A PASSAGE TO INDIA: 160. HOMESTAYS IN PERAK

Posts 125/131 - 2 previous trips to Perak

This was an adventure into the unknown - nothing planned nor arranged beforehand - just do it! So I ended up on looong bus rides and train transfers and into whatever homestays that had a room for the night. It was great for an experience but not something I will repeat as the uncertainty can be draining. Much energy is expended, I missed out on places I wanted to check out which I missed the last time.

Fortunately my mind conquered and things went smoothly and almost happened without too much effort although I did miss out on Kellie's Castle and a shop I was interested in. Gives me a reason to make a return trip as Kuala Kangsar is special...by road, it's about a 30-40 mins ride from Ipoh

My homestays. One, a container in Kuala Kangsar, the other in Ipoh in an old shophouse in a sexy street called Concubine Lane...

It's owners took pains to make the place homey...I could picture myself as mistress of such an establishment and I would do it with some flourish - the mama drama that I am! And my paintings will go up on a feature wall!

My loft room, in an old large Chinese shophouse with creaky floorboards, numerous doors and windows and high ceilings. The location was colourful and terribly interesting with lots of street action below my window. Shops, old style coffeeshops and bakeries producing the pastries Ipoh is best known for. The real coffee and noodle dishes come good and cheap in the coffeeshops nearby. The stalls shut early evening and people have time for sit-down dinners with families.

This unique interesting shophouse hotel had a cafe with a koi pond under my feet - so neat!

Malaysia's National Day was 3 days away and the Taiping Lake Gardens was all ready to party

Takeaway hot drinks in a plastic bag with a straw - unique to Malaysia and Singapore! A slice of life of this unique takeaway is illustrated by Ernest Zacharevic on this mouldy wall in Ipoh...

Kuala Kangsar has jumped on the bandwagon with its own wall art...

KK is the royal capital of Perak where their Sultan officially resides

2 of the town's better known landmarks - the Ubudiah Mosque and their clock tower, which is a round-about at this road junction...

Clock towers seem to be an In thing in Perak when the Brits were in town. This is the Taiping Clock Tower which housed a tourist information office with a colonial era red phone booth...and below, another tower in Kuala Kangsar, the Pavilion Square Tower is a wooden structure which was more a resting place and viewing gallery, perhaps for street and polo events...a shame that it's pretty neglected, its wood has rotted away in parts and the staircase was boarded up. One of my favourite buildings...

This container homestay in Kuala Kangsar is new and I opted for that instead of the chalet as it had this lovely century old raintree outside my door.

Not seen cotton candy in a long while - that too has undergone some 'innovation' - it now comes in more than 1 colour and possible to mould it into a flower! One of the traditional food stalls along Concubine Lane, Ipoh.

Fabulous old buildings in Ipoh. This one below is a Hakka Association clan community center...

These below were spotted in Taiping...

Malaysian chendol is tops! Came across this stall in a fairly clean hawker center and market by a muddy river in Kuala Kangsar

It's Hungry Ghosts time - the whole community came together to do the necessary...! This is the fishing port of Kuala Sepetang formerly Port Weld...

It's rare to see woven products these days. In many parts of Malaysia, it's really a dying art and trade. Kuala Kangsar is unspoilt and uncontaminated by large scale tourism. I fear this may not last as the town has potential to be designated a heritage site. It's old buildings are still solid if not a little neglected, they have so much history, culture and architectural merits.

Another rare sight these days during my up country rides. Such scenes were once part and parcel of Malaysian landscapes...

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church in Taiping is 142 years old. If it wasn't for the taxi driver, I wouldn't know it exists. It's tucked away on a dirt track with a wooded area behind it. It was shut and was deserted and I didn't get to find out more about these Roman/Grecian columns by the side of the building...

A lovely old Malay style building, below, left to rot, its ground floor is used as an office...several old buildings have seen better days and are totally neglected. Should this town be designated a heritage town, money will pour in for restoration and it may not be the same...although they've done a good job in Malacca, Georgetown and Ipoh...

Abandoned Istana Raja Bendahara - a grand dame - how could they do this to her? When there's so much land, one can afford to do this and it's a common sight in Malaysia. Good location for a horror movie...

The Church of the Resurrection is like a doll's house - homey, personal, I'm sure it's the same congregation each and every time, any new face will stick out...
It has pews for maybe 50 people if they sit close to each other! A service may have just ended and it seems like everybody left in a hurry as the place was in disarray with chairs and a cloak and leaflets here and there. Must be lunch time!

This must surely be the most beautiful Malay style building I've set eyes on. Formerly an Istana now the Perak Royal Museum....it was unfortunately closed on this day - what beastly luck - certainly gives every reason to return...

It's entire facade is woven black and yellow bamboo strips - how neat is that! The attention to detail is really something - they don't make it like this anymore, I don't think such craftsmen exist anymore...