KT Day 1: The Road Home Begins
We had been looking forward to this trip for weeks, and before dawn had even broken, BiBi was loaded with bags, supplies, and enough assorted belongings to suggest a permanent move rather than a short getaway. By 5:50am, we were rolling out of Kuala Lumpur, watching the city slowly wake beneath a soft orange sunrise as we headed east toward Kuala Terengganu.
Breakfast at Gambang
Several hours later, we stopped at the Gambang Rest Area for breakfast. A couple of packets of nasi lemak, an iced milk tea, and a hot Nescafé cost just RM12.00 (≈ USD3 / EUR3), providing the perfect start to the day before we continued our journey. After a fuel stop, a brief break at Ajil, and many kilometres of highway, we finally passed through the Kuala Terengganu Toll Plaza at Kampung Gemuruh at exactly 11:00am. No matter how often we make the drive, that moment always feels like coming home.
The "Little Cleaning" That Never Is
Soon after arriving at our ancestral home, we encountered one of the family's most familiar phrases: "Let's just do a little cleaning."
As usual, those harmless words quickly escalated into hours of sweeping, dusting, wiping, rearranging, and uncovering jobs we had no idea existed. Every completed task seemed to reveal two more waiting patiently nearby. Exhausting though it was, it somehow wouldn't feel like a proper trip home without it.
Amid the activity, Anuar stopped by to inspect the small downstairs bedroom. After assessing the damage, he recommended some replastering and a fresh coat of paint, promising to return the next morning to complete the work for RM500.00 (≈ USD123 / EUR110).
A Taste of Home
By then, hunger had taken over, so lunch was entrusted to GrabFood. Our first meal back in Kuala Terengganu was a classic: nasi dagang with gravied ikan tongkol and iced lemon tea for RM27.00 (≈ USD7 / EUR6).
Unfortunately, it also highlighted a recurring flaw in our content-creation process. The food arrived. We started eating. The camera was remembered afterwards. Not a single photograph survived the encounter.
A Very Successful Nap
At 2:30pm, we made the short drive to MS Resthouse for what we confidently described as a quick rest.
Several hours later, we woke up.
After an early start, a five-hour drive, and an afternoon of cleaning, exhaustion had quietly overruled our plans. We eventually resurfaced at 7:15pm feeling far more refreshed than intended.
Dinner: Same Result
Back at the ancestral home, dinner came courtesy of Muara Tomyam Seafood via GrabFood. Fried noodles, keropok lekor, and iced lychee came to RM31.80 (≈ USD8 / EUR7) and made for a thoroughly satisfying meal.
Regrettably, dinner followed exactly the same script as lunch.
The food arrived. We ate. The camera was forgotten. Again.
At this point, we were beginning to suspect that hunger and content creation simply do not coexist peacefully.
Calling It a Day
The rest of the evening was spent pottering around the house, tackling small jobs here and there before making the short walk back to MS Resthouse after ten.
It had been a long but rewarding day. We had crossed the peninsula before sunrise, survived another round of "light cleaning", arranged repairs for the downstairs bedroom, enjoyed our first taste of home, and somehow failed to photograph two separate meals.
Tomorrow promises to be even busier. Anuar will return armed with paint and plaster, while a day maid from Tony's Cleaning Service joins the effort to bring the ancestral home back under control.
The house has been given fair warning.
Stay tuned!
(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)
📍 Location:
Havironia Music - https://maps.app.goo.gl/pCjoAhuspFpp3GHb6
R & R Gambang East Bound - https://share.google/2t3i39xZJEzuvOO8f
Plaza Tol Kuala Terengganu - https://maps.app.goo.gl/zyPh89Lhic1AbGe7A
Lim Sian Tian - https://maps.app.goo.gl/NwgtCpD9R9HkQX8b7
MS Resthouse - https://maps.app.goo.gl/tbJYFsB9p9svf9Rn7
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