Penang ( apr 16-19 2014)

Penang Revisited since 2006

Staying in Armenian Street Heritage Hotel

Day 1 - George Town STREET ART [Wall Mural] Getting some unintended suntan hunting down the wall murals. There are numerous wall murals through out the city. To survive the hot sun an umbrella is much better than a small rimed hat.

To give an authentic local touch.. I waited for the two Malay girls to cycle pass.

Trios haw

I am much taller so the me-version of mine will lose the reaching for the opening effect.

This is called the one-leg-kick meaning need to juggle a number of tasks on hands (... and on legs too in this mural)

Like a giant descending

We could locate this mural and was expecting a tiny one but this one is huge.

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The original Penang Chendol stall. Their in door sit down eating house is just nearby. Don't Miss this!

FInd the name of the Chendol store above.

3 D realistic wall mural for your to complete the scene.

Saw this trailing behind a truck.

THe cat gaze is one the tiny mouse in the shadow top left

Indigo blue

The Cat

You never know what to expect around the corner.

Bruce lee kick the 'Cat'

Garlands from indian stall

Push push

Gurney Hawker Centre - didnt change much since my last visit in 2006

For a very different product

DAY 2 Took on the Penang Hill from Botanic Garden. It was only $5 bucks local to go one way up the Penang Hill by tram. We chose to walk up from the Botanic Garden the long way. Avoid the jeep trail so we read.

We just emerged from the jungle trail.
We can hear the roaring sound of the pulley system from Moniot Rd West to Viaduct Rd West.short cut

GPS map of the trail we took starting from the right and ended up in Penang Hill. The 05 portion is the toughest! And we missed a turn in H was only marked on a tiny rock with ineligible symbol. We recovered after traveling on a winding uphill cement road for 340 meters before turning back and right our way.

MoonGate ( No 5) a shorting distance from Botanic Garden.

Steps on No 5

More...

More...and there must be more other shots...

Coming into # 5

Reaching # 5 - 2.5 Km later.

The granite(?) outcrop.

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Nice Penang town scenery can be glimpsed along the trail

Certain portion of the trails were gutted in Feb this year. Aircrafts were deployed to water bomb the blazing hill. You could see the trails of burnt out vegetation from the main road.

This is # 84 - A total of 2.5 Km since we started walking from Botanic Garden. (Bus 10)

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Negotiating fallen logs along the way.

Viaduct Road West

Waiting for the roaring tram to zip pass

The structure supporting the tram.

Here come another one. We took a short break in this scenic place.

More scenic view

We paused to take picture of a few interesting flowers

The pinkish ball like flower

The balls can turn into clusters of tiny individual flower

THe Penang Bridge in the distance - pulled in using the zoom

Someone just trimmed the weeds and i found this Dutman's pipe of Alistolochia labiata. First time i saw this flower but i vividly recalled there is an entry in my 1006's copy of " 1001 Garden Plants in Singapore". I was right.

'C' path is the cleanest and newest path that link from H->E->C-> Summit road to Penang Hill

I held up my left arm to shield the overhead noon sun. Looked initially like a parasite plant on another host. A closer zoom reveal figs. I recall this fig normally grow near the base.

Masjid Bukit Bendera

The Guard House on top of Penang Hill.

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Bukit Bendera or Penang Hill

After the cable car ride...

The narrow cable car trail franked by forest on both side

DAY3 Botanic Garden & Penang tiny coastal National Park on the North West End. We went back to the botanic garden

Bus schedules and arrival time in bus terminal Komtar

The trail of gutted forest still evident in the trails.

Botanic garden is surrounded on three sides with lush vegetation. There is a reserviour there.

Entrance to the jeep trail going to the Penang Hill. 2 hours walk on road with no sheltering from any foliage.

Pocket of the forest are dotted with 'odd-one-out' coloration .

Reservoir on top - remind me of Singapore's Fort Canning Hill top.

Love the big trees and trunk.

I saw a flutter of color - a Kingfisher just flew in and settled on this branch for a few seconds.

Leaf monkey with bespectacled eye. They plucked the flowering petals and ate them. Found 4 or 5 of them on a tree inside the workers compound.

They eat the petals of this flower

The baby with a different fur coat color but similar big big round eyes.

Gloriosa Superba or Blood Lily.

Penang Bridge

Gazebo

Info on Bat Lilies. The same type we found in Bukit Timah Singapore.

Still oozing with latex - a futile attempts by the trunk to heal itself

Bat Lilies

On my 2nd day visit i heard loud rife firing sound. I asked a passer-by and he pointed to this shooting club. The shots fired are very loud and deafening. No wonder all the wild lives are disappearing ...

The Kebun Bunga or Botanic Garden is surrounded by hill lushes with vegetation

Wedding picture taking.. could nt resist so i zoomed in

Indian temple. We were tempted to walk up to it but didnt

Tarap Sp. You can find similar plant in Singapore Fort Canning Hill.

Penang National Park at NW corner of Penang - Teluk Bahang

The loneranger took into the trail faster than us.

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Entrance to the trails

Cable laying ship with landing deck and inclined cable laying on rear end.

Choose your trail. Canopy walk was closed so we pick the yellow tabs

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We were told to go to the top floor - 7th floor to have a panoramic view of the city near our hotel.

Day 4 Half a day left - Checked out at 11 am so we need to do some quickie tour on foot.

Walk to Chong Tze Fatt Blue Mansion but the guided tour is only at 1100am. Next is a walk to Clan Jetties returned to hotel and checked out. And took bus 203 to Kek Loi Shi