... And Klonghae Floating Market in Hat Yai

I had always wanted to visit the floating market just to see what it was like. Yes, I definitely took pleasure in watching the people - mostly foreign tourists - and savouring the food on sale, the local cultural performance and just adored the scenic view, noise and people even though it was still HOT at that hour. The market started its operations at 5:00pm - local time. I would not mind returning here just to enjoy the place. There were a lot of local delicacies but we were so full after the heavy delicious lunch at Lampho beach about 20 minutes from Samila Beach. Look at the photos ... enjoy them ... ;-0))  (for Muslims - halal food was marked with the Halal logo or the moon&star symbol)
NOTE to self - come with an empty stomach so one could try the food available ...

The crowd gathered near the boats to check out the delicacies available .. the sellers sat on their boats (sampan)

The eggs are grilled instead of boiled. The colourful delicacies behind the eggs were miniature jellies with nuts in them - amazingly creative and attractive. Taste? Not sure as I did not try them ..

Beef soup - all the innards and fat of the cow ... 

I loved this - drinks were sold at 30 Bhats and put into ceramic containers or bamboos with their national orchid as gifts .. imaginative and original. 

Besides on the boats, there were also the stalls over the bridge and along the river banks. Tables and chairs were strewn all along the riverside for the crowd to sit and enjoy their chosen food .... I would still say cleanliness was maintained even though it was full of people being a weekend.

Exotic insects for anybody interested  ....

Further up the lane, there was a temple with this baby elephant - you could buy some food and fed it

The throng of people checking out the variety of things offered

I loved this concept of environment friendly wrappers - instead of plastic or paper, they used banana leaf

The colourful candy floss - multi flavoured

The finale - the traditional dance ... I took this photo by climbing up the stairs to the musicians' platform ... they kept looking at me but I ignored them and quickly took my shot ... ;-))) ... yes, I would definitely come again just to bask in this vibrant, fascinating, multicoloured and lively atmosphere.

A Sojourn to Songkhla

That weekend, Noor's sister asked us to join her family for a day trip to Hat Yai and Songkhla. I had not been to Thailand since the boys were in primary school. Thus, we agreed and went along. It was a HOT and scorching, burning day. We went to Cape Samila Beach. The waves were very strong and the wind was blowing its heart out. Hot but windy. One thing that caught my attention was the cleanliness of the area compare to Teluk Batik which I visited a few days before. There were red flags stuck to the beach everywhere - a warning that the sea was too rough for a swim. The crowd was there as it was a weekend. A van went around the beach area giving the warning about the strong waves and not allowed to go swimming. Actually, we did not understand what was being announced ... we assumed ... :-0))  ... let the pictures speak for itself ...

The crowd was there as it was a Sunday .

The warning labels at the counter of the immigration  ...

Cape Samila Beach ... white and expansive sandy beach. Its very popular with the local and foreign tourists alike. The area is clean - for me it was the main attraction. There were lots of fir trees and a summer house which reminded me of the summer house at CHIJ Malacca primary school. The main attraction was of course the golden mermaid statue.It was so hot to go near for photos. I drank a lot of coconut water. It was a very popular drink and by-products of the coconut. There were a lot of stalls selling souvenirs, local food and activities for children such as horse riding, kite-flying and various games. Most locals came just to relax, play at the sea side and lounging around enjoying the strong winds and sandy beach. I would definitely come again just for spending time at the beach and enjoying people watching ... ;-p))

The statue of a man reading ... on the way to the beach you will pass by this guy  sitting in the middle of the roundabout

The plaque that was next to the statue

A by-product of coconut - coconut flesh, glutinous rice (pulut), coconut ice-cream and peanuts ... yummy ....

Walking towards the summer house for some shade ...

The souvenir and food stalls lining up the walkway near the beach

The eggs were grilled not boiled ...

Taking A Break ...

Akmal was back for a two-week break. We attended Zaki's wedding (16 January 2016) and fulfilled our filial piety duty towards Noor's mother aka Akmal's grandmother. I did not feel like returning home yet so Noor suggested we dropped by Lumut and a day sojourn to Pangkor Island. We had never been to Pangkor Island so with Akmal and Ikram in tow, we drove to Lumut taking the old route instead of the highway. We used to travel along this road before the highway was completed. A lot of changes and development had taken place. It was a sight to enjoy and a break from the monotonous highway view. We spent a night at Teluk Batik and proceeded to Pangkor Island the next morning.

Teluk Batik was very quiet due to a working and schooling week. Only the navy guys were around having their training. I took a lone, solitary walk along the quiet bay early in the morning since the others would rather catch up with their beauty sleep. It was just me, my thoughts and my memories of the beach. It was refreshing, cooling and the calm sea was soothing to the soul. I loved it. Alone but never lonely.

We packed our bags and proceeded to Pangkor Island. It was only a thirty minute boat ride at RM10 for a return ticket. Most probably because it was a weekday. I thought we would enjoy the boat ride .... but an entourage of tourists from China came on board and conquered every space, nook and corner .... They were busy taking photos, selfies and groupies that our view was blocked. I purposely went up the upper deck where it was open aired and they were there too. We just smiled at them and made the best of the situation.

How do I find Pangkor Island? Nothing much except for the beaches. I did not like the winding hilly roads and the heat was terrible on that day. It was so hot and humid that I had a headache .. and the roads were all one way that if you started from the town ... all you could do was drove on one large circle around the island and you ended up in the town again .... No, I do not think I will pay a second visit .....

Lumut Jetty Terminal

Some of the group members from China taking over the boat space

The ferry to Pangkor Island ... we took the upper deck for the view

The view from the ferry

A Navy Ship docked at Beaufort Naval Shipyard

To mark a large stone in the waters

One of the many towers along the road for viewing purposes

The view taken from the tower above - breathtaking - courtesy of Akmal's expertise

Putrajaya In Pictures ...

View from Putrajaya Lake Club

View of Masjid Putra, the iconic reddish pink mosque which had the concept of Masjidil Haram in Mecca namely the toilets are all underground. It has an open-air concept. Lots of doors or open spaces which gives one a feeling that the mosque never closes its doors. I love it as closed up areas gives me claustrophobia. The mosque is imposing, magnificent and huge ....but it cannot compare to Masjidil Haram which is majestic and overwhelming. Yet these two mosques have something in common. It is all-embracing, cooling, refreshing and welcoming anybody with wide, open arms. I feel a sense of peace in here. This is my first time being in this mosque ....

Here are other views of the area around Putrajaya  ...

I especially love this photo of Istana Selangor from the view of the lake. I love the shimmering lake where the sun is shining over it reflecting the end of the daylight ...

Credits go to Willie, who painstakingly and lovingly took all these photos for me to commemorate them in my blog. This was also the first time I visited Putrajaya besides the government offices. These photos are all from his viewpoint. May you reviewers enjoy them and one day, take time to visit and enjoy them as much as I have done.