星期六, 八月 05, 2006

Walking down the Kellie's Castle

这个星期已经是第三次路径这座城堡。KELLIE'S CASTLE

半年前第一次来Tronoh出差到UTP的时候,同事们都叫我顺着这城堡的方向走,而我并不懂它的历史,不懂为什么它会成为这个地方(Batu Gajah)的地标,但是同事告诉我这是一座闻名的鬼堡。从小就害怕鬼魂的我,当时不禁心惊胆跳,当时开车经过时都不由自主的加速前进,看都不敢多看几眼。

03/08/2006是第三次去UTP,很累。驾车来回一趟费时7个小时,就只为了一个小时的工作。为了准时赴十点半的约,早上7点就驱车前往Tronoh。选择由Simpang Pulai
转往Batu Gajah而不从Gopeng去是因为路比较好走。从Simpang Pulai 的出口转出来会看到的是两排像是已经荒废多时的古老建筑物,感觉像是走入了死城。然而再往前走不到一公里的路,我无意中看见了一座靠山而立的庙宇,之前总是来去匆忙赶工作,并没有留意到路旁转角处竟然别有洞天。心想回程是一定要去看看,虽然在怡保像这样有“靠山”的庙宇也很多。

后来进入了Kinta Barat我还是会注意路旁的这一座
“ 关帝大庙大厦” ,不禁猜想它的名字的由来。但是这里的交通系统并不是很好,我其实觉得很乱。我很想停车下去感受一下这里的生活节奏,但是还是放弃了。如果下一次时间充足的话我想我会去“发掘”它的美,对于小地方我会付与多一点的感情。

Universiti Teknologi Petronas 是在距离Kellie's Castle 大约半小时车程的Tronoh。每一次来实际的工作时间并不长,最多是3个小时。但是由于地方偏远,有时候若是因为没有准备齐全的工具,工作就必须延迟。这次是因为Tun Mahathir 的演讲,所以必须要把工作赶完,在八月七号之前。
最后总于把问题解决,放影机恢复功能。
看看还有时间我赶紧收拾完毕, 决定去“闯”Kellie's Castle。

但是,正当我渐渐靠近这一座堡垒时,心中却忐忑着拿不定主意,到底要不要进去这“鬼堡”?想着想着,眼看转向古堡的路口也已过了头,突然看见一辆车开进去了古堡的范围里,我高兴的快速驶向前方的U转,赶紧就跟着进入古堡前的泊车场。 付给三块钱的入门票,看到远处三个女生走入了古堡。

走过了古堡前的一座桥,首先看到的是宏伟的堡垒
。心想为什么会有一座特别的建筑物矗立于这偏僻的地方,到底有这什么历史背景? 走下了桥向左转,见到两个类似喷水池的小池,也不懂是出自古人之手仰或是现在保养者画龙点睛之产物。 往前走有个短阶级,扶级而上收入眼廉的是与老旧古堡格格不入的崭新小亭 。小亭旁的树吸引了我的目光,大树与小亭形成了一幅美景,如果不把这副画挂在古堡旁,就越将引人入胜。古堡范围被大片的棕油树包围着,以前这里是橡胶园吧?Kellie Smith可是交易橡胶的商人。此时,清亮的笑声条然响起,打断了我的思考,只听见那三个女生已经在古堡的楼上了。我不想一人被抛在后头,因为华人啊!担心在七月“撞鬼”。 于是我转身走向身后的设计美丽古典的古堡 当我从侧门看进去,这才发现这是一座未完成的堡垒,里面空空的什么都没有,甚至是外墙的结构都还没有完成但是可以肯定的是建筑物的材料和工程都是真材实料的,多年来它可以筑立于风雨中而完全没有被啃蚀的迹象,又再一次证明了古人的智慧和鬼斧神工。遥望古堡已经觉得它宏伟,抬头由低处昂望我不得不为它的美丽结构惊叹。
踏步而入首先看见的是这张字
,说此处乃藏酒的暗窑,往里边一看 , 平素少烧香的我没有胆量走进去一探究竟,劣势劣势!!!
穿过了小走廊后,眼前出现的是许多的上端呈弧形的门和窗户
, 顿时让我眼花缭乱,就像是到了一间四面是镜子的房间,看着一层又一层的倒影。

从左边的窗口望出去,只见到一幅残缺的米黄色高墙,我不禁好奇的走出去看。(还没有走进来这古堡前,我就看到了这座落于古堡后面的残垒。) 直到我看见了这张贴在墙上的告示,才知道这座“空城”原来是Kellie Smith的旧官邸Kellas House,却被第二次世界大战的焰火摧毁了大部分的结构,只遗下残骸败垒。假如它可以幸免于炮弹轰炸,完整保留下来的话,不止是我们有幸观赏十九世纪时的建筑物, Kellie Smith 先生的阴魂也许就可以安心离开转世吧!(后来才知道传说中Kellie Smith魂魄舍不得这个堡垒而回来,时常会有人听到走廊上有他的徘徊声)

从败嘘中走回去Kellie's Castle,通过的是一间阳光充斥的间房间。 在这房间
总于我有了安心。虽然不知道这是什么房间,但是看起来就像是供奉天主的地方。


这间房间可以通往屋外,看见高速公路和桥墩
然后有通去二楼的小阶级从昏暗的阶级处有一幅小小的玻璃窗口,从蜘蛛网缝中望出去 正好看见旗帜飘扬 在狭小的梯级扶墙而上,我走进了一间四面白色墙壁的厅房。看到了被雨水淋湿的白墙,此时我有一种毛发悚然的感觉,就好像有着“肮脏”的东西附在那片青色液体后面,但是我还是鼓起勇气拍下照片就匆忙离开那间涂上单一白色的厅房。 然后我走进了书房,这里阴森得让人害怕,但是却是我喜欢的地方,因为我拥有一间大书房是我梦寐以求的。虽然书架已经布满尘埃,但是在想象它在摆满书本后的景象,我就满心激动和高兴。

走出去是一道长长的走廊,一根一根的柱子笔直的排列开来 我并没有走到尾端去,因为心中的恐惧到了此刻只有增无减,就算一阵风吹来都足以让我颤抖,所一我不敢独自走到后面去。于是我走上了
顶楼。

这时我总于和三个小女生碰面了。当时我见到她们的第一个念头就是:她们会叫我帮忙为她们拍照!果然,我留意到她们在窃窃私语后,其中一位就出说出了要求(我忘了,好像又是我主动问她们是否需要帮忙)。拍完一张照片后我也对她们说我乐意再帮忙,如果她们需要的话。但是过后可能是看到我乐衷于为古堡拍照,她们却先走下楼去。我独自一人拍着时,才刚刚按下快门捕捉窗口的同时, 原本掩上的窗口猛然“轰”的一声开起来! 把我吓得魂不附体,心如小鹿乱跳。。。对不起。。是心惊胆跳。慌忙的“逃出”天台,往楼下走。但是,虽然被吓着了,我还是不忘在“逃亡”的过程中频按快门,尽量把每个角落留存以便日后可以看回。









离开了Kellie's Castle 古堡,三位可爱的女孩还在桥上拍照,然后我又毛遂自荐的为她们拍照留念。她们也好心意要为我拍照,但是我本来就很走少入镜头里面,更何况如今已经人老猪黄,(猪是标识着我日益发福的身材)所以笑笑婉拒了。
但是,难得的是我得以进入“鬼堡”,都是她们赋予我胆量,我很想要求青春无限的她们让我拍下她们的照片,给这一次的“鬼堡历险记”画下美丽的句号,也是缘分的见证。然而我不欲贸然做出唐突要求,只怕会吓倒她们,毕竟也只是萍水相逢。无论如何我还是“偷拍”了一张寥胜于无的她们的照片。罪过罪过!临走前的谈话得知她们是怡保人,乘着学校假期来游玩。我递上我的名片以及部落客的网址,告诉她们我会将此行的照片放上来,希望她们可以来看看。
我开始后悔了,因为有可能这三位女孩拥有因为自己胆小而不敢走到的地方的照片,我应该向她们索取的。怡保的女孩,如果你们来到这里,不知道你们可否将你们的照片与我交换?让我可以拥有更完整的Kellie's Castle的照片。


回家途中拜访了依山而立的广福岩佛寺,毗邻的是印度庙。

(待续)



星期五, 八月 04, 2006

Kellie's Castle

A grand mansion with a 6-storey tower,wine cellar,stately columns. Moorish arches and walls embellished with Greco-Roman designs. There was to be a rooftop courtyard for parties and even an elevator, the first of its kind in the country.

But the buildingnwas never to be completed. Work halted in December 1926 with the sudden demise of its owner, William Kellie-Smith. The estate on which it was situated was sold and the unfinished mansion soon surrendered itself once to the jungle.
Today, the rediscovered mansion, popularly known as Kellie's Castle, still stands,having survived the ravages of time, it reflects the pioneering spirits of the early colonialists and the romanticism of a bygone era. Who was Smith and what prompted him to construct this palatial building?



Born in Dallas, North-Eastern Scotland to a farmer and his wife on March 1, 1870, William Kellie Smith traveled to Malaysia, at the tender age of 20 to seek his fortune.
Kellie was his mother's name. Smith was engaged by an estate owner named Alma Baker to help in the construction of public roads in South Perak, With his share of the profits from the venture, he bought 960 acres of jungle land in the Kinta District, and cleared it to plant rubber.
He later named the estate Kinta Kellas, after his home farm, Kinta Kellas, in 1909, Smith built his first mansion, Kellas House-a symbol of his prospering rubber estate venture, 5 years later, with a birth of a son and heir, Smith that proved to be his ultimate follie.

Kellie's Castle was to surpass his estate bungalow. 70 tought workers, mostly from Madras were employed. The bricks and marber were imported from India. But during the construction, tragedy struck. A mysterious illness broke out, killing many of Smith's workers. The superstitious Smith was told that a temple must be built to appease the gods. He immediately transferred his workers to build a Hindu temple nearby.

Works resumed after the temple was completed but the castle was never to be realized. Tragedy struck again.

On a visit to Lisbon, at the age of 56,, Smith died of pneumonia. His wife, Agnes sold the estate, and with passing of time, and the end of colonial rule, the castle soon faded into memory.

Located on a ridge beside a meandering river near the town of Batu Gajah, Kellie's Castle is easily spotted from the Batu Gajah-Jalan Gopeng. Etched againts the blue sky, much of the structure is still intact. Over the years, the sturdy castle appears to have waged battle againt the undergrowth. Althought once creepers sprout from its exterior and gnarled tree roots fill the compound, the interior is undamaged. Only the spiders and insects make home of the empty room.

Despite signs of decay, the castle exudes a certain air of dignity and grangeur. Moving fron room to room, one can imagine the rich furnishings that would have filled the stately structure, had it been completed. As we wander around the castle, there is a eerie feeling of being watched. Sunlight streams through a series of arches on the two main floors, casting ghostly shadows on the verandah running the length of the building.

Perhaps, there is some truth to the local legend that the spirits of Old Man Kellie still wanders along the corridors......

Managed by: AQFAST ENTERPRISE TEL: 605-3651336.

Email: aqfast_kelliescastle@yahoo.com

(Photos by kikikatkat)