I was mulling the next town to explore when I
suddenly thought of Raub. A quick Google search ensued and one Friday morning,
I took the train to Titiwangsa to get to Pekeliling Bus Station to find out the
bus operators and schedule and ended up purchasing the return ticket to Raub
for Saturday, 20 November 2021.
The bus left at 08:03 and we arrived at Raub bus
terminal near the main market. I had thought the bus would make a stop at
Bentong but it didn’t. Oh well, never mind. I walked around the market to the
main road and walked to the Clock Tower and then up the hill to a colonial-era
bungalow. The bungalow was well-preserved and looked to still be in use. There
was a No Trespassing sign though so I didn’t linger. I walked down the hill and
paused to look at the Raub Magistrate and Session Court before continuing on.
I walked to the former Police Station. The building
dates back to 1907 and it looked well-preserved too albeit no longer in use. I
then walked along this road to the shophouses, some dating back to pre-WWII. It
was a one-way street and pretty busy as it links Gua Musang in Kelantan to this
town. I walked until the junction then turned left. After checking the street
art at Lorong Dato’ Abdullah, I walked on, crossed the road and walked up to
Raub Resthouse, a beautiful white building which was no longer in use. What a
shame. I spent a few minutes here walking around.
I went down and crossed the road and headed for
Jalan Lipis. I walked all the way to the Methodist Church, Hindu temple and
Kuan Yin Temple before turning back. I then turned into Jalan Tengku Abdul
Samad and walked to Raub Lake Garden. I was probably the only person walking
around!
The Lake Garden consisted of a small lake and there
were not many trees around it. I sat at what looked to be the only ‘gazebo’
before turning back.
On my walk back to the town centre, I passed a bus
terminal but I didn’t stop to check. I wanted to have an early lunch at Rokiah
Sate but it was closed so I walked on before finally deciding on Restoran Ratu
Rasa which was near the market and the bus station. I was at the bus station at
12:21 and sat waiting. There was a bus there but no other passengers. After a
few minutes, I decided to ask and went to the counter. Thankfully, there was an
elderly man behind the counter so I asked if that bus was the one leaving for
KL at 12:30. He said, 2:30 p.m. I was confused and said no, I already bought
the 12:30 bus ticket. He looked at me and said the 12:30 bus would depart from the
bus terminal at the District Council buildings. I quickly left and walked as
fast as my legs could carry me, dodging traffic along the way. I was beseeching
to God all the way there to let me catch the bus, please oh please.
I reached the bus terminal at 12:35 and had never
been so glad to see about twenty other people waiting for the bus before. I
asked a girl and she said she was also waiting for the 12:30 bus to KL. Phew,
Alhamdulillah. I managed to arrive before the bus after all. I’d never been so
happy that a bus was delayed before, I tell you.
Well, the bus arrived at 12:45 and we were off at
12:50. It was a smooth journey back – and no, we didn’t stop in Bentong on the
way back either. We hit the traffic jam as we neared Pekeliling. I disembarked
quickly and went to the LRT station for the train to Ampang.
So that was my Saturday. I’m surprised that Raub
didn’t get more visitors. It’s a charming compact town and well worth a short
trip.
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