Chini and Cherating with Kershasp: finding Cinta, November 2005

Brother Kershasp's latest visit gave us the perfect excuse to take him along to places we'd not visited before. The trip to Lake Chini was memorable, especially the boat ride through vegetation choked passages leading from the Pahang River to the complex of interconnected lakes that comprise Chini. Show map.

The lakes are surrounded by primary rain forest. The waters are heavily vegetated by cane rushes which are harvested by the Orang Asli (aboriginal tribespeople who inhabit the area) for export to the furniture industry.

We found our boatman by asking around in Chini village. We struck gold when we engaged Ibrahim with his profound knowledge of the waterways, learned over a lifetime of navigating these rivers and lakes. His instinct of depth and current and ability to sense what's directly ahead of the boat under the murky water bordered on the supernatural. He took us to the lakes by navigating up a tributary of the nearby Pahang River, through dense jungle, often having to squeeze under fallen trees and overhanging vegetation. We saw a multitude of birds, fish, aquatic lizards, water lilies and lotus.

After a night at the lakeside Chini Guest House, a rather rundown but beautifully located establishment of the Pahang State tourism department, Ibrahim returned to ferry us back to Chini Village and my waiting car. We said our farewells and headed northwest to Cherating, Malaysia's popular beachside destination and a favorite of the country's surfing enthusiasts.

Cherating on the South China Sea on peninsular Malaysia's east coast was totally different but equally enjoyable. Cherating's many beachfront hotels, restaurants and batik shops give it a distinct resort feel, even off season. It's virtually deserted in November in anticipation of the northeast monsoon and many of the resorts as well as the nearby Club Med were closed for renovation. The sea was calm and the sand was beautiful but we were plagued by sand-flies and their itchy bites!

We had our final breakfast at a roadside restaurant on the way out of Cherating. A beautiful tabby cat hung around our table and, seeing our interest in the cat, the proprietor said there were kittens which were destined to be disposed of in the sea that very afternoon. Apalled, we said we would adopt one and Hootoksi selected the only male which also happened to be the runt of the litter. He was tiny, scrawny, flea-infested and listless. We placed him in a shoebox which Hootoksi carried home on her lap. We named him Cinta, which in Bahasa Malaysia means love. In time, and with proper care and love from us and our dog Tashi, Cinta became a tabby to reckon with, feared by all the cats in the neighborhood!