Kuantan is a coastal township about 300kms east from Kuala Lumpur. It's the capital of Pahang, the largest state in West Malaysia. We started our ride early in the morning with 3 'pit' stops for breaks. When we stopped at a rest area (Petronas petrol station) somewhere along the highway to Kuantan, I noticed that some things remains unchanged.
I noticed a family next to our table enjoying early lunch/brunch. Nothing unusual, you might say but mind you, it was home-cooked meals not the one ordered from the cafe!! Some 20 years ago, we used to sight similar happenings when we used to ply the southern region. Back then, they used to stop along the trunk roads, place their mats/ big cloth on the grounds near shady areas, now there's tables and chairs for comfort. The end result is the same but the mechanics has changed somewhat, nostalgic.
Another sight that I've not seen in a long time was teenagers or adults riding motorbikes without a care in the world. I witnessed this when we were cruising along the coastal stretch from Kuantan to Cherating. I saw children and adults alike, riding on their bikes without helmets or having 2-3 pillion riders! I used to do that some 3 decades ago when there were fewer vehicles and safety helmets laws were not implemented. Despite safety laws and being a developing country, I'm glad I still get to see things like these still happening before it totally goes into oblivion. Though it is dangerous and risky but when one is living in a kampung (village), well, life is simple and free from laws because the police officer is your neighbor/uncle/friend's father/relative/or someone somewhere is related!! A friendly warning and one is let off the hook!
Another sight to behold is the swimming pool at Swiss Garden resort where rocker57 and I had our afternoon tea. Scores of families were seen frolicking in and around the pool. In spite of rules that swimsuits/swimwears are a must, we see people going in with long pants, long T's, sweatpants, etc. Credit must be given to those who wore swimsuits and to the Muslim ladies that bought swimming attires that befit their religion, albeit all wrapped up but it Lycra material! Kudos to the swim wear company that put deep thoughts for our Muslim population so that they can still enjoy swimming in public without exposing themselves.
Ah...I went back in time during my 3D/2N stay at Kuantan...Priceless!
1 comment:
I feel the same way too. Nostalgia is a powerful emotion, bringing back carefree childhood memories that we hold close to our hearts. As an analogy, my kids don't understand why i love cycling, well ... because cycling was my main mode of transportation as a kid. It allowed me to go farther than i was able to walked to and the freedome to come and go as i wished. Besides biking is a great way for sightseeing as you can "see" more on a bike than when driving around in a car. Biking along the shores with the wind in your face ... ahhh.. Priceless ! ;)
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