Tag: travel photography

End Of Act 1 – Intermission.

I am now leaving the state of Selangor and entering the state of Perak for which the capital is Ipoh. The city is still a long way ahead in the scheme of things. After a short break, I’ll first explore the border town of Tanjung Malim.

I am sure many of you didn’t know the significance of the digit 1 painted on the old road nor cared. Now that you know, why not hit the road yourself and find the many gems in your own country.

In the next post, I’ll include a route map generated from my GPS tracks and logs. It’ll give you an idea of each location and the relative distance between the towns visited in the Selangor leg of the journey.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f5.6, 1/400 sec.

Serendah The Pleasantville

Many refer to Federal Route 1 as the ‘Old Road’. This is the old road of the old road traversing Serendah. On some stretches, original sections of the trunk road were bypassed instead of widening it.

Serendah faded away after the opening of the NSE but slowly bounced back as a pleasant retreat for city people clamouring for nature and greenery.

Narrow as the road was, an invading army marched through it. According to Wikipedia, Federal Route 1 was the main route for the Japanese Imperial Forces moving from Songkhla to Singapore during the Battle of Malaya between 1941 and 1942.

I used hand-colouring with faux Technicolor tones to depict the town’s gradual return to life; from black and white to sepia to full colour. The concept was used in the 1998 film, Pleasantville, starring Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon. More of Serendah coming up.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f6.3, 1/800 sec.

Goyang Kaki

Rawang has soul. And soles. Taxi drivers and a passenger chilling at a taxi stand, watching life going by and sizing up a stranger with a camera. So-called ‘outstation’ taxi service is a waiting game for both passengers and drivers. The first passenger that arrives wait for other passengers to fill the car. It is a cost-effective ride sharing system.

The carefree connotation of the popular Malay idiom ‘goyang kaki’ (swaying a foot or leg in relaxation) is deceptive here. Idleness at this old part of town belies the bustle at the many newly developed areas in Rawang.

Rawang didn’t really suffer when it was bypassed by northbound traffic using the NSE. There is boom instead of gloom for two main reasons. Rawang was a busy hub and remains so. As a commercial and transportation hub, it serves the smaller towns such as Batu Arang, Serendah, Batang Berjuntai and beyond.

Astronomical residential property prices in KL/PJ meant people are willing to stay further in neighbouring towns. The number of new hypermarkets and housing estates in Rawang bear testimony to the phenomenon. Some of the locals I spoke to lament that everything has become more expensive as a result.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f4.5, 1/800 sec.

The Journey Begins

This is the start of a new photo essay on the first interstate main road of Malaysia; the Federal Route 1. It spans over 800 kilometers, beginning at the border with Singapore, and ending at the border with Thailand. Constructed in stages from around 1909, it was the backbone of Peninsular of Malaysia until it was supplanted by the newer North-South Expressway in the 1980s and 1990s.

I hope to visit some of the landmarks and towns along the old route and record the many long lasting effects on the landscape. While the impact may not be as severe as the decay of the famous and longer Route 66 of America, little is documented of the decline of the many once-bustling towns on our historic Federal Route 1.

The journey north from KL to Ipoh used to begin at Bulatan Kuching. Travelers were soon greeted by a hilly and winding road into Templer’s Park. The Kanching Falls, along with pristine forests and streams were once popular attractions for KL residents. From Route 1, motorists can still see this landmark limestone and granite monolith that is part of Bukit Takun. It is now surrounded by gated housing and a golf course, though.

Next stop is the first stopover town of Rawang. Follow me on this fascinating journey.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f11, 1/640 sec.