Kota Bharu

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The Islamic City of Malaysia.

The eight-and-a-half-hour bus trip from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu had only one toilet break - halfway. The temperature is 33 degrees celsius at 5 pm. Kota Bharu's claim to fame is being Malaysia's most Islamic city and all the women and girls are wearing the hijab. After finding a guesthouse, I relax with a nice cool drink of bottled air. Aaaah… air, which is Malaysian for water.

There aren’t many tourists here at the moment; military conflict near the border to the northeast may be contributing to this. The lack of tourists suits me just fine as it’s a change from the busy scenes in Kuala Lumpur. A visit to the war museum was interesting and informative.

( more info: http://ww2db.com/battle_spec.php?battle_id=47 )



Seni Silat and Wayang Kulit.

(15/10/08)

At the Kota Bharu Cultural Centre (Gelanggang Seni), there are many traditional recreational activities on display for visitors. A top-spinning game called Gasing Pangkah, where the object is to knock your opponent's top out of the ring. Chapteh - a kind of hacky sack using a shuttlecock (traditionally made from animal skin and feathers.) The main attraction is called Seni Silat - a traditional form of martial arts and dance. The fighters begin their dance-like movements accompanied by a small ensemble of musicians. The anticipation of a fight builds to a frenetic pace. But there is no actual fight, it’s a beautiful charade.

While making an audio recording of the Seni-Silat performance, I notice someone else doing the same thing. After we strike up a conversation, I discover that he’s from Japan and has been studying Gamelan in Indonesia for 3 years. The term Gamelan refers to a traditional musical ensemble in Indonesia. He speaks much better Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian language) than English, which in turn, allows me to practise my Indonesian. And has come to Kota Bharu to see a Wayang Kulit performance - a traditional form of theatre that uses shadow puppets, usually accompanied by a gamelan orchestra. And there’s a performance on here tonight at 9 pm.

The temperature is still hot and humid at 9 pm, at least 33 degrees. There’s a full moon and the feeling is electric. About a hundred people have gathered for the event; mostly locals and Malay tourists. The Sri Periuk Orchestra is assembled on a tiny stage. In front of them, but behind the screen, sits Omar Bin Hamat, the puppet master. Traditionally, the wayang performance is based on either one of the two major epics of ancient India - The Ramayana or Mahabharata. Sitting front and centre, mesmerised by the movements of the shadows sliding back and forth across the screen, I’m having the feeling of deja-vu. As the sweat is dripping and the mosquitos are feasting, everything is in its right place.

After an hour or so, I go behind the screen and sit with the musicians. All mingled together on this little island, soaking in this magical night under the full moon. The Japanese guy (S.C) talks to one of the musicians about wanting to purchase a Serunai (also known as Shehnai), a traditional reed instrument with origins in India; and acquires the name and address of a man who makes them. Three more hours, and it’s all over. Omar Bin Hamat and the Sri Periuk Orchestra have left the building.

In the early hours, we wander around the streets awed by our experience. It’s 1:30 am, and it’s still hot and humid. Back at the guest house, in my room I realise - it will always be hot and humid. I tell myself, to get used to it. I fall asleep and have strange dreams of far-off shadowlands, where everyone speaks in magical sounds.




The Dying or Sleeping Buddha?

(16/10/08)

After meeting up with S.C, we find ourselves walking along the bus-less road towards the 'Dying Buddha’. A large reclining statue of the Buddha, resting on his right hand; allegedly the position he was in when he died. Melting underneath the burning sun, I find some cardboard to shield myself, but this goes up in flames. Suggesting to S.C that we hitchhike, we start waving down trucks that are heading towards our desired destination. It doesn’t take long for one to stop and oblige.

Arriving at the temple, there is the sound of small explosions. Children are playing with fireworks. I take out my audio recorder, which looks very much like a stun gun. This provokes a slight pause in the noise and an onslaught of more firecrackers. Plastic guns are now being aimed and fired in our direction. We quickly depart and begin our search for the serunai maker.



The heat is on as we catch a taxi back towards town, along the palm tree-lined streets of outer Kota Bharu. We find the serunai craftsman sitting out front of his house. He invites us in, and demonstrates how he makes them. Then, after hearing this master musician play, S.C enquires about purchasing one. Unfortunately, the price is over his budget. We leave, grateful for the experience.

The humidity is building up and it’s even hotter than yesterday. The wet season is beginning. After saying goodbye to S.C, I catch a bus to the border. Walking across the bridge over Golok River to enter Thailand. I arrive at the immigration office to get my visa stamped. The government official studies my passport with great interest, more than usual. This is a dangerous area of Thailand. In the past few years, several bombs have killed many people. A reminder that intrepid travel can be risky and it’s probably a good idea to check the latest travel advice beforehand.

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Photos

Hacky Sack (sepak bulu ayam)
Also known as Chapteh

Comments

[Kanani]

Sounds great!
Am heading to Malaysia in a few days and hope to eventually cross into Thailand using the same border crossing near Kota Bharu. I found your website after searching for "hitchhike kelantan" on a google search. I'm hoping to hitchhike from KL to Kota Bharu. Had no idea about the wayang kulit performance. Hopefully, they still offer performances. Thanks for posting your photos and such a great blog entry!