Malaysia - Penang

Let me first start off by saying: I LOVED Penang. I don't think I could've stayed there for much longer than my trip included, and I certainly wouldn't want to live there, but the day and a half I was there was fantastic.

Flew in pretty late so we didn't get to our hotel until pretty late. Situated a block from "Jalan Penang" or Penang road, a block's transit was all it took to get to the night life. A tad exhausted, we settled for a convenient store where we picked up some waters and snacks.

The tri-shaw was their equivalent of a tuk-tuk, and the drivers of course wanted to take you anywhere.

We started off the day with the free continental breakfast then headed over to the Botanical gardens after finding out that the other route to Penang Hill was under-construction. The park was pretty, but just a park. We didn't stay there long and took a jeep up to Penang Hill.

Favorite part of the day. The hill, 830m above sea level, overlooked the entire tiny island.

At the top of the hill, I was even able to see Penang Bridge, which takes the driver to the mainland.

At the top was also a small mosque and Hindu temple.

We took the jeep back down the hill, then headed to Kek Lok Si Temple, my second favorite part of the trip. "Kek Lok Si means 'Temple of Supreme Bliss'. Construction began in 1890, with the completion of its seven- story handcrafted "Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas" in 1930. The pagoda is considered one of Penang's most beautiful architectural wonders with its Chinese octagonal base, Thai middle tier, an Burmese crown." I would agree; never have I seen such a huge, colorful, lively temple.

It was also situated on a hill, so we had to (of course) walk up many stairs, not without seeing more views of the city, however.

At one point, we took a Pittsburgh incline like lift to get to the higher part of the temple.

Just as when I went to Disneyland and the castle was under construction, the main statue was also covered. "A 30.2m Kuan Yin bronze statue was completed in 2002." It didn't look as cool as the other parts of Kek Lok Si, anyway.

After a long morning, we got some grub at the vendors at the bottom of Kek Lok Si. Their methods were certainly questionable, but I figured anything that was hot was safe. Nancy and I also picked up some disposable chopsticks across the street.

Fried Kway Teow:

Kway Teow Soup:

After traveling many countries now, the food I ate in Penang and the curry in Thailand has been my favorite. I cannot begin to describe how surprisingly delicious the food tasted. Especially coming from sketchy looking vendors:

Next we headed to Georgetown, a tiny town that you can navigate easily within one day. In fact, we were able to see everything we wanted to! First stop: Khoo Kongsi. "Completed around 1906, the temple belongs to the Khoo Kongsi clan." Perhaps my third favorite site of the day. I have never seen such an ornate Buddhist temple, and I have seen quite a few since in Hong Kong. Every room was laced in gold and red, with incense burning in the background.

We went to Cheah Kongsi afterward, but it couldn't compare to Khoo Kongsi in the least bit. Then we headed to Kapitan Keling Mosque. "Founded in 1801, it is the largest historic mosque in George Town." I didn't know what to expect, but it was very plain and unexciting.

At least I got to try on a cover-up since my clothing was apparently unacceptable.

Guided tours were available three times a day at Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion; only there for a day, we popped in for the next tour. The building itself wasn't crazy spectacular, but we were able to hear and learn a lot about Chinese history and their customs, which I am pretty ignorant to.

At the north tip of Georgetown, we walked by Cathedral of the Assumption...

...as well as St. George's Church. "Built between 1817 and 1818, it is said to be the oldest Anglican church in Southeast Asia." It was closed, but looking through the windows, I have never seen a plainer church. It was certainly no Notre Dame basilica.

Close to the churches was the Esplanade, a seafront promenade. 

The City Hall was also nearby. "Built in 1903, this is the headquarters of the Penang Island Municipal Council." All the way down in the distance was the Town Hall. "This was the previous social venue for Penang's elite back in the 1880's."

"Located along the Weld Quay are Penang's historical clan jetties, home to families of traders, fishermen, and dock workers. Built during the 19th century, these traditional houses are built over the sea on stilts and are connected by wooden walkways."

Recommended by Keat, my friend from Singapore who has been to Malaysia several times before, Ghee Hiang is one of the oldest bakeries in Penang. We got Tau Sar Pneah biscuits. They look like the manju I would eat on New Years, but a different filling replaced the red beans.

Little India: "This little quarter of South Indian culture is where early Indian immigrants settled down to make Penang their home. It is the island's epicentre of Indian music, savoury cuisine, exotic spices, and authentic goods."

Mahamariamman Temple: "Built in 1883, it is the oldest Hindu temple in George Town. It began as a humble Hindu shrine dedicated to Sri Muthu Mariamman. A distinctive feature of the temple is its gopuram with 38 exquisitely carved Hindu deities."

Although I didn't get pictures of everything since I was concerned about the battery life of my camera, we also saw Fort Cornwallis, the Goddess of Mercy Temple, Teochew Temple, Benggali Mosque, Hainan Temple, and Komtar. 

For dinner, we went to Red Garden, the nearby hawker stall that our hotel receptionist recommended. I think the following dish is Ipoh Hor Fun. Naturally, it was delicious.

But my favorite meal of the weekend goes to the grilled stingray we shared. I definitely think I satisfied dad in trying to do something "Anthony Bourdain."

For breakfast the next day, we got some dim sum down the street. Not sure what it was exactly, but I watched as the guy next to me put chili on top and poured what looked like tea overtop. I followed suit.

Then we headed to the Penang State Museum. I haven't been to very many museums since I've been in Asia, but all of them so far have been relatively disappointing. Visitors are often presented with replicas and basic information. I think this has been the best museum I've seen to date.

Another recommendation by Keat was to see Snake Temple. "Built in 1850, the snake temple - also known as the Temple of Azure Cloud - is dedicated to Chor Soo Kong, a priest who was believed to have extraordinary healing powers. However, according to local folklore, a religious man offered the venomous pit vipers shelter from danger and since then, they have stayed in safety of the temple." Despite his recommendation, I thought it was a mediocre temple and crappy snake exhibit at the zoo. I also feel like the guy who worked at the snake exhibit was relatively uninformed.

Then we headed to the airport for our afternoon flight to Kuala Lumpur!