A trip down memory lane - Penang, Malaysia

November 04, 2016 – A trip down memory lane – Penang, Malaysia

Day 1

I woke up one morning, feeling a bit blur, having been smacked right in the face by nostalgia. I thought, wow, it's been like 15 years since I last went back to Penang, the place I grew up and went to high school. So, on impulse, booked the hotel, had the car serviced and was on my way.

Had insomnia the night before due to excitement and anticipation, hoping to catch up with old mates & family. I left Kuala Lumpur, where I am currently based, at 6.30am, to avoid the traffic jam. The drive up the North South highway was a breeze with tantalizing and picturesque views. I made a stop at Tapah RR to get a dose of caffeine.
By 10am, I had already reached #Butterworth, the entry point to the island and decided to take the bridge over to Penang Island, to feel the breeze in my hair, so to speak. Surprisingly traffic was light and as it was a tad too early to check into the Hotel, I headed towards my favourite kopitiam (coffee shop), Bee Hooi, in Pulau Tikus, a suburb next to Gurney Drive and had a sumptuous bowl of Curry Mee (see pic)  

Curry Mee – yellow egg and rice noodles served in a curry like soup rich with condiments and coconut milk

Stayed at #Gurney Resort Hotel by Gurney Drive, overlooking the sea.

The view from the 7^th Floor of the hotel

The studio room

I took a short nap and later decided to drive up Air Itam to check out the famous Kek Lok Si temple. To my dismay, the traffic was chocabloc. So, the idea was abandoned and I headed back to the hotel and did some grocery shopping at Gurney Plaza. Soon, day turned to night and I headed towards the hawker food stalls nearby.

The atmosphere was busy & overwhelming, just like old times with hawker food galore. I sampled a few local delicacies, namely Wan Tan Mee (egg noodles) and Hokkien Mee (prawn Mee) and Chow Hor Fun. If you are a first time visitor to Penang, you should try these hawker food as they are extremely delicious, tasty, non spicy and known throughout Malaysia (See Pics) 

Hokkien Mee (Prawn Mee)

Wan Than Mee (Chinese dumpling with egg noodles)

Chow Hor Fun (Fried Thick rice Noodles with savoury sauce)

Day 2

On this day, I was in excellent spirits & excited, meeting up with an old friend, D, now a successful lawyer who has since invested in Boutique hotels together with business partner/Founder, Chris Ong, in #Muntri Mews Hotel & Residence (#GTHeritage Hotel), #SevenTerraces, to cater for tourists/locals who want to experience the ambience of heritage living and also a nice and cozy eatery, #Muntri Mews Cafe, where they serve western and local delicacies. On #SevenTerraces situated on Stewart Lane, we have the #KebayaRestaurant which serves delicious Nyonya style cuisines.   

First time visitors to Penang should try out this boutique style hotels and the superb food served here. The prices are extremely reasonable considering the immaculate set up and, more importantly, the location, situated right smack in the middle of the heritage area.

#Muntri Mews Cafe on Muntri Street

Founder Chris Ong 
Photo by: Silkwinds E-Magazine

#Muntri Mews Hotel & Residence

Website: https://www.georgetownheritage.com/muntri-mews/

Direction: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/''/muntri+mews+hotel+and+residence+pics/@5.42023,100.2651004,12z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m8!4m7!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x304ac390873db4cf:0xb9ac10619c528a64!2m2!1d100.335141!2d5.420234

Had a wonderful time and then it was time head back to the hotel. As the weather was rather hot & humid, I changed into lighter clothings and khakis. Grabbed my camera and headed straight up to Air Itam. The traffic was worse this time round, so I stopped by the Air Itam market to snap the Temple from afar.

  

#Kek Lok Si Temple from a distance

Later, I drove towards Thean Teik Highway and had dinner with some old mates at James Foo’s Western Food @All Seasons Mall  and then headed back to the hotel for an early night.

Chicken Chop with delicious savoury sauce

Day 3

The 3^rd day was filled with much anticipation as it was a Sunday and I was sure that everyone would be too lazy to come out, lol, and that traffic would be good.

So, armed with my #Sony Alpha 7 Full frame camera, I headed towards the temple which was about 10km away. Alas, I was right, the traffic was a trickle and I drove all the way up to the temple and took some close up shots below:.Above, pictures of colorful Kek Lok Si temple taken at night 

Day 04

Time waits for no one and before I knew it, it was time to head back to Kuala Lumpur. The sense of belonging and nostalgia was pretty overwhelming. On the way back, there was a heavy downpour and the traffic was bad along the bridge. So, I decided to use the ferry to get across to the mainland, my first ride in 30 over years and it was pleasantly surprising.

Although it was only a short trip, I vowed to come back again, this time for a few weeks or more. I missed the beaches this time round, so for the next trip, perhaps, a stay at the one of the hotels on Ferringhi Beach and a swim by the sea, might not be a bad idea. Hey, where's my fishing gear!  

Until then, take care...

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