Ching Meng (Qing Ming) Ancestors day or all souls day

Honouring ones ancestors is a very important part of Chinese culture. In particular the Ching Meng which falls on the 14th of the third month of the Chinese calendar each year...or April 5th depending who is telling the story!. Prayers can be done 10 days either side of Ching Meng, as during this 21 days, the ancestors are allowed to come close to decedents and are able to receive blessings, food offerings and gifts as burnt offerings to last the coming year.

Often there is fire crackers let off to ward off evil spirits and there can be a party atmosphere, eating food with the ancestors, tending the grave to beautify it, build earth up higher at the back, painting the lettering or even the whole grave site and placing a message of well being under a clod of soil on top of the headstone.

                    laying out food, drink and gifts

Food and drinks are laid out and usually consumed after the ghosts have eaten and prayers with wax candles and joss sticks of various sizes placed in threes for each ancestor, the guardian angle who has its own small shrine to the left of the headstone and joss sticks placed on all nearby graves to wish them well and ask them to help watch over the love ones. Colourful boxes of paper clothes, watches and these days cars, mobile phones, tablet computers and every possible replica of things every upright ghost should have, are burnt as an offering together with pretend money, gold and silver ingots.

                                          Angel's shrine

As an aging gweilo white skinned, over weight, balding, suspect hearing and sight, idiot blundering around a massive hillside among graves, smoke, food, noise with a fist full of joss sticks in one hand and a chunkal...or dutch hoe, in the other and a pack containing food, drinks, paint and paint brushes...(no strings of bungers for me though,) trying to find an overgrown Chinese grave with only Chinese writing...which I can't read, to guide me, makes a spectacle that stops all conversation and invites stares of awe or wonderment or I don't know what.

I go blithely on my way and take delight in waving away the inevitable Indian entrepreneur with brush-cutter and hoe showing that I indeed have my own chunkal and then proceed to hack the earth around the grave, placing new clods on top and trimming the sides, finally the headstone earth clod to hold down my wife's message to her ancestors.

                                 Burning offerings

The whole hillside is a patchwork of coloured papers and mini flags, smoke from so many little fires and millions of joss sticks, sounds of fireworks, children's laughter, women's gossip, men's knowing pronouncements and whispered prayers.

Belum Eco Resort

Club house at night
The Belum Eco Resort is the dream and passion of the Khong family. They have built a jungle type retreat on “Discovery” island in Lake Temenggor, some distance south of the bridges crossing the lake on the East/West highway.  http://www.belumecoresort.com.my/
This is not a swept up 5 star, gold plated luxury resort. Rather a bush setting, rustic almost camp out type resort. The steep terrain means it really is unable to cater from wheel chair, physically handicapped or the very unfit.

Jetty off E/W highway
Having paid you RM5 a day for car park, Steve or son Tom will meet you at the jetty west side of the eastern bridge on the East West highway from Gerik to Kota Baru. 5deg33’05”N by 101deg20’52”E.

Getting to the resort
It will be fun to see which craft they will pick you up in. Anything from a 2 story massive houseboat to a small runabout or anything in between depending how big your party is.

One of hundreds of faces of Lake Temenggor
As soon as you step on board, you are in serious holiday mood and the rat race is left behind. Enjoy the 40 min trip to Discovery Island and climb ashore via pontoon which will test your balancing skills. Have a welcome party at the club house (coffee, tea, hot and cold water available there at all times) and be allotted you chalet.

Some chalet’s
Most of the chalets are individual “A” frame type with lots of thatch and local materials and each has a semi open air on-suite with shower, toilet and basin off your personal balcony overlooking the lake. To get to the chalet’s requires a bush walk/climb along a flagstone path, which can be a challenge after late night lecture, karaoke or option booze up.

Our hosts
There are heaps of life jackets and to put one on and simple drift around in the water is a delight. But there are windsurfers, kayaks, and sailboats available for competent sailors and always fishing.

Messing about on the water
Also Steve will put on jungle treks to waterfall, visit an Orang Asli settlement or a very serious climb to a lookout on a nearby island. I’m told that if you are exceptionally lucky you might see elephants swimming across to islands, following the old elephant paths from before the dam was built and the lake formed.

That’s steeper than it looks!

Watchtower

Looking north from watchtower
Food is always a special time to sit in the club house overlooking the lake and eating heaps of delicious food, salads, maybe pizza, certainly a superb resort version of steamboat.

Clubhouse balcony

Steamboat
The Khong family have built this by themselves with blood sweat and tears where local tradespeople are few and far between and materials all have to be brought in by boat and carried by hand. Its a real credit to them and a great experience.

Ideal for Houseboats

Lake Temengor in the state of Perak, Malaysia is absolutely ideal for houseboats.

Situated on the East/West Highway from Gerik to East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, it is close to the Royal Belum National Park. Famous for its swimming elephants, the Lake is over 75 km long with a great many islands, bays and streams.

The waters are deep and clear, surrounded by pristine jungle, home to Orang Asli tribes and sporting fish such as Toman, Sebarau, Tenggalan, Baung and Kelah.

Visit Belum Eco Resort on “Discovery Island”for a meal and chat with very informative staff.

Currently in the final stages of design and construction, BelumBred Houseboats will soon be available for sale or hire for getaways to this wonderful venue. The houseboats  are being designed to have minimal impact on the environment so as to keep this spectacular lake in its unspoilt condition.

Malaysian Peninsular June 2011

An old friend and wife came over to get a taste of Malaysia and apart from the dreadful haze this time of year (when will Indonesia stop massive air polluting burn offs) it was a fun trip.
Starting in KL, we did the obligatory Petaling Street,  Pasir Seni and KLCC we cleared off to the real Malaysia. Not before having my wallet stolen on LRT between Kampung Baru and KLCC and that after impressing on my guests the importance of keeping an eye on your wallet. These animals are sooo quick, but the Police were absolutely superb in attending my report and indeed showed me a photo of a guy who had been next to me that part of the trip when the theft took place. Full marks to Malaysian Police Force.

Up to see the last tin dredge at Chenderong, Perak. The giant has a bit of a leak and is listing, but we marvelled at the complexity of the monster. A must do visit and a very modest entry fee.

 

Ipoh I think gets lovelier each visit. No longer the world tin capital with the bustle and dust. Now a more sedate tranquil place, with excellent amenities and ever the spectacular limestone mountains…and great food.

Marina Island is a man made Island of over 300 acres opposite Pangkor Island south arm of the Dinding River in Perak. Its an ambitious project, but caters well for the monumental growth in Sri Manjung district. We stayed at the very new Best Western Hotel overlooking the marina and Pangkor. Now with more supermarkets and super stores than any regional area I know of, it combines the beauty of Lumut, Pangkor area with massive construction industry, shipbuilding and the like. The main town of Sitiawan remains a most civilised town..and did I mention food at both Sitiawan and nearby Kampung Koh (home of the very best “sos cili”.

Had to backtrack to Ipoh, but then continued onto the Royal town of Kuala Kangsar. Known for its beauty and top schools, it is the home of the Perak Royal family. The “Gallery Sultan Azlan Shah” (no photos please) is as good as it gets. Not to be missed.

Then Penang via Taiping and a once round the superb lake. Penang has become yet another “home” for us and we so enjoyed showing off this lovely place to our friends. The world heritage old town, Kek Lok See, fantastic food…I have covered Penang in another post and wont repeat myself here.
Been years since we drove the East-West highway and it is till a lovely trip. Lake Temenggor, Jeli, Machang and on down to Terengganu. Boy has this town (city?) grown. The mosques are staggering, but the age old art of boat building without plans still continues.

On to see friends at Cukai and that food thing again…but you have to know where to go for the best in this town. East coast never loses its laid back appeal.

Our friends put up at Swiss Garden Kuantan courtesy of another good friend. Unfortunately only 1 couple could stay, so we were directed by out Cukai connection, to an almost new “homestay” on the north side of Kuantan which was excellent. While in Kuantan we first checked out the old tin mining town of Sungai Lembing. Once the biggest of its kind in the world, the mostly hand dug tunnels are over 322km long and down to 700 meters. Sadly the tunnels are no longer safe, but the museum is excellent and the town itself is a perfect example of yesteryear. A converted house also make superb vegetarian “biskut Kuantan” crisp and crunchy and to die for.

Gua Cheras is in the same direction, but frankly is a disappointment and I will not add a photographic reminder. The Taoist Dragon Temple was next. Very contrived, but fun.

 
Temple of a 1000 Buddha’s was next. Not only a spectacular temple in a lovely setting, but the wonderful work done in the adjoining private hospital for the poor and needy, all funded by donation, is an eye opener.

Finally on our way back to KL, stopped at the Kuala Gandah elephant sanctuary. The sanctuary is extremely well done, entry free but donations gratefully accepted. While Deerland close by is a waste of time and money, the sanctuary has managed the almost impossible task of combining wildlife conservation…elephants and their care , rehabilitation and where possible release, with an excellent tourist attraction. The staff are dedicated and it shows. This is only a day trip from KL and the “start” time of around 1pm is easy and be prepared to stay quite a few hours.

I guess you can see the highlight of the trip for me lah!