happy trails, great food and techno birds

watching the storm closing in on us in a seafood restaurant in kuala selangor, our group was glad to have left kuala lumpur's traffic and ferris wheel. just an hour away from the city, we were already relaxed. the atmosphere was charming, the food was delicious, and we looked funny, observing with awe everything the local folk take for granted. r.gere, francois, nobird, weeli and yoohong and me. looking forward to an open coastal road to sitiawan.

congratulating ourselves once again for leaving the city, we headed off to our next destination - sungai tiang - a fishing village near teluk intan. it was a peaceful drive, as we stopped every now and then to observe the simplicity of our natural surroundings. eagles' peaceful easy feeling was playing on cd, while real life eagles spinned around in the sky occasionally.. now thats a rare combination of sight and sound!
sungai tiang got our minds off food for a while. everything about it was natural. the dwellings, the people, the surroundings was totally unpretentious. life is simple here, with very little demand for luxuries. the children are happy, but the elders must be tickled by us city folk who opt for the hustle and bustle, while yearning for peace and quiet. they are well aware of what the outside world has to offer, but seem quite content to be detached from it. smart folk.

as i was admiring a feathered friend perched just outside the house, our gracious host whipped out a frozen fish. "is this enough for our dinner?", he asked as he waved the huge fish at us ... oh yes .. it can actually last us a week! we decided to first wander around the fishing village before dinner. the village was ravaged by the tsunami, and experienced the sad loss of life and property. but life goes on, as they say, and the proud community continue the life they know, the way they best know it.

we seemed to be the only ones out and about in the village at the same, aside from some water hens and mudskippers. i wondered where everyone was. maybe they are fishing at sea. or maybe out to town to get supplies. or maybe just watching a chinese serial on astro. but with all that in mind, and the surrounding natural splendour, i still had dinner on my mind, and i was not the only one. someone pointed out that we had not eaten for almost five hours. now thats serious!

a short drive away, we reached a lovely restaurant surrounded by greenery and dilapidated buildings. and we reached heaven again once the food arrived, without the help of any spirits. everything - the crab, shellfish, fish - was unique, fresh, and tasted like it was prepared with at least 327 ingredients. and the cold beers assist in the uplifting experience.
we left the restaurant after the night settled in, stuffed and looking towards the next town. we drove into sitiawan an hour later, checked into a hotel, and wandered out for some beers, although the food had not actually settled. (that would take a week.) but having a beer in sitiawan was hazardous to the ears. loud techno music blared at every pub we walked into. and the only interesting birds were the feathered kind. buildings were reserved for swallows, and the cashflow their bird's nests generate.

but as they say .. what matters is the destination, not the journey. and we look forward to the next one.