AIR HITAM - THE OFF BEATEN TRACK

The Lost Raiders of Air Hitam

Interpol wanted terrorists list of Air Hitam

Newly crowned (hatted) Air Hitam queens!

Porcelain and stone ware for the heart ware

Markisar fruits and plant on sale

Jack fruit and honey pineapple

Mouth watering preserved fruits and jeruk

Boiled nuts, gula melaka and belacan on sale

An oasis of drinks to quench your thirst

Stuff for a Malay wedding easily available

Want to buy our giant mangos and jambu air?

Running amok with wooden spoons and forks

Surrounded by stuff toys selling cheaply. No more macho-looking!

Sponge Bob lost found sisters?

Charles Bronson and John Wayne got lost at Black Water

Keropok and more keropok for snacking

No winds of change for the wind chimes

Yams, lime and mango to fill your car boot

The two sistas and not gangstas of Black Water!

Ubi Kemili as a change for your tea menu

Sweet and juicy Honey Josephine pineapples and long stalks of yam

Watch your steps when you cross the road

A herd of cattle for the Hari Raya Haji 'qurban'

The snack factory, five minute drive from Air Hitam market

WHERE TIME STANDS STILL

Travel and change of place impart new vigour to the mind.

~Seneca~

If you are like my husband, who loves driving along the off-beaten track, Air Hitam could be your next one-day trip. Astride the old trunk road that runs south to Johor Bahru - and not far off the new North-South Highway Exit 244 - is a small crossroads town called Air Hitam, about 30 km from Batu Pahat and 90 kms from the state capital.

During its heydays in the 70’s till the early 90’s, Ayer Hitam was a popular stopover for Singaporeans on their way between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore or a one day destination for the 'mak ciks' and 'pak ciks' looking for pottery or 'berkat' (wedding gift for guests) for their children's marriage. It was also a popular transit point for visitors stopping for lunch or dinner on their way to Johore Bahru and Kuala Lumpur before the north-southway was constructed.
When I made a visit on 6 December, my eyes quickly scanned for any major changes that could have taken place. I was truly relieved that nothing much had become victims to any drastic development. I felt like being teleportaled to the time of years gone by where you are the master of your time and the change from days to nights is your servant.

The same scene of the 70's with the old stretch of coffee shops and rows of heavily laden street stalls which up till now is 'a drinking hole and a shopping centre' for travellers who descend on the stalls to hunt down last-minutes souvenirs or snap up preserved and fresh fruits, durian cakes, peanut nougat, keropok, ceramic ware, stuff products and other local products is still evident.
We were there around ten in the morning, and already we could see throngs of shoppers at most of the stalls. My family, together with some relatives from Kuala Lumpur and Penang, was like a herd of wild cattle running loose - bulldozing our way at every stall and buying the dry stuff to bring home.

The bulb-shaped, dark-skinned pink jambu air (water apple) was too irresistable and we tried a few. The flesh did not have that soft, fibrous cottony texture which indicated that it was too matured already. Instead, it was crunchy, fragrance and juicy. It went well with the hot humid weather on that day. If only the vendor had offered us a plate of 'kicap' ( sweteened black soya sauce ) with halved cili padi to dip in the flesh of the jambu air, we would have bought all the stock of jambus from his shop!

Upon recommendation from Wan Tom, we also bought some 'ubi kemili', a kind of an underground root. You seldom find this in our local Singapore markets. You have to scrub clean the skin and remove the black peat soil before boiling it with water and some salt. After peeling the skin, you can eat it with grated white coconut mixed with sugar and salt. A cup of black coffee will go well with this tea menu. You just need an 'ambin' (open air raised platform sitting area usually built under a huge shady tree) or a verandah to sit together with your loved ones to immerse yourself fully in that kampung atmosphere.

Instead of giving ourselves an hour there we ended up with two hours of fingering and bargaining at things there. A word of caution though; do be careful of the king of the roads - tractors, lorries and trucks which ply along the Air Hitam Road.