The Palestinian Struggle In Murals

The city of Kota Bharu is in the most conservative, Muslim part of Malaysia and it features a set of street art murals to express sympathies for the plight of the Palestinians in the Middle East.

The city has re-purposed a section of alleys for the murals, complete with carpet entrance.

A holy war down the street, complete with preaching Imam, military helicopters, injuries and bloody despair.

Triage.

A little break for a look at the arts and sports.

Back to conflict, a helicopter and tank rumbling.

Kota Bharu Landmarks

Time for an architectural checkoff. Municipal buildings, mosques, maybe a stadium, if there's time.

State government building. Go to any mid-tier city in Malaysia and there will be a set of buildings identical to this one. As if cities in Malaysia decided to go as a former communist bloc country for Halloween.

The central, historic mosque, looking a bit colonial. And clean.

Funky, circular, colorful atrium of the main local market. Dig it.

Quran holder on a pole and a couple of big gates, the symbol of the city. The other half of the bloc buildings, the police headquarters.

Candy-colored stadium.

Visiting The WWII Museum In Kota Bharu

Malaysia was not an idle bystander during WWII. Run by the British, invaded by the Japanese, Malaysia was a fought over territory in the Pacific theater during the war. Kota Bharu, in the Northeast corner of peninsular Malaysia, experienced the first wave of Japanese invaders to its nearby beaches on the South China Sea. Now, a museum chronicles that time.

Outside the museum, a hodgepodge collection of military might.

Inside, impressive mural of the initial attack. Japanese uniform.

Unrelated to the area artifacts, models of the American atomic bombs dropped on Japan.

Curios. Gas mask and a room devoted to models, WWII and otherwise. If you build it, they will display it.

Back outside, a replica of one of the many concrete bunkers the British built along the beaches.

Murals In Kota Bharu

Time for Kota Bharu's Instagram moment. If you paint it, the hipsters with their handphones will snap, right?

Ooh, a willing couple enters a mural alley.

Make sure to feature regional highlights. For Kota Bharu, religion and food. Notice the 3D pouring teacup.

Some respect for the area's railroad, with 3D wheel detail.

More 3D magic, this time for Chinese themes: trishaw riding and costume parades.

The themes come quickly, upping the posing opportunities.

Wild Imagery At Wat Pathumvihara

What's a Wat if there isn't a nice section of mean warnings? Oh, if you might be going to Buddhist Hell, you'd better believe there's going to be a preview.

Into the cauldron go the people, out come piles of skulls. You could be home right now!

Let's see, how about decapitation by some sort of circular saw thingy. Too much? OK, you can stay alive, just no talking!

Sorry, we need your guts to keep the vultures fed.

Just getting warmed up. Time for some molten metal in the mouth. Triple torture, stabbed, mauled by dogs and birds. Ouch, even the bark of the tree is rough.

A priest, just observing, looking a little like a retired Mr. Clean who lost a lot of weight.

Wild Things At Wat Pathumvihara

There's a nice Buddhist temple and study center near Kota Bharu in the Malaysian state of Kelantan. The place has all the typical trappings, statues and imagery. Understandable, as Kota Bharu is near Thailand, a major Buddhist country.

One of the Wat's buildings. Understated.

Decoration bling, a snarling dragon and fabric in a tree.

The main attraction, a giant, white Buddha statue.

Curious animals. T-Rex in the trees and a praying monkey.
Impromptu prayer area.

Life Along The South China Sea In Kelantan

Ahh, beach life, all palm trees, lounge chairs and surfing. Not exactly in Kelantan, Malaysia. More like fishing, scrub and living off the land.

Pine grove planted beachside for a wind break and erosion control.

Another grove, recently planted and protected, black box sentinels along the beach. Natural scrub, disguising a cottage.

High kampong fashion.

Wooden fishing boat, in dry dock. Beach paths converging.

The rural mosque in the distance.

Lowland scrub. Real estate sign, struggling to sell the future.

Back to the motor scooter boys, enjoying the quiet in the grove.