Pulau Perhentian, Kuala Terengganu and other, Malaysia 马来西亚登嘉楼 9/2020 (4)

16-22/9/2020. From Kelantan, I proceeded southward into Terengganu state, blessed with beaches and beautiful islands. I stayed overnight at Besut. The next morning, I took a speedboat to Perhentian Island. My luxurious accommodation was a tent up on the hill, right in the thick of the jungle. It was creepy and scary, more so at night. I could not see my fingers, nor any grinning teeth. It was pitch black, totally in a dense tropical jungle, overgrown with undergrowth and tall trees, teeming with the unseen creepy and crawly. There was no Wi-Fi, no lighting, no air-conditioning, no hot water, so it was back to the dark ages.

The more popular beaches on this island were relatively short, quite built up, and crowded. Those who are superficial could go snorkeling and play with tiny fishes, while those who are after the big fishes have to go deep with tanks. Sadly, corals and fishes can be seen, but not in abundance. We blame it on nature, on global warming, not on ourselves.

No words can describe how gorgeous the water is. The sun works its magic, the water shimmers and sparkles, producing shades of soothing turquoise and layers of calming blue, a display of colors soft and crystal clear. Mesmerized by the water, I could not resist taking a plunge from the boat. Deep but deceptively shallow. It was the only way to be totally immersed in something so beautiful.

16-22/9/2020 跑了一整天吉兰丹海滩，傍晚进入登嘉楼州的Besut镇过夜。登嘉楼有无数海滩和美丽海岛。第二早快艇半小时飞快到停泊岛（Perhentian）。我豪华住宿在深林里，暴露大树根和石块为阶梯，只有人走出来的小道，拎着行李爬山才到套房。晚上四周漆黑，伸手不见五指，十二点后全场灭灯，寻路也无门，完全被黑暗吞噬。浪声外，一切那么寂静，但晚上不知什么生物睡不着，整晚呱呱叫，觅食还是寻欢不得而知，干扰我睡眠。套房搭在高脚上，黑乎乎的，晚上怎样方便就怎样方便，你用自己用想象力吧。

这岛上爬山一天就三次碰上蜥蜴。看惯了家里壁虎，这里碰到一两尺长蜥蜴就像看到龙一样吓人，且听说这些家伙不爱刷牙，除口臭外还满嘴病菌，给咬了要中毒的。爬山时经常听到丛草中窜逃声音，不知是啥，一个人在丛林包围下，白天不寒而栗，晚上更吓得尿裤。

在主岛走了几个海滩，又跟了一群马人到附近几个小岛浮潜，看珊瑚，扰小鱼。这里深潜店较多，不少游客背着大桶追大鱼。最不可思议的还是无以伦比的海水，画家之作，天作之美，文字无法形容。太阳照耀下，一片淡柔的绿，碧，蓝，如水晶闪耀，清澈见底。顶不住诱惑，我船上跃入水中，完全浸泡美中。但没人分享的美，还是美中不足。

20-21/9/2020. After Perhentian, I drove along the coast toward Kuala Terengganu, the capital of the Terengganu state.

Beaches continued to line the coastline, making driving a breeze. This was where I grew up, although I left to live elsewhere for decades. But one never forgets the place one grows up in. This is where my roots are, but too many of the pieces are now hard to piece together. I left it a sleepy town, returning to a bustling city, thanks to the oil found here after I left. I missed my sleepy town.

The China Town remains the hallmark of the Chinese presence. The river and the estuary that opened to the sea were special and unique. They were now half filled up with dirt, purportedly for development. But, why? Why? With that, they buried half my childhood memory. The beaches continued to be a sanctuary of relaxation, right in the city center. Beaches were aplenty as they stretched beyond the city. I went back to the primary and lower secondary school I studied at. I had never been back since I left. The school buildings and the soccer field had shrunk. Everything looked so much bigger to a child then.

I used to frequent a bread shop to buy sponge cake to resell. I was surprised it was still there, now an old wooden shop, and in its small display windows the same sponge cake. It was like seeing my first love again. I immediately bought two pieces of it. It still tasted like the first kiss, soft and sweet. I drove into the Malay villages to peek into how they live. Narrow roads, dirt paths, single-story wooden Malay-styled houses in laid-back, rustic surroundings. That is the way to live.

20-21/9/2020 停泊岛回到大陆后我直往瓜拉登嘉楼, 登嘉楼州首都。这地方对我有特别情怀，我在这里长大。记得以前是丁加奴，怎么变成登嘉楼呢。我想能更上一层楼总比做奴才好。

离开时还是个不见经传，默默无闻小地方，我离开后，这里开始流油，身价百倍，市内变得繁华。长大的地方，无论记忆好坏，都无法忘怀。希望回来时一切如旧，捡回离开后错过的一切，重温旧梦，但巨变使童年记忆难圆。

市内是条大河，河口面向南中国海，就在市中心，非常独特,绝无仅有。但不知那些人有高见，河内填土，河流窄了一半，埋掉我一半童年回忆。海滩就在市中心，这海滩往市中心沿海向外延伸，一连串海滩游车河最最享受。华人几十年前就聚集在唐人街，老商铺还在，本来楼房后也就在这河边上，填土后，又加了马路，精神面貌依旧，这唐人街好像被全盘迁移了。

初中离开后第一次回母校，以前觉得校楼又高又大，这次回来还是三层楼，怎么矮了许多，连其后山也变得像个小山丘。学校小学初中以华语为主，当时的普通话就是福建话。后来到中国工作，把中文搬出来展示，同事急忙苦劝最好用英语发言。回到小时住的地方，已经不复存在。在那老家附近有个木板面包店，既然还在那儿蹲着，玻璃柜内看到小时常买的蛋糕，如见初恋，激动不已。以前没钱，只能帮妈买回去卖，但还是忍不住会偷吃几口。于是急不及待买了两块，接近嘴唇时，还是那种初吻感觉，软绵绵的，还是那么甜美。

这城市样样俱全 – 有海滩，河流，美岛，马来和华人文化，美食，有自然也有繁华。我就是化身，这里的特产。

Abidin Mosque Abidin 清真寺 — Penarik Beach Penarik 海滩

22/9/2020. After three nostalgic days in Kuala Terengganu, I kept driving along the coast toward Kuantan, the capital of Pahang state.

Along the way, I stopped at the beaches at Rantau Abang. As a little fella, I came to see sea turtles come ashore to lay eggs. It was well past midnight when we were woken, to march stealthily to the place where the mother turtle had already dug a big pit in the sand. She then popped eggs into the pit. Unbeknownst to her, a long arm would dip into the pit to seize them as they were laid. After the labor, the mother turtle covered the pit, camouflaged it, then swam back to sea, oblivious to the fact she had labored in vain. In broad daylight in the central market back then, turtle eggs would be sold openly. I still remember eating them with no guilt. We thought nothing of it. After all, we have been taking from the chickens and they still thrive. Have you seen turtle eggs? They are cute, like a ping-pong ball. I heard these turtles do not now come here to lay their eggs. I think they eventually worked out the math that too many of them were unaccounted for.

I must admit I am a beachy person. I then stopped at the beaches at Kuala Dungun, Paka, and Kemasik to continue beach-binging, finally arriving in Kuantan, the state capital of Pahang, when it was already dark.

22/9/2020 在瓜拉登嘉楼三天后我又驾车沿海岸南下到关丹，彭亨州首府。

路经Rantau Abang海滩, 小时侯到这里看过海龟生蛋。那晚三更半夜，当地导游把我们唤醒，梦游般静静跟着，当时一只海龟已在沙滩挖了个大坑，往大坑里开始产卵。每次几颗滚进坑里，一只黑手就在其后一一捡走。产完后她把坑埋好，掩盖痕迹，然后往大海游去，消失黑暗中。可怜父母心，她全然不知孩子在那时刻已没机会了。当时当地中央菜场，光天化日下可见摆卖龟蛋。看过龟蛋吗？像乒乓球一样，也大小一样，跟母鸡生蛋我们煎蛋炖蛋蒸蛋阉蛋炒蛋不是也吃的津津有味吗？当时吃了没丝毫罪恶感。看过海龟生蛋吗？那是一个难忘的过程，我至今难忘，忏悔不及。听报道说海龟现在已不到这里产卵了。这很自然，母龟自然会想，老娘生蛋，你们这些乌龟却捡便宜。母龟生的也不是笨蛋，这些龟仔自然规律中会心里明白哪些地方有人偷蛋。

我继续在路上Kuala Dungun, Paka, Kemasik，几个海滩停车欣赏，最终晚上八点才到关丹,彭亨州首都。