Sleepy Hollow of The East

Kuala Penyu...

Been seeing the signboard all the time, on the way to Labuan & Beaufort,
but i never had the chance to really go there... Sleepy hollow kan.. who on earth would wanna go there???

as soon as i reach this small town.. i noticed how quiet and slow things moves around here.. even cars were few on the road... and one thing caught my eyes.. The Turtles..!! Kuala Penyu kan.. (turtle's bay - loosely translated to english) and the chain.. used to pull the ferry.. i never had the chance to see the chain ferry crossing Prai River, only heard abt it from the mouth of the elderly ppl.. and seeing it with my own eyes.. fuyooooooo.. siok..!!!

See, the man can cross the road without even bothered to look at the sides

and camera shy people - running away as soon as the lense pointed to them... hmmm... sioknyerrrrrr
and those who r not that shy.. phewittttttt.. dr KB kot... judging from the cowboy hat... Koboi Bajau kan.. hahaha.

The only petrol station i saw around here.. or at least, thats wat i think.. unless there is another somewhere hidden in the town.. all i see were bottles of petrol being sold at much higher price..!!

and you wouldn't wanna have a flat tire around here, would u??

The life line and the machine.. the chain links with the ferry at the background.. one should really use the kuala penyu - menumbok road at least once in their lifetime.. taking the road less travelled sometimes means much more.. gives u something that no others can give..

another mean of transport to cross the river... this dude is waiting for passengers to go to the other side...

politik kampung or wat??

the dude that operates the ferry...

The Otherside...

and along the way..... nice beaches and beautiful sceneries along the kuala penyu - membakut stretch.. i just love the scenery there...

ciao...

Borneo Downhill Challenge 2009

Day 1 - 16th May 2009


Called andy sk, going to meet him at Tun Fuad.. for the downhill challenge.. excited nie.. was there at 8, hike up all alone to the peak.. but where the hell are the riders.. finally i saw 3 goin downhill.. one after one.. but where r the others? no spectators, no marshalls, no medics.. somethings is wrong.. no officials at the peak, not even at Tun Fuad.. then andy came along.. mana bro.. teda apa2 pun sini.. beskal pun teda..!!


we decided to go down again.. then we see all coming up.. and we were half way down already by then.. disaster strike again... (who the hell came up with - lightning never strike twice..??) the marshall chased us out coz we have no media passes.. hey, hello.. we dun do this for the money, we do this for fun.. and y the double standard oo?? digital camera can snap photos, DSLR owner must get media pass.. end result, both have images that can be published n printed.. mangkuk la korang but rules are rules, so both of us go down la.. apa lagi, walk to SM Sains oo.. punya jauh hahaha.. just for the change of snapping the photos, and no interruption, am willing la to go down again.. hmm.. next time publish la in the posters that DSLR owner need to register n get the media pass..


but these round wasnt that exciting and the clouds is threatening.. and lapar la.. naik bukit turun bukit ingat main2 ker.. and no water some more.. and like heroes, went up with out even a cuppa kupi 'O'.. telan air liur jer nak kasi basah tekak.. andy n i decided tomorrow will be the best time for us to go there again.. yahoo.. media pass ada.. short cut ja la bisuk




but that day, on day 1, i admired this dude's determination.. tayar pancit masih mo pecut downhill.. dun give a damn of wat he is facing.. he was sprinting like a wind..




Day 2 - The thrill is here...

Wat excites me the most is not the riders.. but the photographers.. 70-200mm lense is like a favourite lense for the event.. and i wonder how many was actually using a D60 body like mine.. cant see any.. uwekkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk.. napa la low class giler nie milik aku.. had to double the effort..








The winner - JK - look at the smiling faces behind him..


Haris..


Behind the Scene

The lovely umbrella gal.. who knows her name huh??

JK in his hot seat.. surrounded by hot chixx.. he's the last man standing

Sitting in the hot seat, b4 being replaced by another fastest rider

down yet strong .. those riders came down fast, with one thing in their mind

fastest time..

the riders in the hot seat (should i call it hot bucket)

photography session with the chixx.. hmm i mean the riders

the spectators.. and photographers..

The photographers

Adam.. cool dude..


The Machine

Gaya Street Market

there is something special about this tamu (market), though its in the middle of the town, once you entered the tamu, you r taken to a different dimension. its like walking thorough something mystical. hahhaha.. crazy u may say, but thats wat i feel everytime i go to tamus.. How many market, street market that is, that you can walk down the street and smell the freshly roasted coffee beans being grounded and packed rite infront of you.. and as you walk further down, you hear the unmistakable sound of kulintangan (a gong like musical instrument, smaller that the normal gong u see, how did i forgot to snap that photo? i was mesmerized by the sound la.. hahaha). This two things, the coffee and kuintangan.. it has its own stories.. well, the coffee, will always remind the sabahan of Tenom, the town that is situated in the interior part of sabah.. and if you r in sabah for more than 2 weeks, everytime u smell that aroma, Kopi Tenom sure cross your mind.. and kulintangan is always played in functions like weddings or other special functions, usually by the bajaus.. and other races too.. but i think its well known among the bajaus and the sungais.. and on the other side you'll hear someone singing some malay songs, seriously, you'll know its totally out of the tune.. Simon Cowell with have a heart attack the minute he hears it, but if he sees the person singing the songs, i think he would probably stay for a while until it ends.. for the singer is a blindman, trying to live a life singing in the street, no matter how out of tune it may sound like, at least he is not like some mat rempit snatching away people's money and life..

Then, you'll see something that any dog lovers & cat lovers hate to see.. puppies n kittens in cage with some price tags on it.. but this is part of the lifestyle here. Rabbits, guinea pigs, fishes & even tortoise has its price. Small kids as well as adults will be all around this cages, looking at the innocent looking puppies and cute kittens.. wonder who is incharged of controlling this pet trades.. someone need to look into the matter.. one pup reminds me of shadow, my lil newfie puppy..

And you'll continue walking, curiousity takes you further down. wanting to see wat stores at the end of the market.. but somewhere in the middle, you'll stop.. yea, you will.. if you r into art/drawings that is.. you will stop. For who would not stop to see the handwork of the local painters, telling the stories of their land in a piece of canvas?

The tamu simply has so much of life in it.. some many aromas and sound that each has its own unique stories to tell. The story of sabah.. mystical land beneath the wind...