Malaysia: Bus trip from Kuala Lumpur to Penang, Malaysia

Penang, Malaysia is a cultural gem. Exploring its narrow streets, one can feel the diversity of Malaysia.

The most convenient way to reach Penang by bus from Kuala Lumpur is to catch a bus to Butterworth. While there are buses to Penang, the Penang Bus Terminal is very far from the historic center of Georgetown. So it's best to take a bus to Butterworth, walk to the ferry terminal next door, and take the ferry to Penang which docks right in the historic center of Georgetown.

Right beside the Quan Yin (Goddess of Mercy) Temple in historic George Town is a small Hindu shrine dedicated to Ganesh and stalls selling beautiful and intricate garlands to honor the gods. Beside the stalls are shops of joss stick makers. Further down the street from the temple is the Anglican St. George's Church. As I walked towards the church, a nearby mosque echoed its call to prayer from loudspeakers atop its minarets.

Such is the intricate fabric of Penang, a melting pot of Asian cultures, a city where centuries-old structures remain intact, standing as colorful testaments to the rich history of this trading city.

George Town, the historical core of Penang, is the other city inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Cities of the Straits of Malacca. Since I mentioned Melaka already, I felt it would be best to jump back two months and write about a recent trip to Penang.

I arrived in Kuala Lumpur on an evening flight from Bali. Since I didn’t want to waste time in transit, I decided to go straight to the Puduraya Bus Station to catch the first bus to Penang. By the time I arrived, the main terminal was closed and the only way to get on a bus was through agents moving around the area. Don’t worry, they’re not difficult to find since they would immediately approach you to sell bus tickets. I was worried at first since I wasn’t sure if they were for real. But when other locals got tickets, I felt a bit safer.

It was 12 midnight and the earliest bus was at 2 a.m. So I stayed in KFC while waiting. By 1:45 a.m., I decided to wait outside. At 2 a.m., no bus. To make the long story short, a bus finally passed by at 3 a.m. and we were ushered in by the agents. Bus schedules are non-existent in the wee hours of the morning since the agents simply rely on buses passing through KL (communicating with drivers by mobile) with space to take passengers in. The important thing is I arrived in Penang.

I was in Penang way back in 2003 and I remembered that the last stop of the buses was the KOMTAR Building in the center of town. Unfortunately, they moved the terminal several kilometers outside George Town. When you arrive, the only means of transportation that will greet you are taxis. But if you’re on a tight budget, you simply have to cross the street and get on a public bus that will take you to KOMTAR.

The better option, I would later learn, was to get off at Butterworth, the stop before Penang. The Butterworth Bus Station is right beside the ferry terminal. And the good thing about the ferry from Butterworth to George Town is that the terminal on the other side is right smack in the heritage area. So no need for costly taxis or long bus rides to get into town.

Part 2: Exploring the Penang heritage trail on foot

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Pampanga: 1st Annual Clark Freeport Horse Festival Calendar of Events

Pampanga will be full of festivals and events this November and December. And the list keeps on growing! Mark your calendars for Horse Fest 2009: 1st Annual Clark Freeport Horse Festival from November 28 to 29, 2009.

It will be an event-filled weekend (it's a four day long-weekend from November 27 to 30, 2009) for serious horse enthusiasts, families and regular visitors. There will be polo matches and equestrian competitions as well as tilbury races.

Try out the Next Frontier Trail Ride, a 4 to 5-hour horse ride that goes through the Sacobia River and its outlying hills. There will also be carriage rides, magic and puppet shows, family games and contests at the Trade & Food Fair, free lessons on feeding and grooming of horses, and free lessons on basic horse riding (for kids only).

What's more, check out the Great Clark 3-Day Sale happening at various establishments within Clark Freeport and selected establishments outside, from November 28 to 30, 2009. Below is a tentative schedule of major events:

November 28 (Saturday)
9:15 a.m. - Grand Parade (from El Kabayo towards Clark Parade Grounds)
10 a.m. to 8 p.m. - Trade & Food Fair
1 to 2 p.m. - Polo Competition (Clark Parade Grounds)
3 to 5 p.m. - Equestrian Competition (Clark Picnic Grounds)
8 p.m. - Grand Fireworks Display

November 29 (Sunday)
8 to 10 a.m. - Equestrian Competition (Clark Picnic Grounds)
8 a.m. to 8 p.m. - Trade & Food Fair
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Tilbury Races (Speedway Venue)
4 to 6 p.m. - Equestrian Competition (Clark Picnic Grounds)

November 30 (Monday)
8:00 a.m. to 12 noon - Trade & Food Fair

This event is hosted by the Clark Development Corporation (CDC), Greater Clark Visitors Bureau (GCVB) and the Clark Freeport Tourism Association (CFTA).

Apl.de.ap of Black Eyed Peas takes you to the Philippines!

Did you know that apl.de.ap of Black Eyed Peas is from Pampanga, Philippines? It's very much evident if you listen closely to the lyrics of Take Me to the Philippines where he invites everyone to visit his hometown Pampanga.

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Typhoon Ondoy relief operations... let's do our share!

This evening, I dropped by the Ateneo College Covered Courts to check out Ateneo's Task Force Ondoy. Kudos to all the volunteers who have been helping out in the relief operations. The bayanihan spirit is very heartwarming and I hope our country benefits and learns from this experience of cooperation in tragedy.

As I mentioned while I was abroad, reading all the status messages in Facebook was really depressing! When we get up on our feet again, Filipinos must make the country's leaders accountable for everything. The rains may be an act of God, but flood control and disaster response is an act of man.

Stop cutting trees! That includes illegal logging and the DPWH/MMDA cutting trees for road-widening! Let's all plant trees once the relief operations are over. While PAGASA claims trees would not have stopped the flooding (true maybe, but who says they're credible), wouldn't you agree with me that a forest-covered Sierra Madre would have minimized the water flowing down from the denuded mountains?

Part of flood control includes the removal of illegal settlers from esteros and rivers as well. I'm sorry but they really have to go. The danger to the larger population has already been articulated by this recent tragedy. So I hope groups who would oppose their removal on the grounds of human rights consider now the rights of all those affected by the recent flood. Metro Manila is one big river basin which we do not notice anymore since even the waterways have been erased by development. It's time to clear up the natural flood drainage system of Metro Manila!

I hope people also start becoming aware of proper waste disposal. Even small candy wrappers thrown indiscriminately contribute to our flood problems. A friend of mine commented that even the relief operations will be generating so much plastic that it will again clog up our natural drainage system. But then again, let's start this debate/campaign once we've made sure everybody's safe and up on their feet again. Carry on!

I just arrived from Singapore and Malaysia today and have so many stories to tell. But in deference to the tragedy that struck our country and the relief operations that are underway, I'll continue the travel posts next week.

Update (09/29/09): Upsilon Sigma Phi and Philippine National Red Cross Rescue & Relief Mission meets at 8 a.m. at the A.S. Parking Lot. Relief goods, volunteers, and vehicles are very much welcome. UP Sagip Isko operations at the UP Church of the Risen Lord from 7 a.m. onwards

Update (10/03/09): I invite you to read Lessons from the deluge by Paulo Alcazaren which talks about the response of Singapore to flooding. I was in Singapore when the flood happened and I learned that it used to flood in Singapore too. But the difference is they learned from the floods and rationalized their drainage and flood control system to make sure that the problem was addressed. Take note that at the time they did that, the Philippines was economically ahead of Singapore!

Malaysia: Melaka, Malaysia is a historic city of the Straits of Malacca

Melaka or Malacca was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List last year together with George Town as the Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca. So I was elated Tourism Malaysia brought us to Melaka for this trip since it's been quite a while since I last visited.

I'd been here several times before but just like George Town in Penang (which I got to visit just a month before), it's nice to visit after it's been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We made the rounds of the historical sites and had the local Nyonya food for lunch.

According to UNESCO, "Melaka and George Town, historic cities of the Straits of Malacca have developed over 500 years of trading and cultural exchanges between East and West in the Straits of Malacca. The influences of Asia and Europe have endowed the towns with a specific multicultural heritage that is both tangible and intangible. With its government buildings, churches, squares and fortifications, Melaka demonstrates the early stages of this history originating in the 15th-century Malay sultanate and the Portuguese and Dutch periods beginning in the early 16th century. Featuring residential and commercial buildings, George Town represents the British era from the end of the 18th century. The two towns constitute a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia."

Our first stop before entering the historic core of Melaka was the Bukit Cina Cemetery which is located in Bukit Cina and two adjoining hills. This Chinese graveyard covers over 250,000 square meters and with over 12,000 graves, some of which date to the Ming Dynasty, is said to be the largest Chinese cemetery outside China.

Another popular stop entering old Melaka is Sam Po Kong Temple. But since we didn't have much time, we skipped this one. A popular attraction beside the temple is Hang Li Po's Well. They say anyone who throws a coin into the well will return to Melaka. I did the last time, and look who's back!

At the center of old Malacca is Stadthuys, said to be the oldest Dutch building in the east, a town hall built by the Dutch in 1650 to house the office of the Dutch Governor and Deputy Governors. The square, which is also known as Red Square because it is surrounded by port-red structures that also include a clock tower and Christ Church.

Christ Church was completed in 1753. Inside this Dutch church are 200-year old pews, an altar painting of the Last Supper on glazed tiles, as well as 15-meter beams each made from a single tree.

From there, we walked up the hill towards the ruins of the St. Paul Church. A statue of St. Francis Xavier stands in front of the ruins, a reminder that the saint was temporarily buried here in 1553 before being transported to Goa. In fact, the open grave where he was buried is still at the back of the church.

Down the hill, on the other side, is the Porta de Santiago, the only part of the Kota A Famosa left standing. The Portuguese had originally built this fort in the early 1500s. It became a Dutch fort in 1641, and was later handed over to the British in the early 19th century. Wary of maintaining fortifications, the British ordered its destruction in 1806. But thanks to a timely visit and intervention of Sir Stamford Raffles who had a passion for history, this gate was spared.

When it comes to food, don't miss the Nyonya cuisine which is unique to Melaka/Malacca. The Baba-Nyonya are the Straits Chinese, descendants of very early Chinese immigrants who partially adopted Malay customs. Another collective term for these immigrants is Peranakan which refers to descendants of foreigners who had assimilated into the local community. There are Indian Peranakans called Chitty and Eurasian Peranakans known as Kristang. In the Philippines, we had the Mestizos de Sangley, with Tsinoy as its modern day equivalent.

We had lunch at Seroni Nyonya Cuisine Restaurant (more on this in another post) before exploring more of the historic core. We visited the Kampung Kling Mosque and the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple in Jalan Tokong before shopping at Jonker Street.

The Kampung Kling Mosque sometimes spelled Kampung Keling, was built by Indian Muslim traders in the 18th century.

Along Jalan Tokong, notice the traditional craft shops which include those large paper figurines they burn during funerals as well as the beaded-slippers which cost at least RM700 per pair!

The Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, also along Jalan Tokong is the oldest functioning temple in Malaysia. While primarily a Buddhist temple, the temple complex is also said to host prayer quarters dedicated to Taoist and Confucian practices. The main prayer hall is dedicated to Kuan Yin. While additional smaller prayer quarters added later were dedicated to the Taoist gods of wealth, longevity and propagation and ancestral tablets.

Jonker Street or Jalan Hang Jebat is a cluster of shops and other old structures that currently houses restaurants, art galleries, antique and souvenir shops, as well as traders of traditional items: goldsmiths, watch repairers, clog makers and beaded shoemakers, blacksmiths, rattan and bamboo weavers, Chinese traditional medicine merchants and food outlets.

If only I wasn't so full, I would have tried a little bit of everything the hawkers along Jonker Street were selling. The street food really looked good, and I'm sure it tasted good too!

We drove back to Kuala Lumpur at about 4 p.m. and since it was a free night, I decided to get some rest for the fun planned for our visit to Genting Highlands.