Penang, Malaysia

Penang is an island that is famous for its cultural heritage and authentic food! It offers quite a wide range of diversity. It’s so easy to fall in love with this place as you will be spoiled for it is also dubbed as the foodie capital of Malaysia. From Manila, we traversed a short layover in Changi, Singapore to finally reach this city.

We visited Penang for 2 reasons: (1) Erwin wanted me to be checked by prominent Ortho specialists since I was mumbling about the consistent pain in my back which was probably caused by my slight scoliosis and, (2) which is more justifiable - to celebrate our third anniversary and my birthday at the same time. For the first few days, we made sure to accomplish the appointments made from the hospital and finally ventured our way in exploring the town! It was a bonus that the language is same with Erwin’s mother tongue so it was not a struggle for us to go around and ask for directions. (Malaysians and Indonesians both speak Bahasa with minimal differences on intonations) Further, we had the coolest driver which assisted us all throughout the trip.

Our first stop – The Penang Time Tunnel and 3D Updown Museum! To begin, it took us through a tunnel explaining the history of Penang as the long bygone times can recall. It offers an eyesight to history junkies wherein you can see organic remains of tools used by people centuries ago! After this long stretch, situated on the second floor is the 3D museum which the locals call “Updown”. This offers plenty of which I call ‘photography opportunities’ especially for the kids and kids at heart.

Next stop – Georgetown! This whole city is like a funky art gallery of some sort and can be compared to a fusion of the gigantic wall murals in BGC Makati and the historical streets in Vigan. The difference is that most wall paintings were depicted with a unique sense of quirkiness and cultural significance.

Third stop – the famous (and my favorite among all spots) Penang Hill or what they call Bukit Bendera! The train ride to and from the hill top was exhilarating, especially when we came down – it was like a roller coaster ride! The views at the Penang Hilltop Skywalks were super awesome. We were really lucky to have gone up in a clear weather. It was very easy to see the entire Georgetown. And of course, the highlight of this trip, the Love Bridge! Erwin has been bragging about this place wherein couples can write their names and attach their love locks. Of course, we prepared for this and brought the most durable lock of all! Durability spells longevity backward haha! Feels like we were in Paris! Last stop for the day – the Kek Lok Si temple, which is just around the corner. The way up to the temple complexes was through a series of narrow alleys and stairs. My favorite spot here was the Chinese Wishing Tree. Although most wishing trees are evident during Chinese New Year, they have displayed one at the temple all year long for both local devotees and tourists. Visitors have the opportunity to toss a wish for prosperity, happiness, longevity, etc. It is believed that the higher you hang the ribbon, the more it is likely for the gods to grant your wish.

The next day, we walked the tracks along the city and visited a couple of Buddhist temples. One remarkable temple in Penang is the Wat Chayamangkalaram Temple. This reminded me of the Lumbini Temple in Berastagi, Medan, Indonesia. The star of the temple is the massive statue of reclining Buddha. The interiors are dazzling and spectacular which were mostly designed and covered with gold and there is an aura of peace and tranquility around the place. You can also light a candle and make a wish inside.

We were quite erratic about the famous Penang Bridge and so we asked the driver to bring us to Malaysia’s longest bridge. Yes, you read it right. It is believed to be even the longest bridge in Southeast Asia which features wide sweeping ‘S’ curve over its 24km (I’ve googled the longitude haha). The driver explained that it was constructed following a curve to tailor and harmonize with the strong waves on hasty weather. This, as he told us, makes the bridge stand longer and enduring compared to a straight one. Makes sense huh? It took us around twenty minutes to traverse from the toll exit to the other side of the bridge. What did we do when we reached the end? We went straight back to the toll exit. Nutty it may seem, our aim is to go through it and have a hunch of the actual transit by ourselves!

Our last stop –Batu Ferringhi Night Market or Pasar Malam. This is comparable to Baguio’s night market, except that it’s a strip on the beachfront of Penang. Most tourists flock here for the shoreline and the walkway bazaar. Amid the day as they say, the road is clean and has no traffic. However at dusk, many stalls set up offering a handful of deal things. Perfect for our last stop to buy pasalubongs!

The climax. What made this trip noteworthy? Aside from Penang’s maddening rush of different culture and cuisine, and apart from the fact that we have exhausted ourselves in touring around, this place will always be memorable for me and Erwin. Believe as I say, unexpectedly and surprisingly, this is where Erwin had finally popped the most jolting question. It was too comic and casual and was too far from my expectation. After three years of foolishly being together, I said Yes to forever in Penang!