An abandoned old engine in an abandoned old shophouse in the old part of town, surprised it's still there considering the craze for all things metal these days.
Back in the old days, there were not much here either other than a few trishaws, a jetty and a smallish but cosy market. These days it's a hodge-podge of new buildings housing a few commercial endeavours, tour agencies (being gateway to Pulau Perhentian and others), fishing related government agencies, several smallish hotels, coffee shops and parking lots for island holiday makers.
The trishaws are all but gone, and only a few of the old wooden shophouses are still left standing ... some have been coverted to walid houses for the bird nest industry. The quaint little market have been shifted to a new location in a bigger and allegedly better form ages ago it seemed.
Though the town didn't seemed as laidback as it used to be when I first roamed it with an FM2n and Ektar back in 1987 and a few more times after that, you still feel the quaint-ness here and there. The old shady tree by the main bus depot is still there standing taller, shadier and bigger. It even has a large bench built under its shade over the overgrown roots for idling the afternoon away.
And there's always a checkers game on at the benches ...
The brand spanking new tourist center equipped with tour agents, internet cafe, souvenir shops and other. All were closed the day we were there, off season I supposed.
One of the three original old shophouses still left standing in the center of old town, favorite haunts of oldtimers.
You cannot do without an internet cafe these days where ever you go, and purple is in this year.
The town's several hardware store catering to the used to be the fishing fraternity but now mostly tourism players.
An old Chinese shophouse, half of which has been converted discretely to a walid house, it's presence isn't too discrete though considering the constant chirping to attract the birds.
A lady proprietor of the only jeweler in town, the shop's seen better days for sure.
Closed for business.
Passing time.
The tourist center from the other end leading to jetty.
Would care to wait? Please have a seat.
Kitty cat in front of a blue shophouse by the main road.
A good checkers game is fun to watch for the inpromptu exchanges that takes place between regular opponents.
A bright and cheery bus cum taxi depot at it's original site. When we got off the bus, they were only one other passenger on board. Total take for that particular PPuteh-KBesut trip was less than $15.
A taxi driver waiting for a passenger, any passenger.
$10/person for a one way trip to Kota Bharu from Kuala Besut, by bus it's $6.50/person ... but you'll have to follow the bus schedule, perhaps the only reason to take a taxi.
Wheels by the blue shophouse.
Window at the side of a yellow shophouse.
Nazeri Abghani/15th Nov 2010
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