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Golden clock tower at night Chiang Rai Thailand

Thailand 2010: Heading to Chiang Rai by bus, Wat Jedyod and Golden Clock Tower

Date:  23rd November 2010

After 4 splendid days in Chiang Mai (amid some disappointments), today I left the city to go further up north. I went to the main bus station and only managed to get a ticket for 12 noon as all others were sold out. (Don’t remember exactly how much I paid for the ticket, but it was around ฿100)

Golden dragon bus Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai
After the instructional video on bus safety, they played ‘Predators’ (in Thai)

Leaving Chiang Mai for Chiang Rai highway

Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai road north Thailand
I got a seat right in front

Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai highway road sightsHighway to Chiang Rai from Chiang Mai

Bus ride from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai city is around 200kms from Chiang Mai
Highway to Chiang Rai north Thailand landscape
The journey is quite scenic

Highway to Chiang Rai ThailandEn route to Chiang Rai buddha statueHighway to Chiang Rai Thai templeThai temple wat Chiang Rai highwayEn route Chiang Rai highway north Thailand landscapeEn route to Chiang Rai passing townChiang Mai to Chiang Rai highway ThailandHighway leading to Chiang RaiFarm field outside Chiang Rai city

Welcome to Chiang Rai board highway sign
After nearly 2 1/2hours, I arrived in Chiang Rai

The bus first stopped at what looked like a new bus station. I didn’t get down here because a lot of the Thais stayed in their seats. So I assumed this was not the final stop. Unfortunately some western tourists did get down and started hailing for taxis towards their hotels.

For which there was no need for, because the very same bus started again and drove straight into the city in 5 minutes time. This bus station was according my prior research, very close to the night market.

I hired a tuk-tuk and checked into my hotel.

Hotel Raungnakorn road Chiang Rai
Raungnakorn Hotel is located on the road of the same name

The room cost ฿350 for the night and I was only going to be staying one night. My flight from Chiang Rai to Bangkok was the next day evening. I know one day isn’t much in Chiang Rai, but this was my first time here and as always with first visits, this would be more a surveillance visit than any other.

Wat Phra kaew temple Chiang Rai Thailand
It was near this temple
Evening market Chiang Rai clock tower
The hotel is close to the fresh market

Chiang Rai fresh market vendorsChiang Rai market Thailand

Road leading Chiang Rai Golden clock tower
Spotted it already haven’t you?
Golden clock tower junction Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai’s Golden Clock Tower
Golden clock tower roundabout Chiang Rai
Designed by a renowned Thai architect named Ajarn Chalermchai Khositphiphat
Chiang Rai golden clock tower
It was built in 2008 in honour of the King (as is usually the case in Thailand)

Chiang Rai Golden clock tower road golden divider

Chiang Rai bar restaurant Jedyod street
Jedyod road, you find a lot of restaurants here

Chiang Rai alley near wat jetyodChiang Rai house local Thai

Wat Jedyod temple Chiang Rai Thailand
I decided to check out this temple
Black cat in front of Buddha statue
Oh the irony of seeing a black cat at a place where people come to pray for good luck
Wat Jedyod golden buddha statue Chiang Rai Thailand
The temple is named Wat Jedyod
Gautum buddha staring eyes Wat Jedyod statue
The eyes…
Wat Jedyod Indian god paintings Chiang Rai
The hall had paintings depicting Hindu gods and some connection with India mythology
Indian gods Thai ancient wall paintings Wat Jedyod
I was very curious to know the connection, but unfortunately there weren’t any descriptions in English or a local guide in sight

Wat Jedyod Indian wall painting Wat Jedyod golden buddha statue man praying Chiang RaiWat Jedyod door painting Chiang Rai temple ThailandWat Jedyod inside black cat

Wat Jedyod temple hall Chiang Rai Thailand
I left the temple

I dropped by a few travel agents and tour operators along the way and asked them about day trips to the Golden Triangle. But because it was already late in the evening, nobody could assure me a spot as they needed few more tourists to fill up a group as tomorrow’s first group were already full.

A British guy who was behind, overheard me and told me he was in the same situation as I. So we chatted for a bit and exchanged numbers in case either of us managed to get into a group tour that was going tomorrow morning.

Korea house Chiang Rai restaurant

Sanpanard road Chiang Rai Thailand
I like their sign posts

Road to Wat Jedyod Chiang Rai Thailand

Chiang Rai night bazaar entrance
A few steps from there and I was at the entrance of Chiang Rai’s Night Bazaar
Chiang Rai night market shops
But since it wasn’t night time yet, nothing was open

Chiang Rai night market food court golden chairs

Chiang Rai night market food court evening
I would be coming back here for dinner
Phaholyotin road shops Chiang Rai Thailand
I decided to go the main bus station to find out when the first bus to Mae Sai would be
Chiang Rai bus stand Thailand
I was told that there are buses every 30 minutes starting 6am
Phaholyotin road Wangcome hotel Chiang Rai Thailand
I headed back as I still wasn’t feeling too well, and it gets pretty chilly in Chiang Rai at night

Sukgatis road golden lamp posts Chiang RaiI rested for some time after applying some Vicks. I just didn’t want to fall sick. It’s the worst thing that can happen on one’s vacation. Well, one of the worst things.

I got up at around 8pm and craved to have some hot Thai soup for dinner.

Chiang Rai evening market fresh vegetables
I walked to the night bazaar
Golden clock tower at night Chiang Rai Thailand
The Golden clock tower really shines at night
Sukgatis road night golden lamp posts clock tower Chiang Rai
It also changes colour
Chiang Rai night bazaar street vendors
You have the usual wares being sold at the Night bazaar, no different from any other night market in Thailand
Chiang Rai night bazaar street stalls musician
But you do see locals and a few students trying to make some dime with their talents
Chiang Rai night bazaar food court
Quite a change of scene from earlier
Chiang Rai fried insects Thailand
This place sells you french fries…and fried insects. How nice of them!
Chiang Rai night bazaar seafood bbq
Despite being very far the sea, you still get good enough seafood in Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai night bazaar stage music
Poor guitarist on stage was hardly getting any applause from the diners
Chiang Rai night bazaar dining crowd
I scanned the vendors for appetizing soup to warm my body up
Spicy Thai seafood soup Chiang Rai night bazaar
I ended up picking up this big bowl of tangy seafood soup loaded with veggies (cost ฿100)
Chiang Rai night market live stage entertainment
They had cultural dances later

Post dinner, I scanned the shops a bit. Unlike last year, when I bought 10 t-shirts from Thailand, I figured I wouldn’t need to buy much this time.

Alas, I ended buying two from a small vendor at the night bazaar after bargaining it down to ฿300 for both. Oh well, we’ll see how many t-shirts I end up buying this year.

Chiang Rai night restaurants tourists
This was right in front of the vendor I bought the t-shirts from

As I needed more rest for an early start tomorrow, I headed back. Plus, there was little else to do in Chiang Rai. There is barely any nightlife in Chiang Rai. It’s a lot quieter (and smaller) than Chiang Mai.

Chiang Rai golden clock tower at night
I took one last look at the Golden clock tower

As I was clicking this photo, I bumped into the same British guy I had met earlier at the travel office. He told me he met up with a group of people who were planning on going on a trek (Chiang Rai is famous for trekking and cycling) and asked me if I wanted to join them. I told him I was unfortunately not in the best of health and that I had to be back in  town early enough for my evening flight to Bangkok.

We wished each other well and parted ways.

I reached my room, freshened up, dabbed some more Vicks and snuggled up for a good night’s sleep.


Next posts in this series:

Thailand 2010: Golden Triangle in Mae Sai; Chiang Rai’s White Temple (Wat Rong Khun)

Thailand 2010: Pattaya — Beach road, Viewpoint, Jomtien Beach, Walking Street

Thailand 2010: Back to Bangkok — Chinatown, Patpong, Platinum Mall and Chatuchak Market

Thailand 2010: Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha, Sampeng Market, JJ market (again)

Thailand 2010: Damnoen Saduak Floating Market tour, Cobra show… and leaving Bangkok

Previous posts in this series:

Thailand 2010: Chiang Mai Zoo (Day 4, Part 1)

Thailand 2010: Chiang Mai Loi Krathong celebrations; first Grand Parade

Thailand 2010: Chiang Mai cooking class; Loi Krathong celebrations in Mae Jo, Sansai

Thailand 2010: First day in Chiang Mai for Loi Krathong; driving up Doi Suthep

Thailand 2010: Arriving in Bangkok and preparing for Loi Krathong in Chiang Mai

Yi Peng Chiang Mai big lanterns buddhists

Thailand 2010: Chiang Mai Loi Krathong celebrations; first Grand Parade

Date:  21st November 2010

After the unfortunate turn of events for me yesterday, I woke up today feeling a bit warmer inside. Not in a good way, more like having-a-body-temperature kind of way!

I woke up for a late breakfast, which I had at Rux Thai itself, and then went back to the room… to sulk. Hoping things would get better, health-wise and otherwise.

By the time I told myself there was no use sulking all day, I stepped out… at 6pm.

Loikroh road Yi Peng deserted look Chiang Mai
Lo Kroh looked deserted
Loi Kroh road bars Yi Peng decorations Chiang Mai
Many of the bars and restaurants were decorated in celebration of Yi Peng festival

I walked towards Thapae Gate to see if there was anything going on.

Thapae gate canal parking Chiang mai Thailand
Didn’t seem like much

Chiang Mai Thapae gate stalls Yi Peng 2010

Thapai gate food shawarma stall lady
Guess that takes care of dinner for tonight
Mr Salmon sushi street food Chiang Mai Thailand
Cheap sushi

Chiang Mai Thapae gate street food Loy Krathong 2010I walked a bit further, and things had started to ‘brighten’ up.

Chiang Mai Thapae gate Loy Krathong decoration
This wasn’t the only decoration Thapae gate got

Thapae Gate colorful lanterns display Chiang Mai Yi Peng

Thapae gate colourful lanterns display Yi Peng festival
Pretty

Thapae Gate yellow lanterns display Loi Krathong Chiang MaiChiang Mai Thapae gate Loy Krathong lantern decorationsChiang Mai Thapae colourful lanterns Loi Krathong celebrationsChiang Mai Thapae traditional lanterns Yi Peng festivalChiang Mai Thapae blue lanterns Yi Peng celebrationsChiang Mai Thapae green lanterns Yi Peng celebrationsChiang Mai Thapae red lanterns Yi Peng celebrationsThe one downside (sometimes) of carrying around a pro-looking camera is people assume you know how to take really good photographs and will do a better job than they can. I have often been asked to take photos of strangers using their point-and-shoot cameras and today was no exception.

Chiang Mai Thapae lanterns celebrations Mithun Divakaran
After being asked by some Taiwanese woman to take a few photos of her, I asked her to return the favour
Loy Krathong beauty contest stage Thapae gate Chiang Mai Thailand
They had a stage set up for some function
Chiang Mai Loy Krathong crowds Ratchadamnoen road
I crossed the road and walked to the other side, hoping to explore more
Chiang Mai Loy Krathong street shops lamps
Plenty of stalls set up everywhere
Chiang Mai Ratchadamnoen road crowd Loi Krathong
This is Ratchadamnoen road
Wat temple entrance Chiang Mai Loy Krathong
I entered this place out of curiosity
Baked chicken Thai herbs vendor Chiang Mai
Okay fine, it was the food!
Wat temple Chiang Mai Anthony Bourdain Yi Peng
Hey, it’s Anthony Bourdain!?*
Chiang Mai Wat Yi Peng street food eating outside
You can never go hungry in Thailand
Barbecued meat street food Chiang Mai Thailand
Unless you are strictly vegetarian
Wat Chiang Mai worship praying Thailand
Even though this was a temple…
Thai banana leaf omlette grilled Chiang Mai vendor
… it essentially got turned into a ‘food court’

Once outside, I asked Tourist Police officer (an American woman) whether there was anything special planned for today. She told me yesterday was the big release of the lanterns in Mae Jo, today there wouldn’t be anything special and tomorrow would be the concluding Grand Parade.

She didn’t come of as confident and ‘in-the-know’. Something I was used to by now.

Chiang Mai Wat Ratchadamnoen road

Chiang Mai Loi Krathong crowds Ratchadamnoen road
Still, I walked on

Chiang Mai Loy Krathong Ratchadamnoen road alley paintings for sale Thailand

Wat Phan entrance Chiang Mai Thailand
Steeped into another temple on Ratchadamnoen road
Wat Phan prayer hall Chiang Mai Thailand
Though I forgot to note down the name of the temple
Wat Phan shopping Chiang Mai Thailand
More stalls inside here as well
Wat Phan tourists eating Chiang Mai Thailand
Lots of eating here too

Wat Phan visitors eating Chiang Mai Thailand

Wat Phan god statues Chiang Mai Thailand

Wat Phan golden stupa Chiang Mai Thailand

Wat Phan huge gong Chiang Mai Thailand
I was sooo tempted to bang it

Wat Phan prayer Chiang Mai ThailandWat Phan buddha prayer Chiang Mai Thailand

Chiang Mai Loy Krathong parade start Ratchadamnoen road
I got back out to Ratchadamnoen road
Chiangmai Loy Krathong parade Ratchadamnoen road
Then I saw this…

Chiang Mai Loi Krathong parade Ratchadamnoen road

Chiang Mai Yi Peng parade start Ratchadamnoen road
… and it looked like a parade…
Loi Krathong Saturday parade Chiang Mai men
…which looked quite, grand

Yi Peng float grand parade Chiang Mai ThailandLoi Krathong saturday parade Chiang Mai ThailandLoi Krathong parade Thai girl Chiang MaiChiangmai Yi Peng parade float Ratchadamnoen roadLoy Krathong grand parade Thai float Chiang MaiChiang Mai Loi Kathrong parade Thai traditional dressed girlsChiang Mai Yi Peng parade mast Ratchadamnoen roadLoy Krathong Grand parade province girls Chiang Mai ThailandChiang Mai old building Ratchadamnoen roadHere’s part one of the videos I took of the parade:

Loy Krathong grand parade farm float- Chiang Mai Thailand
I take it the floats were showcasing Thailand’s culture from across all provinces
Loy Krathong grand parade college Chiang Mai Thailand
And I also take it these participating groups were colleges, schools, and other establishments

Loy Krathong grand parade nursing college Chiang Mai Thailand

Loi Krathong grand parade traditional girls Chiang Mai ThailandLoy Krathong grand parade fat boy Chiang Mai Thailand

Chiang Mai light man weird street artist Thailand
This guy wasn’t part of the parade… but was getting a lot of attention anyway

Chiang Mai Loy Krathong parade young girls Thailand

Here’s part two video of the parade:

Chiang Mai Loy krathong grand parade flash girl umbrella ThailandChiang Mai Loy Krathong grand locals float ThailandCollege students parade Loy Krathong Chiang Mai ThailandLoy Krathong grand parade students men Chiang Mai ThailandChiang Mai Loy Krathong boys parade ThailandChiang Mai Loy Krathong grand parade princess float ThailandChiang Mai Loy Krathong rotating lanterns parade Thailand
Chiang Mai Loy Krathong alley to temple

Chiang Mai Loy Krathong Wat alley lanterns Thais
Walked this alley out of curiosity

More celebrations awaited me inside.

Chiang Mai Loy Krathong Wat firecracker fountain ThaisChiang Mai Loi Krathong temple lantern touristsChiang Mai Loi Krathong Wat Tung Yu tourists

Chiang Mai Loy Krathong fireworks night sky
Lanterns from below joining the fireworks in the sky
Chiang Mai Loi Krathong Wat Tung Yu priest lighting lantern
Now it were the monks who wanted to light a big one
Chiang Mai Loi Krathong temple huge paper lantern
A really big one
Chiang Mai Loi Krathong Wat Tung Yu lighting big paper lantern
You obviously cannot use matchsticks to light a lantern this big
Chiang Mai Loi Krathong Wat Tung Yu lighting paper lantern waiting
Wait for it to heat up inside
Yi Peng Chiang Mai big lanterns buddhists
Wait for it…
Chiang Mai Loi Krathong buddhist priests releasing paper lantern
Okay, everybody’s waiting… just let go of it already!
Chiang Mai Loi Krathong Wat Tung Yu paper lantern with firecrackers
And it’s up
Chiang Mai Wat Tung Yu people leaving
I left
Chiang Mai full moon night sky lanterns
Near Rux Thai, this was the sight
Chiang Mai Thapae gate crowds gathered
Walked back to Thapae Gate

Chiang Mai Thapae river canal Loi Krathong

Chiang Mai Thapae gate Loi Krathong beauty contest
There was a beauty contest going on
Chiang Mai Loi Krathong beauty contest audience
Packed audience too
Chiang Mai Loy Krathong beauty contest
Switched to the 70-200mm lens for a closer look
Chiang Mai Thapae gate photographers 70-200 canon lens
I wasn’t the only one
Chiang Mai Miss Loy Krathong beauty contest
A rather ‘traditional’ looking beauty contest

Chiang Mai Miss Loy Krathong beauty contest contestant

Chiang Mai Miss Loy Krathong beauty contest judges Thailand
The judges-slash-sponsors
Chiang Mai Miss Loy Krathong beauty contest women
Just before the winner is announced, the women get the ‘God-I-hope-that-b***h-doesn’t-win!’-look
Chiang Mai Miss Loy Krathong beauty contest award
The winner
Chiang Mai Miss Loy Krathong beauty contest prize Thailand
She gets a placard…
Chiang Mai Miss Loy Krathong beauty contest winner
…which says something in Thai
Chiang Mai Miss Loy Krathong beauty contes Wai Wai runnerup
The runner-ups get a month’s supply of instant noodles*

Chiang Mai Miss Loy Krathong beauty contest stage light

Chiang Mai Miss Loy Krathong stage show dance Thapae gate

Chiang Mai Thapae gate Yi Peng celebrations lanterns
Lanterns were still floating up

Chiang Mai Miss Loy Krathong beauty contest audience

Chiang Mai Loy Krathong Thapae stage lantern
The stage cleared. I didn’t wait to see what was next.
Thapae road bars Yi Peng bursting crackers
I walked on down to Thapae Road next

Thapae road Inter bar Yi Peng bursting crackersAs I walked along, I saw a large crowd gather around someone.

Chiang Mai amazing street footballer Thailand
Everybody was watching this guy
Chiang Mai street footballer Thailand
He was mighty impressive

So I decided to take a video:

I tipped him 10 baht and continued down the road.

Chiang Mai street guitarist Thailand
There were a few other street performers as well
Wat Buppharam Chiang Mai Yi Peng fireworks
Lots of fireworks today… which is always nice
Wat Buppharam Chiang Mai Indian emblem four lions
Hey, those lion statues resemble the official emblem of India!

Curious as to what the possible ‘Indian connection’ could be, I went inside Wat Buppharam.

Wat Buppharam Chiang Mai Buddha statue worship
Looked like just another Buddhist temple to me

Wat Buppharam Chiang Mai dragon head stoneWat Buppharam Chiang Mai dragon statueWat Buppharam Chiang Mai elephant statueWat Buppharam Chiang Mai temple at night cloudsWat Buppharam man statueWat Buppharam Chiang Mai temple at night Yi PengI got back out to Thapae Road and made my way towards Nawarat bridge.

Thapae road camera man Loi Krathong
Lots of media

Thapae road Wat temple entrance

Thapae gate grand parade float lights
The parade was still on

Ta Pae road grand parade float Thai guy

Tapae road to Nawarat bridge Yi Peng crowds
It was crowded!
Chiang Mai Yi Peng rock concert
They had a stage set up… sadly for the band, very few were watching
Chiang Mai condom safe sex aids awareness Thailand
Volunteers in condom costumes distributed free condoms and promoted AIDS awareness
Chiang Mai Nawarat bridge Yi Peng crowded
The people on Nawarat bridge
Mae ping river Loy Krathong devotees
Many devotees releasing krathongs into Ping river
Mae ping river Loi Krathong river thieves
And if you’re wondering what those people in the waters are doing, they’re ‘stealing’

Stealing what? Money. When the locals pray and release the krathongs, they often place some money as an offering to the river goddess. These shameless people then wait for the krathongs to float their way and then take the money. CNNGo has a good article on these ‘river bandits’.

Chiang Mai Nawarat bridge Yi Peng khomloys city
It’s hard to capture what I saw with my eyes no matter how much I tried

It’s not  just the hundreds of paper lanterns in the sky in front of me. There were hundreds more to my left, right, behind me… everywhere! I kept wondering “How does one truly capture the experience in one frame!”

Chiang Mai nawarat bridge Yi Peng khomloy Thais

Chiang Mai bridge light bulbs
I moved to another bridge

Chiang Mai Maeping river celebrations firework

Praisanee road grand parade Loy Krathong
The parade was at the end of its run
Krathongs for sale Maeping river Chiang Mai
Krathongs and khomloys (paper lanterns) for sale
Chiang Mai steps to Maeping river
I walked down these steps
Rim Ping hotel Loy Krathong firework
Plenty of fireworks soon went off near Rim Ping Hotel

Rim Ping hotel Chiang Mai Loy Krathong fireworkRim Ping hotel Loy Krathong white firework

Rim Ping hotel Loy Krathong Chiang Mai firework
Kinda looks like the Death Star doesn’t it? 🙂

Rim Ping hotel Loy Krathong green fireworkMae Ping river Loi Krathong shooting fireworksMae Ping river Loy Krathong devotees stepsMae Ping river Loi Krathong elephant floatMae ping river Loy Krathong floatMae Ping river bridge light reflections water Loi KrathongChiang Mai Maeping river Yi Peng releasing krathongsChiang Mai Maeping river krathongs light reflectionsMae ping river bank Loykrathong devotees steps

Ping river Loykrathong devotees Chiang Mai
Ping river was packed with devotees
Chiang Mai Maeping river big floats
And a few big floats

Chiang Mai Loy Krathong lightbulbs khomloyChiang Mai Loy Krathong lightbulbs bridge revelers

Praisanee road roundabout Chiang Mai
I walked towards the Chiang Mai Municipality building
Chiang Mai municipal hall Yi Peng function
Cultural shows were going on
Chiang Mai Thai woman makeup geisha
One of the performers; dressed very geisha-like
Chiang Mai US embassy wall paintings
These paintings were on the walls of the US Consulate
Chiang Mai Thai cream pancake street vendor
I was starting to get hungry at this point
Chiang Mai flower shop display
Lots of flowers today as well
Chiang Mai roses red flowers wrapped newspaper
Not sure if these were roses
Praisanee road Chiang Mai Chinese temple
Some temple near the market
Praisanee road Loy Krathong locals celebrating
It was nearing midnight, time to head back to the room
Loy Krathong Loy Kroh road at night
Celebrations on Loy Kroh road were timid at best
Indian kitchen Pakistani food Chiang Mai Thailand
As seen at a small Indian eatery near Rux Thai

As I sat on my bed before going to sleep, I reviewed the snaps I had taken today. After yesterday’s disappointment, and how I felt when I woke up today, my mood was definitely more upbeat after I saw my photos.

Hope it gets better tomorrow!

 

* No, not really


Next posts in this series:

Thailand 2010: Chiang Mai Zoo (Day 4, Part 1)

Thailand 2010: Last day of Loi Krathong; Sunday Grand Parade (Day 4, Part 2)

Thailand 2010: Heading to Chiang Rai by bus, Wat Jedyod and Golden Clock Tower

Thailand 2010: Golden Triangle in Mae Sai; Chiang Rai’s White Temple (Wat Rong Khun)

Thailand 2010: Pattaya — Beach road, Viewpoint, Jomtien Beach, Walking Street

Thailand 2010: Back to Bangkok — Chinatown, Patpong, Platinum Mall and Chatuchak Market

Thailand 2010: Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha, Sampeng Market, JJ market (again)

Thailand 2010: Damnoen Saduak Floating Market tour, Cobra show… and leaving Bangkok

Previous posts in this series:

Thailand 2010: Chiang Mai cooking class; Loi Krathong celebrations in Mae Jo, Sansai

Thailand 2010: First day in Chiang Mai for Loi Krathong; driving up Doi Suthep

Thailand 2010: Arriving in Bangkok and preparing for Loi Krathong in Chiang Mai

Persiaran Gurney drive seaside marina Penang

Malaysia 2010: Day 4 — One day in Penang (Around Georgetown, Gurney Drive, Penang Hill)

Date: 28th September 2010

When we arrived the previous night, we left a rainy Singapore to land in Malaysia, where the rain had followed. We prayed the sun would come out the next day.

Old Penang guesthouse window sunny day
And today morning, our prayers were answered

We decide to set out early as we had only a day in Penang. While the others got ready, I decided to take a few snaps of the place we were staying.

Old Penang Guesthouse corridor roomsOld Penang Guesthouse is a restored building that retains the charms of the colonial era with rooms at rates from the current backpacker era.

Old Penang Guesthouse upstairs restroom
This is the shower room and toilets upstairs

Old Penang Guesthouse upstairsOld Penang Guesthouse staircase

Old Penang Guesthouse library tv room
They have a ‘living room’ of sorts where you can watch TV & read the papers while you serve yourself breakfast

Old Penang Guesthouse downstairs bathroom

Old Penang Guesthouse breakfast
This is breakfast: toast, butter (but usually margarine) & fruits

Old Penang Guesthouse dining areaOld Penang Guesthouse corridor window

Old Penang Guesthouse notice board
I made list of things I wanted to eat when in Malaysia
Old Penang Guesthouse wooden staircase
You’re instructed to walk softly at night as the flooring is all wooden
Old Penang Guesthouse breakfast area
The dining area
Old Penang Guesthouse view outside
The skies were getting clearer

Once we were all ready, we soon stepped out to head to the harbour, which was walking distance from where we were staying.

Penang Chinese buddhist temple

Penang Love Lane cheap hotels
There are a lot of budget hotels on Love Lane (that’s the name of the street we were on)

Penang Love lane alley

Penang Chulia street daytime 7-Eleven
There’s a 7-Eleven very close to our guesthouse

Penang Georgetown Kapitan Keling mosquePenang Georgetown Hindu templePenang Chulia street intersection

Penang Han Jiang ancestral temple
Han Jiang ancestral temple

Penang Georgetown towards harbour

Penang Georgetown Nagore Indian mosque
Nagore Durgha Sheriff mosque

Penang Georgetown traffic intersectionStrolling through Georgetown reminded me of Fort Kochi (I need to put up those photos as well) in Kerala, with its heritage buildings by the sea.

Penang Georgetown old doorway

Penang Georgetown Old Chinese temple roof
Many places of worship in and around Georgetown
Penang Georgetown old Chinese temple
Lim Kongsi Clan Temple; when we entered, there was this one dog ‘guarding’ the temple
Penang Georgetown old temple dog
Which came hopping all the way towards me and my camera. And then Loi patted it. Then it went and peed in the bushes.

Just walking past the many temples – be they Indian or Chinese, mosques etc. you get a sense of the religious harmony that exists in Malaysia. Of course, this was only the start.

We reached the road by the ferry terminal and made our way to the other side.

Penang harbour Tanjong marina car parkingPenang Tanjong marina harbour Star Cruises shipPenang Port road Rapid metro buses

Penang Tanjong marina bus station
There’s a bus station near the ferry terminal

Tanjong city marina Penang dock

Penang marina harbour restaurant
There’s a sea-facing restaurant at the end of this walkway
Tanjong marina penang docks yachts boats
That’s where the ferries dock

Penang marina harbour Hai Nan InnWisma Kastam building PenangPenang Georgetown marina road old buildingsWe stepped into a few travel agencies to inquire about ferry prices to Langkawi. Everywhere, it was the standard RM60 (Rs. 900/US$20/€15). It was the same price quoted by the guy at Old Penang Guesthouse, but fearing he may have been quoting a higher rate, we thought we’d ask near the ferry terminal itself.

We bought our tickets for the next day and continued our walk.

Penang clock tower Georgetown circle
Georgetown’s landmark Queen Victoria Memorial Clocktower
Penang sea park
A short distance from the clock tower, and you get the beautiful sea

Fort Cornwalis park Penang Georgetown

Fort Cornwalis Penang Georgetown
This where we went next; entry is just RM 2 (Rs. 30)
Fort Cornwalis Sir Francis Light statue Penang
Statue honouring Sir Francis Light

Penang The Statue of Francis Light info

Fort Cornwalis Penang Sir Francis Light statue Ramesh
Ramesh dishonouring Sir Francis Light statue

Fort Cornwallis Penang Georgetown prisonYou can read about the history behind Fort Cornwallis on its Wikipedia page, but from a tourist’s point of view, its nothing spectacular. Then again, when the entry is just RM2, you shouldn’t be expecting much.

Fort Cornwalis Penang sea steps cannon
But we still hung around a bit longer

Fort Cornwallis Penang sea cannonFort Cornwallis park Penang cannon sea

Fort Cornwallis park Loiyumba umbrella hot Penang
It was quite sunny

Fort Cornwallis park Penang cannons flagpoleFort Cornwallis park cannons Penang GeorgetownFort Cornwallis Penang Georgetown prisonFort Cornwallis Penang old prisonFort Cornwallis Penang inside old prison cellAfter checking out the fort for around 15 minutes, we made our way out.

Fort Cornwalis garden ice cream

Fort Cornwallis Penang steps down touristsFort Cornwalis is right near the Town Hall grounds.

Georgetown Penang esplanade town hall grounds

Penang esplanade Padang Kota Lama grounds
Town Hall & City Hall buildings in the background
Penang sea park tree shade sunny day
The esplanade is a nice place to laze under a tree on a sunny day

Penang port cruise ships

Penang esplanade Mithun Loiyumba umbrella
I wasn’t imitating Loi, it was sunny (Photograph by Ramesh)
Penang bay road car parking
We continued our stroll along this path

Then, a young, kooky Japanese couple came excitedly towards us and asked us if we could pose for a photograph with them. Assuming they’re tourists wanting to pose with tourists from another country, we figured “Sure, why not”…

Penang Japanese tourists Mithun Ramesh
… and so we asked them for one for ourselves too!

They weren’t the only Japanese we came across. The Japanese were aplenty in Penang, we would later find out.

Penang car parking tree plant shade

Penang Mahkamah Tinggi statue headless lady
The building in the back is the Penang High Court

Penang statue in front of Hight court headless lady

Penang Georgetown town square mushroom cloud
That was one big ‘nuclear’ cloud

Georgetown convent Light Street PenangPenang Georgetown Japanese cafeWe decided to walk towards the popular Gurney Drive.

Georgetown old museum building
Penang museum

Georgetown bus stop PenangGeorgetown walking towards Gurney drive Penang

Eastern & Oriental hotel Georgetown Penang
The Eastern & Oriental hotel

Georgetown fire hydrant PenangPenang Georgetown old houses

Georgetown Penang worship plant sea
We stopped here for a break as Ramesh was quite tired from all the walking
Penang bay boats sea facing apartments condos
Gurney Drive was over there
32 at the Mansion restaurant Georgetown Penang
The Mansion, a high end restaurant
Penang tall building club
We got back on to the main road

Wawasan Open University PenangCIMB Bank building Penang branch

Persiaran Gurney drive empty food court Penang
We even stopped by this food court for lunch but it was empty — and closed
Penang three buildings
So it was back to the main road
Persiaran Gurney drive premium condos Penang
And a few minutes later, we were finally on Gurney drive
Persiaran Gurney drive road luxury condominiums Penang
A LOT of luxury apartments on this stretch

Persiaran Gurney drive seaside car parkingPersiaran Gurney drive road parking signIt took us more than 30 minutes of walking to get to Gurney Drive. If you think that’s too much (or can’t do it), just hail a cab.

Though there were many restaurants along this stretch, plan was to have lunch from the food court at the end of Gurney drive, which is a very popular local joint.

But first, we had to quench our thirst.

We entered the only major shopping mall on Gurney Drive, Gurney Plaza. They have the usual gamut of mall brands and about the same as far as eateries and coffee shops go. I don’t remember how or why, but we sat down at the Chili’s in Gurney Plaza for beer.

Chilis Gurney Plaza Guinness beer
We ordered Guinness… and I stared at the ceiling… for some apparent reason. (Photo by Ramesh)
Gurney Plaza stores shopping mall Penang
The mall isn’t bad at all. We picked our Malaysia SIM cards from the 3rd floor which housed a lot of tech stores.
Gurney Plaza shopping mall Gurney drive Penang
Gurney Plaza shopping mall

The plan was to sit somewhere and have some beer along with lunch, but after the heavy mugs of Guinness and nachos we ordered, we were honestly quite full.

Persiaran Gurney drive food court Penang afternoon
The food court was closed too. Seems like they only open at night.

Persiaran Gurney drive seaside marina Penang

Persiaran Gurney drive roundabout McDonalds
This is the major roundabout at the end of Gurney drive

Post ‘lunch,’ we realized we still hadn’t seen any of Penang’s major attractions. So we boarded a local bus and headed to the main bus station.

Penang public bus inside
The plan was to see Kek Lok Si temple and take the tram ride up Penang hill

Penang local bus ride Loiyumba

Inside Penang local A/C bus windows
The ride took nearly 20 minutes

Once at the Komtar bus terminal,  we boarded a bus from Lane 1 that goes to Kek Lok Si temple.

Penang Kek Lok Si Air Itam apartments
This ride took another 30 minutes and was headed towards Penang hill
Penang Air Itam restaurant
Passed through mostly residential areas and housing colonies for the middle class

Penang Air Itam food market

Penang Kek Lok Si town Air Itam
When we reached the town of Air Itam it was already well past 5pm
Penang Kek Lok Si Air Itam town
But there it was: Kek Lok Si Temple

Unfortunately, the locals told us that we were too late and it was closing time. Sucks.

Penang Kek Lok Si temple
So all we could do was zoom in and take photos
Penang Kek Lok Si Buddist temple closeup
Seemed like some renovation work was going on
Penang Kek Lok Si temple tomb
I really wanted to check out the biggest Buddhist temple in Penang…
Penang road to Kek Lok Si temple Air Itam
… but we still had to go further up to get to the temple.

So yeah, if you want to see Kek Lok Si temple, make sure you are here well before 6pm.

Penang Kek Lok Si Air Itam Chinese shrinePenang Air Itam alleyInstead of waiting around, we decided to head to Penang Hill (or Bukit Bendara as it called locally). So we hailed a cab as the locals said it would take us at least 15 minutes to walk it there.

Penang towards tram ride
The Chinese taxi driver quoted RM7 which sounded reasonable, so we got in

The journey barely took 5 minutes.

Penang Hill tram ride closed construction
We soon reached the foot of Penang Hill and could see the tram line

But unfortunately (again)….

Penang Hill tram ride closed sign
….
Penang hill tram ride closed Loiyumba
Loi didn’t take the news too well

Turns out renovation work here as well. Couldn’t the taxi driver have told us it was closed? Of course he could have. But he didn’t… ‘cos he was a greedy b@#$%&*!

Disappointed at the turn of events, we decided to simply head back to town. Oddly enough, the very same bus we took to come here was waiting for departure near Penang hill.

Penang Air Itam Kek Lok Si temple background
As you can see, Kek Lok Si temple isn’t that far from here

Penang Air Itam stores

Penang Air Itam Indian temple
The cultural mix in Malaysia is truly admirable

Penang apartment building trees

Penang Air Itam residential building
Passed through the same landmarks
Penang State Mosque Masjid Negeri Georgetown
Penang State Mosque
Penang school boys street vendors
Hmm, not that different from India isn’t it?

Penang school girls after schoolPenang roti street vendor

Penang restoran Chu Yoke
(Photograph by Loiyumba)
Rahim burger street vendor Penang
Banjo is fried egg (Photograph by Loiyumba)

We got down near the ferry terminal but contemplated going back to the rooms just yet. I wanted to have dinner at Gurney drive, so from the ferry terminal bus station, we availed the Hop-on free bus.

Georgetown Hop on free bus Penang
The Hop-on buses follow a particular route

The Hop-on bus was taking a long route, so we got down at KOMTAR.

Georgetown Komtar Tower tallest building Penang
Komtar Tower — the tallest building in Penang (Photograph by Loi)

Once we reached KOMTAR, we checked out the adjoining mall.

Georgetown Komtar ICT Mall ground floor PenangThe offerings are anything but glamourous. Not a high-end mall at all. Just the usual clothes, electronics, grey market goods, coffee shops etc.

Georgetown Komtar ICT mall shops Penang
We didn’t spend a whole lot of time in here

We boarded another bus to get to Gurney Drive.

We got down near Gurney Drive… or at least we thought it was near Gurney Drive.

Penang Gurney Drive Solok Midlands
We walked through a residential colony

Penang Georgetown residential apartment at night

Penang Gurney Drive at night
Before finding ourselves behind Gurney Plaza

In the afternoon, Gurney Drive was quite empty…

Penang Gurney drive food court crowds
… but the scene is quite different at night!

Penang Gurney drive food court cuttlefish vendorGurney drive food court pasembur Penang

Penang Gurney drive beef slices
Beef. Looked yum.

Penang Gurney drive food court seafood

Penang Gurney drive food court seafood Sotong Bakar
As you can see from the above photos, lots of sea food available here

Very limited (to virtually no-existent) pure vegetarian options though.

Before we sat down for dinner, I wanted to check out another joint near the roundabout that I had seen during the day .

Penang Gurney drive seafood restaurant
Saw the lobster sign and assumed it was another food court by the sea

But turns out it was a big ‘mid-to-high’ range restaurant. Looked nice but we didn’t want to spend too much and sit for long — because it was only going to be me & Loi eating. The vegetarian in our group Ramesh still had nothing to choose from.

Penang Gurney drive marina at night
Anybody notice the drain vent in the sea — or is that litter?

Once back at the food court, myself and Loi each ordered what we wanted.

Penang Gurney drive food court oyster eggs
I chose ‘raw oysters and egg’ scrambled
Penang Gurney drive food court dinner
Loi had his boiled meat on a stick. With some beer of course.

Us two had to eat first, and then head back to Gurney Plaza so that Ramesh could find some vegetarian to eat.

Penang Gurney drive food court boiled meat
But Loi wasn’t done with his boiled meat. He wanted more! 🙂
Soyabean curd dessert Penang Gurney drive food court
I had Soyabean curd with hot brown sugar sauce for dessert (RM1 = Rs. 15)

After we were finally done, we headed back to Gurney Plaza so that Ramesh could now eat.

We went back to our rooms by taxi.

Old Penang Guesthouse Red Inn New ABC pub Georgetown
Old Penang Guesthouse, next to Red Inn, next to a pub

But instead of calling it a night, I told the guys I wanted to roam around a bit more. So as Ramesh and Loi went back to the room, I walked on.

Gelugpa Buddhist Association temple Georgetown Penang
This temple was just across Old Penang Guesthouse

Tibet Gelugpa Buddhist Association temple Georgetown Penang

Love Lane Inn guesthouse at night Georgetown Penang
There are several budget hotels and guesthouses on Love Lane

The Secret Garden Inn cafe Love Lane PenangThe reason I wanted to walk around a bit more was because I wasn’t truly content with all that I saw today. I don’t think I can say I ‘saw’ Penang. I visited Penang, sure, but I don’t think I saw all there was to see.

We landed in Penang after 3 crazy days in glamourous Singapore. So obviously, everything felt a world apart. Throughout the day, every mall we went to, all we talked about was how much cooler Singapore felt. Well duh. Obviously its a unfair comparison…  but given how little we actually got to experience in Penang, we could only feel disappointment.

When we were planning our trip, we knew before hand there wasn’t anything stunning to see in Penang. In many ways, it is true. Especially if you have travelled throughout South India, seen Singapore or Thailand, Penang really doesn’t offer anything great in terms of new experiences. Sure, I would have loved to have gone for the tram ride up on Penang hill… and seen Kek Lok Si temple all lit up at night. But we all wanted to even take a ride on Penang Bridge. I also realized Penang isn’t just the island, but there exists Province Wellesley with towns like Butterworth and other attractions on the mainland as well.

So clearly, there was a lot more to Penang than I thought.

Red Garden food court back entrance
I saw this ‘food garden’ which I thought I’d check out

Red Garden food court vendors Penang

Red Garden food night line dancing Georgetown Penang
Line dancing + food court = Not bad
Red Garden food court Georgetown Penang
Not enough space in tummy to try out everything edible Penang had to offer

Red Garden night line dancing Penang

Red Garden food court night market entrance Georgetown Penang
This is the entrance

R & B pub bistro hotel Georgetown PenangPenang Georgetown cycle taxiPenang locals gambling at night GeorgetownOdeon theatre Endhiran Georgetown Penang

Ho Ping Chinese restaurant Georgetown Penang
Ho Ping the food is safe to eat 😛

Campbell street Georgetown Penang at night

Kampung Malabar Georgetown Penang
Yes, this street is named after Malabaris

(You can read about the history behind Kampung Malabar here . Besides me, I didn’t find any other ‘Malabari’ — it’s all Chinese)

Chinese traditional sculptures at-night Georgetown Penang
Saw these outside, what I presume was a store dealing in sculptures
Chinese stone sculptures at night Penang
Why didn’t anybody steal them? I dunno, probably too heavy to lift and run with
Penang Georgetown World Heritage building
Georgetown is a UNESCO World heritage site
Georgetown Penang brick paved roads at night
The same road was wet yesterday

Penang Kapitan Keling mosque Georgetown at night

Crystal Guesthouse backpackers Georgetown Penang
Penang is very easy on the pocket

Would I have liked to have stayed just another day longer? Yes. I was curious what was across Penang Bridge on the mainland to see. But alas, this was our last and only day in Penang.

Tomorrow, we were going to be heading across waters to another island — Langkawi!


Other posts in this series:

Singapore & Malaysia 2010: Planning and preparing for the trip

Singapore 2010: Day 1 – Little India, CBD, Clarke Quay, China Town… and a lot of walking

Singapore 2010: Day 2 – Orchard Road, mall-hopping… and already shopping

Singapore 2010: Day 3 – Singapore Zoo, Marina Bay Sands; leaving Singapore for Penang

Malaysia 2010: Day 5 — Langkawi (Ferry ride from Penang, Cable car & Sky Bridge)

Malaysia 2010: Day 6 — Langkawi (Island hopping tour, Pantai Tengah beach, Night market)

Malaysia 2010: Day 7 — Kuala Lumpur (Low Yat Plaza, Petronas Towers, Jalan Alor)

Malaysia 2010: Day 8 — Kuala Lumpur (Batu Caves, Petaling Street/China Town)

Malaysia 2010: Day 9 — Kuala Lumpur (KLCC Aquaria, Merdeka Square, KL Tower observation deck)

Malaysia 2010: Leaving Kuala Lumpur… and about going back

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