DECIDING ON LOCATIONS (1870)

As time is slowly becoming a luxury, I went to Perak to check out some places that I have been to before some years back that I thought would be ideal for 1870.
Last Sunday, me and pal Ken, left KL and took the NKVE towards Gopeng and then head East towards Bandar Seri Iskandar.
I remembered that area has numerous disused tin mines, especially one that was turned into a water sports venue for the SUKMA held in Perak some years ago.
On the way to Seri Iskandar, Ken told me that he read something about a museum in Gopeng. As a fan of museums, we decided to check it out.
The museum is in the old part of Gopeng near the town square which was where the old town market was located. The museum, simply called Museum Gopeng, is 'created' by an NGO proud to archive and display the little town's proud history.
As you enter the small shoplot-turn-museum, you'd find a little counter in the center asking for donations. Entrance is, of course, free, but donations are more than welcomed.
On the left side of the entrance was some artifacts from the town's rich tin mine past. A signboard proudly states - No Tin No Gopeng. On the right, the town's rich rubber industry past with a sign that states - No Rubber No Jobs.
The museum is not as big nor as interesting as the private museum in Cameron Highlands, but it still is something the owners can be proud of. In the fifteen minutes that you stroll around in the building, you would get a glimpse of old Gopeng.
After that short stop, we immediately left for Seri Iskandar.
However, whilst passing Tronoh, we saw some sites that could be ideal for some scenes in 1870. We stopped to take some photos.

Alien landscapes in Tronoh

Strange formations on the disused tin mine site in Tronoh

This particular location really had some weird and arresting formations, as if you are on a strange planet.

In Seri Iskandar, the location I wanted to check out, is surprisingly now a privately owned site. It is situated right in front of the Petronas University.
There was no access road and the entrance is now guarded.
We went to see the guards and expressed our intentions to see the land for possible location shoot. Surprisingly, the guards are well mannered and even friendly. They allowed us in and in fact, one actually gave us a ride in his car as the location I described to them is deep inside.
The said site is really ideal for 1870 but I felt sad to see the buildings, built specifically for SUKMA, in total ruins.

The old Sukma Water Sports Center at Seri Iskandar - now in ruins

The location that I thought would be ideal as Port Klang circa 1870

According to the guard, the place is now owned by Putrajaya Holdings, a company under the Petronas Group. He added that the company has plans to develop the site sometime soon.

Having taken photographs, I felt hopeful that Putrajaya Holdings would have no problem allowing me to construct my sets there for the TV series.
Ken and I then left the place feeling satisfied that the location really had potential.
Before returning back to KL, we decided to stop by Kuala Selangor and check out Bukit Malawati.

The fort called Batu Hampar on Bukit Malawati.

One of the silver haired denizens on Malawati Hill.

I have never been to the historical site, and visiting it gave me some sense of how much interesting history Selangor had and that most of us either don't know about, don't care or took for granted.