During my Penang trip last year, I had the opportunity to taste for the very first time Joez Coconut Jelly at Dato Keramat Road in George Town.
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Located near Penang Times Square, this shop sells not only coconut jelly but also pandan coconut juice and coconut shake. Claiming to be the best in town and the one and only original coconut jelly in Malaysia, Joez Coconut Jelly (aka Penang Coconut Jelly) is also available at KL Sentral and possibly in some supermarkets too!
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It was a pretty hot day in Penang and my Penang food tour guides, bloggers Ken and Ann had just brought me to the Floating Temple. I guess we were all thirsty after visiting the temple and needed something to drink.
This Penang Coconut Jelly was refreshing and perfect as a thirst quencher. The jelly was so smooth and soft, and it just melted in my mouth without the need to chew or bite. It's also slightly sweet, making it a good choice for dessert.
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Ann ordered the coconut milk shake which came with black pearls inside,but she did not seem to like it. Probably too sweet and too milky, and very little coconut taste. Well, I did not try it - I was just fine with my coconut jelly haha!
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Loads of fresh young coconuts inside the shop!
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I like that they do not put in any preservatives inside the coconut jelly.
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If you ever visit Penang, do drop by this place and try their coconut jelly. Priced at RM4.20 (not sure if they have increased the price since last year), Joez Coconut Jelly is worth a try especially on a hot day!
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Address : 201, Jalan Dato Keramat, George Town, Penang. Opens : 8am - 7pm daily Tel : 604 -229 6063 Email : info@joezcoconut.com.my Joez Coconut Jelly Facebook Page
Right after enjoying our coconut jelly at Joez Coconut Jelly at Dato Keramat Road in George Town, bloggers Ken and Ann brought me to Kimberley Street for some desserts and street food.
We stopped at Restoran Traditional Home Of Dessert for some desserts!
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I tried their almond soup dessert and it was, undeniably, one of the best almond soups that I have ever tasted! Thick, creamy and smooth, it was almost heavenly!
Of course, not everyone likes this almond dessert, just like not everyone likes durians. Some people say the almond soup smells like cockroaches (really?!) - Just like I don't get it when people say durians smell like rotting meat. Haha!
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Anyway, I think it is an acquired taste, and if you don't like the aroma of this almond dessert, then not even the best almond dessert in the world will change your mind! So please choose another dessert! :)
I also tried their famous si koh th'ng - not sure what you call it in English, but can be roughly translated as lotus seed longan dessert. Besides lotus seeds and longan, there were other ingredients inside the dessert - the one I could identify was the gingko nuts.
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This dessert was delightfully yummy!! Highly recommended to try if you ever drop by Kimberley Street in Penang.
This is the dessert stall where we bought the desserts from. It was located right outside the shop.
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Besides desserts, we also ordered other hawker food. You can also call it street food if you like because they are really from stalls located along Kimberley Street near to the dessert shop.
And surprisingly, you can eat those hawker food inside the dessert shop itself!
I ate a bowl of koay teow th'ng.
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Flat rice noodles in clear broth with fish balls - that's basically what koay teow th'ng is. I don't mind eating this everyday! LOL.
But I did not touch this - chicken's feet! Ken and Ann loved them, I think. Maybe one day I will learn to like chicken's feet, but that time is not now. Haha!
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This is the stall along Kimberley Street that sells the koay teow th'ng and chicken's feet.
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Lastly, I had this - koay chiap. It is basically flat rice noodles in dark herbal broth with duck meat inside.
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I am not a particular fan of koay chiap so I cannot say if this one is good or otherwise.
This is the stall which sells the koay chiap.
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Well, did you think I ate a lot in one sitting? I thought I did, but surprisingly, I did not feel so full that I could not walk. In fact, it was just nice for me. Perhaps traveling just brings out the gluttonous in me? LOL!
So did I continue eating after this? What do you think? Find out in my next post coming up soon!
My second day in Penang ended with a movie at GSC Gurney Plaza and a supper of Penang Hokkien Mee at 888 Hokkien Mee right after.
It was my first time going to a cinema in Penang. Guess what movie I watched together with bloggers Ken and Ann? It's Man Of Steel.
In case you are new to my blog and are wondering how come the cinema was showing outdated movies, I just wanna let you know that this trip was made in the middle of last year, and I'm only blogging about it now. LOL!
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Man Of Steel was a pretty entertaining movie, but that's about it. Haha!
After the movie, Ken drove us to 888 Hokkien Mee for supper. Located at Lebuh Presgrave, and a short distance from First Avenue Mall, this shop is famous for its Hokkien Mee!
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The Mandarin words stated the stall as 3rd Road 888 obviously referring to Lebuh Presgrave as 3rd Road (or Sah Tiao Lor in Hokkien). Remember the 7th Road (Chit Tiao Lor) where I had some delicious hawker food? No? Read HERE.
We ordered Hokkien Mee, or more accurately Hokkien Prawn Mee. It is important to note the word 'prawn' there because the Hokkien Mee in Penang is totally different from the Hokkien Mee in KL.
KL's Hokkien Mee is made up of thick yellow noodles braised in thick dark soy sauce with pork, squid, fish cake and cabbage and usually laden with cubes of crispy fried pork fat. The appearance is an all black noodles. Totally unhealthy but delicious dish!
Whereas, Penang Hokkien Mee is basically egg noodles and rice noodles cooked in a soup base that is made from fresh shrimps and dried prawns as well as pork or chicken. You can usually find chicken or pork meat, prawns and eggs inside a bowl of Penang Hokkien Mee. It's also served with red chili paste.
In KL, this type of noodles is better known as Prawn Mee (Har Mee).
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How did I like the Penang version of prawn mee? One word - Yummy!!
The soup was very tasty and the chili paste added extra oomph to the Hokkien Mee. If I were to compare Penang's version of prawn mee with KL's prawn mee, Penang wins hands down.
But KL's black Hokkien Mee is a totally different story and I love it as well, but I think Penang Hokkien Mee is much healthier, haha!
We also ordered a bowl of lor cham th'ng which is a combination of Lor Mee and Hokkien Mee.
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I did not remember eating this, so I cannot comment on it much. I guess Ken and Ann ate this one, while I ate more of the Hokkien Mee.
Well, that means I would need to make another trip to Penang soon to try out this lor cham th'ng, right? I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Ken and Ann for being such good food tour guides!
Coming Up Next : My Stay At Evergreen Laurel Hotel In Gurney Drive
During my trip to Penang last year, I stayed at the Evergreen Laurel Hotel in Gurney Drive.
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I normally stay in budget hotels during my travels as I prefer to spend my money on food and sightseeing instead. Besides I only need the hotel to sleep. But this time, I decided to splurge a little and stay in a 5-star hotel.
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There are two types of rooms in this 18-storey hotel. The first type faces the city of George Town, and the second type which is more expensive, faces the sea. Naturally, I chose the room that has a sea view!
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Although this hotel is quite old (built is 1997 and last renovated in 2007), it was pretty well maintained.
When I checked in at about 1pm, the staff at the counter asked if I wanted to upgrade to a Premier room by paying an additional RM5++ per day. I thought why not? So I was given a Premier room on the 10th floor facing the sea.
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The room was spacious and clean. I loved it!
Here's an environmental message from the hotel.
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There's an alarm clock to help wake me up and a phone for me to call for assistance.
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Three red apples on a plate. But they looked rather old and wrinkly. The hotel should have provided fresh fruits instead!
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I did not really bother about the apples though. Who cares about the apples when you have so much yummy food out there in Penang? I did not even bother to dine in the hotel's restaurant. It would be quite silly to eat in the hotel when so many good food could be found in the city of George Town.
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This is the chair which I liked to sit and read my book, or tweet or checking out Facebook or simply to take a short nap!
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As expected from a 5-star hotel - a TV with multiple local and satellite channels. Although I must say I hardly watched the TV during my stay there.
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Coffee and tea making facilities.
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And as usual, there's a mini fridge, safe deposit box, bathrobe, iron and hangers.
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One of the many photos hanging on the wall.
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And most important of all, complimentary broadband internet and wifi. I really can't stand hotels that do not provide free and good wifi service! What about you?
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I have to say though that the best thing about my stay in Evergreen Laurel Hotel was the sea view from my glass window.
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I spent many moments looking out to the sea and enjoying the view. Imagine if I had been here on that fateful Boxing Day in 2004 when the tsunami hit Gurney Drive! I would have had a first hand view of the disaster!
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The fountain and car park below.
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Of course, to ensure I had a comfortable stay in this hotel, I made sure I checked out the bathroom and toilet!
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I was glad that it was clean, although I would not go so far as to say that it was spotless.
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Since I seldom use bathtub, I still prefer a shower inside a cubicle that would separate the shower area from the toilet bowl. And I really missed those nice rainforest shower that I enjoyed in many other hotels.
Some house rules...
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Essential toiletries like toothbrush, toothpaste, shower gel, shampoo, body lotion, shower cap, hand soaps, hand towels, and bath towels as expected in a 5-star hotel.
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Did I take some of the toiletries home? Of course I did. I always do, either as souvenirs or to be used in future travels where the hotels do not provide such amenities.
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A hair dryer was also provided.
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This is how my room looks like during the night with the TV switched on, and the curtains drawn.
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Every morning during my stay in Penang, I would wake up to a beautiful sunrise over the ocean.
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Here are a few snapshots of the early morning skies viewed from my hotel room.
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If you choose to stay in Evergreen Laurel Hotel, make sure you choose the room that faces the sea! It is definitely worth it!
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Although the hotel offers facilities like swimming pool, gym, spa and tennis court, I never had the chance to make use of them.
But I did love strolling outside the hotel along Gurney Drive.
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I had an enjoyable time walking and enjoying the cool breeze from the sea.
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I even composed a song during my walk here and named it "A Relaxing Afternoon At Gurney Drive". You can listen to it HERE.
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One thing good about Evergreen Laurel Hotel is the location. It's a short walking distance to Gurney Paragon Mall, Gurney Plaza Mall, the (overrated) Gurney hawker centre, and to the famous Thai and Burmese temples.
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Although not as trendy as G Hotel located further down (or is it up?) Gurney Drive, Evergreen Laurel Hotel is still to me, a good place to stay if you do not mind paying a little bit more for comfort and luxury, and of course the sea view!
During my third day in Penang, I went to The Mugshot Cafe for breakfast. Located at Chulia Street next to the Rainforest Bakery, The Mugshot Cafe is famous for their bagel muffins.
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This cafe seemed to be a hit with a lot of Western tourists. I was actually surrounded by them! The menu appeared to be rather limited with just yogurt, bagel muffins and drinks.
I started my breakfast with healthy yogurt! There were many varieties of yogurt - particularly interesting was Jackfruit with Gula Melaka (palm sugar) - but I chose the Kiwi & Honey Yogurt.
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Priced at RM10 (US$3.15), this Kiwi & Honey Yogurt was yummy! It was sweet and sour at the same time which was exactly what I like!
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I saw a Caucasian lady at the next table eating yogurt with walnuts and raisins, which looked really delicious. I must return here next time for that! Oh, and the Jackfruit with Gula Melaka yogurt too!
There were also a few varieties of the Bagel Muffins, but I decided to choose the Bagel Muffin with Bacon and Egg.
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Priced at RM10 (US$3.15), this bagel muffin came with a crispy outer layer which was filled with lots of sesame seeds! The bacon and egg inside made it looked rather interesting, with the bacon forming a cup that holds the egg and mayonnaise sauce inside.
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Perhaps next time I will return for their Bagel Muffins with cream cheese and smoked salmon. Or corned beef and rocket. Certainly could make a few more trips to this cafe.
I did not order any coffee or tea to go with my breakfast meal - can't remember why though. Perhaps I was not in the mood for any drinks! Or perhaps I figured that if I were to add in a cup of Cappuccino, my total bill would have reached RM30 (US$9.45) which would simply be too pricey for a simple breakfast!
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After my breakfast at the Mugshot Cafe, I went next door to check out the Rainforest Bakery. Surprisingly, the Rainforest Bakery also sells bagel muffins! I did not buy any though as I think one bagel muffin is more than enough for the day.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
The Mid Autumn Festival is coming soon and it's time for .... Gartien pineapple cakes!
Yes, I know most of you associate pineapple cakes with Chinese New Year and moon cakes with the Mid Autumn Festival, but maybe you want to try something different this year?
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Anyway, this Gartien pineapple cake arrived at my house one fine Wednesday morning all the way from Penang. Look at the beautiful packaging - makes good gift, no? : )
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Opening the box revealed 10 pieces of pineapple cakes individually wrapped in Japanese washi paper for freshness.
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I have blogged about the Gartien pineapple cakes before in the style of an Agatha Christie poem which I called "Ten Little Gartien Pineapple Cakes". LOL! Read it HERE.
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Being a fan of pineapple cakes especially those from Taiwan, I did not hesitate to open up one to try.
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This is how the pineapple cake looks like. There is an oxygen absorber to help preserve the freshness.
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I have to say that the Gartien pineapple cake was really pretty good! The pastry was quite milky and buttery although I would prefer it to be even more buttery and slightly thinner. The generous pineapple fillings were juicy, not too sweet and had a nice, chewy texture. Yummy!
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I gave some to my friends to try and all of them agreed it was delicious. However, one of my friends said that the size of the pineapple cake was too big - she prefers it to be smaller.
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Each box of 10 pineapple cakes are priced at RM45. Deliveries are available within Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia for an additional charge of RM10 and RM40 respectively.
However, the good news is there's a promotion now for the Mid Autumn Festival. BEFORE 4 AUGUST 2014 : Buy 5 boxes and above and you will get 1 box FREE. AFTER 4 AUGUST 2014 : Buy 10 boxes and above and you will get 1 box FREE. (upon availability)
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So what are you waiting for? Instead of the usual moon cakes, let's go get some Gartien Pineapple Cakes for Mid Autumn!
Website : Gartien.com Address : 380, Jalan Penang, 10000 Penang, Malaysia. (next to Kek Seng Coffee Shop) Contact : 604-229 0068 Business Hours : 9am - 6pm
One of the food I had planned to eat in Penang was char koay teow.
It's not everyday that I eat char koay teow since I consider it a pretty unhealthy food, but it would be a sin not to eat it when you visit Penang!
So where is the best char koay teow in Penang? Well, I did some research and narrowed it down to a few. Among them is Tiger Char Koay Teow at Ping Hooi Cafe located at the junction of Carnarvon Street and Malay Street inGeorge Town.
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Ping Hooi Cafe is more like a coffee shop than a cafe, and in this shop, you can find a few stalls selling other food. I heard the duck drumstick mee suah is good there but unfortunately the stall was not opened at that time.
I ordered a plate of char koay teow with duck eggs. It was indeed the best char koay teow I have ever tasted! I am not sure if it's the best in Penang, but it definitely beats all the char koay teows I have eaten in Kuala Lumpur.
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The prawns were plump and juicy, the bean sprouts fresh and crunchy and the eggs blended nicely with the flat rice noodles or koay teow which had just the right amount of 'wok hei'. It was also not too oily, which I liked! Perhaps it would be even better if it was spicier, but for those who cannot eat spicy, I would say this is the perfect char koay teow!
I also ordered a glass of iced cold nutmeg juice to wash down the sinful char koay teow.
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Did you know that this Tiger Char Koay Teow was featured in the Singaporean food show (I think it's called 'Makan Unlimited' or something) hosted by Mediacorp artiste Bryan Wong?
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If you visit Penang, don't ever miss Tiger Char Koay Teow or you might just regret it! :)
On my third day in Penang, I visited the Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi, one of the finest and grandest Chinese clan temples in Malaysia.
Housed within Cannon Square inGeorge Town, it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and known as an icon for heritage conservation.
The entrance to Cannon Square and Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi (or Khoo Kongsi for short) is located along Cannon Street. However before entering the clan temple, I could not help admiring these pre-war colonial houses located opposite.
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I thought these buildings were pretty charming!
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This is the entrance to Khoo Kongsi. By the way, the name Leong San Tong literally translates as Dragon Mountain Hall.
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There's a brief historical description of Khoo Kongsi on the wall. Apparently, Khoo Kongsi was founded in 1835 when members of the Khoo clan gathered to form an association to look after the welfare of Khoo clansmen who made their journey from China to the promised new world of Malaya.
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Khoo Kongsi were known as one of the Five Big Clans that formed the backbone of the Hokkien community during the early days of Penang - the other four being Cheah, Yeoh, Lim and Tan Kongsi.
The building now standing was actually rebuilt from scratch after the original building was destroyed by a mysterious fire in 1901. It was partially damaged in World War II but restoration work was done to fully reinstate it to its former glory in 1958. The last major restoration was done as recent as 2001.
This plaque on the wall certifies that the Khoo Kongsi building was registered as a Heritage building by the Malaysian Government.
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The entrance into Cannon Square was flanked by double-storey terrace houses on both sides. They are known as 'Sixteen Houses' because there are 16 of them - 8 on each side. There were not many people at the time of my visit, which was a good thing as I simply dislike crowds.
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At the end of the Sixteen Houses was a shop selling tickets and souvenirs. The entrance fee was RM10 (US$3.15).
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The Khoo Kongsi complex consists of the Leong San Tong clan temple, an administrative building with meeting hall and offices, an opera stage and 62 units of terrace houses and shophouses.
Notice there are 3 entrances to the Khoo Kongsi complex but I think only the main entrance at Cannon Street is open. I could imagine that in the olden days, this whole area is like a self-contained village occupied by the Khoo families.
Round the corner after the Sixteen Houses stands the Administrative Building. This is the place where clansmen hold meetings and settle clan affairs.
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This double storey building looks interesting as it has some elements of British colonial architecture. I was just curious about those blue-coloured designs on the wall. Not sure what they symbolise or if they have anything to do with feng shui.
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I stepped inside and was surprised to find ancestral tablets. I thought this is an administrative building!
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On further research while writing this post, I learnt that this is an extension from the Leong San Tong temple as the altar for the enshrinement of ancestral tablets at the Leong San Tong was overcrowded.
There were some nice carvings on the wall.
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Leaving the Administrative Building, I walked towards the Opera Stage. I tried to take a picture but my camera got jammed midway. And the picture ended up like this!
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Maybe I was not supposed to take picture of the ancestral tablets earlier? : )
OK, this is the picture of the Opera Stage after my camera behaved itself. LOL. I took it standing in the middle of the courtyard.
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Directly opposite the Opera Stage is the Leong San Tong clan temple.
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Look at the detailed ornamentation on the rooftop! What a masterpiece!
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Pieces of ceramic bowls were used to form all those patterns and images probably using the cut-and-paste method. The roof must be pretty heavy!
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There were four staircases leading up to the Prayer Pavilion in front of the building. The two front stairs were blocked so I entered using the side staircase.
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Look at the ceiling - it was full of intricate ornamentation and design!
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A closer shot of the Pavilion's ceiling.
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Big lanterns and images of carved celestial animals make this clan temple a perfect place for avid photographers.
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The Leong San Tong clan temple is a two-storey building. The top floor consists of three halls - the Main Central Hall, the Ancestral Hall on the left and the God of Prosperity Hall on the right.
The ground floor consists of a museum and a kitchen.
A grand staircase leads up to the Main Hall from the Pavilion.
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The ceiling outside the Main Hall.
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Beautiful, intricate carvings! Must have been done by master craftsmen!
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Standing outside the Main Hall, I snapped a picture of the courtyard below and the Opera Stage in the distance directly opposite. To the left of the Opera House is the Administrative Building which I visited earlier.
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This is the verandah outside the Main Hall.
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Look at those ornate wall carvings! They are pretty amazing!
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A closer shot of the beautiful carvings.
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A relief sculpture of a mythical animal.
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Beautifully carved windows too!
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I love this round stone window!
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I am pretty sure each carving tells a different story. I am just not sure what story.
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What is this all about?
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And this?
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I spent the entire afternoon clicking away with my camera haha! Unfortunately, my pictures were just average at best. If you own a really good DSLR camera, you should visit this place and take gorgeous photos! Honestly, every inch of this clan temple is filled with intricate carvings and ornamentations.
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As mentioned earlier, there are three halls on this top floor. I entered the Main Central Hall first as it was the biggest and most important.
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This central chamber has an altar dedicated to the Khoo's patron saints, Ong Soon and Tai Sai. There were lanterns and worship paraphernalia hanging from the ceiling.
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A closer shot of the altar.
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The walls in this hall were adorned with ink frescoes depicting the 36 celestial guardians of Chinese mythology.
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A closer shot of the ink frescoes. The celestial guardians appear to be of both sexes, each riding on different creatures and holding unique weapons.
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Next, I went into the Ancestral Hall on the left of the Main Hall. This hall which is smaller and more subdued, contains an altar for ancestral worship.
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On the wall on both sides are plaques of Khoo clansmen who have achieved academic excellence or recognition for their service to society.
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A close shot of the altar where the ancestral tablets are placed. These tablets were inscribed with the names of members of the Khoo clan who had departed. They were placed in rows according to the ancestors' position in the clan hierarchy.
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This is the door entrance to the God of Prosperity Hall. Notice the unique stone drums flanking both sides of the doorway.
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This small hall contains an altar to worship the God of Prosperity. Just like the Ancestral Hall, the walls in this hall were also lined with plaques of the members of the Khoo clan.
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Behind the three halls is a rear corridor that did not seem interesting to me until I spotted a few ink murals on the wall. This is one of the murals that I took a picture of. The rest did not turn out well due to the dim lighting.
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It appears that these murals are almost a century old, making them one of the most important heritage paintings of this country.
After completing my tour of the top floor, I went down to the ground floor of the Khoo Kongsi clan temple. There was a museum here but I did not take any photos except for this section that depicts the lifestyle of the Khoo family.
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OK, these life-sized statues gave me the creeps so I quickly took some photos and did not linger too long in there!
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Some of the cooking utensils on display.
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Just one last photo (from a different angle) of the Khoo family having their dinner before I left.
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I had no regrets visiting this clan temple. It is indeed an architectural marvel and a model example of heritage conservation and restoration.
By the way, here's a little trivia. Did you know that the 1999 epic movie 'Anna & The King' starring Jodie Foster and Chow Yuen Fatt was partly filmed here?
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Rightly known as the Heritage Jewel of Penang, the Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi is a 'Must Visit' for first timers to Penang.
On my last day in Penang, I visited the Kek Lok Si Temple located on a hillside overlooking Air Itam town in central Penang.
Kek Lok Si, which in Penang Hokkien means 'Temple Of The Supreme Bliss', is the largest Buddhist temple in Penang and possibly in South East Asia. The hills of Air Itam where this temple was built, were reported to possess good feng shui.
I had visited this temple many years ago, but decided to return for another visit this time to see how things have changed.
Since this was my second visit, I did not enter from the entrance at the bottom of the hill which would lead one to walk through all those souvenir stalls to reach the Tortoise Pond. Instead, I took a cab up the hill and entered from the Middle Station going through this grand arch.
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Unfortunately on that day, access to the the Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas was blocked. It was quite a disappointment as I had wanted to climb up that seven-storey pagoda, a famous landmark in Penang.
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Oh well, there was nothing I could do about it so I decided to take the incline lift to go to the top to visit the giant bronze statue of Avalokiteshvara or Kuan Yin. This incline lift is located on the left side of the Main Prayer Hall. You need to purchase a ticket at the lift station before you can enter the lift.
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There is a big souvenir shop near the incline lift station but I did not buy anything. I forgot how much the ticket cost - probably RM2 or RM3 one way.
This is the incline lift rail. I took this picture inside the lift as it ascended.
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It probably took about 2 - 3 minutes to reach the upper station. Oh look! Do you see a worker doing some cleaning work on the right?
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The view from inside the lift looking down at the lower station. Can you see those celestial animal figures at the roof top?
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Took another picture after I was out of the lift at the upper station. The view of Air Itam town below was really quite beautiful.
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Another shot of the view below from a different spot.
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The inclined lift upper station has a bust of the Kuan Yin (also known as Goddess Of Mercy) statue at the top.
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This bust was from the old Kuan Yin statue before it was replaced with the new majestic one.
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This is the new Kuan Yin statue which stands at 30.2 metres. It was completed back in the year 2002. But even more astounding is the pavilion that was built after that to shelter the gigantic Kuan Yin statue!
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The Kuan Yin Pavilion is 82.7 metres tall, about the height of a 20-storey building. The roof is a three-tier pagoda supported by 16 granite pillars. It was built at a cost of RM40 million (US$12.6 million).
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Look at those intricate carvings on the granite pillars!
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It's a truly amazing structure!
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More pictures of the Kuan Yin Pavilion...
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The base of the pavilion, with intricate carvings on the wall.
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A closer shot of the wall's ornate carvings.
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Pretty awesome, no?
A statue of a deity near the Pavilion.
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Two small monkey statues at the foot of the structure.
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The bust of the old Kuan Yin statue could be seen in the distance.
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Another shot of the bust.
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Cute bear statues lining here.
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Elephants and lions guarding the base of the Kuan Yin Pavilion.
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Not far from the Pavilion is the Zodiac Garden.
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There are 12 animals of the Zodiac here but I did not bother to take pictures of each one.
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There's a gazebo above the koi pond at the Zodiac Garden. In the distance is the Kuan Yin Pavilion.
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It is said that the best time to visit Kek Lok Si Temple is during Chinese New Year when the temple complex is lit up with thousands of lanterns. But since I do not like crowds, it is very unlikely that I will visit during that time of the year!
Last weekend, my family and I went to Awet Thai Restaurant at Kampung Kayu Ara for dinner. It was my second time here.
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The place was quite crowded when we reached there about 7pm. Luckily we made a reservation earlier.
This is the menu book.
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We ordered the following dishes...
Deep Fried Papaya with Som Tam (RM15)
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I did not find the deep fried papaya to my liking although the som tam was not bad.
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Tomyam Seafood Soup (RM33)
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Actually that was red tomyam soup which we had on our first visit. We had white tomyam seafood soup during our second visit but I forgot to take a picture! However, I managed to take a picture of my bowl of white tomyam soup.
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The soup was yummy!! The price for the white tom yam soup was the same, at RM33.
Deep Fried Pork Ribs with Garlic (RM21)
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I was not impressed with this pork ribs. Will avoid it next time!
Thai Style Seafood Beancurd (RM25)
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The bean curd was pretty good! Perfect for bean curd lovers!
Thai BBQ Salt Baked Tilapia (RM43)
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I remember eating salt coated grilled fish during my trip in Bangkok last time and had wanted to eat it again. Read about it HERE.
This salt baked tilapia fish did not disappoint!
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I love the sauce that came with the fish. The spicy and sour sauce was so good that we had to ask for another serving.
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Pandan Chicken (RM3.50 per piece)
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The pandan chicken was average. I guess I have eaten too many pandan chicken at Thai restaurants so this one did not impress me much.
BBQ Crab (RM120)
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This is of course, the most expensive item we had that night.
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The crabs were pretty good especially when dipped into that tangy sauce - the same sauce we had for the salted baked fish.
Lastly for desserts, we had Thai Style Water Chestnut (RM6.90 per bowl)
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Yummy! I like this water chestnut dessert! A refreshingly good ending to our dinner.
Overall, I find this restaurant serves mostly authentic Thai food and is definitely worth coming back for a third time!
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Besides Kampung Kayu Ara in Petaling Jaya, the restaurant has a few other outlets, namely in Cheras, Puchong, Kajang and even Kuching!
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Awet Thai Restaurant Lot 13544, Jalan Cempaka, Kg Kayu Ara, 47400 Petaling Jaya. Tel : 603-7725 0175 Opens : 11am - 4pm (lunch) / 6pm - 12am (dinner) Website : awetthai.com
To celebrate Malaysia's 57th Merdeka (Independence) Day this August 31st, I have composed a song on my piano dedicated to my beloved country.
I decided to title it "My Beloved Malaysia". Have a listen, shall we? Hope you like it! :)
Note : This recording and work is copyrighted. All Rights Reserved.
Did you know that Malaysia achieved independence in the year 1957, which was exactly 57 years ago? So the number 5757 will hold a special meaning to all Malaysians this year.
The theme for this year's celebration is "Malaysia Where Love Grows". Seeing that we are currently experiencing so many disharmonies in terms of race, religion and politics, the theme sounds a little unreal. However, I really hope Malaysia is a country where love grows and grows. That will be just too beautiful and awesome!
On my last day in Penang, I visited the famous Dhammikarama Burmese Buddhist Temple located along Burmah Lane (Lorong Burma). It is the only Burmese Buddhist Temple built in Malaysia and probably one of the few Burmese temples outside of Myanmar.
Directly opposite this Burmese Temple is the famous Thai 'Reclining Buddha' Temple (also known as Wat Chayamangkalaram) which I visited as well, and will be blogging about in the next post. Can you see that chedi (or stupa) under construction in the photo below? That's from the Thai Temple.
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Visiting both the Burmese and Thai temples was very convenient for me as they were just within walking distance from Evergreen Laurel Hotel (at Gurney Drive) where I stayed.
This is the red and golden entrance arch to the the Dhammikarama Burmese Buddhist Temple.
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Originally known as Nandy Moloh Burmese Temple, the Dhammikarama Burmese Temple was built in 1803 on a piece of land donated by a Burmese, Nonya Betong who purchased it from one George Layton. With more than 200 years of history, this temple was designated as Penang State Heritage Site during Visit Penang Year in 1998.
Upon walking in, there was a long, grand corridor in front of me leading to the main prayer hall.
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There were many paintings on the wall of the corridor telling the life story of Gautama Buddha. I took a couple of pictures.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. The Buddha performing the twin miracles in order to subdue the erroneous pride of his older royal relatives.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. The Buddha overcoming a cruel man, Angulimala who cut off the right index finger of passing travellers.
A pair of stone elephants in white guarding the entrance to another part of the temple.
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Inside the main prayer hall.
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I thought the Burmese version of the Buddha looked a bit different.
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Intricate carvings.
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There is another hall on the right hand side of the temple entrance called the Sima Shrine Hall, but I did not enter that yet. Somehow, I ended up in the garden compound and saw this. Beautiful, no?
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Then I came across a pair of winged chimeras. These mythical beasts which have features that belong to various animals are called Panca Rupa. They appear to be standing over a globe which symbolises their roles as Guardian Protectors of the world.
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If you look carefully, you can see that these Guardian Protectors possess trunks and tusks of the elephant, hoofed legs of the horse, face of the lion, horns of the deer, body and tail of the fish and two powerful wings of the mythical giant bird, Garuda.
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A closer shot of the Panca Rupa. See the tusks, trunks and horns? And the fish scales on its body?
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There were many other mythical figures and religions icons all around the temple compound which made this temple very interesting.
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More photos....
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Nice 3D mural paintings on the wall.
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A chedi.
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A Buddha statue housed inside the structure.
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After passing the chedi, I reached the front part of the temple again where The Sima Shrine Hall is located. The entrance to this hall is flanked by a pair of mythical beings called chinthes.
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The chinthes looked like a cross between a dragon, a dog and a lion.
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What is particularly interesting about this Sime Shrine Hall is that it houses a giant all-marble standing Buddha.
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The standing Buddha greeted me as I entered the Hall.
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Did you notice all those smaller Buddha figurines on the wall?
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The standing Buddha statue looks grand and magnificent! The decoration inside the Hall was also very impressive.
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Behind the giant standing Buddha are two rows of smaller Buddha statues.
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These Buddha statues are very special because each of them is actually a replica of localized Buddha images from different countries!
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As I left the hall and went back out into the temple compound, I saw this structure. It is the Arahant Upagutta Pavilion.
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This pavilion is actually a shrine dating back to 1840 dedicated to Arahant Upagutta, a spirit believed by devotees to have power for overcoming all obstacles, fulfilling wishes and exorcising evil.
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The shrine had been reconstructed a number of times, the latest being in 1976.
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There's a small pond surrounding the shrine.
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A small statue on a lotus flower on the pond.
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Exploring the temple compounds further, I reached this giant 3D mural depicting the Great Renunciation of Siddharta Gautama.
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The mural shows how the Prince Siddharta Gautama renounced his worldly possession for the life of an ascetic. Riding on his stallion Kanthaka and followed by his servant Channa, the Prince crossed the river Anoma where he discarded his princely attire.
On the right are Devas (heavenly beings) who encouraged him in his search for Supreme Enlightenment while on the left are Maras (evil demons) who tried to dissuade him.
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The pond in front of the mural is a wishing pond with a revolving metal bowls. Visitors can throw coins into the bowls in order for their wishes to be fulfilled.
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Nearby, I saw this Naga, the legendary mythical dragon. In the Buddhist text, it is said that Buddha had encountered with the Naga.
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A statue of the mythical bird Garuda.
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Reaching the rear end of the temple compound, I saw a four-storey building. This is the Golden Pagoda Bell Tower.
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Housed within this Bell Tower are authentic replicas of ancient Buddhist shrines from 22 countries. Opened to the public in May 2011, it is a relatively new building.
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Unfortunately, I did not enter the Bell Tower as I did not know the importance of this building at that time. Also, it was already drizzling and I needed to rush back to the front part of the temple in case the rain turns heavy (no sheltered walkway from here to the Main Hall).
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Still, rain or no rain, I just had to take a photo of the facade wall of the Bell Tower. It is said that all the decorations and paintings here were done by well known artisans from Myanmar.
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If I were to return to Penang in future, I will definitely visit this Golden Pagoda Bell Tower again and explore what's inside.
By the time I reached the front arch entrance of the Dhammikarama Burmese Buddhist Temple, the drizzle had lessened somewhat.
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But with the overhead sky still dark, I quickly crossed the road to make my way to the Thai Buddhist Temple opposite.
My fourth and final day in Penang was spent visiting temples, temples and more temples!
First I visited the Kek Lok Si Temple in Air Itam. Then I visited the Dhammikarama Burmese Buddhist Temple at Burmah Lane (Lorong Burma). After that, I crossed the road to the Thai Buddhist Temple opposite where the famous Reclining Buddha resides.
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Known as Wat Chayamangkalaram (also written as Wat Chaiyamangalaram), this Thai Buddhist temple was built in 1845 by a Buddhist monk from Thailand. The story goes that this monk was very fond of Penang's laksa. Even to this day, devotees bring a bowl of laksa as offering to his shrine.
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Walking towards the main temple building, I was greeted by two tall guardians. Next to the two guardians are a pair of seven-headed serpent on the left and and a pair of dragons on the right.
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The seven-headed serpent
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The pair of dragons.
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The temple was built on a 5-acre piece of land donated by Queen Victoria to the Thai community. It is presently the largest Thai Buddhist temple in Penang.
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One of tall guardians guarding the temple.
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I have seen similar looking guardians at temples in Bangkok, Thailand.
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Inside the main temple is the magnificent 33-metre gold plated Reclining Buddha. Although it looks very huge, it is not among the largest in the world. Even the Reclining Buddha at Wat Po in Bangkok is larger.
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The Reclining Buddha actually represents the historical Buddha at his death. It is said that when Buddha knew his death was near, he laid there on the couch, reclining on his right side, with his head supported by his hand as he passed into nirvana.
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Notice the half smile on his face? It shows the serenity that comes with enlightenment. In fact, the whole reclining position of the Buddha with its peaceful demeanour serves to remind us that we have the potential to attain enlightenment and freedom from the sufferings of the cycle of rebirths.
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The Reclining Buddha was so long it was a little difficult to take a photo of the whole statue. I walked round the Reclining Buddha and reached his feet.
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At the back side of the statue, I discovered that in fact, the Reclining Buddha is a columbarium housing niches containing ashes of the devotees.
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There were many Buddha statues in various postures at the columbarium.
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There is also a crematorium within the temple complex. Behind the temple is a small Thai village where the Thai community still lives and a Thai cemetery.
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With the small Thai community there, Wat Chayamangkalaram is one of the few temples in Malaysia that stages Thai festivals like Loy Krathong and Songkhran.
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Having seen the Reclining Buddha, I stepped out of the temple again. I took this photo of the seven-headed serpents from the back.
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A shot of the seven-headed serpent up close.
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There is another building near the main temple building, although I am not sure what building this is.
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Anyway, I took some photos. These 3D murals look quite interesting.
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The building has a chedi (stupa) next to it.
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Oh look at the sky! I hoped it would not rain as I needed to walk back to my hotel and I did not bring any umbrella with me. Yes, this temple and the Burmese Temple across the road are just within walking distance to Evergreen Laurel Hotel where I stayed.
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And then I remember... I have not eaten lunch yet!! So it's not time to go back to my hotel just yet.
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As I left Wat Chayamangkalaram, I said a silent prayer asking for the rain not to fall so soon.
After visiting Wat Chayamangkalaram, I realised it was time for lunch. Despite the sky threatening to rain at any time, I walked towards Jalan Burmah hoping to find the famous Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng.
On the way, I passed by the Pulau Tikus Police Station.
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And the Sin Hwa Coffee Shop which is famous for their Penang char koay teow.
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Soon, I reached this building which on one side faces Jalan Burmah and the other faces Bangkok Lane.
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It's Seng Lee Coffee Shop.
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In this coffee shop is the famous Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng, so called because the mee goreng stall faces Bangkok Lane.
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To readers who are not familiar with mee goreng, it is actually fried noodles. In this case, it is Indian fried noodles. You can order your mee goreng plain or with squids and eggs. You can even mix the mee goreng with mee rebus if you like.
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My plate of piping hot mee goreng complete with extra squids and eggs for RM5.
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How did I find it? Well, it was a bit too soggy to me. Other than that, it was pretty fine. I have to say though, that I am not a huge fan of mee goreng as I feel it is oily and not very healthy. Haha! I guess eating it once in a while is OK.
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Interestingly, the Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng stall has been around for more than 80 years. That's a very long time!
If you plan to try this mee goreng, do take note that the stall operates everyday from 8am to 6pm except on Mondays.
After my lunch at Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng, I went back to my hotel and checked out. But as there were still a lot of time before the Aeroline bus departs from Queensbay Mall to Petaling Jaya, I left my luggage at the hotel and took a stroll along Gurney Drive before heading over to Coffee Bean near Gurney Hotel for some coffee.
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Later, I took a taxi to Queensbay Mall and did some window shopping there before the Aeroline bus finally arrived at 5.30pm. It was time to say goodbye to Penang! I would miss Penang, but no worries, I will definitely be back!
There are still a few places which I did not visit during this trip, namely the Botanical Gardens and Penang Hill, both of which I had visited many years ago. And of course, there are still many, many more Penang food that I have yet to try, so I am actually looking forward to my next visit already!
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It was a pity I did not manage to enter the Kapitan Keling Mosque during this trip as there was a prayer in session at that time. I managed to take some photos of the mosque from the outside however.
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I was glad I managed to squeeze in some time to buy my favourite Tambun biscuits from Him Heang located at Burma Road.
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These delicious Tambun biscuits make very good gifts so I bought a few boxes. But guess what? Instead of giving away as gifts, I ate most of the biscuits. Haha!
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I also bought this Nutmeg concentrated juice at Him Heang.
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I still remember drinking nutmeg juice almost every night after returning home from Penang. It was refreshingly good!
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So once again, goodbye Penang! I will visit you again in the near future.
If you missed any of my Penang posts, worry not. Here is the complete list of my Penang posts in chronological order.
Last year in March, I went for a 5-day trip to Hanoi, Vietnam with a friend. It was my first time in Vietnam and I was extremely excited!
My friend could only join me on the second day, so I would be going solo on the first. Not that I really mind since I love traveling solo, but a travel companion would be nice. Two months before the trip, I came across a website that offers free personalised tour by a non-profit, student-run organisation in Hanoi called Hanoikids.
Now I am not very fond of joining any tour groups, but this is totally different. What Hanoikids do is they will send a local student to be your tour guide and the itinerary is entirely up to you! Since it was my first time in Hanoi, I thought that getting a local student to show me around and introduce me to the local culture would be a great idea.
Unfortunately, when I emailed Hanoikids to book a one-day tour, this was the reply I received. (Please enlarge to read).
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I learnt that you need to book the tour way ahead in advance, probably 3 - 4 months ahead. I had made my bookings only 2 weeks before my trip so they were not able to accommodate me.
Luckily, 2 days before my trip, I received an unexpected email from Hanoikids telling me they could now offer me a half-day tour on the day I requested. Even though it was just half day and not a whole day as I had initially planned, that was good news indeed!
So I was really excited that early morning at the airport waiting for my flight from KL to Hanoi. Although the AirAsia flight was supposed to take about 3 hours and 20 minutes, I arrived at the Noi Bai International Airport 15 minutes ahead of schedule. Surely, that's a good start to my Hanoi trip!
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One thing good about traveling to Hanoi is that you do not need to fill in any immigration card during the flight or at the airport. I have always found them to be such a hassle although it's a necessary procedure in many countries.
From the airport, I took a taxi to my hotel (Rising Dragon Palace Hotel) located at Old Quarter. I noticed that taxis in Hanoi were mostly Toyota Camry cars. The journey from the airport to the hotel took about 45 minutes, and I was charged 315,000 VND (Vietnamese Dong) / US$15 / RM48. The taxi did not use meters and this amount was agreed upon before I entered the taxi at the airport.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. The Rising Dragon Palace Hotel
I did not have the exact amount so I offered the taxi driver 400,000 VND (in fact, 400,000 VND was all I had in my wallet - the rest were US dollars and some Malaysian Ringgit) but he told me he had no change. Now I was not sure whether he genuinely did not have the change so I told him to wait while I went into the hotel to ask for some change. Later, I found this to be a wise thing to do as I discovered a lot of the taxi drivers in Hanoi (though not all) like to say that they do not have change.
My first impression of the Rising Dragon Palace Hotel was their excellent and friendly service! But more about this hotel in another post.
Immediately after checking into the hotel, I went out to explore the streets of Hanoi. My first priority however, was to search for a bank to change the US dollars I had with Vietnamese Dong. The hotel also provided money changing service but I found that their rate was not too attractive.
I managed to locate a bank near the hotel (it's called Sacombank) with quite an attractive exchange rate and became an instant millionaire! LOL!
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I was not sure if 4.2 million VND (about US$200) would last me for the next 4 days, but I could always buy again if it's not enough. How I wish that was US$4.2 million and not 4.2 million VND! LOL! I also requested more of the smaller 5,000 VND bills from the bank just in case I would come across taxi drivers or even local people who would dare to say "No change" to me!
The best way to explore the Old Quarter area in Hanoi is by foot. Well, that's the advice given to me by one of the hotel's staff and he's completely right! It was the end of March and I have to say the weather in Hanoi at this time of the year was pleasant. Not too hot, and not too cold. Just perfect, especially for walking around!
Very near to my hotel is this departmental store called Hang Da Galleria. It has a cute clock atop the main entrance. Surprisingly, I did not go inside - maybe because I was too busy walking the streets LOL!
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Opposite the departmental store is the Hanoi Theatre. Oops! I forgot to take a picture of the Hanoi Theatre building! Damn!
My first impression of Hanoi streets was the traffic! It was pretty chaotic and crossing the road was quite a nightmare. Later, my tour guide from Hanoikids would teach me the correct way to cross the road!
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The sight of local woman in conical hat carrying two baskets balanced with a stick on her shoulder was everywhere.
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This is Hang Gai Street, one of the more famous street in the Old Quarter.
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Despite the chaotic traffic, I found the Old Quarter to be quite charming. Look at the buildings!
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I must have walked around for quite some time because when I looked at the time, it was almost 1pm. I needed to rush back to the hotel as my tour guide from Hanoikids would be meeting up with me there at 2pm.
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But with so many streets in the Old Quarter I lost my direction and did not know how to get back to my hotel. Would I make it on time?
While exploring the Old Quarter in Hanoi, I came across Sinh Cafe Travel, a local tour agent and decided to check out the tours they provided. I ended up signing up for two tours for me and my friend who would be arriving the next day - one to Halong Bay and the other to Perfume Pagoda.
Both the Halong Bay and Perfume Pagoda were one-day tours and they cost US$25 each - slightly cheaper than what the tour agent at my hotel charged. I was glad I did not book any tours via my hotel!
I will be blogging about Halong Bay and Perfume Pagoda in future posts, so do look out for them.
I was a little bit lost walking the streets of Old Quarter but luckily I managed to find my way back to my hotel and rested for a while before my guide from Hanoikids arrived at around 2pm. He was a nice, young man who introduced himself as Son. (rhymes with 'born').
I did not really have a planned itinerary but since I had not taken lunch yet (not to mention I was freaking hungry after all the walking around Old Quarter), I told Son to bring me to a good restaurant for lunch.
He brought me to New Day Restaurant located at Ma May Street.
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This is Son smiling for my camera. We were seated inside the restaurant and I was all eager to taste my first real Vietnamese meal!
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I ordered quite a number of dishes under Son's recommendation, but more about them in a separate post. Meantime, I shall just show you my bowl of delicious pho bo (beef with rice noodles soup).
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Son told me he joined Hanoikids as a means to improve his English and also to meet people, especially from other countries. It was pretty interesting talking to him.
The good thing about getting a guide from Hanoikids is you do not have to pay him (it's free) but you do need to pay for all the meals, transport and any entrance tickets to sites. So yes, I paid for his lunch and I was more than willing to do so.
Since it would only be a half day tour, I asked Son to bring me to places around Old Quarter and anywhere that's not too far away. Right after our late lunch, he brought me to a traditional Heritage House along the same road as the restaurant.
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It was an interesting look at traditional Vietnamese architecture. More about this Heritage House in a future post.
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After about half an hour exploring the Heritage House, Son brought me to Hang Bac Street to visit the famous Kim Ngan Temple.
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Did you know that each of the 36 guild streets in the Old Quarter is associated with a traditional craft? Hang Bac (also known as Silver Street), for instance, is famous in Hanoi as the place for trading and making gold and silver jewelries. Perhaps that's why the statues and plants outside the temple were wrapped in gold and silver?
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More about this Kim Ngan Temple in a separate post.
When we left the temple, the sky looked as if it was going to rain, so Son suggested we search for a cafe to escape the rain and to have a drink at the same time. I was thinking drinking Vietnamese coffee while watching the rain fall would be the perfect thing to do, so I quickly agreed.
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Soon, we reached a big, wide junction near Hoan Kiem Lake and this was clearly a nightmare for anyone not used to crossing the roads in Hanoi. Cars and motorbikes were coming in all directions, and I mean ALL directions!!
If I were to wait for the road to be clear before I cross, I would be standing rooted at my spot the whole day! No kidding!
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Thankfully, Son was there to help me cross the road. By the way, I took the above photo while standing smack in the middle of the junction with cars and motorbikes flying all around me. I must say though, that the photo did not really capture the actual situation - in reality, there were more cars and looked more chaotic than this!
Now for first timer visitors to Hanoi, read carefully. This is how you cross the road in Hanoi. First, say a little prayer. Look to your right, then to your left. Any cars coming? If no (which is rare), don't wait. Cross the road! If yes, what are you waiting for? Cross the road!!
OK, this may sound like a joke, but it is not really. You need to take that first step and walk slowly, but at an even pace, firmly and decisively. Then you will see a miracle happen before your very eyes. As you walk across the busy, chaotic road, cars and motorcyclists will skilfully swerve and avoid you.
Yes, only in Hanoi and in Vietnam do you cross the road like this. Attempting to do so in any other country (especially Malaysia) will result in dire consequences. Do remember not to run or slow down as you cross the road or you will confuse the motorists. You got to trust the motorists. Did I mention that Vietnamese drivers are among the best in the world?
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Son brought me to Hanoi Soul Cafe and we sat at the balcony overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake.
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Somehow I decided not to order coffee and went for coconut water instead. We spent about an hour here chit chatting and simply observing the streets below.
When we finally left the cafe, the rain had stopped. Son wanted to bring me to the French Quarter. Situated at the south east of Hoan Kiem Lake, the French Quarter is totally opposite in character compared to the Old Quarter. Think French, wide roads, more orderly traffic, high class buildings and expensive restaurants and you will get the idea.
But this post is probably getting a bit too long, so maybe more about the French Quarter in Part 3?
By the time we left Hanoi Soul Cafe, the rain had already stopped. Son, my guide from Hanoikids took me for a walk around Hoan Kiem Lake.
I enjoyed walking around this lake very much but we did not cover the entire lake, so I promised myself to come back again the next morning. I will share photos of this beautiful lake on a separate post.
We reached the Ly Thai To Park, a concrete open space that faces the lake. Here, a statue of Ly Thai To stands majestically overlooking the park.
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Ly Thai To was an Emperor who reigned from 1009 - 1028 AD. He was also known as the founder of the city of Hanoi, having moved the capital to Hanoi in 1010.
There were many locals and some tourists at the park that evening. It appears to be a favourite place for the locals to hang out in the evenings.
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We walked along Le Thach Street and reached the French Quarter area. Opposite is the State Bank Of Vietnam Building.
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Then we turned right into Ngo Quyen road and I saw this yellow colour building on the right. It is the Government Building of Vietnam.
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The majestic front gate of the building.
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Walking a little further, we reached the most expensive hotel in Hanoi on our left. It is the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel.
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If you can afford this expensive hotel, do make it a point to stay here. Many visiting dignitaries and famous celebrities have stayed in this hotel.
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Built in 1901, the building itself is a colonial classic, with timeless charm and stunning rooms. Son brought me inside to have a look around. I however did not take any photos of the interior.
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The photo above was taken inside the hotel compound.
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I definitely cannot afford to stay in this high class hotel, so just visiting it was good enough for me. LOL!
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Oh look at these classic cars parked in front of the hotel! I am pretty sure every visitor to this hotel would not miss the chance to pose in front of these vintage cars.
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A stone's throw away from the hotel, near a roundabout stands another grand building - the Hanoi Opera House.
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Besides Western operas, this Opera House also features performances by classical orchestras, as well as local puppet shows and traditional Vietnamese songs and dramas. However, I did not watch any shows during my stay in Hanoi.
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Lastly, Son brought me to visit another famous hotel in Hanoi - the Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel.
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Located near to the Hanoi Opera House, this hotel is another high class hotel in the French Quarter.
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I went inside to have a short tour then came out again. There were many high-end restaurants around French Quarter but we did not visit any of them.
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It was already past 6pm when we left the French Quarter and headed back to the Old Quarter. On the way back to my hotel, we passed by this souvenir shop.
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So many masks! I regretted not buying any of them.
By the time we reached my hotel, it was almost dark. I felt a little sad bading farewell to Son. It had been a great day going out on a tour of Hanoi's chaotic Old Quarter and high-end French Quarter with him.
I highly recommend Hanoikids. If you like to book a tour with them next time you visit Hanoi, check out the Hanoikids website.
The rain had begun to fall again after a long dry spell. In fact, it has been raining daily since the start of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival last week.
Hopefully the rain will help fill up the Sungai Selangor Dam which was reported to have reached the critical level a month ago. I am keeping my fingers crossed although I heard that the rain did not fall over the dam area.
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With the daily rain, the temperature had also dropped to a more comfortable level. I always love the refreshing smell of the air after a heavy downpour. So yes, I admit I love the rain. And if you are one of those few people who dislike the rain, maybe you should learn how to enjoy the rain.
Anyway, what I would really like to share with you today is a piano piece I composed a few days ago while it was raining lightly outside. Many things inspire me to come up with a song, and rain is one of them. As such, I have named this song 'Raindrops'.
Note : This work and recording is copyrighted. All rights reserved.
Now sit down, relax and press Play. Can you hear the raindrops? : )
On my second day in Hanoi, I woke up early to take a morning stroll around the picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake, also known as Lake Of The Restored Sword.
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I actually woke up much earlier to have breakfast at my hotel. My friend from Kuala Lumpur would be arriving later in the morning to join me for the rest of my Hanoi trip. While waiting for his arrival, I went out to have a stroll around Old Quarter.
I passed by Hapro Mart, one of the many local retail supermarkets in Hanoi.
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After my friend finally landed in Noi Bai International Airport and checked into the Rising Dragon Palace Hotel (by the way we stayed in different rooms in the same hotel because I told him I prefer to have the whole room to myself haha!), we walked over to Hoan Kiem Lake.
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As usual, it was difficult trying to cross this big junction but I was already getting the hang of it after some guidance from Son, my tour guide from Hanoikids, the day before. Read my tips on how to cross the chaotic road in Hanoi HERE.
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Familiar names like AIA, KFC and HSBC could be seen on this building in front of a small roundabout.
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Many cafes were located at this multi-storey building overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake. If you have read one of my previous posts, you will know I was at Hanoi Soul Cafe with Son the evening before. Honestly, if I were to visit Hanoi again, I would not mind relaxing at one of these cafes with a good view of the lake.
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I always thought the word 'Pho' refers to the Vietnamese noodles soup but I was wrong of course. 'Pho' also refers to street as in the case of this street signboard below. Although spelt the same, they are two totally different Vietnamese characters. The first is "phở" (pronounced as 'fuh' as in fur without the letter r) while the second one is "phố" (pronounced as 'foh' with an uptrailing accent).
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We walked along Le Thai To road on the west side of the lake and passed by this restaurant by the lake.
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The weather was perfect for walking. Not hot, and neither was it too cold. Just pleasant.
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Look at the wide open space between the lake and the road! Perfect for jogging or group tai chi. In fact, there were many people exercising around this lake although I did not take pictures of them.
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I could not help admiring this scene below of a couple sitting on a bench overlooking the lake. Looks kinda romantic, no?
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I think I can even do some meditation sitting by the lake. So peaceful and tranquil.
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Not sure what building this is, but it looks nice!
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Further down Le Thai To road, we passed by Luc Thuy restaurant. Many people were having breakfast at the open air area.
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In the middle of the southern part of Hoan Kiem Lake is a small island where a three-tiered structure stands. This structure is known as Thap Rua or Tortoise Tower.
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How did it get the name Tortoise Tower? Perhaps there were many tortoises living in this lake and they would gather at this small island.
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Then again, the name Tortoise Tower could somehow be connected to a legend surrounding Hoan Kiem Lake. According to the legend, Emperor Le Thai To was handed a magic sword by a divine tortoise living in the lake in the 15th century. This sword had helped the Emperor fend off the Chinese invaders.
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However, after the country achieved its independence, the tortoise snatched back the sword and disappeared into the lake. Efforts were made to locate the sword and the tortoise but to no avail. The Emperor then acknowledged that the sword had gone back to the divine tortoise and renamed the lake Hoan Kiem Lake or The Lake Of The Restored Sword.
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According to Son, my tour guide from Hanoikids, there are in fact, still many tortoises living inside the lake. I would love to explore the Tortoise Tower but of course, there is no way to reach it unless I swim across!
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It appears that Hoan Kiem Lake was once part of the Red River and a deep swamp, until the French drained the land in the 19th century.
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My friend and I took many photos of Hoan Kiem Lake that day. It was simply too beautiful not to.
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We continued to walk and reached the eastern side of the lake.
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We passed by Hanoi Central Post Office (Buu Dien Hanoi).
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Nice looking building with a clock at the top.
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Nearby the post office is the Ly Thai To Park, formerly Indira Gandhi Park. The former name was in remembrance of the 1984 assassination of India's Prime Minister who was a huge supporter of Vietnam.
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Now it is known as Ly Thai To Park in honour of the first emperor of the Ly Dynasty, Ly Thai To. (not to be confused with Emperor Le Thai To who was handed the magic sword by the divine tortoise in the 15th century).
A tall statue of Ly Thai To stands in the middle of the park. I guess he deserves much respect as he is the one who moved the capital in the year 1010 to Thang Long, near present-day Hanoi, which resulted in the founding of Hanoi as the capital city of Vietnam.
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There were not many people at the park that morning. I guess more people would come out only in the evening as I had experienced the evening before.
I took a picture of VietinBank beside the park. It's a famous bank in Hanoi and is a state-owned Vietnamese bank.
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Walking along Dinh Tien Hoang road on the eastern part of the lake, I continued to take pictures of the Tortoise Tower and the lake itself.
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It would be nice to walk along this road during the evening and see those interesting looking street lights lighted up.
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As we continued walking around the lake, we saw in the distance, a red coloured bridge.
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Could not help taking this picture of the red bridge with the lady standing by the lake presumably doing some tai chi exercises.
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A beautiful reflection on the water. So, so serene. If the Old Quarter feels chaotic to you, all you ever need to do is to take a walk to Hoan Kiem Lake and you will enjoy some peace!
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The bridge leads to a temple, known as Ngoc Son Temple, located on a small island in the middle of the northern part of the lake.There is a small entrance fee to enter the temple. My friend and I visited the temple that morning, but I shall blog about it in another post.
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As we got nearer to the red bridge, we could see many people walking on it.
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We were not the only ones taking photos of the lake of course. Many others, especially tourists, were seen busy doing the same. Who wouldn't with such a beautiful scenery in front of you?
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I love this reflection of the arched bridge. I did not think my photo completely captured the mood. But to be honest, I was spellbound!
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The red-lacquered wooden arched bridge leading to the temple is known as Huc or the Rising Sun Bridge.
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After having visited the temple (story in the next post), we dropped by the nearby Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre (Mua Roi Nuoc Thang Long) to buy tickets for the evening's performance.
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My friend was not too keen to watch the water puppet performance, but I was not going to miss it for the world! How could one visit Hanoi and not watch the famous water puppets?!
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Took a couple of pictures of the tram cars (not sure if that's what they are called) parked near Hoan Kiem Lake. I wondered what those tram cars were for. Any Vietnamese reading this knows?
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Then I saw what looked like a gigantic book being displayed by the lake. It marks the millennial anniversary of Hanoi which was celebrated back in 2010. As mentioned earlier, Emperor Ly Thai To had moved the capital to Thang Long in the year 1010, so the year 2010 would mark the 1,000th anniversary of this historical event.
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If I were to visit Hanoi again, I would definitely take another stroll around this beautiful, picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake.
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