Mini Escapism : Kemaman + Kuantan - Part 2

The sunrise hunters :

Af woke me up around 6 am as planned. It wasn't that hard to wake up because we all slept early the night before. So I woke Aja and Aja tried to wake Wati but failed :D Ma sarcastically said that it was way too easy for me to wake up for sunrise hunting than Subuh prayer :p Mihmihmih.

So only the 3 of us then. 

At first, we went to the Cherating Beach. When we arrived, it was still dark but it was at least 6:45 am - there should be a subtle light from the hidden sun in the sky. But there was none. We stayed for awhile, tried to explore the place but finally realized that the sun came up from behind the Cherating Hill so we might missed the first peak ! Af said that we should change the location and we drove to Pantai Mak Nik instead.

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From there we waited and waited for the sun. It was such a blue morning, the battalion of clouds were marching, there was no sun rises beneath the sea :( We finally missed it. We stayed until almost 8am before heading back to our homestay house with roti tulur for breakfast.

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Brunch at Warung Aziz Satar : 

Before we checked out, we managed to wash our car and vacuum our car. Now we know how hard it is to actually find time to clean it up especially when we are living in an apartment and park the car in the parking lot building. This was our 3rd time and it rained afterwards =.= 

We went to the same food stalls again for brunch. People weren't that many as the day before because we came not during peak hour. The foods for lunch were ready so we just decided to eat before we headed back to KL. I took my normal half rice, and ikan masak tempoyak with ulam. Those simple foods, but later one by one, new food came to our table. It was Aja again ! So there were sata, keropok lekor, sotong + udang goreng tepung, pulut mangga, and some more foods that I even forgot to list =,= Aja is one dangerous species, I tell you. She can make us all fat by these feasting habit of hers. Ha.

We were really full and happy :D

I don't know how I can survive the way back without dozing off.

After the feast, we said our goodbyes and decided to head home separately knowing that they want to shop for more food + souvenirs to bring back home and I want to explore more.

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The random stop :

This time we used google map - just so I can view the road myself and see if we can stop by anywhere. I saw one small road next to the beach with 2 exit and entrance - so I lead the way to the road just to see if it leads to somewhere nice. The small road looked abandoned but clean and well taken care. There were no tall wild grasses or forest-like bushes around, but kampung houses can be seen from afar. Af parked the car next to the beach's hill and we walked to the beach. 

It was an open view to a huge white beach ! No one was around - assuming it was lunch time and I guess people don't go there during hot afternoon. But it was nice and windy, the sea was really far ahead and tiny crabs were scattering.

I was so happy. The sand looked so white under the sun. We took several shots and a huge cloud came and blocked the sun, so it weren't that hot. 

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The Pandan Waterfall, Kuantan :

On the way back, we had to use the road to Kuantan to reach the highway. I saw a huge signboard about Air Terjun Pandan, Kuantan and decided that we should make a stop. I texted them in the Whatsapp group saying that Af and I were going to take a walk at the waterfall. 

About an hour later, we arrived at the area and saw my family was about to park their car as well. Hah.

There were many people swimming and having a picnic. So we walked some more deeper to reach the high view beautiful waterfall :D There was a long roped bridge to the other side - you can take a beautiful view of the waterfall here. If you are not afraid of heights. *Ma and Aja were, and we enjoyed scaring them with swaying the bridge while they walk.

We didn't went into the water, just dipped our feet to feel the cold water and sat on a huge rocks. Maybe next time we will have a proper picnic :)

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Mini Escapism : Kemaman + Kuantan - Part 1

Two of my cousins got married last weekend. Ma mentioned since early this month so we had to pushed aside other plans and went back to Pekan, Pahang together. They travelled that Friday while Af and I travelled back to Pekan on that Saturday morning because we worked on Friday as usual. It's been more than half a year since I went back - it was actually back on our wedding day last year. Ha :p

That morning before we started our journey, I visited their apartment to see how Awan was doing - she was left alone since a day ago. She greeted me with a lazy eyes because it was still early in the morning and no one was there - lazy bum. I re-added her food and water before bidding her adieu. My eyes and nose were all watery from all of her furs that I'm still allergic to. 

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It took around 3-4 hours to reach Pekan. We stopped by at R&R Temerloh for our late breakfast, there were a lot of people wearing nice dresses and kurungs. Perhaps they were all on their way to wedding as well :D We used Waze because honestly, I don't really know the road to Pekan - but I know the town when I get there. So Waze led us to use Lebuhraya Tun Razak that was still incomplete, with small road and packed with huge lorries and flying dirt :F It was way dangerous than the road that I usually took when I went back home - but I didn't mentioned that to Ma of course.

We finally reached the wedding by lunch time. Ma was about to leave because we were late :D We managed to freshen up and headed to the wedding. My sisters and Wati were there as well, while my brother *chose* to leave us to celebrate his birthday with a bunch of his old friends in Langkawi :F

After the wedding we started our next mini escapism to Kemaman, Terengganu ! 

This time, our mini escapism with the family.

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It took around 1 hour plus to arrive from Pekan to Kemaman.

Aja booked a homestay house in Kemaman for 1 day, 1 night. The house with 3 bedrooms and 2 toilets. Wati and Aja in the first room, Ra and Ma in the master bedroom while Af and I just sprawled in front of the tv in the living room instead of sleeping in the back room. We just took out 2 single tilam from the room. The back room was too creepy for me. 

That evening after we checked in, we went to the famous Warung Aziz Satar to buy some foods. The biggest difference between my usual escapisms with AF and with family is the food.  Aja and Wati are the biggest food hunter that I've known. They love food and they do travel to places for food. So we bought a lot of foods here : Sata, pais ikan, pulut panggang, otak-otak, keropok lekor, coconut & sugar cane water. For the 6 of us =.=

The foods were quite affordable than what we have in the city - but drinks was a bit too pricy for me, imagine paying RM 8 for 3 glasses of plastic cup drinks. Here is the map to the location : 

We brought the food to Pantai Teluk Mak Nik to have a evening picnic at the beach. 

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Pantai Teluk Mak Nik *or the gedik name : Monica Bay.

There were a lot of people at the beach. No one was swimming or playing in the water because the tide was a bit strong and seemed dangerous. Usually waves that I see were just those tiny cute ones, these waves were the strong ones. No wonder there were a lot of news reports and warnings about the strong winds at Pantai Timur lately.

So while they sat and enjoyed the food and the nice view. Af and I went on a sunset hunting. Note : In Pantai Timur, the sunset should be the opposite of the beach, but we can see the sunrise if we are lucky. We managed to get several nice shots near the really tall lalang area. 

The wind and waves were quite strong, with a nice cold weather. I don't want to imagine how those wind and waves on a really bad weather. It must be really awful :(

Click on the image for a panoramic view :

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That night, everyone was super exhausted. Ma slept off after Maghrib. Af watched some Chinese movie on TV while I read The 40 Rules of Love next to him, and Ra busy texting with Aiza next to me. Aja and Wati finally decided to buy some food from another famous stall that sells Meggi Ketam. I heated some left over foods from the wedding.

Everyone slept early, I guess we weren't as young as we thought we are anymore :D

Mini Escapism : Raub - Gambang - Kuantan

Our weekend spent mostly on the road. 

It started with Raub for Af's sister's wedding on Saturday to stopping by at Af's old office in Bukit Gambang Resort and sending Af's grandmother to Kuantan on Sunday, next we went to Raub again to send Af's mom and Nani, and lastly headed back to KL the same night. We had travelled approximately around 600km in 2 days :F

I went to Af's old building where we first had our Facetime.
The places he took his photos in his instagram when he was so out of reach from the civilization. The huge clouds marching from the highest building, the strong hot wind, our yesteryears.
It brings back a lot of bittersweet memories :(

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That night the moon shone so brightly from behind the hill, it went up slowly all the way to the high sky. We were in the car all night, I can even see Nani's face in the dark when there was no lights along some of the road on the highway.

The black sky was beautiful, and the moon was magnifique.
But we had to go back to our reality.

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