crew retr-EAT!

EAT-ssentially, our Retr-EAT was mostly about EAT-ing… apart from that, we did make trips to Gua Tempurung and Lata Kinjang. It was a great and satisfying (with reference to the food of course) time away from the hustle and bustle of city life, made sweeter by the company of some really fun people.

A group photo – super imposed on Lata Kinjang waterfall
(photo courtesy of Monica)

Day 1 – Dinner @ Grand Kampar Hotel
(photo courtesy of Oli)

Day 2 – Gua Tempurung
(photo courtesy of Oli)

Day 2 – Lata Kinjang
(photo courtesy of Oli)

Day 3 – Breakfast in Ipoh
(photo courtesy of Oli)

Bagan Lalang

I first came to know about this place some 4 years back when a group of us from church decided to find some not too far away beach for a simple retreat. Back then, all we were looking for was a place to just rest, relax and interact. It was a package by the hotel, and as such, all our meals were provided and we only made one trip to the beach to walk around.

It was only about a year after that my sister mentioned wanting to check out this place for it’s sun set, after which I also discovered that it is also well known for it’s fresh and cheap seafood – mainly “ikan bakar” (barbecued fish).

Anyway, I didn’t get to savour either until recently when I made a trip there with Lydia. The journey takes about an hour from KL (we were at Woh Fatt earlier in the day). I don’t think it’s that hard to find – but since I used GPS to get there, I didn’t really pay that much attention to the landmarks on the way there. But basically, it’s not too far away from KLIA and Sepang F1 Circuit.

We managed to reach Bagan Lalang around 5pm to bask in the sun a little, while waiting for the sun to set. It was a beautiful sight (as all sun sets are). However, the waters aren’t pristine, with much debris to be found.

While we were enjoying the sun set, we start to smell the aroma of fresh fish being barbecued – leading us to roam the beach front in search of the eatery with the best smell! There are at least 5 large eateries along that strip. All serve Malay Cuisine, mostly majoring in “ikan bakar”. We soon decided on where we wanted to eat and were pretty lucky to find a place to seat, considering that it was around 8pm during the fasting month. Ordering food was pretty simple. Just walk up to the fresh produce counter, pick out what you want, tell them how you want it down and head back over to your seat to enjoy some fresh coconuts while waiting for the food to be done.

All in, we had 3 squids, 2 pieces of cuttle fish, 1 Tenggiri fish (Mackerel, I think) and one serving of mixed vegetables. We basically ordered more than enough for the both of us. Could have easily fed another person. But the surprise was when we paid for our food. I was thinking that it would cost around RM50 or so. To my astonishment, the cashier said “Dua Puluh Sembilan Ringgit, Sembilan Puluh Sen”. I obviously didn’t argue with him, paid up and left a satisfied customer.

In summary, if “ikan bakar” is what you’re looking for, Bagan Lalang’s the place to go. Fresh, cheap and with yummy coconuts to go with it. Be warned though, your journey home could be a dangerous one… as was mine. Due to the amount of food intake, I actually started to fall asleep at the wheel. Lydia eventually drove back most of the journey. Heh.

Well, I’ll leave you guys with a a simple map showing the whereabouts of Bagan Lalang (indicated by Hotel Seri Malaysia’s logo) with some major landmarks indicated.

August Report

It’s been more than a month since I last blogged. Not that nothing has happened – lots have – just that I never got down to penning it down. The fact that I don’t have internet at home anymore doesn’t really help… Anyway, here’s what I’ve been up to in the last month or so…

Aug 1 – Family Dinner @ Damansara Palace
Aug 2 – Wedding Dinner @ Sime Darby Convention Centre
Aug 4 – Birthday Dinner treat from sis @ Delicious
Aug 5 – My Birthday!! Had loads of cheese cake
Aug 6 – Birthday Dinner treat from friends @ Celadon, Pavilion
Aug 8 – Birthday Buffet Lunch with family @ GE Mall (forgot the eatery’s name)
Aug 9 – Dinner with Lydia @ Waterlily, Puchong
Aug 12 – Birthday Dinner Treat from Cell Leaders @ Ampang (home cooked food – the best!)
Aug 16 – Appreciation Lunch for Zone Pastor @ Bakeroni Cafe, Taman Desa
Aug 23 – Dinner @ Esquire Kitchen before watching UP (in 3D) in Sunway Piramid
Aug 29 – Guitar Hunting (for some kids from church) followed by an outing to Bagan Lalang for an wonderful sunset and fresh & cheap seafood with Lydia
Aug 30 ~ Sept 1 – Dew (Media) Crew Retreat to Kampar and Ipoh (I’m sure you can already guess what the main activity was)

So there you go! Hope to blog in more detail on some of the things I did last month over the next few days… Till then!

Broga Hills

After seeing several photos and hearing a handful stories from friends and even on blogs – i finally hiked broga hills!

I must say I was not disappointed! It was generally an easy hike (compared to Bukit Tabur, Melawati), minus the fact that it had drizzled earlier in the day making the path a little slippery. I didn’t really take note of the time we started and ended, but all in all, hiking plus enjoying the scenery and cool fresh air, we took about slightly more than 2 hours?

One of the reasons why the hike took longer than what some of my friends had earlier quoted was because we started our hike at about 745am, at which at that point, there were already throngs of people coming down already. Basically, we experienced congestion at several points of the hike upwards. There were all sorts of people… we saw elderly folks (maybe in their late 50s?), a lady walking her dog (???) and even a little kiddo (probably 3 to 4 years old at most).

Anyway, that activity marks the end of a long and memorable weekend. For now, I’m just gonna get some much needed rest. And don’t even remind me tomorrow’s Monday! LOL!

Cheerio!