Port Supai

Our plan was to take our friends from Singapore to Penglan Balak beach and then to Gadek Hot Spring. But, I missed to turn at a junction towards the destination.

As a long drive freak, I took it as a chance to explore that country side and ended up in Port Supai, somewhere near Kuala Linggi, which is about 50KM from Melaka!

Am not sure if the trees were submerged due to heavy rains. We just walked around the coastal guard house by the beach and saw this lovely bridge leading to a hilly jungle.

SOOC

As we neared the jungle, we realized that it was actually a rubber plantation.

Latex collector in a rubber tree!

Here is a beautiful view of the guard house from the plantation.

From here, a lone tree by the guard house caught my attention, so on the way back, I stopped and captured this!

Skywatch and SSS2

Pleasant things happen when you least expect it, and this was one such experience!

Gadek Hot Spring

Air Panas (Hot Spring in Malay)Gadek is in Alor Gaja, which is about 40km from where I live in Melaka, Malaysia. We have been there few times but only during the 1st time I took some pics, which was before I bought my DSLR. However, the pic quality is sort of OK, so decided to dust this old post which has been siting in 'drafts' for almost 2 years!
After a fun filled tiring day at Pengkalan Balak beach, we headed towards the hot spring so that we could rejuvenate our tired feet.

SOOC

The atmosphere was warm and sticky because of the heat from the spring.

Shadow on Natural Spring! - SSS2

It had a pungent odor, because of the rich minerals oozing in that geothermal zone.

Natural Spring

Here is a close-up shot.

Close up - Natural Spring - Texture Thursday

First, this water is passed to a huge tunnel like tank for filtering caustic substance.

Purified thermal water from the natural springs

The purified water is still piping hot and is sent to several tanks.

Mini tanks - meant for dipping the feet

Relaxing

Large pool type tanks

In the large pools you can either soak yourself or for those who dare, you could even swim! This place is open 24 hours, but people come in droves after 9PM, that too on weekends.

Sunset and Dusk

Panorama @ Pantai Klebang, Malaysia - SOOC

Sky Watch

Chitra Poornima - Brightest Full Moon of the Year

View from my corridor in Melaka, Malaysia - SOOC

Chitra Poornima - As per Hinduism, this is the day sacred to Chitra Gupta, the Keeper of Deeds. It is considered the most important full moon of the year as it provides us the opportunity to erase karmic mistakes from the eternal record book created and maintained by Lord Chitra Gupta.

Another myth specific to my home town (Madurai, India) is that Lord Indra, the King of Lords had sinned and as a penance, he was asked to go to Earth and worship Lord Shiva in Kadamba Vana (Ancient name for Madurai). There Indra finds Lord Shiva in the form of Linga and he builds a temple for Him. Also Indra builds a Shakthi (Consort of Shiva) temple next to Shiva's temple. Indra wanted to use flowers for worship and finds a Golden lotus pond near by. The day Indra did his prayers to cleanse his sins was on Chitra Poornima, the full moon that comes in the Hindu Month of Chitra!

Down the centuries, the Shiva, Shakthi temples and Golden Lotus pond (supposed to be built by Indra) was united by various Hindu rulers and now it is Meenakshi Amman temple. Here is a file shot of Golden Lotus pond on high religious day!

Golden Lotus Pond, Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai, India. SSS2