Kuala Gandah Revisited

Chinese New Year passed almost a month ago and the dust finally settled from busy everything...well, amid all the topsy turvy time that we had, we managed to actually steal a day (well, half, almost) to visit Kuala Gandah, about 60 Km from Raub.

This is not the our first visit...we've been there with friends, with trainees, etc...We thought that it might be overloaded with tourists in view of the holidays but were pleasantly surprised there weren't that many - just a local group and another middle eastern group. It was actually amusing to see big men chicken out when it comes to the feeding time with the elephants.

This pair of wild cockerels came just at the time when visitors descended onto the enclosures where a few juvenile elephants were being kept. According to the keeper, theese wild cockerels are 'too familiar' with visitors and I noticed they knew where to 'pick' for food. Nice to see wild cockerels this close up.

Wild cockerels can easily be distinguished from domesticated ones by their white ear lobes, small agile frame and beautiful russet red plumage against the black...and of course, they fly like any other birds!

The shows begins...

Everyone's invited to feed the elephants.

The big trunks are very agile.

 Daring a photo...

 To the platform for the ride...

 Everyone lining up for the ride. The rides are free (around 11 am in the matinee) but visitors are encouraged to donate funds to help run the place.

One for the album...

CNY at the Kuan Yin Temple in Raub

This Chinese New Year, we didn't go back to Malacca because our house were broken into (drat! - what an unsafe world we live in today. The reason for which we have chosen to settle in Raub was the fact that it has always been 'safe' compare to Kuala Lumpur or other bigger towns but helas, we would have to find out the hard way...). So, my in-laws came down to Raub instead and on the first day of CNY, we visited the Kuan Yin temple in town to do some offerings. When I was a child, the temple was a lot more active than it is today I guess. I remembered days and days (actually nights) passed in its yard watching live Chinese Opera with practically everyone who knows everyone in the villages and in the town during the Hungry Ghost Festivals and other festivals (couldn't recall) but heck, people pretty much fratenised in places like these those days (need any more prove that the medias had really changed our social habits?).

Well, I had always wanted to snap some photos but I thought it was rude to do so...until seeing so many people snapping photos left and right. So here are mine...

Principal entrance to the temple.

The lotus sculpture on the roof.

An area designated for burning of coil incense just outside the main entrance.

A pair of Chinese words flanking the main door (will be visible when the doors are closed).

Decors of the interior.

The main altar from afar.

Worshippers doing their thing.

An old chair that I have sat on many years back.

Another area for the coil incense. The hung picture is a pictorial description of Taoist Hell, all 18 levels of it. I amused myself with these images when I was a child. Freaky and mysterious.

details...

Where the statues are kept.

The side exit (not in use).