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Malaysia and Cambodia

Hello,

This is about my upcoming trip to Malaysia and Cambodia. The first part is pre-trip - information about flights, itineraries, accommodation and all the things that you need to do to plan an overseas holiday. This is my first trip to Asia and I hope it may help others. Comments are very welcome and anyone who has travelled to Malaysia and/or Cambodia, please feel free to comment and offer any advice or tips that you think would be helpful. As of today ( 28th February) , in exactly 11 days (minus 30 minutes) I will be in Kuala Lumpur.
Cheers.

I had the most amazing time and hope you enjoy reading about my trip. Each post is numbered and I'm doing them in order from start to finish - a little like a diary.

ANGKOR WAT SUNRISE




Showing posts with label K Penang. Show all posts
Showing posts with label K Penang. Show all posts

Friday

94. Goodbye to Penang

 
Above: Penang flag
The flag is a tricolour consisting of vertical stripes of equal width of light blue (at the hoist), white and yellow; on the central (white) stripe is an areca nut palm or pokok pinang on a mount. Light blue signifies the sea, which surrounds the island. The white represents the State itself in its serenity. The yellow signifies prosperity. The betelnut tree is the tree from which the island takes its names.

 
Above: Waiting for the bus
It was time to leave Penang and I waited here for the bus. When I'd booked the bus a couple of days previously, I found out that the mini bus which left Penang at (from memory) 8.00am, stopped at certain locations to pick-up passengers and the Bayview Hotel was one of them. This was so much easier than having to lug a suitcase down somewhere to catch a bus to take me to Komtar or wherever the bus began its journey.

The bus arrived at the hotel at 7.45am and we were on our way. There was a German fellow plus one or two other chaps on the bus when it stopped for me. We made a stop at Hutton Lodge and a German couple and their 5 year old daughter hopped on. I remember later he found it hard to get comfortable - it was a minibus and he was very tall with such long legs he didn't have room to stretch out. I sat on the right hand side and being nowhere near 6 foot was quite comfortable.




 
Above: Kapitan Keling mosque
The streets devoid of people make for better photos.


 
Above: Penang apartments
We passed these tall apartments on the way. I think the different colours make for an interesting effect don't you? The people on the upper floors must have a lovely view.

 
Above: Morning skies over Penang Bridge
In this photo you can see the hazy mist of early morning light over the Penang Bridge. As the bus was fast moving, very few photos came out well enough. These are the ones that did.


 
Above: Penang Island map

History
The history of Penang began in 1786, when Captain Francis Light struck a deal with the Sultan of Kedah. He acquired Pulau Pinang (Penang Island) from the Sultan on behalf of the East India Company, which is return promised Kedah protection against its powerful neighbours. You can read more information here.

92. Bayview Hotel - Revolving Restaurant

It was my last night in Penang and I'd decided to have dinner in the Revolving Restaurant. The REvolving Restaurant is the crown jewel of Bayview Hotel. You get a 360 º view of Penang Island and they serve a buffet dinner daily. I love buffets - you can eat what you want and as much as you want or as little as you want, although I've noticed whenever I've had a buffet meal I don't really overeat. There's only so much food one's stomach can hold after all. No sense in stuffing one's face like a pig - you'd end up feeling like a beached whale with gastric problems!


Above: Revolving restaurant
The cuisine offered is local and western so there's something to suit everybody. Here you can see the dessert section. I had arrived a little late and many people were onto their dessert course.

Above: Desserts
A selection of desserts. I must say for all that I loved the Bayview I found the desserts very sweet. I'd be happy with such mundane treats as baked custards, bread and butter pudding, chocolate mud cake and the ever popular "pav". Pav being short for pavlova of course. And real cream. Perhaps it's because of the tropical heat that fresh cream isn't used. I guess we're somewhat spoilt in Australia where fresh cream is readily available. That said, if I'm lucky enough to visit Penang again I would stay at the Bayview, and yes, I'd still eat in the Revolving Restaurant.

Above: Entrance doors
Did you know it takes a full hour (60 minutes) to make a complete revolution? Now that's something - you can be eating an entree looking in one direction and by your next course have a completely different view! Marvelous. Muted coffer lighting gives an ambience that is relaxed and romantic which adds to the feeling of being removed from the hum-drum of everyday and transports you to a special place.

Above: Ceiling designs
The ceiling is decorated with signs of the Zodiac. This is Capricorn - sign of the goat.

Above: Entertainment
After dinner, I went down to the Lobby Lounge for a bit. It was a lovely way to round of the day and one of the lasses working there was ever so helpful. I'd said I hadn't had a cappucino since I left home. Do you serve cappucino here I asked? It was too late really for coffee making but she brought me over a cappucino as a surprise. It was definitely not a cappucino in any way, shape or form. Actually it was more like Viennese coffee without the cream. I thanked her and told her it was a lovely cup of coffee.

All too soon it was time to return to my room and finish packing my suitcase.

Thursday

91. Streets of Penang

Styles and Architecture
I am including a few streets of Penang which shows different architectural styles and eras. The first is redolant of the British Colonial era while the others have their own style and atmosphere.

Above: Colonial shop buildings

Above: Market Street (Lebuh Pasar)


Above: Ladies and Umbrellas

Above: Street vendor in Queen Street

Above: Corner Penang Street and Sultan Ahmad Shah Street

Above: Under a Penang Sky
Part of the Penang Scultpure Trail, under the auspices of the Penang Museum & Art Gallery & Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang spearheaded by Friends of Penang Group.
"Under a Penang Sky" was created by Kikuchi Mitsuo in 2009. His sponsor was Dr. Tan Chong Guan.

90. Heritage and Culture

Georgetown - UNESCO Heritage City
Here are a few more buildings I liked. Most are heritage and were built in the 19th century or early 20th century.

Above: Leong Yin Kean Mansion
This Italian-style villa was built in 1926 by Leong Yin Kean, son of tin magnate Leong Fee. The architect was Charles Joseph Miller, and it was known back then as Leong Yin Kean's George Town Garden House. It was modelled after the opulent villas in London's Regent's Park.
Today, it is better known as "Thirty Two at the Mansion" - an upmarket restaurant housed in the building.


 
Above: Cathedral of the Assumption
""One of the earliest religious landmarks in Penang, the Cathedral got its name from the day the first group of Roman Catholic Eurasians from Kedah landed in Penang in 1786, which was the eve of the Feast of the Assumption."
Originally founded at Church Street by Father Garnault in 1786, the church was later moved to Farquhar Street in 1802. The building that you see today was built in 1860 by Father Manissol and because of its religious role in Penang was given the status of Cathedral in 1955.


 
Above: Kapitan Keling Mosque
The Kapitan Keling mosque was built at the beginning of the 19th century is the largest historic mosque in Penang. It has yellow domes and was enlarged more than once and the minaret dates back to 1916. It is the place of wirship for the Indian muslim community.


 
Above: Uptown Bistro
Built in 1924, the Uptown Bistro is a great pub where people enjoy the George Town nightlife. There is a live band nightly (Chinese pop) and a beer garden in the courtyard. Some years ago the building was painted purple, but thankfully has been repainted. I really like the current paint job, it's so much better don't you think?


 
Above: Penang Museum
The Penang State museum re-opened after a major renovation. The exhibits are organised according to the various communities in Penang, their customs and costumes, historic places, houses of worship and so on. Among the original collections on display are a hand-written Quran and old Malay weapons.


Above: Institute of Trading & Development
The photo is a little blurry as we were moving at a fairly fast pace. I haven't been able to find much information about this building other than the name.


Above: Dewan Sri Pinang
Dewan Sri Pinang is a multi-purpose auditorium built in the early 1970's and serves as a venue for live performances. It also houses the Penang State Art Gallery and showcases a permanent collection of local artists as well as special exhibitions. Although not a heritage building, I have included it here for its cultural purposes.

89. Afternoon Tea at The Eastern & Oriental Hotel, Georgetown, Penang

The last stop of the tour was English afternoon tea at the Eastern & Oriental Hotel. Having afternoon tea there was something I had planned to do - it was on my "to do" list. There were two trishaw tours offered by Discovery Overland, the shorter tour which ran for two and a half hours and the longer one which went for four hours and included English afternoon tea. So of course I chose the longer one.



Above: The Eastern & Oriental
The Eastern & Oriental Hotel along Farquhar Street, George Town, is one of the most elegant hotels in the Orient. Often called the E & O, it was the first of a chain of hotels founded by the four Armenian brothers, Martin, Tigran, Aviet and Arshak Sarkies, collectively known as the Sarkies brothers.


Above: Trishaw at the E & O Hotel
After arriving at the hotel, I asked my driver if I could take his photo. This is where he pulled up.



Above: The Foyer
My guide took me throught the hotel and we walked through this lovely foyer which is built in a circle. The sofas are in a deep red fabric with turned legs.

Above: Reception area
To the right of the foyer is the reception area. Note the reflection of the lights on the flooring - the cleaners must work very hard to keep it so shiny. It's just the kind of floor suitable for sliding along in yoru socks - something we used to do as children after mum polished the lino floors.


History of the E & O
The idea to set up the hotel business came about in 1885 when the Sarkies brothers met the Khaw family in Bangkok, and were encouraged by them to set up a hotel in Penang. The Khaws built two separate hotels which the Sarkies managed. These were the Eastern Hotel, completed in 1884, and the Oriental Hotel, in 1885. It became immediately apparent that these two hotels should be combined, and hence the Eastern & Oriental Hotel was formed. In addition, the Sarkies also managed the Crag Hotel on Penang Hill.

The merger of these two hotels created one of the finest hotel establishments in the region. It boasted of having the world's longest sea-front lawn, which is 842 feet in length. Famous personalities who arrived at the E&O (many of whom also turned up at the Raffles Hotel) included Noel Coward, Douglas Fairbanks, Hermann Hesse, Rudyard Kipling and Somerset Maugham.
Above: Founders of the E & O Hotel
The Sarkies brothers - Martin, Tigran, Aviet and Arshak who came from Isfahan in Persia, were the foremost hoteliers of the Orient and dominated the industry for almost fifty years. Clockwise from top: Arshak, Tigran and Aviet Sarkies.



Above: Sitting Room
The sitting area leading to the 1855 restaurant. As we walked through the sitting room and came to the restaurant where I could see three ladies at a round table having afternoon tea.


Rudeness
The person in charge of this restaurant spoke with my guide. There seemed to be some problem. I asked "Is there something wrong?" at which the snotty nosed little twit glanced down his nose at me with an expression that would turn cream sour then ignored me completely. My guide said he was saying afternoon tea has finished, that we're too late. What does he mean, I wanted to know, I am supposed to have afternoon tea here, he would have known we were coming. At which my guide said he would see what he could do. Inside I was seething at the rudeness and arrogance of it.

A few minutes later, he said I'd be able to have aftenoon tea and led me to the sitting room until it was ready. He then said that he would have to go. I hadn't expected that, somehow I thought I'd be driven back to my hotel. I thanked him though and said I had enjoyed the tour and how wonderful it was at which he gave me a hug and left. I could see he felt bad for me - it wasn't my fault, nor was it his that the trishaw driver was late.

 
Above: Corner bar
My view while waiting for afternoon tea. I wasn't impressed at being put here and thought it very poor PR.

A lesson in manners
The E & O Hotel may be a five star hotel, but not all its staff have five star manners. I had been left to sit here with no explanation, no apology, not a word from anyone working at the hotel - and by "anyone" I mean that snotty nosed manager. I may not be a grande dame with a haughty manner and a prune-faced expression dressed in designer duds carrying a Versace handbag, Hermès scarf draped around my neck wearing Gucci pumps and dripping in diamonds, nor would I want obsequiousness which I abhor, but I do expect to be treated in a respectful manner.

Time passed and about ten minutes or so later, a young man came to me and introduced himself as Henry (I think that was his name, apologies to him if I'm wrong) and said tea would be ready soon. He was back a few minutes later and proceeded to place on the coffee table in front of me a cup and saucer and a teapot. I looked at it and asked what is this? To which he replied afternoon tea. I said "I'm not having afternoon tea here, I want afternoon tea in the dining room." He then replied that the dining room was closed as they would be preparing it for dinner. I looked at him and said "Excuse me, I am not having afternoon tea on a coffee table in front of a sofa thank you. That is not how afternoon tea is served. I wish to be seated at a proper table and chair in the dining room." He said something about speaking to someone.
I was aware it wasn't his fault or his decision - he was only following orders.


The "side" dining room area
The young man came back and asked would I come this way please. Following him, I expected to be shown a table in the dining room, but we walked through this and into a little area on the right. When I said excuse me I want to sit there in the dining room, he told me he wasn't able to seat me there and that I had to sit here. The "here" was a smaller room, divided by a wall. I was none to pleased about this either - the table that had been set up was the furthest away facing the wall. The wall had a window which at least had a view of the terrace area. I thanked him and sat down facing the window.

Above: English Afternoon Tea at The 1885
This is my afternoon tea. There were six little sandwich quarters - two cut into triangles, four into squares, a couple of scones, a piece of fruit cake, a tiny pastry, a shortbread and another little piece of cake which from memory was orange with a glazed topping. I was surprised that the cream wasn't real cream - it wasn't fresh cream, but snow white mock cream.


Above: Through the dining room window
This was the view I had while seated at the table. During the course of afternoon tea, Henry came and spoke with me. I'm not sure if he felt sorry for me because of the way I'd been treated or this was something he normally did, but I suspect the former. Anyway, he was very nice and I enjoyed speaking with him. His granmother was a Nonya and he was very proud of is heritage. We spoke about the Baba Nonya museum in Malacca. He told me he was a student and was hoping to come to Australia to further his studies in the hospitality industry.

Later, I asked if I could sit outside to have a smoke with my cup of tea.

Above: Outdoor Sarkies Corner
Sitting here smoking with the slight breeze that was gently blowing was very pleasant indeed. When I later went to go back into the dining room, I found the door was locked. They'd locked the bloody door on me! Talk about rude - I should imagine that jumped up, toffee-nosed little manager person wasn't best pleased that I insisted on being served in the dining room. That one had tickets on himself and had all the makings of a real brown nose.

Seeing as how I'd been locked out, I decided to have a little wander around and take some photos.


Above: View from the verandah
As you can see, the canon faces the Penang Channel and in the foreground you can see part of the wicker furniture on the terrace.


Above: Canon on the promenade
Photo taken with the bay at my back facing the hotel. The garden area was lush and there were fuschias in the white urns.



Above: Ocean view from the promenade
I took this photo facing right. I don't know what the six yellow structures are and there is a large building to the left of them. As far as I could tell, I was facing east.


Finding my way back in
To return to my hotel, I wasn't sure how to get there from where I was and didn't fancy the idea of walking all around the perimiter of the E & O to find out, plus I didn't feel that I should have to. If you have afternoon tea there you should be able to exit by the front door as well. So - I had to find out how to enter the place and looked around for a door. Finally, finding an open door, I walked through and realised I was in what looked like part of the kitchen area. At first I felt embarrassed being there but realised why should I be embarrassed? I wasn't the one who had behaved badly and I had every right to walk back through the hotel. And so - I smiled at the hotel workers and eventually found my way back and was again in the foyer. As I approached the doors, a man quickly opened the door to me aqnd wished me a good afternoon (Plenty of bowing and scraping here). As I passed through and onto the verandah, another hotel worker greeted me with "Good afternoon madam" and "May I call a taxi for you madam?" (More bowing and scraping - I realised they thought I was a guest of the hotel!)

With a, "No, thank you. I feel like going for a stroll" to be followed with (from the hotel worker) "Very good madam, enjoy the rest of your afternoon" I thanked him and "strolled" back to the Bayview!


Above: Eastern & Oriental Hotel, Farquhar Street, Penang.

Wednesday

88. Pinang Peranakan Mansion

The last historical place to visit on the tour was the Peranakan Mansion of which I was greatly looking forward to. History has long interested me and was always my favourite subject at school. I love the old buildings, the architecture, the furniture, the costumes and the many beautiful things that were in vogue. I've always been fascinated by the way people lived, the lifestyles and cultures of the past.

And so....we come to Peranakan Mansion, an opulent, luxurious place of wealth and eclectic archictecture and design.


History
Peranakan Mansion is one of the most ornate and beautifully decorated homes in Penang. It originally belonged to Kapitan Chung Keng Kwee (sometimes spelt Quee), a colourful personality of the late 19th century who used it as his home and office. Kwee was a 19th century Hakka tin-miner and secret society leader of Hai San. Typical of a Peranakan home, this stately mansion built in the 1890's is built around an open-air courtyard. The ceramic floor tiles are from England, the ironwork (balconies and railings) from Scotland and the carved-wood panels and screens from China. Today a museum, it houses antiques of the Peranakan/Baba Nyoyian community. The typical home of a rich Baba of a century ago

 
Above: Front door
Note the red curtains here and in other photos. To the Chinese, red means good luck, celebration, happiness, joy, vitality, long life, summoning, the direction South. Chinese saying goes "when something is so red, it is purple" - red purple brings luck and fame. Which is why red is the traditional bridal colour.


 
Above: Iron lacework

 
Above: Reflection mirror
The reflection mirror - exactly opposite each other. Pinang Peranakan Mansion has many antiques, collectibles and object'art on display showcasing the colorful lifestyle of the Baba Nyonya of Penang.

 
Above: Decor of one of the main rooms
Chung Keng Quee had two official wives, Lim Ah Chen and Tan Gek Im - they bore him 8 sons and 5 daughters. He also had a child (Cheang, Thye Gan) by a woman named Tye Thye. His eldest son, Thye Yong, was adopted. Of his sons, the best known was Chung Thye Phin, his fourth son. (Remember, girls were of no significance in those days).
The photos you see here are of a Baba and Nyonya couple on their third day of wedding in the 1930's. The bride, Kim Suak Sah is wearing a red and gold songket sarong.

 
Above: Memorabilia
This photo was taken in the servants' quarters, near the kitchen. I remember thinking to myself, how many babies slept here? Who slept here and did their mothers or nannies take them for walks in the local parks I wonder?

 
Above: The red telephone box
I just love this red telephone box don't you? It is always really good when I happen to spot one - these were the telephone boxes of childhood, sadly they have all but disappeared. Find them only in museums or someone's backyard today.

 
Above: Front view

Visiting hours
The museum is open Monday to Friday Monday-Friday from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm. Saturday from 9.30 am to 3.00 pm (closed on Sunday and public holidays). Admission: Adults - RM 10. Children 12 and ovdr RM 12. Children under 12 - Free.

Monday

87. Sri Mahamariamman Temple

Our third stop was the Sri Mahamariamman Temple.

Sri Mahamariamman Temple is probably best known for its wonderful many sculptured figures in bright colours. I had seen photos of them and this was another of the things in my "not to be missed" basket. The first three photos were taken on the way back from Gurney Drive at the end of my first tour and I have included them here.

Above: Sculptured figures
The temple is dedicated to the goddess Mahamariamman, whom the Hindus call the “Mother of the Universe” and was built in 1833 by Tamil Indians. The beautiful ornate carvings were “imported” from their motherland in terms of style, colours and tradition. Some of the dieties include Navakeragam, Ganapathy, Chandikeswarar, Bairavar, Durga, Subramaniam and Techinamoorthy.


Above: Rear entrance
The golden door is flanked by two guardians.

Above: Elephant sculpture
This section was on the left hand side of the rear entrance.

Photos below were taken on the afternoon tour
Above: Main entrance
This is the picture you see in all the travel brochures. Enarge the photo and you will see the god Ganesha at the very top. The artwork is really something and the amount of work put into it must have been very time consuming.


Above: Devotee in the midst of worship
One thing that struck me when I went inside was the predominant colour of green. Everything seemed to have a green cast or light to it.

Above: Hindu deity
This statue is one of a pair when your first enter.

Above: Preparing offerings
There was a lot of food being offered. People were sitting in groups around the temple, some eating, some reading.

Above: Devotees at worship
If you look closely, you will see the little baby in her mother's arms has a small dot on her forehead. This is called a bindi, sometimes called a tilaka or a pottu. People may have erroneously thought it was an indicator of marital status, but this isn't so. Whilst in parts of India it is the prerogative of the married woman, the bindi is Hindu, not Indian.

Above: Hindu deities
It was a fascinating experience being in this temple, I'n not seen anything like it before and was amazed at the fervent devotion of the people here. It was an amazing place.
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