Penang One Day Tour

*I feel like hentam that STUPID Streamyx modem on the wall...uploading pictures took ages and it won't even complete!!! Macam challenge I to potong the subscription...aiyar, sleep first le...next time only upload la...*

I'm back! At least for a day before heading south again. Anyway, an update of sort, to begin with.

17 Nov 2009
So, after the last of the last paper, like I had mentioned before in the last post, I went with my friends to explore sides of Penang that we had yet to visit. The first stop was at Fort Cornwallis near Esplanade. While I been to Esplanade before when I went to Bon Odori, I did not realize there was a fort. According to the brochure, soon after took possession of the island, Francis Light erected a fort of nibong palms at the tip of the cape which called Fort Point and named it after the Governor-General in Bengal - Charles Cornwallis. It was later reconstructed in the same size, shape and layout in bricks for 67,000 Spanish Dollars in 1793. With an entrance fee of RM 3 per person, it was a tour filled with exhibitions and galleries showcasing the artifacts found at the site.

There's gun for you to pose with Francis Light...

Later after the historic experience, we went to Esplanade for lunch. We had mee soto and coconut milkshake. Delightful treats. Then, we went to Khoo Kongsi, a famous site at Penang. A popular tourist site especially during Chinese New Year where everyone gathered around to celebrate Chinese New Year (or so said my friend), it is a large Chinese clanhouse with elaborate and highly ornamented arthitecture, a mark of Chinese dorminant in Penang. Wikipedia said so. It was an eye-opening for us all.

Then, we went to have cendols (Delicious!!!) near Burma Road (I think so) before heading to Toy Museum near Tanjung Tokong. The toy musuem claimed to be the world largest of its kind, but all I could see was the certificate from Malaysia Book of Record, proving it was the largest in Malaysia. Where's the Guiness Book of Record? While there are truly a lot of toys on exhibits, those from the latest cartoons such as Ben 10 were almost non-existent. Nevertheless, for me, it's feel like a walk back to my childhood.

After that, we went to a Burmese Buddhist temple near Jalan Kelawei. It has quite a large standing Buddha status in it. Then, we went to a temple of location I can't be quite sure where it is famous for the lifting Buddha. Rumours had it that if you wish from the Buddha, if you can lift it for the first time but can't for the second time, your wish will come true. How true is it, you have to do it for yourself to find out about it. Then, we headed for dinner before embark to our next trip, Segamat, Johor.

It was a nice tour around Penang. Instead of the usual Queensbay/Gurney Plaza, we got to see the more historical side of Penang. Thanks, 永升.