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Published: November 2nd 2007
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WOW!!!
That is about the only word we can find to describe what we have seen over the past few days. Since our last blog entry we have travelled 370km North-West stopping at Butterworth to transfer from the over-night train from Kuala Lumpar onto a small ferry which brought us to Georgetown, the capital of Malaysia’s island state of Penang.
The best place to start is always the beginning so... the train. Well, because we left booking the train tickets a bit late, we were unable to get tickets for the first or second class berths so we had to settle with second-class seats which fortunately for us were quite comfortable (which Gemma took full advantage of... check out the pic!). The train ride was like nothing either of us had experienced before as passengers were allowed to smoke in the vestibules and did so by opening the train doors whilst the train was at full speed!
By the time we arrived at Butterworth Station we were exhausted and did not feel like catching a ferry and finding a taxi to or hotel but the strange surroundings and desire to shower and sleep compelled us to do so.
After some breakfast and a snooze we ventured off to explore. Penang is just like Kuala Lumpar in the sense that you are still inundated with similar dirty roads, frenzied scooters, street vendors and yes... the smell (Craig is still finding it difficult to deal with!).
We decided to get lunch in a nearby mall which was designed to never let you out! After lunch we hailed a taxi and in doing so met a local Chinese man called Tony who was to become our local guide for the next few days. He is a lovely natured man who stands at a towering four foot!
The first destination Tony took us to was the magnificent Temple of Wat Chaiyamangkalaran (we couldn’t pronounce it either!) which houses the third largest reclining Buddha in the world (33 meters in length). As this was our first temple in Asia, we were pleasantly surprised at how pristinely kept the grounds were with devoted monks continuously sweeping and cleaning. This is in stark contrast to outside of the temple walls, where litter and pollution are rife. The atmosphere was one of tranquillity and peacefulness, which we found to be a welcome relief from the
hustle and bustle of the city. The statues and figure are exceptionally beautiful and extremely detailed with an abundance of sharp and vibrant colours. We had to keep in mind that it was not only a historical landmark but also active place of worship so we had to respect their customs and remove our hats and shoes/sandals before we could enter. The temple itself is a mixture of Thai, Chinese and Burmese architecture and was built in the 19th Century.
We were surprised to see another temple directly across the road, which has been unmentioned in any of the guidebooks and tourist information we have seen, and in our eyes is even more spectacular than its neighbour. The Burmese Buddhist Temple, built in 1803 features a standing image of Buddha. The decoration was much more subtle, and the ceiling of the temple was ornately carved from wood. The gardens of the temple were also beautiful with the many fountains and massive Koi fish and terrapins! However, the temple was not the only tourist attraction as we were asked by a monk if he could have his photograph taken with us (I would like to add that the monk was
Massive Reclining Buddha
and a scared looking Gemma using a digital camera!), we were both to shocked to ask him to reciprocate!
Today we have been to the Chinese Kek Lok Si Temple, which boasts the Thousand Buddha Pagoda, which reaches 7 stories and 193 steps up (which we climbed), built in 1886. It was a much bigger than the previous Temples, but no less picturesque. We also took a trip up Penang Hill, 830 meters above sea level, accessed by two linking trains, built by the British in 1920. The summit offers amazing views in to the bay and of main land Malaysia aswell as Georgetown itself. We also saw a monkey and a giant lizard, and once again seemed to be a tourist attraction when a group of what we assumed to be young monks asked to take our picture! Craig likes to think this is because of his Indian Jones-esque (his words, not mine) hat, and is adamant he needs either a whip to complete this look.
Well, we are off to bed now as we fly to Bangkok in the morning...Yaye!
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Adele
non-member comment
Just saying Hi
Hi Craig and Gemma Christine sent me the blog and I am just stunned at all your beautiful photographs and commentary, (not to add wildly jealous) of all the places you have been and seen. Enjoy and don't stop writing, we look forward to the next chapter. Adele, Valdy and Melissa