24 September 2023, Sunday

After the action-packed day yesterday, we had a lighter slate on our plate today, with only two main sightseeing objectives – Penang Hill and Kek Lok Si Temple. Yesterday night, I had pre-purchased tickets for our Penang Hill visit, because I read that the queue to take the funicular can be very long on weekends and public holidays.

For foreigners, the return ticket for an adult is RM30 (S$8.82) for Standard and RM80 (S$23.53) for Fastlane; for seniors (aged 60 and above), it costs RM30 for Standard and RM60 (S$17.65) for Fastlane. As you can see, the Fastlane ticket is considerably more expensive than the Standard ticket, but since we were visiting on a Sunday and we had three Seniors in the group, I thought it was best to just bite the bullet and buy the Fastlane tickets.

When we woke up at 7am on this Sunday morning, the temperature was 25 degrees C and it was drizzling. The weather forecast showed that it would rain for the rest of the morning. The tickets are not time-sensitive and we could have gone in the afternoon, but we preferred to get it done first so we proceeded with our visit despite the less-than-ideal conditions. I booked a Grab car for RM17 (S$5) and we left our Sunrise Gurney homestay at 8:35am, arriving at Penang Hill Lower Station at 8:52am.

We first went to the ticket counter to redeem our physical tickets. The staff checked the passports of dad, mum and FL to confirm that they were indeed Seniors. So if you’re buying any Senior tickets, do remember to bring along some form of identification because they do perform checks. After getting our tickets, we went to the gift shop to buy disposable ponchos at RM6 (S$1.76) each. 

Perhaps because it was raining, there weren’t many people despite it being a Sunday. We breezed through the boarding area and went to a separate queue for Fastlane ticket holders. There were a few other people in the Standard queue but they were most likely locals because a Standard return ticket for locals is much cheaper – only RM12 compared to RM30 for foreigners. Thus, a morning excursion to Penang Hill would be quite affordable and appealing to the locals looking for a quick getaway.

The good thing about Fastlane is that we had priority boarding, so we were able to go right to the front cabin of the funicular and get the best seats in the house, whereas everyone else occupied the cabins at the back. Each funicular can accommodate up to 100 passengers, but not everyone will get a seat.

At 9:15am sharp, the funicular departed Lower Station and started its ascent. Penang Hill is made up of six peaks, with the highest standing at 833 metres above sea level. The funicular railway is 2 kilometres long, making it one of the longest funicular tracks in Asia. The ride takes approximately 4½ minutes. Despite the hill being very steep, the funicular moved very quickly and smoothly. About two-thirds of the way up, another funicular came down in the opposite direction and we passed each other at the short split-track section. If we were moving just 5 seconds faster or slower, we would have collided with one another. The timing was perfectly synchronised, amazing!

After disembarking at Upper Station, we walked along a sheltered walkway and soon reached Astaka, or Cliff Café, which had plenty of F&B options. The entrance to Teddyville Museum is located here too. I didn’t do much research beforehand so I wasn’t very sure where to go, so we just walked blindly along the main road. Here at the top of the hill, the wind was quite strong and it was drizzling. The entire area was a little foggy as well so it was nice and cool, which reminded us of Genting Highlands.

Soon, we reached Sky Terrace hilltop café. On the concrete wall slope in front of the café were the words Bukit Bendera in yellow. Bukit Bendera means “Flag Hill” in Malay, and it refers to the flagstaff (flag pole) outside Bel Retiro, the residence of the Governor of Penang, built by Francis Light, the founder of the British colony of Penang. When dad saw the Bukit Bendera words etched on the slope, he recalled that we took a photo here during our previous visit. I had no recollection of it, but he was right. After returning to Singapore, we flipped through our photo album and voila, there was indeed a photo of us with the Bukit Bendera sign, taken in December 1991.

We then walked down a flight of steps to the Skydeck (East), which normally offered a panoramic view of George Town below, but of course, the fog obscured everything. Views are overrated, anyway. We next reached Penang Hill Gallery @ Edgecliff, a heritage bungalow converted to a visitor gallery relating Penang Hill’s history, biodiversity and development of the funicular system. There was an entrance fee of RM10 for adults so we didn’t enter the gallery.

Instead of turning back, we kept walking along Edgecliff Road because the weather was cool and nice a hike. For a short moment, the fog cleared slightly and we had a brief glimpse of George Town. We didn’t see any other people along the way but we kept going. The greenery surrounding the hill was therapeutic so it was rather enjoyable…until we hit the slope.

We had been descending for a while now so it was only a matter of time before we had to go up again. And boy, was it steep. We huffed and puffed until we finally overcame the steep and winding slope. I could see that dad was quite winded after that and I felt bad for making him go through it. But kudos to him for being so fit for his age!

After conquering the hill, we saw Sri Aruloli Thirumurugan Temple, one of the oldest Hindu temples in Penang. It was set up in the 1800s as a small shrine dedicated to Lord Murugan by the Indian sepoys and sedan chair carriers. The temple has been enlarged and rebuilt many times over the years and its present form is a very ornate Hindu temple in the Dravidian architectural style of South India, similar to those found in Singapore.

Next to the Penang Hill Hindu Temple was a 32-pounder cannon weighing 2.75 tonnes. Made of bronze, the cannon can fire a 32-pound ball propelled by a 5kg gunpowder charge, giving it a muzzle velocity of 1,600 feet per second (approx. 488 metres/second)! The cannon is usually situated at the lower gun deck with its muzzle some 2 metres above the water line, allowing it to reach a target range of 1,000 feet (approx. 305 metres). The cannon was probably transported to the hill as an ornament or to warn of the presence of pirates.

We then reached Upper Station again at 10:30am, and decided to take a breather at Astaka, where we ordered coffee and some light bites. The rain had stopped by then but it was still foggy. At 11am, armed with our Fastlane tickets, we zoomed to the front of the queue, where there were benches for us to rest while waiting for the funicular to arrive. Once again, we were given priority to board so we chose the cabin at the front. At 11:15am, the funicular started its descent. It felt like a rollercoaster ride as it descended rapidly and we had a front row seat going down the steep hill. Before we knew it, we were back at Lower Station.

Overall, the funicular ride was very enjoyable and it was money well-spent to get the Fastlane tickets, even though it wasn’t really essential because the queue for the Standard ticket holders was not long on this particular wet Sunday. Fastlane allowed us to get the best seats and that enhanced our experience greatly. Even though we didn’t get to see any views at the top of Penang Hill, we enjoyed the chilly weather and greenery very much.

From Penang Hill, we took a Grab car straight to our next destination, Kek Lok Si Temple. I’m not sure why but there was a RM2 promo for this trip so the 10-minute ride cost only RM4 (S$1.18). Along the way, we passed by the small town of Air Itam and arrived at Kek Lok Si Temple at 11:33am.

Kek Lok Si Temple is one of the largest temple complexes in Southeast Asia and the crown jewel of heritage temples in Malaysia. The entire complex was built between 1890 and 1930, with its several buildings built on a hill called Crane Hill, because it resembled a crane spreading its wings. The name Kek Lok Si (Ji Le Si, 極樂寺) literally means “supreme joy temple” and it is sometimes known as the Temple of Paradise.

Unbeknownst to me, the destination that I selected on the Grab app brought us to the middle section of the hill, where there was a small carpark in front of the Hall of Bodhisattvas, or Avalokiteshvara Hall. Most visitors will arrive at the foot of the hill where there is a much larger carpark and many souvenir shops. There is also a Tortoise Liberation Pond there with hundreds of tortoises in the pond. But we didn’t see all that because we bypassed the lower section entirely.

The Hall of Bodhisattvas is the earliest building of Kek Lok Si Temple, completed in 1891. The rectangular hall was huge and spacious, with three large, golden seated Bodhisattvas taking centrestage. Hundreds of small niches with seated Buddha figurines adorned the surrounding walls. A closer inspection of the niches showed that many of them had a small plate attached to the base, bearing the name(s) of those who donated and adopted the niches. The upper parts of the walls and ceiling were also covered with murals and decorations, giving the hall a very grand and opulent look.

Near the main entrance of the hall, a Wishing Tree with many colourful ribbons hung on the “branches” caught my attention. I discovered that visitors could donate RM1 to obtain a wishing ribbon and tie it on the tree. The ribbons came in over 20 colours and each colour represented a different wish. Naturally, I chose to wish for good health. I used a ball pen to write my name on the green ribbon and hung it on the tree. Dad, mum and FL also did the same.

After spending about 25 minutes at the Hall of Bodhisattvas, we proceeded to the Main Prayer Hall (Da Xiong Bao Dian, 大雄宝殿) and the Hall of Buddhas of Five Regions (Wu Fang Fo Dian, 五方佛殿). As we climbed the stairs up the hill, we passed by the Garden Pavilion of Lord Buddha and the Five Bhikkhus, where there was a statue of a seated Buddha under a pavilion, overlooking a small valley with a miniature seven-storey pagoda in the middle. Bhikkhu literally means “beggar” or “one who lives by alms”, and it refers to an ordained male in Buddhist monasticism. We saw a real man sitting on the steps with an alms bowl in front of him, but I’m not sure if he was a Bikkhu or simply a beggar.

Next, we visited the Hall of Devas (Tian Wang Dian, 天王殿), or Hall of the Heavenly Kings. This was the second building to be completed at Kek Lok Si Temple, in 1895. Inside this small hall were statues of the four Heavenly Kings (no, I’m not referring to Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau, Aaron Kwok and Leon Lai!), who each control one of the four points of the compass and are protectors of the world. In the centre of the hall (and thus, the centre of the Universe) was a statue of Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future. Maitreya is depicted as a Laughing Buddha, spreading good energy, prosperity and luck.

Passing through a moon gate, we reached the Amitabha Buddha Pagoda. The pagoda was surrounded by dozens of Amitabha Buddha statues on the perimeter wall, which enclosed a beautifully landscaped garden with many colourful flowers and shrubs.

Walking further along, we reached the Main Prayer Hall (Da Xiong Bao Dian, 大雄宝殿). Here, there were two ways to proceed – to the left towards the Guan Yin statue, or to the right towards the Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas. We chose to visit the Guan Yin statue first.

To get there, we had to pass through a large but dated gift shop. Towards the back of the shop was a counter selling tickets for the inclined lift to take visitors to the top of the hill where the statue is located. The lift service operates from 8:30am to 5:30pm daily and it costs RM6 (S$1.76) for an adult two-way ticket. Alternatively, you can also choose to walk up or take a buggy service.

Right after we bought the tickets, we were hastily herded into the lift because it was about to depart. The lift wasn’t very big and it was full once the four of us boarded. Thankfully, it was air-conditioned. The lift was like a funicular because it went up and down the slope via an angled track. But of course, it moved much slower and it was a shorter ride, lasting only around a minute.

Upon alighting, we walked through a smaller gift shop before we emerged in the open, where the magnificent sight of the huge 36.5-metre-tall Guan Yin statue greeted us. The bronze statue is a relatively new addition to Kek Lok Si Temple, completed only in 2002. It was rather spectacular, but I felt that it would have been better without the imposing pavilion with its 16 supporting pillars. The thick columns and roof provided shelter for Guan Yin but it also felt like a cage enclosing her. Nevertheless, the size of the entire structure and its location on top of the hill was impressive.

There was a medium-sized temple near the Guan Yin statue. The central walkway leading to the temple was well-manicured and flanked by stone sculptures of the 12 animals from the Chinese zodiac. There was also a small pavilion surrounded by a pond. This hilltop area around the Guan Yin statue was the most crowded among all the places we visited at Kek Lok Si Temple. After less than 20 minutes here, we took the lift down.

Back at the Main Prayer Hall, we proceeded the other way towards the pagoda. After paying an entrance fee of RM2 (S$0.60), we passed through the turnstile and soon reached the Hall of Buddhas of Five Regions (Wu Fang Fo Dian, 五方佛殿). The outer walls of the hall were covered with elaborate carvings depicting Buddha’s journey to enlightenment. Inside the hall were the five Dhyani Buddhas – Aksobhya, Amitabha, Amoghasiddhi, Ratnasambhava, and Vairocana. The five Buddhas are icons of Mahayana Buddhism and each represents a different aspect of enlightened consciousness to aid in spiritual transformation.

Next to the hall was the Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas, or Ban Po Thar (Wan Fo Ta, 万佛塔). Completed in 1930, the pagoda is 30 metres high and comprises seven floors. It is arguably the most famous landmark in Penang. What makes the pagoda unique is that it combines three different architectural styles. The octagonal base is Chinese style; the middle section is of Thai design; and the crown with the spiral dome is of Burmese influence.

The entrance to the pagoda was via a small temple building located in front of the pagoda. Behind the main altar was a spiral staircase that became progressively narrower the higher you went. At the landing of each floor, there was a Buddha statue from a different branch of Buddhism. FL and I climbed all the way to the highest floor, where we had a panoramic view of George Town below and the Guan Yin statue on top of the hill. It wasn’t too strenuous to climb up the pagoda and the views are well worth the effort.

Back at ground level beside the pagoda, there was a small building with a huge bronze bell suspended within. It was a wishing bell that will make your wishes come true – 有求必应. We each put in a small donation and struck the bell using the attached knocker. The deep gong reverberated around the hillside. It is the sound you will hear a lot if you are in the vicinity.

After spending about two hours at Kek Lok Si Temple, we left at 1:40pm and arrived at Gurney Plaza 20 minutes later. The Grab car ride cost RM12 (S$3.53). Mum had craving for ramen so we went to Ippudo for a well-deserved lunch. We ordered a bowl of ramen each and some skewers and gyoza to share. Our lunch bill came up to RM223.90 (S$65.85).

After the satisfying lunch, we had some free-and-easy shopping time at Gurney Plaza. We regrouped at 5pm and walked over to Gurney Drive hawker centre for a light dinner. This time, we ordered all the other dishes that we hadn’t managed to eat so far – Sotong Bakar (grilled cuttlefish, RM16/S$4.70) and Char Kway Teow with duck egg (RM11/S$3.24).

We then took a Grab car back to our apartment (RM5/S$1.47) because we were too tired to walk. We were back at our apartment at 5:50pm and called it a day. It had been a very eventful and fulfilling day, albeit a tiring one. Happy that we managed to visit two of the most important attractions in Penang today.

25 September 2023, Monday

We had some time in the morning before our flight at 3:35pm so we went out for breakfast and a bit of jalan jalan. We walked over to Coco Island eating place near our apartment but there were only two stalls open when we reached at 8:20am – bak kut teh and roti bakar. We each ordered the roti bakar set at RM12.50 (S$3.68), comprising kaya toast, two half-boiled eggs and a cup of Ipoh white coffee. The coffee was very thick and good, but I still prefer our Ya Kun in Singapore for kaya toast and eggs.

After having our breakfast, it was still too early to return to the apartment so I booked a Grab car to take us to Lorong Kulit flea market (fare: RM13/S$3.82). As we drove by the flea market at 9:07am, we saw that it was just a large open area with small tents for the stalls. Only a handful of them were open at this hour on a Monday morning, mostly selling fruits. Perhaps it would be livelier on weekends, and when it is not raining. We gave it up as a bad job and decided not to alight here.

We asked our Grab driver if there was somewhere else we could go, and said we would pay him extra to take us there. He suggested Chowrasta Market at George Town. When we arrived 10 minutes later, he said we could just top up RM5, but dad had already prepared RM10 and gave it to him. He was so friendly and accommodating, definitely the nicest Grab driver we encountered during the entire trip.

We walked through the street known as Walk@Chowrasta, which was a partially sheltered walkway. Along this street were shops selling all kinds of knick knacks and everyday use items like batteries, clothes and household supplies. There were also vendors selling dried food items like preserved fruits, biscuits and candy. The building beside the street is the actual Chowrasta Market and it housed a wet market on the ground floor. I later found out that there were retail shops on the second floor but we didn’t know it at the time so we didn’t go up there.

From Chowrasta Market, we walked along Campbell Street. At the end of the street was Ban Heang, one of the famous tau sar piah brands in Penang. We saw a long queue forming along the wall outside Ban Heang towards a very old school and run down café called Toh Soon Coffee. The café occupied a small stand with zinc roofs and it was located in an alley between two buildings. Cheap red plastic stools accompanied the small round tables. I figured this must be one of those Internet-famous cafés on travellers’ must-visit lists.

After turning to Penang Road, we went to Leith Street and reached the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion at 9:50am. Also known as The Blue Mansion, this was the residence of the merchant who was once called the “Rockefeller of China” and the richest man in Malaya. Cheong Fatt Tze (1840 – 1916) had eight wives and owned many residences throughout his trading empire in Southeast Asia, but The Blue Mansion in Penang is regarded as the cream of the crop.

The entire complex includes 38 rooms, 5 courtyards, 7 staircases and 220 windows. After falling into disrepair following Cheong’s death, the mansion was painstakingly restored in 1995 and converted into a boutique hotel. There are guided tours of the mansion at 11am and 2pm daily, with tickets priced at RM25 (S$7.35) for adults.

I thought we could walk in to see the hotel even without going on the guided tour, but there was a security guard at the entrance to restrict visitors into the compound. Thus, we could only see a bit of the side of the building. The mansion was painted in a striking shade of cobalt blue, similar to the Baba House at 157 Neil Road in Singapore, which has also been conserved as a Peranakan heritage house. In any case, it started pouring really heavily the moment we arrived at The Blue Mansion. We were stuck with nowhere to go so we sought shelter at the entrance while waiting for our Grab car to arrive.

We got back to our apartment at 10:05am, and chilled the rest of the morning before checking out at 11:30am. At 11:45am, our GrabCar 6 arrived and we took a half-hour ride to the airport. The fare was RM28 (S$8.24). After printing our boarding passes and depositing our luggages, we went for lunch at an eatery called Nooodles. Dad had curry noodles while mum, FL and I had nasi lemak. It was honestly the worst nasi lemak I have eaten in my life. The chicken drumstick was pathetically small, the rice was cold and it was not lemak at all. Only the teh tarik was acceptable. It was a baaad lunch.

Our AirAsia flight AK 1725 was supposed to depart at 3:35pm but the aircraft only landed at the airport at 3:20pm, so our flight was slightly delayed. We eventually touched down at Singapore’s Changi Airport Terminal 4 at 5:17pm, 7 minutes behind schedule. From there, we took a taxi back to Home Sweet Home. Thank you Penang, it was nice revisiting you after 32 years!