Trengganu, Malaysia - One morning, gentle rain caused millions of ripples to break out and appear like tiny crystals sparkling against the deep green water of the softly flowing river.
The wind blew lightly as our boat glided and caused the ripples to spread and roll to the sides towards the mangrove-fringed riverbank.
The sky over Sungai Marang was a blanket of grey with only a hint of sunlight. Ours was the only tourist boat cruising the river, just about 15 minutes` drive from Dungun, one of Terengganu`s largest towns.
Yet, the river, which is so near this bustling town, has not been overrun by fishing boats or tourist-laden boats.
At 35km, this green riverine retreat remains removed from town life. Feeling its quietude made me realise that I was in a time-stuck zone. It is mostly undeveloped except for a few rustic wooden houses and patches of cleared land.
The riverbanks remain fertile grounds for untamed bushes and mangroves. In the distance, tree-covered hills loom tall over carpets of green on undulating land.
Rural Livelihood
On board our boat was an English couple, James and Lisa, our guide Aziz and the boatman.
Except for the soft purring sound of the boat engine, it was quiet. As the boat moved, serenity and calmness enveloped the air. Leaning back, watching a breeze ripple through a tree on the riverbank, I felt I was sinking slowly into a lazy morning somewhere in the deep interior.
The silence was broken when Aziz announced: “Terengganu has some of the cleanest rivers in the country.”
To prove his point, he pulled out a newspaper cutting from the pocket of his shorts. Flashed across the page was the headline: “Looking for clean rivers? Go to Terengganu.”
It was a report in the New Straits Times quoting Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid instructing his officers to study the methods adopted by the Terengganu government to keep its rivers clean.
“The fact that we have some of the cleanest rivers has been certified by the Drainage and Irrigation Department,” Aziz declared.
Just then, he pointed to some kelongs where some men were feeding fishes bred in cages submerged in the water.
“These kelongs are managed by a few families under the government`s `one industry, one village` concept to help uplift the livelihood of the villagers,” he explained.
There are both fish and prawn farms by the river and the villagers get their supply of the fries for free from Nature.
Aziz then showed us how. He pulled out of the water a bunch of roots with small tubers. Then he shook the roots and out came tiny fishes, prawns and crabs. Villagers would cut such roots and tie them up to trees by the river. They would leave the roots submerged in the water for a few hours. These would trap the fries which would then be bred at the kelongs.
Animals Out There
Not too far from the kelongs is a worn-out wooden jetty where some boys dabbled their toes in the water and looked naughtily at the river as if they would jump right in. Even if they wanted to, they wouldn`t, for a few days earlier, some villagers had spotted four crocodiles. Aziz said since the sighting, no one was allowed to swim in the river.
The river was swelling at its brim. It had rained the night before and we could hardly see the riverbanks.
“With the tide so high, we would be lucky if we could see iguanas, otters, terrapins and river dolphins,” Aziz said as he signalled to the boatman to edge closer to the riverbank.
With the engine turned off, the boat bobbed closer to the side. Just then, we saw an iguana scurrying inland. Although it was only for a split second, the sight was enough to spur some excitement on that quiet morning.
The boatman stopped at several spots known to have the colonies of iguanas and otters, but alas they remained out of sight that day.
Some consolation came when we saw sea eagles perched on treetops and a jellyfish bobbing in the water. At high tide, jellyfishes make their way into the river from the sea.
A burst of cheery yellow flowers on branches drooping over the riverbank caught our eyes. These wild beauties lent some colour to the monotony of green.
Aziz told us that the flowery plant is called pokok baru-baru and its leaves are used to wrap tapai (sweet, fermented glutinous rice), a traditional delicacy of the Malays.
Piercing the calm in the distance was a cacophony of demonic screeching. Our boatman revved the boat faster. The sounds came somewhere high in the canopy. The loud culprits turned out to be monkeys. Some leapt from branch to branch, their long arms never missing a grip.
Minutes slipped by unawares, all of us engrossed in the monkey spectacle.
Simple Life
Moving on, we saw some subtle movement among some nipah palms not too far away. Two kampung ladies, their heads wrapped in batik cloth, were hacking the base of the palms with parang. It was a wonder they could do this while perching on a small, wobbly sampan. It was filled with cut nipah fronds, another source of income for the villagers. The fronds would be weaved to make attap for their own use and also for sale.
Our cruise along the river brought us to the jetty at Kampung Jenang. The drizzle continued. But we went ahead with our walk.
Soon we found ourselves walking past wooden houses, some built on stilts. Elderly village people peeked out from their homes. When they saw Aziz, they broke into friendly smiles. Seeing them exchange greetings, it was obvious that Aziz is a familiar figure in the village.
Lining the compounds of the houses were many fruit trees, including jackfruit, papaya, durian and even the rare buah rambai (like langsat, but smaller and sour) and kuini (pungent mango species).
Aziz told us that the villagers didn`t mind tourists plucking the fruits and tasting them. For some years now, they have welcomed tourists into their domain, allowing them a peek into their simple life.
Grazing in grassy spaces were herds of cows and goats while chickens wandered noisily about. Lisa giggled as she followed the chickens which moved nonchalantly.
“No, we don`t get to see these in London,” she chirped happily. Walking through this traditional village evoked a kind of natural fun, one that can no longer be found in the concrete jungles.
Behind the backyard of a house, we saw a monkey tied to a tree. According to Aziz, it`s a monkey trained to pluck coconuts. Its owner was out so we didn`t get to see the monkey in action.
In a dilapidated shack along our walking route, we met Mak Cik Kelsom, a 50-something-year-old village woman hard at work weaving nipah leaves. It`s a back-breaking task and yet the weaved nipah can only fetch 50 sen a piece!
In thick Terengganu twang, she said nipah-lined roofs are now getting trendier and more popular with resorts and eateries. She got paid a meagre sum but it helped put food on the table.
During the rainy season, her income would dip as it was dangerous to ply the river to cut the palm fronds. During such hard times, her family would eat more tapioca, which they grow themselves, rather than rice. Rice and sundries are bought from the little grocery shop in the village.
We came across this shop tucked in the middle of a road that forks out into a few lanes leading to several houses.
Aziz bought from the shop some dodol packed in coconut leaves. It`s the village specialty, he told both Lisa and James.
He urged them to try this gooey, sweet and santan-rich Malay kueh. At the first taste, they rolled their eyes. No, they couldn`t go for another bite, if you could call it that. They were struggling to clear the sticky stuff from their teeth!
“Okay, you`re going to like the next food I`m going to show you,” he told them as he walked towards a shack. There, we saw a woman hovering over a wood fire and fanning it. Over the fire was a large wok with some thick, brown liquid.
Aziz introduced us to Zaleha Mat Su who makes palm sugar (gula kabung) for a living. The sweet concoction is made from the fermented juice of coconut palm (air nira) boiled for about two hours over slow fire.
We saw her pour the hot thick liquid into round containers. The liquid hardened after half an hour. Aziz bought a piece for us to try. It was love at first bite. The crackling sugar revealed a taste so naturally sweet. It was good to eat on its own.
“You can take it like candy or melt it with hot water and spread it on bread. Or you can use it to make tea or as ingredients for cakes, sweet porridge and many Asian-style dishes,” said Aziz.
We didn`t need much convincing. Lisa and I bought a few pieces at RM2.50 each. A paltry sum but enough to bring a wide smile to Zaleha`s face.
Strolling back to the jetty, we paused occasionally to savour the view in the village once more. From our boat, the village seemed to lie peacefully before us, so unaffected by the passage of time.
River Cruise Package
Our cruise of Sungai Marang was organised by Tanjong Jara Resort, 8km from Dungun town. The resort offers its guests a half-day tour covering 7km of the river from Kampung Sungai Kerak to Kampung Jenang. Best time to visit the villages: July to September (fruit season).
Tour departs at 8.30am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Price: RM130 per person, inclusive of boat transfer, guide and refreshments (Putri Zanina)
Source: www.nst.com.my (15 Maret 2008)
