My Penang - Day 2

Penang Hill (Bukit Bendera)
This morning we plan to visit Penang Hill. The owner of our accommodation is so kind, he offers to give us a ride to the cable car station. Penang Hill is a series of hilltops which is approximately 833 meters above sea level. This is the only place that remains in my childhood memory of Penang: my first-time-experience of riding the funicular railway. The return ticket fare is RM 4 for adults.
Interesting places at the top include the tranquil Mosque and the Hindu Temple (Sri Aruloli Thirumurugan Temple).




We stop to have a coffee break and enjoy a panoramic view of Georgetown at Bellevue Hotel.





Fun experience with Henna drawing
While enjoying the greenery of the hill, we stop by to have Henna drawing. Mine is on the left arm, Mer is on the wrist, Nong and Nam Phueng are on their hands, while Tong is on the back. It costs 10 RM per drawing. (approximately Baht 100) They said that it would stay around 2 weeks.




Kok Lek Si Temple
The temple is situated in the Ayer Itam area, it has several pavilions with beautiful architecture, paintings, statues, and general items of Buddhist religious interest.




Construction of the temple started in 1893, but it was only in 1930 that the Pagoda of Rama VI, named after our king who laid the foundation stone, but better known as the Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas, was completed. This pagoda combines a Chinese octagonal base with a middle tier of Thai design, and a Burmese crown, reflecting the temple's embrace of both Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism. Gigantic Statue of Goddess of Mercy ( Kuan YIn ) is the 30.2m bronze statue of the Avalokitesvara - Goddess of Mercy or Kuan Yin - on the hillside above the pagoda. This statue was completed and open to the public at the end of 2002.




Dhammikarama Temple or Burmese Temple
The main hall houses a tall Standing Buddha and behind the Standing Buddha are two rows of smaller buddhas.




Wat Chaiyamangkalaran or the Reclining Buddha Temple
It was built in the 19th century with the blend of Chinese, Thai and Burmese architectural designs. The reclining Buddha is measured up to a 33 meters length, the eyes and toenails of the Buddha are made of seashells.




Walking on Gurney Drive along Penang Beach, our main objective here is to try some local food since the beach is nothing to recommend. Lots of edible hawker food. It’s bursting with flavor and color. Here we sample Char Kway Teow (Flat Rice Noodles fried with Prawns, ,Bean Sprouts. For me, it is alike “Phad Thai” in Thai food.), Wanton Soup and desserts with ice (น้ำแข็งใส)




Komtar
It is the landmark of Penang. KOMTAR, a 65-storey building, is short for Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak, which houses Government departments, commercial offices, department stores, shops and restaurants. And that should be all for my two-day trip.

My Penang - Day 1

Segara Ninda
Five of us visit Penang on the weekend. Segara Ninda, the guest house that we stay, belonged to Ku Din Ku Meh, the governor of Setul (at that time Setul was the province of Kedah under the domination of Thailand, but later became Ampur Satun, a part of Songkla Province, Thailand). Ku Din received the title of “Phraya Purminard Pakdi” or “The Devoted King” by the King of Siam.
The house situated on the Upper Penang Road which is very very bustling at night, surrounded by night club. Good for the one who enjoys night life. The present owner of the house who is the grandson of Ku Din Ku Meh.



The Lovely Blue Mansion
The Mansion of Cheong Fatt Tze who came to Penange penniless but had become one of the most historic and colorful personalities of the era, “One of China’s last Mandarins and 1st Capitalists”, that Dutch and British authorities ordered their flag be flown at half mast throughout their colonies when he passed away in 1916.
The house which was adorned with “feng shui” elements which sent out a call for Gods of prosperity, health and good luck, “had been restored and received the UNESCO Most Excellent Heritage Conservation Award in 2000.
The blue exterior paint which I found out later, happened to be indigo paint which washes off with every rainfall but since the paint is organic, it preserves the "health" of the walls and prevents cracks.
http://www.cheongfatttzemansion.com/

We end the evening by planning to have dinner at Gurney Drive, we get lost and are offered a ride to another food center by a local guy. The seafood at this small shops complex are quite good with approximately Baht 200 per person. Sorry no picture.