I planned this trip at the very last minute to be honest. It was a trip to runaway from work (but I did bring along work to finish. mind you) and the dilemma & stress I've been through lately (let's not get into details).
It was also an opportunity for me to spend more time being closer to Allah in a different place whilst admiring Allah's Great Creations. Subahanallah.
Arrived on saturday and checked-in at a hotel overlooking a hill (not the beach). I was ushered by this friendly staff. "Assalamualaikum", he said. "Waalaikumussalam", I replied. He spoke the malay language. His name was Sham or Hisham in full and was my closest confidiante at Aonang. He has a brother who so happens to be a malaysian citizen and an arabic lecturer at ukm. He advised me the do's n don'ts and whereabouts. A very well-mannered chap. After placing my bags, I went straight for the 5pm shuttle to Aonang town.
80% of the population in Aonang are muslims. On my way to the town (and also from the airport) I did get to see some mosques by the road. When I arrived in the town, I was like wow. There's a starbucks, b.king,mcd, svensens, subway & even a haagan daaz outlet there. But halal is an issue with these joints. Don't despair,there's a whole host of choices and halal-certified restaurants to whet the appetite...but me being me, i was still picky where i ate (halal + hygienic..huhu), i chose a restaurant certified by the Halal Standard Institute of Thailand...after a quick dinner of seafood tom yam, calamaris and white rice, i had a quick stroll in the town to observe life...there were the normal souv. shops, pubs and bars, tattoo parlours etc..but what took my attention was the food stalls set up around town...there were Muslim ladies (in tudung) selling pad thai, fried rice, and this special dish - a pancake..haha...pancakes flavoured with chocs, honey, banana, and even strawberries..mind you, tourists thronged the stalls like nobody's business..Hope their business is blessed by Allah..
After another 30mins of strolling down the beach like a mad man (haha), i returned to self-reflect before calling it a day
to be continued......
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Dari Abu Hurairah ra. bahawasanya Nabi saw. bersabda:"Kata-kata yang baik itu adalah sedekah". (Riwayat Bukhari dan Muslim)
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