Tour De La Crabbe

I was really in dire for some pick-me-up after a long week. So early Saturday morning, my companion and I decided to head down to Pulau Ketam, for fun. Well, I reckoned that he deserves nothing to be woken up so early on a weekend but I also believed that he can never say no to a crazy road trip experience.

Half way towards the island, he told me about the water crisis that’s going on in Pulau Ketam, another great reason to go and pay the place a visit. Apparently, water supplies to the fishing villages, including Kampung Sungai Lima and Bagan Teo Chew, was disrupted following a serious leak in the 17km underwater pipeline that connects a reservoir in Pulau Ketam from the mainland.

Pulau Ketam is a small island just off the coast of Klang. It is accessible by ferry and it is more convenient to hop on the KTM commuter as the jetty to Pulau Ketam is situated just next to the Port Klang KTM station, which we found out upon our arrival an hour and a half later.

We boarded an old rusty ferry after much hassle trying to avoid knocking off uncles and aunties carrying vegetables and all sorts of random items. The morning ferry was a fun ride even though it was cramped and packed with Indonesians, Vietnamese, chickens and local tourists hunting for seafood and crabmeat. I was horrified to see a floating dead pig, drifted aimlessly.

We were greeted by a huge banner stating that the rescue team was there for the water crisis. The town was surprisingly quiet; the huge Kuai Lok Hian restaurant was totally empty. I assumed the water disruption has somehow immobilized the island.

We rented bicycles which is the main transportation here besides walking and rode around like two happy kids let loose on tricycles. I was absolutely in awe looking at the colorful, unique looking houses. The houses are built on long wooden stilts and a narrow set of sidewalk runs between them. A full sized school, a police station, a bank, several temples and stores and a small hotel occupy the island.

Most of the residents are Chinese who speak no Malay. My companion and I nodded and waved happily to all the warm, lovable Hokkiens. They minded their daily chores whilst cycling back and forth with buckets dangling in hands. No riots, no people pushing one another into the sea (and float with a dead pig) as they queued up to collect water supplies. There were a lot of cooking, frying, peeling prawns and drying shrimps going on. There was a little girl who followed us around on a bicycle twice her size, hoping to get her photograph taken, perhaps.

The only down part is the fact that rubbish are thrown indiscriminately. You can see them almost everywhere on walking grounds. Not to mention, foreign brownish objects identified as dog feces. Almost all houses keep dogs as guardians and I was pretty lucky to steer clear of the roaming ones.

Despite the droppings, unsavory smells and the fact that we were being stalked by a five year old, I really like the island. Pulau Ketam is like munching an entire pack of chips in one go. Quick yet the crunchiness of it really gets to you.

A Jungle Spin

Always lay your bet on spontaneous plan. You never know what kind of sweet surprises waiting for you at the corner. Over the weekend, I made a spur-of-the-moment little waterfall trip on a quad-bike, deep in the heart of Hulu Kelang. I booked a two hours ride up to 7-tiers Waterfall with the ATV Adventure Park owned by En. Mas Fadzillah. There are a few other interesting packages that may tickle your adventurous fancy, ranging from a short ride of 30 minutes to an overnight camping.

My companion and I were scheduled in the afternoon and were blessed with beautiful sunny weather. We thundered up and down through slippery 45 degrees slope, into the jungle, whilst carefully sticking to the meandering trail with ruts, potholes and fallen bamboo branches thrown in for good measure. No distressing troll with hideous nose and jumbo ears roaming about, though I secretly wished to spot one.

40 minutes and we arrived at the waterfall so clean and untouched by human. Flirty butterflies and cutesy bugs greeted us. We took a little hike up to the third tier as we were advised not to go any further for safety reason. The background is foliage of gigantic bamboo trees all around. It was a splendid serenity.

The track was not difficult, obviously for novice bikers but like other extreme adventure, it does come with its own sets of risk. As the owner told us ‘Leave your fear and ego at home. Today, safety must come first.’ I knew what he meant as soon as I reached a steep and slippery track 3minutes after I mounted myself on the bike. I lost a bit of control when my front tire hit a huge rock leaving my foot practically dangling as my bike swayed to the right. But I landed safely despite the fact that I gave my guide a quad-bike-scare. Yes, as an added precaution, a guide will always be around to ensure there is no straggler or insane biker, like me.

If random adventure is your cup of tea, a jungle quad-bike trip in Kemensah is a worthy try.

Meet Mad Jakarta

An insanely crowded, densely populated and car-dominated city yet Jakarta is full of metropolitan charms, buried underneath concrete facade and worn out slums. One really needs to open one’s eyes and look beyond the lingering smog and heavy traffic to really feel this place. My Jakarta experience began with clouds drawing its curtain up for my flight to enter Soekarno-Hatta airport.

There is no questioning that Jakarta is an epitome of urban frenzy. But Christmas and its merriment seem to replace the caked attitude of the city to softer shade of vague, forgotten dreams. I call it my Jakarta luck.

Anomali in Kebayoran Baru waves a warm hello, a coffee spot for Jakarta urbanites and coffee connoisseurs alike. Owned by a new-found friend, Anomali greets you with its laidback London-ish charm that whispers modern elegance. Even during Christmas, this place isn’t hushed, with young folks coming over for free wi-fi and of course, the drinks. This place prides itself as a coffee joint specializes in only Indonesian coffee beans. I take sips of freshly brewed Java coffee, a personal recommendation by the young entrepreneur himself and my non-caffeine tastebuds is quickly smitten with the infusion of their ground coffee beans that left a lingering sensation of the aftertaste flavor.

Second day finds me feeling like a total stranger stranded in an odd place. My traveling companion and I brave the morning cold and take a brisk walk around the Kemang area in our pajamas, on our quest for a good breakfast place and a little Indo wandering. The town is full of adventure with beautiful alcoves playing peek-a-boo. Kemang is a mini, hip expatriate township, equipped with bookstores, art galleries and spas for relaxation but I found the pace of Kemang a bit feverish with disordered daily chaos. Perennial traffic jams and uninviting potholes are the two things that seem to squeeze Kemang tight to a choke. But the nooks and corners, ah, they calm my soul. Its rustic surrounding allured me back into the calmness of my quiet thoughts. Kemang on an average afternoon is a busy scene of bustling mundane activities of the rich sipping coffee on a comfy sofa and destitute elderly pushing shabby cart selling fried bananas on the street, a barren glimpse of the real Jakarta.

Made a quick stop at QB World Books, a bookstore with a café lounge perfect for a lazy evening with a good book in hand. It also houses a music store and a lovely little art gallery tuck in a corner. I fancy their effort in promoting rousing local artistes, something I could relate very much to my home. Half way through, rain starts to pour and the evening sun gives itself up and provides me with an amazing picturesque ambience, mystical, almost. Spend hours staring out the window of a cozy cafe and I convince myself that I am drunk by the addictive fluid beauty of Jakarta and the droplets that fell on its uneven paved street.

The next thing I knew, my smelly jacket and I are in a newly opened pub called Tabac, full of pretty young souls dancing the night away. The place is located just after Tamani Cafe, in Jl. Kemang Raya. It's a nice little place with a feel of New York style bar and a unique entrance of an old phone booth. I like sweet design surprises like this, never fail to nail a lasting impression. Before Tabac, I stride just down the street to Casa, another interesting pub smacked in the middle of south Jakarta. Casa is a café by day and lounge by night. I sense each individual characteristic of my new acquaintances, all genuine and in your face kind of divine influences.

Just below Casa is Aksara; a quirky bookstore for artistic crowds. Whimsical literatures, artsy home wares, eccentric designer books, vintage records, local indie bands’ CDs (SORE!) and guilty-pleasure chiclits; what more can an art lover ever ask for? This is truly a man-made heaven artsily done. I am beyond my own statement and pay Aksara another visit on my last day, hoping to get my hands on ‘Aku’ by Suman Djaya but I ran out of Jakarta luck. The last copy was sold off just a few hours before my arrival. Was I sinful, Aksara Lord?

My Suman Djaya sappiness evaporates into thick December air as soon as I stepped into Payon. You want some Indonesian feeling? This place has it. Mouth-watering food, accompanied by the lovely sound of keronchong and authentic Javanese nuance, this restaurant is really a wonderful spot to end my visit. The overall interior depicts the atmosphere of Central Java, culturally beautiful with its open pagoda setting and lush garden. Payon or ‘shade’ in Sanskrit, also sells traditional knick-knacks and treasures for keepsake.

Certainly, Jakarta isn’t your key tourist destination but like a naughty little child craving for Christmas present, it demands a chance. And I say, give it. Get under the skin of Jakarta and you will find yourself in awe of an unpretentious city that is ready to hand you its lucid moment of madness and sanity.

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Wrong Turn, Ma'am.

Writer is a mad road-tripper in her late 20s who also founded and co-manage this blog. If she ever run out of words, she will go back to her photography for some comfort but she seldom run out of ideas.