2006 July | Malaysia Food Blog, Malaysia Travel Blog

Dhammikarama Burmese Buddhist Temple

July 15, 2006

The Dhammikarama Burmese Temple at Burmah Lane, originally known as the Nandy Molah Burmese Temple, was the first Buddhist temple to be built in Penang in 1803, on land donated by Nyonya Betong, one of its many woman patrons. The oldest part of the temple is the stupa which was consecrated in 1805. It is enshrined within an outer stupa which was constructed in 1838, together with the ceremonial hall guarded by a pair of stone elephants.

Mythical figures and religious icons dot the spacious compound, much of which were later additions. Among them are bell-bearing acolytes, myriad buddhas, chimeras and flying beings. Two huge and imposing-looking chinthes (mythical beings that are a cross between a dragon, a dog and a lion) flank the entrance to the main prayer hall. At a disused 200 year-old well is a huge pond filled with carps. Buddha statues in different meditative poses nestle in grottos marked with the names of individual donors as well as signs of the zodiac. A pair of winged chimeras called Panca Rupa look resplendent in the roles as “Guardian Protectors of the World.”

A huge mural depicts the Great Renunciation of Prince Siddharta. The future Buddha is shown riding his steed Kanthaka in mid-air with his faithful servant Channa seemingly hanging on. Evil beings try to discourage him from his noble quest while good ones welcome him with open arms.

At the main prayer hall, voices are reduced to a whisper and the silence is broken only by the occasional ringing of temple bells.

Technorati Tags: Dhammikarama, Burmese Temple, Burmah Lane, Penang, Buddha

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Food @ Swatow Lane

July 6, 2006

I was brought to Swatow Lane last year by my parents and it gave me a very deep impression immediately. This place is like any coffee shop you will find in Penang, with an exception: they serve really nice ais kacang.

Thirst quenching Ais Kacang, best served in a hot afternoon, a normal bowl costs RM2.00. If you compare this with the one sold in Lorong Selamat (can be found in my earlier post here) you will definitely notice the difference in the quantity of ingredients being served as I said before
To find this place, IMO the easiest way is to locate McAllister Road, then look for either Abu Siti Lane or Lorong Selamat, across these two lanes is Lorong Swatow already.
Curry mee, tastes good. The stall owner changed already since I last went.

Loh Bak.. nothing special, BM ones taste better lol. Ordered for a friend because she never tasted them before
Fried Oysters is great, quite cheap too at a reasonable RM4.00 per plate. The frying style of this particular stall is quite different, he fries the oysters and eggs separately then only he places the oysters on top of the egg (as seen on pic) I think this is the only stall selling at such low price (for lesser quantity too of course) Other stalls in Penang seem to be selling starting from at least RM6.00 for the smallest plate.

Technorati Tags: Swatow Lane, Penang, Ais Kacang, Lorong Selamat

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Categories: Food and Drink, Penang
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Penang National Park

July 3, 2006

Seriously, I didn’t know there was a National Park in Penang. If you are unaware of this too, it is located in Teluk Bahang, further down Batu Ferringhi beach. Take the 12 o’clock turn at the roundabout and you will reach this place eventually.

I only found out this place because I wanted to go to Pantai Kerachut. The only 2 ways to reach this beach are either by boat or on foot. Walking through the dense and rocky jungle is free while renting a boat taking you back and forth costs RM160, it can ferry 15 people.

I didn’t know we had to go through a jungle in order to reach the beach, from what I read in the forums, I only expected to register in the office lol. Anyway the road to reach the beach was just too exhausting and the weather was really hot. We only managed to reach half of the path, and decided to turn back as the day was getting late.