Out of curiosity I drive inside the road… it was a small road…in the first few kilometers… the road seem nice… both side have tress and the road seem clean.

However, after I drive for a while, somehow I feel different… reason? there are lots of dry leaf on the road… the branch of the tree hanging very low and I think some of them nearly reach the top of the car that I drive… still there are no signboard or anything (the only sign board that I can see from time to time is stated that the area is a forest reserved)…

I keep on driving…

At one time I see few jungle fowl on the road… some monitor lizards (Varanus salvator species) crawling on the road slowly while watching me… seem like it is ‘tame’, maybe didn’t see anyone for a while… well, this is in the middle of the reserve forest and it is only 5 KM from the Thailand border… it was a place deep in the jungle with no mobile phone line and I think not many people go inside!!

On a second thought, actually the view is not bad, there are ‘fog’ coming out of the bitumen road (even it is 2 pm)…

I drive up many kilometer inside… the more the faster I drive ( I eagerly want to pass the area to go to the other place)… and finally I reach a ‘resort’… It was the “Perkampungan Utara Resort”… it is just an abandon place that look ‘scary’… I feel uneasy at that time… well, from outside, no signboard mention that this is just an abandon place.. and I have drive in so far… I hope I can go out from the other side so I don’t need to pass by the earlier place.

I drive another 3 KM inside… and to my shock it is the end of the road!!! there are no way out from there except I drive back using the same way!!! I think you may think that I am afraid of the spooky thing… but actually at that time, the only things that I remember is the safety of my family (I drive in with my family)… what happen if I meet with some one that have bad intention? this is very deep in the jungle with no way out and if something happen no one may come inside and found us!!!

I never have a good look at the end of the road (it was actually the gate of another resort).. that place is used to be “Mutiara Pedu Lake Resort” I think… I immediately make u turn and drive out as fast as I can.

We didn’t really talk anything on the way out… both of us worries… I drive out very fast even the road is very small and it is very risky if someone drive from the apposite site!

On the way out, I saw many birds which stay on the roadside and fly when my car come near them… there are one wildboar which again seem ‘tame’ and not really run away when my car pass by (even I drive very fast)…

The luck is still with me, all of us safely come out and we didn’t meet with anyone one the way out… I really feel relief… when we reach the main road, we still can see few car but I am quiet sure that not many of them will try to go in…

What I want to highlight here is that, the area is a very risky area!!!… without any signboard outside mentioning that the place has been abandon and it is only a dead end!!! what happen if someone like me go drive inside and meet with some robber?? there are no other way out and there are no way to call for help!!

Out of many trip that I make (I normally like to have a ‘quick’ trip everywhere to and take photo)… this is the most ‘risky’ trip that I ever make… I am glad nothing happen to us on that trip.

If you pass by the area, I am sure you will still see the ‘nice’ and sign board that ‘still look very new’ from the main road stated “Pedu Lake Resort”… please take my advice, if you are alone or didn’t go in large group or with someone which very good in escaping or live in a jungle… do not enter into that path

In Thai or siamese community in Malaysia, they believed that in certain days in the year, the hungry ghost (or preta) is released from hell and they visit the human world. During this time, they will have a ceremony which basically offer food for donation to the monk with the hope that any of their relative or ancestors which may get into the hungry ghost realms to get some food from them.

In wiki, hungry ghost or preta is describe as below:

In Buddhist Psychology at least, Hungry Ghosts are ghosts only in the sense of not being fully alive; not fully capable of living and appreciating what the moment has to offer. Although the Eastern terminology and metaphor is very different, the concept has strong parallels with similar concepts in Western Psychology.

In his book Thoughts Without a Thinker, Mark Epstein paints a picture connecting these two viewpoints:

The Hungry Ghosts are probably the most vividly drawn metaphors in the Wheel of Life. Phantomlike creatures with withered limbs, grossly bloated bellies, and long thin necks, the Hungry Ghosts in many ways represent a fusion of rage and desire. Tormented by unfulfilled cravings and insatiably demanding of impossible satisfactions, the Hungry Ghosts are searching for gratification for old unfulfilled needs whose time has passed. They are beings who have uncovered a terrible emptiness within themselves, who cannot see the impossibility of correcting something that has already happened. Their ghostlike state represents their attachment to the past

This ceremony can be seen every year in any siamese temple in Malaysia. Some of you might think that it is very ‘old believed’ and it is not even practices in many location even in Thailand, however I think it is an interesting and ‘exotic’ culture which is hard to be seen in other places.

Here is some photo that I take during the visit.

Monk chanting in the ceremony – the ceremony start with the chanting.

The money for donation is stick to the ‘tree’.

The buddhist believed that if they do good things, they can transfer part of the merit to the death.

Paying respect to their ancestor.

Having lunch. Each ‘family’ normally will bring their own lunch then eat together.

After pray, they will bring food to a ‘stage’. This is to symbolise that they offer the food to the preta – hungry ghost.

closer view for the stage

Another view

Some family will make a wish and transfer merit near the stage.

Every food that is presented, will have jostick stick to it.

In Kedah, they will have someone dress as hungry ghost – preta, coming to the stage to take the food. This is to symbolise it.

another view

Normally kids will come and take the food offered at the stage in the end of the ceremony.

There are teenager which place some music to entertain the visitor to the ceremony. This is new things which has been added to the ceremony. Not all temple will have this.

Since there are many peoples, some take the opportunity to sell some goods in a ‘temporary stall’.

A food stall.

This is a unique culture in Malaysia. Not many Malaysian that even know about it. If you visit Malaysia and have a chances to see it, do not missed it.

Not just the farm that you can visit if you come here, you can shop for the grapes as well. I try it… it is very sweet and the price I pay at that time is RM15 per packet. They have the fresh grapes and also grape juices drink (it is non alcohol btw, and not a vine)

From an old news article, it say that this vineyard is belong to a private company name Excel Agrotech Sdn. Bhd.

Here is the news:

Sik bakal jadi pengeluar utama anggur

SIK 7 Mei – Daerah ini akan menjadi antara lokasi utama pengeluaran anggur negara apabila projek penanaman anggur di sekitar kawasan Empangan Beris dekat sini mengeluarkan hasil sepenuhnya tidak lama lagi.

Menteri Besar Kedah, Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak berkata, tanaman anggur baka Black Opal, Black Grape, White Malaga dan Lose Plite itu adalah untuk pasaran tempatan.

Beliau berkata, projek perintis fasa pertama dengan 1,000 pokok anggur yang digerakkan Excel Agrotech Sdn. Bhd. kini berjaya membuahkan hasil memberangsangkan di kawasan seluas 1.6 hektar di Kampung Ternas.

“Sebelum ini daerah Sik terkenal dengan produk tradisional seperti ikan pekasam dan kuih muih. Namun dengan adanya teknologi pertanian baru, kita mahu Sik juga dikenali sebagai pengeluar anggur utama negara,” katanya kepada pemberita selepas melawat kerja ladang anggur itu baru-baru ini.

Menurut Azizan, beberapa kawasan tanah terbiar di daerah ini juga telah dikenal pasti untuk ditanam dengan anggur.

“Terdapat banyak lagi tanah terbiar di Sik dan kita berharap pihak swasta dan usahawan tani dapat menggerakkan usaha menjadikan Sik sebagai lokasi pengeluaran anggur utama negara tidak lama lagi,” jelasnya.

Tambahnya, kewujudan ladang anggur terbabit dijangka turut memberikan impak positif kepada pengusaha sektor pelancongan pada masa akan datang.

“Apabila wujudnya ladang anggur, para pengusaha sektor pelancongan boleh membina calet atau rumah rehat bagi tujuan menarik kemasukan pelawat dan menikmati suasana serta keindahan alam di Tasik Beris,” katanya.

Dalam pada itu, Pengarah Urusan Excel Agrotech, Amiruddin Malik berkata, projek tanaman anggur itu dimulakan pada 2007 di pinggir Tasik Beris dengan modal kira-kira RM500,000.

“Selama ini kita menganggap anggur hanya sesuai ditanam di negara yang mempunyai empat musim. Sekarang dengan kemajuan teknologi pertanian, ia boleh ditanam di Sik,” ujarnya.

Katanya, pokok anggur yang ditanam sejak kecil akan mengambil masa kira-kira 10 hingga 12 bulan untuk matang dan mengeluarkan hasil.

Ditanya tentang kaedah penanaman, Amiruddin memberitahu, anggur yang ditanam di situ menggunakan kaedah biji benih, keratan ranting, tunas dan penghasilan tisu kultur.

“Sebelum mengambil keputusan menanam anggur di sini, saya telah membuat kajian kesesuaian tanah selain mempelajari teknik-teknik daripada pengusaha di Thailand dan Perlis,” katanya.

Beliau berkata, berikutan kejayaan tersebut, syarikatnya kini sedang mengembangkan penanaman anggur di kawasan seluas 12 hektar dengan 7,000 batang pokok di kawasan Sungai Senam dekat sini.

Orang ramai yang ingin mendapat maklumat lanjut boleh menghubungi di talian 04-4620466 atau faks 04-4620611.

Source: UtusanMalaysia.com.my

The view in that place is very nice… I manage to take some photo to share with here.

If you visit Sik (in Kedah) I recommend you to pay a visit to this place… even you didn’t visit the Vineyard, but the lake itself is very nice.

View of Tasik Beris from the vineyard

Some visitor at the vineyard

Another view of the vineyard. At the back of the farm is actually the lake

The Grapes

Another one

Some visitor even bring their family and baby

A young plant

Here is a news about Underwater World Langkawi that I found from the nets.

Walking with penguins
ALAN TEH LEAM SENG
NST, 9 Oct 2007

Apart from the keepers, visitors are rarely allowed to enter the penguins’ enclosure in Underwater World Langkawi. ALAN TEH LEAM SENG is thrilled to be able to walk right up to the birds

THEY look like respectable gentlemen dressed in their best tuxedo suits. And the females are truly lucky for their partners stay loyal for life!

“They” are the adorable penguins in Underwater World Langkawi, housed in a RM33mil building opened two years ago. It is set up with a tropical rainforest, temperate and sub-Antarctic eco-systems. There is also a three-dimensional theatre with seating capacity for 200 people.

Passing Check Points
I was given the honor of entering the penguins’ sanctuary, a privilege indeed as not many visitors were allowed to get so close to these fragile birds. When I entered the enclosure, the African penguins practically ignored me! Perhaps they could tell, instinctively, that I was a stranger. Turning their noses at me, they made a beeline for their familiar keepers instead. They raised quite a loud ruckus while doing so.

“They must be ravenous,” I thought. After all, it was feeding time.

Together with the Rockhopper variety kept in a separate enclosure nearby, these birds are the pride of Langkawi, attracting tourists from all over in droves.

Entering the enclosure was no easy task. I had to pass several “check points” to decontaminate my shoes and then, just when I thought I was “clean” enough, I was told to don special gear, gloves and a facemask.

The procedures are very strict and it seems that every effort has been taken to ensure that these animals are not exposed to micro-organisms that might put their health at risk.

I learned that since they came from another part of the world, exposure to our local germs might prove lethal as the birds lack the necessary resistance to overcome the pathogens.

Once my entire body was covered and considered “clean”, the huge door, resembling the entrance to a deep freezer, swung open and I quietly trooped in behind the keepers.

Feeding Time
It was pure joy to see the birds lining up to get their daily sustenance. I tried handing a fresh sardine to a penguin, but it merely took a sniff and walked away. I tried to tempt another but my efforts proved futile. Defeated, I had to be contented with observing the animals from afar.

After a short observation, it dawned upon me that each bird had its own feeding preference. Some wanted to be hand-fed while others preferred the keeper to throw their food to them, catching the “flying” fish in mid air!

I hurriedly put my newly-acquired knowledge to the test. I threw a medium-sized fish to penguin No. 3 which it skillfully caught in mid air and swallowed in one gulp. I was delighted! A bird then walked close to me and I soon had it eating out of my hand!

Regulations require two handlers to enter the enclosure at feeding time. While one feeds the birds, the other keeps tab on their feeding patterns.

I learned from resident veterinarian Dr Syahar Amir Abd Gani that proper records were kept and the birds put on a strict fish diet to keep them in optimum health. Keepers insert multivitamin pills into the gills of the fish to supplement the penguins’ diet. An adult penguin consumes up to 500g of fish, either sardine or mackerel, daily. Feeding times are at 11am and 3pm daily.

Relaxing, Penguin Style
Once the penguins have had their fill, they would slowly waddle away and dive into the pool for a truly relaxing swim. As I left the enclosure, I turned around for a last glimpse of the wonderful birds before the giant airtight door closed again.

To date, the Underwater World Langkawi has a total of 28 African Penguins. Eleven eggs were laid in-house and the first one hatched on March 17, 2006. Also known as the Black Footed Penguins, these birds breed twice annually, laying two eggs each time.

When To Go
Underwater World Langkawi Sdn Bhd is located in Pantai Cenang, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia. Tel: 04-955 6100, fax: 04-955 6103, email: enquiries@edenzil.com, website: www.underwaterworldlangkawi.com.my

The public is not allowed to enter the penguin enclosures but can watch from outside. The best time to be there is at feeding times. The keepers only enter the enclosures twice daily at 11am and 3pm to feed the penguins, unless there is an emergency, like a sick bird. The more often they enter, the higher the risk of contamination, which is something they try and avoid at all costs.

Milestone in penguin breeding There is great excitement as a Rockhopper Penguin egg is hatched here for the first time

AN important milestone was achieved on Sept 9, 2007, when the country’s first Rockhopper Penguin chick was hatched at the Underwater World Langkawi.

Although it had successfully bred 11 African Penguin chicks since last year, its marketing and communications executive, Siti Raudhah Shaari, said the recent achievement is notable as the Rockhopper Penguin is more difficult to breed and successful breeding in captivity is rare.

Two days later, another egg hatched and at the time of writing, the Underwater World Langkawi boasts of two Rockhopper chicks, with more eggs due to hatch in the coming months. Resident veterinarian Dr Syahar Amir Abd Gani attributed the success to good penguin husbandry management practiced there. “We have a very strong team that really cares for the penguins,” he said.

The Rockhopper Penguin is the smallest of the crested penguins, with an average height of 47cm and body weight of 3kg. They live on small islands in sub-Antarctic waters surrounding the vast Antarctic Continent. The Rockhopper Penguins at Underwater World Langkawi came from Tristan de Cunha Island, South Africa.

Unlike the cave-like nest of the African Penguin, Rockhoppers build nests in open spaces — a collection of twigs, coral chips and pebbles with a depression in the centre.

Rockhopper Penguins choose their own mates and are loyal to each other for life! They have one breeding season annually and normally lay one egg. Occasionally they would produce two eggs over three to seven days. During the incubation period, the male sits on the egg while its mate hangs around the nest or swims nearby.

Syahar said they knew the chick was going to hatch as it began to pip a day before and literature mentioned that penguin chicks hatch within 48 hours. “We could see a tiny hole made as it pecked its way through the shell,” he said affectionately.

The newly-hatched chick was active and looked hungry. A thorough check-up conducted by the penguin team found it to be in good health.

Chicks are born black on the dorsal part, white on the ventral part and has a white coloration on its beak. They are completely different from African Penguin chicks which are entirely grey in color.

Syahar hopes the population in Underwater World Langkawi will continue to grow. “We hope to share with others our unique experience in successfully breeding this difficult and rare species in captivity,” he added.