Seeing the sights (well, trying to at least)

First off, new approach now. I uploaded all the pictures I took to picasa. Will try to link pictures from there, rather than uploading them directly to the blog which didn't work so well yesterday. I also took a couple videos, the best one of driving through a market on the way to the 1st place today - but it seems to be too big to upload.

Today I had time to see some of the sights. As it turns out the hotel is happy to arrange for you to go where ever you want (for a fee of course). They'll even arrange to bring you back, take you somewhere else, or even wait for you (additional fee of course). So getting someplace is pretty easy, but it starts to add up if you want to go multiple places (which of course I did). Having a cell phone would be best - you can just call to be picked up when you're ready. But I didn't feel like buying a phone + prepaid card here (about US$55 total at the mall next to the hotel). Once the driver gets you, he wants to keep you and is a little more willing to negotiate than the hotel is.

So anyway, I started off by having them take me to Kek Lok Si temple, the largest buddhist temple on Penang. Apparantly it's been continuously under construction since they started building it in 1890. It is really big, and on a mountainside. And as it turned out, somewhat commercialized. There were souviner stands everywhere - with all profits going to pay for construction.



Note the stuff for sale around the Budda!







They have big koi fish in a pond!



Wanna buy a big metal head? The middle (smallest) one is about US$1000.



I then paid RM4 to ride up (and later back down) an Incline Lift to the top part of the property.





Good view from up here!






They are building this absolutely enormous Budda here (surrounded by scaffolding) - 12 stories high!




It's good to have a camera with a timer on it when you're travelling alone!








There is a pond here with a really big turtle in it. People seem to be trying to throw coins onto its back.


And LOTS of little turtles!


I had asked the driver to come back for me in two hours. Not sure if he waited or left and came back, but he was there after 90 min. I was pretty much done, so I asked him to take me to Penang Hill. When we got there, the rail system wasn't working, so I'll have to try again another time. (you REALLY don't want to hike up - it's more of a small mountain than a hill).

So I asked the driver to take me to Fort Cornwallis, the original British fort on the Island. Unfortunately, it was closed. So I got a picture of the big cannon from the outside.




And I got the driver to take a picture of me in front



Here is the original British office building (from when Penang was a British colony).



And a 60ft clock tower honoring Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee in 1897.



So I asked him to take me to Khoo Kongsi. A Kongsi is partly temple and partly meeting house for Chinese of the same clan. This particular one is "the finest and not to be missed" according to my tour book. On the way there the driver suggested we stop at the Pinang Peranakan Mansion. (Penang is the name of the state; Pinang is the name of the island, actually Palau Pinang). It has lots of original (old!!) Chinese and British stuff.



The guide said this glass window was a different color when viewed from the inside ...



... than from the outside. I think that's just because one room is lit and the other is not.



Infinite mirror! (Identical mirrors on opposite walls)



This was used to carry meals - each basket can hold 3 courses.



At this point, unfortunately my camera battery died, and I had left the spare in my hotel room. So I asked the driver to take me back to the hotel. This unfortunately became a big deal, because once we got back the trip officially ended apparantly and would have to start again, which would cost even more.

So after grabbing the battery I decided to have lunch. Then I headed out on my own again, looking for the 2 Buddhist temples nearby that I couldn't find the day before. Google maps actually has a pretty detailed map of Penang, and this time I found them!



And, they were open!





The first is the "Temple of the Reclining Budda", or Wat Chayamangkalaram as I like to call it.



So, it's REALLY big, and people were praying to it and all, but really, I have to ask, What's the big deal? Make a big concrete statue and people come pay money (donations accepted!) to look at it?

This is right behind it. Look carefully at the wall. Each square has an urn in it with someone's ashes, and a picture of them. There is a room under the Budda filled with them too.







There were other temples on the property too:



OK, across the street to the Dhammikarama Burmese Buddhist Temple.





Check out the hand carved wood ceiling!



Cool dragon guarding the entrance.





This fountain was spinning. Each sliver bucket has something different printed on it. People try to throw coins into the one they want to happen.




People were also praying (making a wish, as it appeared) and then trying to throw money into this fountain/statue:






Ok, moving on then. There was supposed to be a mosque a couple blocks away, so I headed for it. It turned out to be nothing fancy. However, this fixer-upper is available and could be yours!



Just 2 blocks further down was this beautiful condo building:


OK, back to the shore drive, heading back up to my hotel.



It's getting windy again.



This guy was fishing - didn't catch anything.




Which is probably good, because the water looked really nasty to me. Muddy, gray, yuck.

There are lots of little restaurants around. They each seem to specialize in just 1 dish. Supposedly they get REALLY good at it. Nasi Kandar is rice with curry.



Apparantly this one specializes in something called "Coffee". :)



As tempting as it was to stop, I did pass on this one:



"If it swims, we have it!" What more would you need to know? No, I didn't stop here either.



Those are coconuts on the ground there.



OK, look carefully on the rock (in the murky water). I don't know what those are, but they were definately moving!



Ok, so I have to say this. Anyone who says it's America who is destryong the earth, they need to look at Asia first. Yuck. Garbage. Pollution. The tour book mentions a river that is so polluted nothing lives in it.



Lots of little cars! (and LOTS of motorbikes - and they drive where ever and however they want, and Mak said the laws are written to protect them)





Penang is famous for food. The best food supposedly can be had at "Hawker Centers", and the most famous one is one block up from my hotel. Personally, I'm not that gutsy - not clear how clean these places are, and I don't want to get sick. This was just starting to open up when I walked through around 4pm. Again, each stand pretty much does 1 thing.



Apparantly you order your food at various stands, and sit down and they bring it out to you. Somebody comes by and takes your drink order. Different vendors all coming together sort of.



Obviously these are the best Rojak to be had! Or something.





OK, obviously I took too many pictures today! Now I need to go get ready for work tomorrow. Sigh!

Bye!