Christmas Day at Segenting Batu Pahat and Minyak Beku

Segenting
Town in Malaysia
Segenting（石文丁）is a small town in Pantai Minyak Beku, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia. It is about 8km away from Bandar Penggaram, Batu Pahat, capital of Batu Pahat district. Wikipedia
Weather: 81°F (27°C), Wind N at 2 mph (3 km/h), 70% Humidity
Local time: Wednesday 1:16 AM
On Christmas Day 2015 our whole entourage went on a scorchingly HOT and humid tour of Segenting.

 (石文丁), is in the west zone of Batu Pahat, and the temple (崇龙宫大 )

Segenting is a teeny town which I had been once, and there were pigs running around much to my shock and amazement then!

However, they have disappeared, and instead there is this temple...

柔佛峇株海口石文丁崇龙宫 (Batu Pahat Chong Long Gong)

After a short walk amongs rocks and cutesy roads flanked by native houses we reached a shoreline

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=segenting%20batu%20pahat

Houses on stilts are still intact here and I suppose Segenting is a fishing villag,e
Here beyond the fence, swims giant Arapaima fish which you can try to touch...

Segenting was a quiet place before an ancient Chinese temple allowed visitors to touch Arapaima fish, and together with fresh and cheap seafood, the place now attracts many visitors.

We got all lovey dovey at the beach oblivious to the blinding sun!

Lifesize figures of men bearing the God of prosperity arriving and arising from the sea

Lots of photo opportunities, even as the god is approaching....

You can see the divine procession and the very human and not so divine couple that comprises my sis and her hubby

Brilliant sky that heralds the arrival of "Go Forth and Prosper King"

Well, we  have arrived, prosper or not, we sure are in the pink of health never mind wealth.

standing in the middle of the golden coin, may we have abundant riches and untold fortune, 

(at my age though, I already feel blessed with untold haves, and very few have-nots)

 We got all excited to find these hanging from the wooden eaves

 tapioca crackers! We had not tasted these for 40 years!

Drizzled with watery soya sauce and chillie it tasted yummy only because it brought back childhood memories!

 

We only got this during Por Thor (Hungry ghost Festivals) or when the Chinese Wayang came to town. It was a treat then and it is a treat now!!

 

How prices have changed, it was only 10cents per peice.

A must do is fish touching or petting or feeding, a hit with the kids.

 You actually use a mild bottle to feed the fsihes, just fancy that!

Walking around, you can take photo here and there, or have an ice cream, or have some noodles too (at least Vicky did).

Terry brought us to this Lovers' Jetty, 

I think it goes to Pirate's Island or some parts of Indonesia.

"Standing on the Lover's Bridge, an uninhabited island called Pulau Sial Lu could be seen. Over a hundred years ago, the place was frequently visited by pirates and something bad would be happened to those passed by."

(from http://www.mysinchew.com/node/95939)

And look what I found about Pirate Island..:

Johor's second largest city Batu Pahat. ...the Bintan island in the Strait of Malacca was known as the “Pirate Island”  ...

 Segenting（石文丁）is a small town in Pantai Minyak Beku, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia. It is about 8km away from Bandar Penggaram, Batu Pahat, capital of Batu Pahatdistrict.

This town is a favourite place for people who want a respite from their daily hustle and bustle. It is a romantic place as one can watch the sun set at the famous Lover Bridge (情人桥), which is actually a jetty.

This town is under the jurisdiction of Majlis Perbandaran Batu Pahat (MPBP). 

(from Wikipedia)

I also found an interesting snippet about the island and I took the liberty of changing some of the words:

"History of this village started in 1860 and it is  located in  Batu Pahat, Johor ,Malaysia and is mysterious.There are a lot of temples in the village but the most famous temple include "Chong Long Gong"(1920),"Qing Long Gong"(1933),"Zha
The last and only one fisherman's family that caught jelly fish in Batu Pahat,Johor,Malaysia.This village is full of mystery, its history dates back to 1860 ,and lot of temples started to sprout in 1864.It is believed  the giant "Arapaima" fish can bring fortune.."

 Then we drove to Minyak Beku, the beach that we used to go to during our youthful days, just because it was the only beach in town.  It has been spruced up with trees and sheds, since it is under the jurisdiction of the MPBP as stated above.

We did not come down as, I have said before , it was scorchingly hot. We just took in the view from our car.

The place used to be craggy, rocky, and bare, but you will be surprised to see hawkers and daytrippers enjoying the day off here.

Many a courtship and innocent outings took place here, Minyak Beku, our beloved beach, the beach that I first drove my Beetle (my first car back then, and I could not forget what I had led myself in for, as the road was winding, and I had just got my license, and the girls who put their trust in me, Siew Bee, Chew Lian, Guat Ngo,  they did not make a sound as I concentrated on the bends,hehe!)

Read about Minyak Beku here:

Kampung Minyak Beku
Village in Malaysia

Kampung Minyak Beku is a seaside village lying on the west coast of Johor, Malaysia. Kampung Minyak Beku is where the famous chiseled rock is located, a big rock about ten feet in size (beside the police station). The big rock was chiselled by the Siamese (Ayudhya) to contain fresh water. It was said the Siamese soldiers came here by boat to attackMalacca but was defeated by Tun Perak back in the 15th century. The chiselled rock became famous where it later replaced the name of Bandar Penggaram to Batu Pahat.

The road from Batu Pahat town, ends abruptly at Kampung Minyak Beku

Source:  Wikipedia
Weather: 77°F (25°C), Wind N at 7 mph (11 km/h), 88% Humidity