Wednesday 29 September 2010

BRUNEI WATERFALL .... TASIK LAMA


KNOWing  ....... OUR OWN COUNTRY

Going to Tasik Lama would not be too difficult....    
      The question is where.. ???   what.. ???     why..???
....... so .... a simple directional way to find ....
If U're driving from Bandar, make sure U pass the traffic lights at SMSMJA and go a little further to take U turn n then down turn left...

If U're from Gadong or Bandar through Jalan Kumbang Pasang U'll first stop at traffic lights to follow Jalan Sekolah as U'll pass 4 major schools - STPRI, SRRIF, SMSMJA n SOASC, till another after traffic lights n U turn right then left...
so...
If U're from up Jalan Kebangsaan..just straight but beware of d'2 Traffic Lights - to Mabohai ..but keep left to Bandar n don't miss to turn left too....look at sign boards...and the label of Jalan Tasik Lama...   there U're.

Yes...  waterfall..  'air terjun'...(as in Malay).. here at the heart of BSB!!!...only during heavy...rainy season d' hessing sound loud enough to be heard... dry season would be quite...but  another  sound n smelt - leaves cleaner machines  ??? ...  U're here for reasons...  jogging,  relaxing,  watching, spying, photographing... for wild birds, wild monkeys, wild flowers.... BUT reasons might varies if U're ..families, youngstars, teenages, students...or if U're..individualist, veteran, aged...may be..tourist heard about this through website..."just a stone throw"...so n so... many things can be done if U got innovative ideas... eeh!!!

"Tasik Lama"  (Old Lake) becomes ...important asset... as concerned ... many students with teachers did come for simple research .. references .... for basic ...studies....local nearer availability ....soils...the river...d' tasik history.. d' plants... location... surveying.. living things ... bio.. etc.. so more..... as never being thought ..... discussed ...argued..
If U're interested, lets' refer to old history of water supply in 'Pekan Brunei'........
Remember..... our Sultan also had several morning walkS ... as meeting place here ... when former Prime Minister Ahmad Badewi came to Brunei...(first but Not last)......nn.. so ..d' beginnings ..... ViPs  place...!! (for sure)
 

Unlike d' stadium...here. the hilly surroundings were the best natural exercises location ever provided by the BSB authority.... Clay tracks as well as special rubber padded tracks  made by early people n the town authority.. pass through many places..... U have many choices... providing ..how long U're ready to go... 10min.. 20min... 40min... 1hour... 2hours... etc.. 

....here I did regularly went through  short route ....with d' company... wife ...daughters ...children (taken one as in pictures) ...d' journey took...... only 20 to 30 minutes...IF uu wish.... the faster U're the shorter d' time...


On top of the hill next to d' Lake -  clearly be seen, a tower called "Menara Taman Peranginan Tasik Lama" is availabled to be captured ' walk in ..UP' .....so if U wish... too.... a place to explore more, look...d' open space nn... see d' skyline ....around...green ....blue ...eeem... not too high... but clearly ... see farther...as Uu're could see...
.... what Uu could NEVer ..expect.... other places..... in Brunei....(of coZ...views.... make d' differences)



Nice to have camera ready......
                  .......for panorama, fantastic views ...... 
          DOn't FOrget ......d' lake is behind U.



Going down the hill through the road... meet 2 more clay junctions n steps going up... on the left side tracks further to higher locations... U could go far... but make sure with company of few friends... Unlike Bukit Shahbandar.... this place .. Tasik Lama...had never heard d' news,  people lost their ways out.... Don't  know.... why ??..

Nice...local ferns... uduk-uduk.. nn.... simpur flowers.....
...the symbol of our forest natural plants.....  USed... it 
........during d' last SEA games...we 're d' HOst.......
                              ......(next ...to host..2019... so be..ready...)


TWo playgrounds available for children to play...a bridge crosses the river and on the river - many living things... including this animal.. amphibian ....kah ni, lupa udah!! ...biawak... big lizard - could walk...on land ..nn.... swim ...in.. water...eeh.

LOOK..... convenient... comfort....Even the walking tracks are padded with rubber...  wah... soft and dry...n safety too....


The waterfall... just nice day coz' raining at night allowed heavy downpour...amount of water stored at the lake overflowed....   nn...here we're....  nn .. look......
...what....are d' differences .... IF Uu're here...during dry season ... !!!



OOLd picture.... just to share...  
        ......rare... pictures' collections too....(look at date ...aaa)

Once upon a time... (COUld BE ... long time ago ) when I was small  nn.. my late father was only 29  (woww...) at that time... we already explored. .. here .... waa....imagine...a loooonngg time....ago ....ehhh .....as a proof...my father's handwriting is clearly be seen written d' moment date... what a picture'.... my sister ... Masnona,  cousins...PHj Mohammad ... right, nn ...  PHj Yahya... far ..left.
...(Picture... shown.. the grass must be wild enough ..... eeh... no grass cutter..ah)

Late Father , eldest sister .... gwing ...aaa 

My father was a government servant, an argiculture officer, he was one of  earlier students went to GO... further courses at Serdang College, Malaya...( Now ..upgraded to become...University).  He was also undergone agricultural course in Singapore .. also in earlier years... 50s.....at Botany Garden..Singapore ...

Actually ... my father was given a government-quarters...so.. the house was a bungalow (with short stills type)...so ..the location was somewhere (now at d' mid ....T junction  in Jalan Lintang ...three floors housing ),... very near to SOASC... so...Tasik LAMa ... considered a short distant walked with my father nn cousins to this waterfall place...


The new Tasik is refreshing.... Uu could be expecting to see  many things, to cater all ages ... young ..old ....including the reflexology stones for those dare to walk with bare foot...(but keep in mind...Uu ..always want to keep FIT...) Uu're welcomed.. to come here nn look around.. won't take long.... other things also have here to serve for younger energetic people too ...ahh .... journey ....as long as Uu could do ..... in ..hours .....
       follow d' jungle.. TRAcks ...       ...walking ....jogging....
         .....(now....... tracks' MAP guide .... available...here..)
Children place ... (safe to leave them roaming..playing..) .....with rubber ... playground ...absulately ...FRee..


A stage just overlooking the enterance... a best for rest place when U're tired... and occasionally...a group of ladies... men too... have some music, sometimes....  practising 'Tai Chi'... a slow motion but... effective excercises for anybody interested... either old ... young.... ( NO barrier...) ....open to Uu to join IN ... if U like too... buuttt.... bE ...early biRds...ok ....morning...lahhh

Lilly like flowers (white with soft branch)...don't know the bio-flower name!!... it grows up right but... to grow ...around it must have a lot of water... not wild, selected ..as import plants ... here.

REally.....interested ... Great Interest to BE ...here.... !!!

The NOTICE board ...gives as reminder.. attention, please.. 
           .....to all ...VISITORs ....WHy...NOT... ..???
By Understanding ... looking at IT ...U might have OWn..perceptions ...to ..understand...2 different visions..
I meant.. some Bruneians nn foregins aliked... are sooo stubborn.. .....as nowadays People increasingly NOt ....or...  never understand...  so  Should we BE punished ....or d' best... to be ...fined??? Ok....Yesss... should learn... a lesson... the hard way...???
                       
LOOK TOp ...picture.....
Clearly...the logo as a symbol...somebody ......
                                       ..........throws rubbish on the back side... 
THought ...1stly... no body see UUUuu !!!!
                                          ..a symbolic  .....kah   ..ka...


Here... ok....just read the passage....
As ..... scanned  to share .... to read... as a reminder... 
                                  .......eeemmm  to all.......  ???
 

BORNEO BULLETIN, Wednesday 29 September 2010


New added DIRECTIONAL picture  ...... 
........at d' front Gate Entrance     .................. February 2011


 
Tracks Directional routes are shown nn placed  
                   at three different places...  as shown here..






....... d' bridge erected ...(around May 2011).. to replace d' old using trunks ...old trees crossing ....d' river .... seasonal  fast going streams on top of d' hill .........nearing d' waterfalls..........



Old Pictures 2007...added


Monday 27 September 2010

PEMODA "RAYA" RIDE TO KUALA BELAIT




SUNDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER...
10.00am was the schedule time given for those wanted to join Raya Ride To Belait..... giving space times for later comers too... PEMODA never too narrow or rigit to allow the timing... soon the front leader as a captain Marshal - Pg Hj Redzuan blew the whisle....bikers  be ready.... leaving Jerudong Play Ground around 10.45am... the front runners - occupied by ladies bikers.... unknown, unless they took off the helmets....
The weather good, stopped to refill petrol at Kg Danau Filling Station... some bikers joined... well known white police liked GoldWing ....who?? followed from d' popular KK Koya.... a few bikers having their rest there.....




The convoy of about 30 PEMODA bikers proceeded up to Kuala Belait road but turned right near Seria...  and turned left... to Perpindahan housing area...   just followed the leader ....and    ...where were we?.... Mumong ...???



PEMODA Belait bikers were here already... bikes....bikes... customize bikes...sport bikes...touring.. easy rides... so... n...so



 All bikers arrived at the destination at noon time...   assembled motors....Jimmy with daughter  n everybody... with  empty stomach ...  and too hungry too.........





 PEMODA host for this Raya Ride was Md Daud Haji Timin...formely PEMODA committee members as Asst. Treasury .




The group picture was taken after  everybody had taken the food ...their stomach already full... lol....so no mad and no wild bikers at this stage.... some already went outside... especially...smokers.... remainders were all..... not to say good but.. might be disciplined bikers...



DOA before n after "makan" was somehow a must so we PEMODA could get the bless from "ALLAH"



Everybody seemed roaming around...what happened ???   Could be..looking for plates...ah


The human beings also like other animals.... stomach full....  they'll keep quite... or others leaving..   but...
somehow....someone must.....Not forgetting to say thank Uuuuu ...... lah..

The bikers rode back... some on the way turned left to the recreation area...  another place to rest... others straight ..n.. stopped at Pantai Seri Kenangan... a break for a few cups of cold drinks...n soon...rode home..


HJH NITA, ERNIE/BAYU N PHJ KHAIRIL ,,"OPEN HOUSE"






Syafiq was too young to know his father   ... 2nd younger brother  to PHj Khairil... got own accident at Jalan Kebangsaan and was in 'coma' that never recovered..... al fatihah...

 





Week end.. the best day to spend with families.... so Hjh Anita prepared n invited relatives, friends n colleagues of bank to her house ... 'Raya' is usually the best time to serve n invite people come to visit us.... nowadays.. everybody seem too busy...busy...  yeh..
 





Bayu n Ernie.... were also prepared  for 'Open House' too...  still Syawal month.... it was on d'17th to 18th... funny enough...during first few days of Syawal... nobody were at home when visited...
Their mother is my second elder sister    .... quite a few grandchildren now...   sorry NOT all in the pictures... too many n they missed...of coz


 



Time to reconciling d' blood sisters too...  good to be visited by the elder sisters of the other mother ....  better to know each other, giving guardiance especially the younger generation to know the reality....





The next day, Sunday was another 'Open House' at PHj Khairil... n wife Hjh Mas.....missed to capture the photo of the two other younger children...too...
Nice hot menu today..... Roti... panas...panas




Cousin, Phj Yahya - wife n family, her daughter will be graduated with 2nd Upper, this coming UBD Graduation day,... cousion in law, Hj Suhaili together with grand children... (wife just passed away a few months ago...PHjh Fatimah.. al fatihah...)  make the athmosphere more to raya time...  almost same age Yaza n Baseed, 2nd cousin... too were here...    along...long time ago,  they got picture together too.... Yaza an airforce officer, and Baseed a graduated Banker..... what a world..!!


A nice picture together as a rememberance.....
...say ...cheeezee....


Sunday 26 September 2010

FLY BACK TO SCHOOL ............ ABERDEEN UNI, UK


SATURDAY25TH SEPTEMBER
Brunei Airport at the end of the month seemed liked the 'Gerai Ramadan'... probabaly there 're two seasonals packed fully booked flights. This month, flights have to be booked earlier. Students go abroad for further studies or some back to school after a long holiday.
Next time will be "Haji Time"..   coming soon next month!!!!   ..    
Two hours periods between 6 and 8pm were the peak-time, people meet people at the airport.... lucky too..met friends n relatives...still 'Raya Time'....eeeh...  maaf bemaafan

 

This year most students on holidays were not in rushed because they were able spent times with their loved ones during 'Raya'...


Airport now the meeting place...
                                 what a small world???
The roads on both sides were full with parked cars... neither care parked areas...


Just to remind....    a target place nextyear...insyallah...!!!
Aberdeen is a quite northern city of UK....   a good cold windy place. Hire a car with d' GPS at Aberdeen Airport, U could spend wonderful times... go to south cities, n to d' west cities .... if U're travellers !!!... or otherwise U waste U're stay... U won't be able to see again when U're home... farrrr east....





Wednesday 22 September 2010

PHUKET BIKE WEEK 2010




YAMAHA EXPEDITION was targeting one of the most establishing and popular bike festival in Thailand. So our journey would not be as a coincidence with "PHUKET BIKE WEEK" in the coming week. To add more, the location was the place where  the tsunami took place a few years back....    what a history...!!!







Bukit Hitam is a popular spot before crossing the border to DANNOK. This is a little town soon U step cross the border. Similar to Sungai Tujoh, but we have to travel to Miri. At a filling station, a brief was called for the smoothest way to pass through border immigration and custom. Two hired marshals, each cost RM $200 plus free hotel, would took place d' two Police riders as they on duty n not allowed to cross d' border and had to wait for us. Compensation paid RM$100 each a day n hotel. The money changer officers were helpful to charge only RM$2each , for d'documents' printed forms out immediately soon we gave details of our vehicles....better then we expected..!!!


Surprisingly, at  immigration.. passport smooth charging cost  B20 (about RM$2.00)  n  custom..ok... then  crossing the border... the buildings tall enough, squeezing the streets.. Together, first..had a refreshment and filled our stomach at the Muslim Restaurant, before rode another 2 to 3 hours journey to Had Yai...another  place to rest... arriving to closer evening an hour 'Thailang time' deducted from our formal time....



Golden Crown Hotel, Had Yai was a good low cost. We didn't have problems, there were so many Muslim foods here...the buildings nearby were closed tight, the same looked at any Thais towns. Breakfast by our own n the coffeshop just front-left outside of our hotel, .. and be ready n packed early for the morning ride to Phuket...  DOA was a must from our second in command for DOA - Hj Sulaiman,  before leaving hotel....



We 're no hurry riding, the roads were broad and quite good comparing to some roads in Brunei... Cars... heavy vehicles and motorcycles all the way... not quiet roads really .... but...we got times to relax and took photographs...
Time to stop for refill...  imagine, the cost of petrol in M'sia... but here...U've to rethink.... no wonder U can get easy money by smuggling petrol..???






By noon, we already entering PHUKET border, which meant travelling times could be another 2 more hours... Malaysian marshals advised us to stop for lunch...not too much worrying....as usually we got easilly tired n sleepy if stomach full...waa...
The Phuket Bike Week committees station here, welcomed all the paticipants just entered this area... either U 're given free coupons....for whatt... all sorts to promote their business..   lah.. 
Some would refill petrol...some took refreshments....n fill stomach too...
Zooom...so soon after that... heading for Phuket... an island !!    An island is surrounded by water...of coz...
There was a gateway to enter d' island, U won't feel if U just looked and followed the front leader....eeeh





Hotel brochure could be easily found at the Reception - Ground Floor.




The hotels here served and promoted 'Phuket Bike Week'....       no wonder the success......
We  booked and placed in 'Thantip Villa'....once a disaster area.... the tsunami came to destroy parts of the  the hotel, luckly -  a little further PATONG beach. Thai Government helped most of the destroyed frontage hotels here...  lucky too....  no wonder 'Tourists' were d' most main source of income here....    no people...no money...!!!! as simple as that..!!!...U never know tsunami was here before....
  

 
 


The stalls at Patong Beach opened at 5pm in the evening....   all sorts of selling things... all about MOTORING....  U would happy to see all kinds of people... young-old aliked n international mixed races... Music also performed by popular local artists here... celebrities people at the Concert mainly to entertain the visitors in this festival...  not our culture...but... just enjoyed  d' atmosphere.....




Free times could be useful...  especially renting a motor for just B20 a day = B$10 only....   Just left behind our big bikes at hotel, n used small kapcai motor  ??? .....refilled a bottle petrol - about a litre, n you could spend a whole day with the motor....24hooours...   yoww







Saturday was the 'Opening Ceremony'... the bikes and the riders were all asked together on the ground to fill the vacant.
The amount of all gatherings supposed to fill like the design below 'PHUKET 2010'..... watch...see n suggest the similarity design....reasons too..  ???
  

T shirt design

Air plane and helicopter took films n photos from above.....   so when fulfilled the design required, the gathering dispersed.... everybody went to their motors for a special opening rides....!!!!


The other day U free...with marshals gave directions... here we were at the factory outlets...   shopping... shopping times...eeeh.... money...money     ....either U thought cheappp..     buying opportunities...
Money changers ...everywhere...easy change to Thais...

Nice view....of f d'beach...PATONG.....no wonder U're popular....and NO wonder the TSUNAMI came here.... ???


Night lights were glamorous...   n people came from as far east and west...alike too...

  



Time to go home.... spending three nights were never enough...  but Ur purse getting thinner everyday passed by... arrived on d' 9th n leaving today Monday 12th April..

Aslan...the marshal...eeh too confusing now...got two police escorts.. Azar n Jeff (waiting at Bukit Hitam) ...not too sure...names suddenly gone...  got the arrows to show the two M'sian marshals n our backup van's driver.... long name.... eeh
Today was d'10th day - a night in Kedah...zooom...to KL, another 3 more nights......   see UUUUUUUUU..