Hwang (Edward),a Christian.
I took a fan room queen sized bed for 90,000 Rupiah with bathroom attached.

Shaun and Matthew are two lovely grandchildren of Eddy.

The fighter planes flew along the path above the guesthouse.

There is a Matahari Shopping complex a short distance near Pasar Cik Puan market which was across the main road from Poppies Guesthouse.

A bus stop platform on this side from the guesthouse goes to the main bus terminal.
Nearby was a shop that sells ticket to Medan.

  A mosque was just nearby from the guesthouse.
Turn left will lead to Taskurun Road and onto Jalan Tambusai.
Turning right will be onto the second lane and back to Taskurun where I had a bowl of 'soto ayam' as breakfast for 4,000 rupiah.

Soto ayam is a kind of spicy chicken soup with noodles and some lontong(cut rice cake)

  Wisma Gemini at No:44 Jalan Taskurun with room tariff from 85,000 Rupiah - 135,000 Rupiah is another out of bound to foreigners.

 I think the Pekan Baru Local Council must have set up such restrictions by laws.

 Trans Metro Hino bus arrived at the bus stop at Bandar Raya Payung Sekaki bus terminal which was about 7km from city centre.

Bandar Raya Payung Sekaki (BRPS) bus terminal tower.












  A classic Minangkabau design building architecture to blend the local culture.

The upper floors have a few operational restaurants,prayer rooms and administrative office.

It was very strange to see that most of the ticketing counters have no clerks manning it.

Either the touts or company representatives not in uniform were hanging around to scout for passengers. Competition was very stiff among them and these touts also gave misleading informations and tend to overcharge possibly for the sake of their commission.






Whenerver one is in Indonesia,to "find a guesthouse" we use the phrase "cari rumah penginapan"

At this terminal is the Penginapan Selasi Seleguri.
Room rates:90,000 Rupiah 50,000 Rupiah if you use it for only 6 hours.

   




Distances to respective towns from Pekan Baru in( kilometres). Mina(31),Kandis(63),Duri(124),DUMAI(201),UJUNG TANJUNG(178), Rimba Melintang(231),Kubu(229),Bagan Bala(339),BANGKINANG(64), RANTAU BERINGIN(83),Muara Mahat(100), Tandun(135),Ujung Bala(157),Pasir Pangaraian(192),Dalu-dalu(228),Lipat Kain(71) Kuntu(92),Muara Lembu(138),TALUK KUANTAN(165),Lembah Jambi(190),Baserah(201),Cirenti(229),Peranap(238),Air Molek(287). Simpang Japura(298),Permatang rebah(313),RENGAT via Taluk Kuantan(328), TEMBILAHAN via Taluk Kuantan(420), TEMBILAHAN via SOREK(380), Perawang(62),Buatan(92),BAGAN SIAPI-API(121),Sungai Apit(180),PANGKALAN KERINCI(78),SOREK(125),LIRIK(189),Air Molek via Sorek(203),Rengat via Sorek(229).



 Pekanbaru Map

Khmer boy at Wat Moha Montrei.

Directly across Phnom Penh's Olympic Stadium lies Wat Moha Montrei along Sihanouk Boulevard.

There is a pedestrian crossing near the traffic light junction.

The temple's entrance is at Street 163 while another one is at Street 173 which is near the Psar Olympic market.

Hotel Samreth Olympic is just in front of the temple at Street 163.

The room rates here starts from USD25.
 Behind this hotel at Street 310 is Guesthouse Kiyo Tel:(855)23 222 834.Room Rates between USD10 - USD40.

Street 163 is quite a long stretch that meets Mao Tse Toung Boulevard and continues across till Street 430.The road system here is very strange,instead of ending at the boulevard it continues on to the other side with the same road number.

Furthermore all the roads are not numbered in sequence.

The Toul Sleng Genocide Museum is just a 15 minutes walk from the temple while a 30 minutes walk will reach the Russian Market(Psar Toul Tom Poung) after crossing the boulevard.

 Wat Moha Montrei has a multi layered roof with a khmer style stupa at the roof centre.

Within the temple's perimeter were many smaller stupas which were fenced.

The Khmer's Empire was once a Hindu Kingdom where the deity Brahma,the Hindu God Creator of the Universe was being worshipped.

When one of the Hindu emperor,King Ashoka introduced Buddhism during the early 3rd century,the transition began with the influence of Mahayana Buddhism.

That's the reason why most of the temple's in Cambodia,the Erawan Shrine in Paknam near Bangkok,Wat Phou in Vientiane,Laos,Candi Borobodur in Yogjakarta,Indonesia and Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon,Myanmar altogether have stupas incorporated into the architecture due to the Hindu influence.

The main building of Wat Moha Montrei has exterior pillar columns that resembles that of Wat Sisaket in Vientiane,Laos.

Maybe it could be the Ashoka Pillars.Ashoka the Great was a powerful emperor who ruled the Indian subcontinent between 269BC till 232BC.

 The shape of the stupa represents the Buddha,crowned and sitting in meditation posture on a lion throne.

 His crown is the top of the spire; his head is the square at the spire's base; his body is the vase shape; his legs are the four steps of the lower terrace; and the base is his throne.

The Hindu God Ganesha has an elephant head so at the base of this stupa is the scuplture of the elephant part body.

Surely this stupa must be dedicated to some old warriors. According to the Tibetan texts on stupas,there are 5 purified elements:
 1) The square base represents earth.
2) The hemispherical dome/vase represents water.
3) The conical spire represents fire.
 4) The upper lotus parasol and the crescent moon represents air. 5) The sun and the dissolving point represents the element of space.

Ashoka pillar has four lions whereas this stupa has many lions guarding round the base.








The Lotus Blossom Stupa which refers to the birth of the Buddha. At birth the Buddha took seven steps in each of the four directions (East, South, West and North). In each direction lotuses sprang, symbolizing the Four Immeasurable love, compassion, joy and equanimity.






Met this Khmer boy who was reading a book under the Bo Tree.

His name is Vanette (chinese name:金jīn 合hé).

He was trying very hard to master mandarin which at first I thought he was studying Buddhism.

 The textbook which Vanette was reading is a Mandarin text with English pinyin translation.
 Cambodian students are now emphasizing mandarin as a second language in view of the fact that China has vast investment in the country.

The four faced Buddha is actually Brahma,the Hindu God of Trinity.

Again at Erawan Shrine at Paknam near Bangkok,the Thais called Brahma Than Tao Mahaprom or Phra Prom.

This is a result of Indian scholars who came over to Southeast Asia and spread Buddhism bringing with them their Hindu culture and folklore.

In actual fact Brahma has four faces and eight hands.


The Khmer people embraced not only the Brahmanic and Buddhist religion but also the social customs.

There are seven headed serpents protecting the Buddha.

Legend has it that in the sixth week after enlightenment,as the Buddha sat meditating,a storm broke out and a mighty serpent spread its hood over the Buddha to shelter him.

Serpents are associated with the waters of the earth.

In Thailand's Chiangmai Wat Doi Suthep,the temple also has this Buddha image with the serpents.

Around this Bo Tree at Wat Moha Montrei are the statues of Buddha in different postures.

The reclining Buddha which symbolises Tuesday of the week which is Realizing Nirvana (Paang Saiyasna),the image reclining on the right side with toes even indicating his death.

Tuesday is the day where Buddha entered parinibbana(perfect liberation)

That's where every year around May,there is the Buddhist Wesak Day festival to observe the three important events in Gautama Buddha's life:his birth,enlightenment and parinibbana.

The biggest event can be witnessed be at Candi Borobodur in Yogjarkarta,Indonesia's Java Island

This one is a Protection Buddha,which signifies courage,offers protection from fear,delusion and anger.

The hand gesture of Mudra involved the right hand raised and facing outward while the left hand resting on the lap.

The postures(asana) includes seated with ankles tucked (Double Lotus) or one leg resting on top of the other (Single Lotus)





Wat Moha Montrei has a very good company loitering near the temple.The temple's keeper feed it with biscuits.