CNY: trip up north

on the 1st day of chinese new year, i went on a short trip to north malaysia with my parents, relatives and friends. well, we're not avoiding the chinese new year, 避年 as the chinese would call it. we still do our new year visiting in the day set off in the evening. basically, we're visiting 2 places: kelantan and trengganu. kelantan being the state run by the opposition islamic party has always been rumoured with horror stories of the strict muslim laws they impose on the people and how the locals, esp the women, are unjustly treated. we were surprised to find that the local malays are much more friendlier to chinese compared to other states in malaysia. in general, they're very tolerant of other races. because of its close proximity to thailand, buddhism in kelantan is much influenced by thai.

the structure of the temples, the style and the buddha they worship are soooo thai....



the sitting, the standing and the sleeping buddhas....


fortune telling the thai way...


the wishing tree. seems familiar right? resembles scenes from hongkong TVB dramas.


a night market in kota bharu...


they sell many of these fried seafood along pantai cahaya bulan (beach of moonlight).
nearly ALL the stalls sell the same stuff....


asam! yep, you use this to cook asam curry.
here's the fresh, unpeeled version


i better give him a hand, coz he can't handle such sudden
big orders.... phew....


rantau panjang is the duty-free zone at the border of thailand,
where an assortment of goods is available at attractive prices.
we're really spoilt for choice at this bustling market





in trengganu, the tian hou gong, or ma tzu as termed by the taiwanese,
blesses fishermen who regard the sea as their livelihood


checking into hotel grand continental, can finally rest well....


the trengganu state museum complex is the largest museum complex
in southeast asia. it offers a glimpse into the rich history of the state
religion, royalty, culture and economy



coincidentally, my cousin and i were wearing number 33 on the same day!!!


steven giving it a shot at the batik making factory


here's the end result.... not bad huh? ;-)


end of journey. accompanying me throughout my 4 day trip:
my zen v plus, oakley shades, bottle of water and travellers' guide