Ipoh
Wed 13th May
A relaxed early morning. I left the hotel after 07:30. A leisurely stroll to the jetty as I already had my ticket. There was an xray luggage scan. We boarded at 08:00 and left at 08:15 for the 30 minute crossing.
I went to the bus stand, about 5 minutes away. I got confusing responses from 2 ticket counters about where and how to book a ticket to Ipoh. The lady in the little shop was more helpful. She looked on her phone, which said there was an 11:00 bus, whereas mine said 10:00. And then lo and behold, just after 09:00 a bus pulled in that was going to Ipoh and the driver said he was leaving at 09:30.
2 hours to Ipoh through boring countryside. Unfortunately, the main/new bus station at Almanjaya is way out of town. Arrived around 11:30, but had to wait half an hour for the local bus to take us the 30 minutes to the Medan Kidd terminus which isn’t too far from the railway station.
I walked towards the town centre and stopped at a restaurant for a teh tariq; compared to the usual cost of 2.50, the 3.80RM was quite expensive. But, it was tasty and very hot.
Up the road and over the bridge was Abby by the River hotel, where I stayed last time. It was good to meet up with Deen again and we joked around. I’m glad I didn’t get there too early because my room wasn’t ready yet. I asked for the same one with the big portal/round window.
The room came to 103RM and I paid for 2 nights. I was very happy when I saw it. The room was the same shape/style , facing the town and river, but on the 3rd floor, so with a much better view. By this time it was gone 3pm, so it was time to explore.
The restaurant I first went to was closed…they close at 14:30. I had a noodle dish nearby, getting slightly irritated by the aggressive nature of the staff. I won’t say which culture I assume they come from !! That area is slightly touristy, making the shops interesting to look at.
Next stop…the Sinhalese bar. They were pleased to see me, and the feeling was mutual. I drank 2 big Anchors…640ml…while chatting away. I paid 19RM..or about 3.60Gbp each. I fancied something for my room, so walked back over the bridge, passed Abby and found an off licence where I bought a bottle of gin for 45RM.
Quite an eventful day for my first day in Ipoh.
Thurs 14th May
It had been raining so there was no rush to leave the hotel. I told Deen I was going to look for a roti canai place, and he suggested I go across the road and around the corner to a place just a couple of minutes walk away.
I had a tasty egg roti and 2 tehs and a great long chat with Hami the chef.! The big surprise was that when it came to pay, he said the breakfast was on him. And he was insistent, so I just thanked him very much.
It was time for a walkabout. I went straight down the main road , passed the large mosque, to the railway station.
• Original Station (1893): The first wooden railway station was built to serve the booming tin-mining town.
• Current Station Construction (1914–1917): Construction began in 1914 but was delayed by material shortages during World War I.
• Architectural Style: Designed by A.B. Hubback, it features a blend of Edwardian Baroque and Mughal architecture, with onion domes, towers, and grand arches, similar to the old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station.
• Majestic Hotel: The upper floors historically housed a high-end hotel, known for its spacious veranda overlooking the town.
I briefly stopped by Abby then went on to the Sinhalese bar. Now I know the proprietors are Alfred and C(K)amala. I chatted for quite a while, and as result I drank 3 bottles of Anchor.
At a pavement restaurant I had a tasty fried rice dish. I passed Tin Corner bar and one of the guys came rushing out, having recognized me from last September. I didn’t stop this time, but said I’d be back.
And so, back to Abby and my very comfy room. I caught up on some football highlights.
Fri 15th May
After getting up and getting refreshed, I went to the breakfast restaurant. Hami had bought a banana especially for me, so that was a first…a banana roti. I was also presented with a couple of sweet delicacies which weren’t really my cup of tea.
I didn’t have any notes less than a 50RM, but Hami said that was okay and I could pay the next day. I spent time in my room; it’s so relaxing lying on the bed and looking out of that big round window.
My wanderings took me to a bank to change down a couple of 50 notes. And to the tourism info office to ask about buses to the Perak Cave, because I found the info on the internet very confusing. Now I know it’s the T31A from Medan Kidd. I’ll go next week.
Next mission was to go to St Patricks the Irish pub. I made it all the way there, only to find it closed, despite the internet saying it was open. I checked at a shop nearby, and apparently the pub is permanently closed and relocated to KL. It’s bad that the web page hasn’t been updated; I’ll put a comment in the Reviews.
I stopped for a noodle soup costing 7RM. I headed for Tin Corner and reached there just in time before the heavens opened. I ordered the happy hour Tigers…i.e. 7 half pint mugs for the price of 6 at 118RM…so, nearly 17RM each..or just over 3 pounds …not too bad.
And to my room…slightly tipsy. Unless something dramatic happens I’m spending the next week in Ipoh; really enjoying it here. The plan is to spend my last 3 days in KL. Oh no, it really is a countdown to leaving Malaysia.
Sat 16th May
I was at my breakfast place by 09:00. I ended up having a long chat with the owner; he was a backpacker in his youth. In fact he travelled overland from Malaysia to the UK many years ago. He has invited me on a tour of the next door mosque, and a little road trip somewhere. He has a tour business.
I went back to Abby briefly; I grabbed my umbrella. I headed for the bus stand to check times of the no. 31A to the Perak Cave. It’s worth knowing, because there’s an hour and 20 mins between buses. And I did have to use my umbrella a little bit.
I went back via the railway station, not only because it’s a magnificent building, but to get an idea of train times to KL. In the town centre I stopped for a kopi. It shows how predictable I’ve become, when the waitress in a really busy restaurant can predict my drink..!!!
I drew out 800RM from the ATM…I seem to be paying a lot of my expenditure with cash. I popped into a phone repair show to see if they could shed any light on why some of my pics have that ‘wavy’ effect. He said he’d never come across that.
I went back to Abby and paid for 3 more days..so, 309RM. I went up on the roof but the clouds soon came across. I spent time in my room until 16:30. On the way to the Sinhalese bar I passed Kamala who was fretting because she couldn’t find her dog. Actually the dog had made its own way back to the bar !!
I had 3 beers. Another punter offered me a rice and savoury curry dish. That was very kind of him, and it filled me up. I went walkabout to see early evening activity in the particularly touristy area. That was it…then back to Abby.
My TV viewing is limited to News and football highlights; I don’t spend enough time to watch a whole film. But nice to know that every type of channel is available.
Sun 17th May
A relaxed start to the day. I made my way over to the roti and teh restaurant. I spoke a lot with Hami. I learned that the no. 4 means “die” to the Chinese, so it’s not used, or a letter added after the number in order to negate the bad luck.
• Buildings & Elevators: You will rarely see a 4th floor in hotels, hospitals, or residential buildings. Elevators frequently skip straight from the 3rd to the 5th floor.
• Combinations & Multiples: Numbers like 14 and 24 are even more dreaded, as they sound like “must die” and “easy to die” respectively. The number 44 is often avoided entirely.
• Gifting & Money: Gifting items or money in sets of four is taboo. You would never give exactly $40 or 44 yuan, as it is considered an inauspicious or ominous gesture.
• Personal Identifiers: Many people go out of their way to request phone numbers, license plates, and home addresses that do not contain the digit 4.
All that was very interesting.
I returned to my room. I relaxed. I went to the rooftop for half an hour. After my room visit I went to a new part of town and had a fried noodle late lunch for 5.50RM..or just over a pound.
I walked across to Healy Mac’s bar for a half of Guinness and a half of Kilkennys. I was determined to visit an Irish pub. The off licence was closed on my way back, but made it to the Sinhalese bar. It took about 25 mins. Talked to an Ossie couple. Nice evening. Picked up a bag of crisps on way back to my room.
Another good day.
Mon 18th May
An easy start to the day. Just before 09:00 I went to my ‘kopi’ restaurant for breakfast. Although I asked for an egg roti I got 2 fried eggs on toast…oh well, it made a change.
Back to Abby to wait and see if Eleas would remember our tentative arrangement for him to take me to an Ipoh place of interest. I waited from 10:00 till 11:00 then gave up and went for a kopi.
Back to my room. After 14:30 I left for lunch. I managed to find the same covered market but as usual I forgot about the 14:30 closure time. But there was one kitchen open and I had a spicy fried rice with egg.
And, back to my room for a shower. My room had been cleaned and looked really nice. It was gone 4pm so it was time for the Sinhalese bar. I spoke briefly with an English couple visiting with their 2 kids. I spoke more with Kamala than Alfred.
I put any thoughts of feeling peckish to one side, and went to my room. I wanted an earlyish night as I needed to have my roti breakfast and catch the 08:40 bus to the Perak Cave.
Tues 19th May
I was at the breakfast place before 08:00, for my banana roti. I left for Medan Kidd to catch the 08:40 bus to the Perak Cave. It’s a long way…6 or 7 kms…I can’t believe I walked it last year.
Some facts. It’s a Chinese Buddhist temple established in 1926. There are limestone caves filled with 40 Buddha statues, murals of figures from Chinese mythology, and a 12 meter high sitting Buddha. One exits the cave to climb a steep staircase of approx 450 steps to reach the top of the hill.
I got about half way up the last hurdle before I gave up as my vertigo was getting worse. There is either a railing or wall to hold on to all the way up, so I probably could have made it up, but didn’t want to push my luck. Anyway, I made it last year, and the view at the top isn’t that great…lots of residential properties (rooftops basically) and factories in a wide valley.
It was interesting to see the Cave again and climb those steps. I walked down the road, passed one bus stop, and on to the second one…probably about 2kms in total. It was approximately 45 minutes before a bus came along. I didn’t stay on until Medan Kidd terminal, but got off before the train station so I was close to the centre of town.
I stopped for a kopi before going back to Abby. Then to lunch at the covered market, but despite it being only 13:45, all the kitchens were closed. So, back into the town centre for a mee buyun with chicken and prawns. The noodles were overcooked unfortunately.
I wandered around, still finding undiscovered streets and shops; am definitely enjoying Ipoh with its qwerkiness. And I stopped at an ATM for a cash top up in order to pay for my last 3 days at Abby. As it was approaching 4pm I found myself at the Sinhalese bar !!
I had 2 beers and went to my room. It was a bit early but I was feeling tired. I watched a couple of news channels.
Wed 20th May
I went downstairs after 09:00 to pay my 309RM for 3 nights…around 20Gbp. That takes me through to Friday. Then my roti canai for breakfast; again, a good chat with Hami and Eleas.
Eleas then took me to Gunung Lang (mountain eagle) which was just before the Perak Cave, so good to go in a car. It is a small lake surrounded by limestone cliffs…very pretty and relaxing. The cliffs were forested, so quite beautiful. One boarded a smallish boat to get to the other shore which was like a small park with little chalets and bushes and flowers. We were there about half an hour before going back.
Eleas dropped me off at the mosque next to his restaurant and from there for at least an hour I had a guided tour and explanation of customs and religious Islamic teachings. I learned the 5 stages of cleansing before entering the mosque (done 5 times per day) ; where/how to stand do that you were shoulder to shoulder with the next guy. Too much information !!!
Oh, I think the oldest mosque in Malaysia built in 1926. The engineers were British; the workers were Indian; the inspiration was Agra. The dome was blue. The dome originally amplified the Imam teachings…of course now there are loudspeakers ! It must’ve been very uncomfortable in the old days, but now there are fans and a/c. A lot of history.
And the hotel was just around the corner, which was nice. Oh, I decided to go up to the roof to relax for a bit, and had an unexpected first experience. There was a guy staying in a small room up there, and we greeted each other. He just had a white towel wrapped around him, and we sat and chatted. I started to have my suspicions! I stood up to go to my room as there was no sun. He said I had a nice body and reached out and ran his hand over my chest. At the same time saying he ‘was a gay’. Then cupped his hand over my crotch area. I kept very composed and calmly said that I wasn’t gay, and that it was nice meeting him, and I left for my room. Phew interesting !!!
I took some backstreets into town, looking for a shop selling cheap flip-flops, but the ones I found were a bit fancy and too expensive.
I looked for regular coffee, but at nearly 3 pounds a cup, was a bit expensive too…I suppose the centre of Ipoh can be touristy. I went to my kopi restaurant for my local coffee, and I also enjoyed a noodle and prawn soup.
After my late lunch I looked for other coffee options for the future, and slowly made my way to the Sinhalese bar. I just had 2 beers as I was tired, and got back to my room quite early. I caught up on news and sport and tucked myself into my comfortable bed.
Thurs 21st May
A better night’s sleep. A morning hello to Deen…then to my roti breakfast…and good catch-up with Eleas and Hami. And then for the day’s mission.
A walk along the wide path by the river to the recreational Park. The path doesn’t start directly in front of Abby, but a little bit further along. I was on the wrong side but there were a number of bridges over which to cross.
The Park was large, with some little lakes and bridges and boating a lots of greenery. It was just lacking colour and flowers. I only stayed half an hour. On my way back into town I passed through a very run down area of 3 storey accommodation blocks…about 20 of them, mainly empty…home to the poorest in Ipoh. There was a fire in one of them and a fire engine outside. I was advised by people not to go there again…drugs, criminals. I found myself there by accident, so had no intention of going back.
I stopped at a smart restaurant for a nice latte. It was expensive anyway…at 12RM…and I had the exact money ready, but was annoyed when taxes added on, took the price to 13.90RM…2.70Gbp.
I went looking for lunch. I seemed to be finding only Indian restaurants with the assorted trays of food…delicious yes, but I don’t like nearly cold food. Eventually I found a place closing for the day with one meal left…so I had the Mee Goreng. Tasty, and very cheap at 5RM.
I crossed the main road. A guy on a motorbike insisted on crossing the same road and having a chat about the UK. That was fine. It wasn’t far to the pub. Am avoiding Tin Corner because the guys are so nice that I’d feel guilty about not going in…but it’s too expensive.
Next stop my favourite pub. I had an extra beer than usual…3. !! Chat, chat with Alfred and Kamala and a couple of other drinkers. That was it for the day. I took 2 little packets of savoury nibbles to my room. I watched TV…catching up world news, and went to bed.
Fri 22nd May.
The normal routine. It looked like there was a clear day ahead. Deen asked what my plans were regarding leaving the next day. I said there were lots of morning trains, but he cautioned me that the school holidays were about to start. Thanks, I said.
Over to my breakfast place for my banana roti and teh and a good chat with Hami. The day’s mission was to visit the Indian temple. It was just along the river, not far away…and a lot smaller than I expected. I took a couple of pics and returned to Abby.
I got thinking about what Deen had said, and thought it a good idea to buy my train ticket a day ahead. So I walked down to the station. I had planned on the 09:36 and saw that there were 2 seats left. The ticket machine confused me ( I thought I had mastered it ), and the ticket counter lady said the 2 seats were reserved for disabled passengers, so the train was full. I got a seat on the 10:21 to KL Sentral for 66RM…12.50Gbp.
I found a new route to the Centre…passed the 19thC Clock Tower…I hadn’t taken that route in 10 days !! It was time for lunch, and I decided to spend a bit more than usual. I settled on a fairly modern place which turned out to be a vegan restaurant. I had a tasty noodles, tofu, beans, and nuts…a bit different. So, 19RM for the food plus 10RM for the coffee latte. Getting on for 6Gbp including taxes.
I went to my room, only a few minutes walk away. Then a final visit to Sinhalese. I had 3 large bottles of Anchor because the lawyer guy insisted on buying me a farewell drink. I chatted a little with a couple who came from Brighton. Alfred gave me a quarter bottle of spirit , and after saying goodbye to everyone, I went back to Abby.
There was no sport to catch up on…just the News. I spoke a bit with Afnan to ask about her job interview at Salty Squid/ Funky Monkey at Galu/Diani. I sent Alan a message asking him to research coaches from Hrow to LGW on the day I get back.
That was it…my 10 days in Ipoh were at an end.