City Route HOHO Bus Rolling Tour, Penang (1 of 2)

After a brief respite at Gurney Plaza, we hopped on the HOHO Bus City Route. Yey! And as said in my previous story, our plan was to just sit on the bus as it circumnavigated its route around Georgetown!

First 'sighting' as the bus started off on its way.., the Wave of Prosperity rotunda art installation..,

It's the roundabout we passed-by earlier as we entered Gurney Drive on board the Beach Route HOHO Bus. Not many people (even locals actually) bother about this rotunda, thus, not many know what it is!

I took that pic as the bus was turning left (this is the northern end of Gurney Drive) and immediately to our left was/is the 'renowned' Gurney Drive Hawker Center that, during the day, is nothing but rows of closed shacks. It only starts sizzling in the evening with every kind of the best of Penang's street food!

Anyway, after turning left from Gurney drive, the bus went on to cruise along Jalan Bagan Jermal.

I wondered if that was the pewter company I was brought-to, on a guided tour years ago. There was a demo, and we were shown live foundries where they fashion sheets of tin metal to pitchers and cups.

Just a few meters forward and we were passing by a strip that seems to be dominated by chocolate!

That board says "Kedai Coklat" (Chocolate Store), Malaysia Largest Chocolate Paradise! Really? I did not know that! Hmn, all I knew was Indonesia as the 3rd largest cacao-producing country in the world.

Anyway, next door to the above, is this place with stores that play around chocolate and its relatives!

There's Tealeaf (obviously tea), Hani (Natural Honey), Coffee Tree (their signage says "Finest Coffee & Chocolate'), Benito (Chocolate) and Marni (Chocolate). Others follow, like Nexus Hub & Coffeehouse.

I got busy talking to my companion how surprised I was at this chocolate thing in Penang, that, about 500 meters from those coffee and chocolate shops, we passed by St. Nicholas Home, and I was not able to take a photo of it. Anyway, I know it's an NGO that caters to the blind. I visited that place years ago. Aside from a home, basic education and skills training for the blind, they have medical facilities!

Anyway, onwards, the same road becomes Jalan Gottlieb.., and at a corner across the Chinese Girls' High School, we saw this building where MJ had so many questions that, it sent my head a spinning!

Bakit daw nagbebenta dito ng native Thai products eh Malaysia naman ito. Bakit ang mga sulat puros insik, bakit ang kalsada surname ng bombai! Parang nagsisi yata akong isinama ko ang kumag na 'to!

But challenge accepted! I said 'sandali lang' and sent the same photo to a business acquaintance who lives in this city (at lahing wakanga din)! Reply was fast, and we were educated that: Malaysia is made up of generally 3 races - Malay, Chinese and Indian origins - many of them, became leaders, heroes or prominent citizens of this country, thus, they're honored (immortalized) by naming streets after them!

Many of these citizens (especially the Chinese) still use their written language, that's why many of the establishment signs are still in their native language. An example of that is "Wah Thai Native Products Co." where "Wah Thai" is the name of the Chinese-Malaysian owner. It doesn't refer to Thailand! Ngek!

Well, we learned something again. That's the beauty of traveling!

Alright, the bus goes all the way down to the end of Gottlieb St., and turns right (northwards) to a road named 'Jalan Kebun Bunga' (Jalan=Road or street, Kebun=Garden, Bunga=Flower), but that means the Botanical Gardens Road since they don't have a Malay word for "botany" (they use "botani" in school)!

It is still a little far, about 1km to the Botanical Gardens, but with interesting sights along the way! This is in fact, one of my favorite roads in Penang. Both sides are lined with tall trees (that only means they must have planted trees long ago). It feels like you are driving in the UP Diliman or Ateneo campuses!

Those buildings by the corner (upper-middle of above pic) are part of a Hindu temple. Behind them is Penang City Park but entrance gate is still some 400 meters to the right, beside another Hindu temple.

I don't know their meanings (yet), but I love looking at the roofs of Hindu Temples. They're always very colorful, intricately adorned with many characters (I think they are Hindu Gods) that look very detailed!

Oh after the parking area and entrance to the City Park, there are many more Hindu-related edifices on both sides of the road. I think one is a school. I even read something that said Gandhi Peace Center or something like that! Maybe this is a domain of Indians, not the stores, but their temples or residences!

Well, across the beautiful building of the botanical gardens authorities, I did see a sign that said Surau Al-Isla. But, other than that, this foresty area is dominated by Hindu (Tamil?) structures and signages.

Anyway.., less than a kilometer on, we reached the Penang Botanical Gardens' parking area..,

This is the northern-most stop of the Penang HOHO Bus City Route. Many passengers got off here.

Look at the red arrow. That's where the HOHO Bus stops, then makes a u-turn going back to the city.

Main entrance is still after that wide grassy green where you can see many parked vehicles. The road going there is at left (edge of pic) after the HOHO stop, but all public vehicles terminate at this rotund.

Ah, about this botanical (or botanic whatever) gardens, there are many interesting things in there, both historical and at present! Like there is a waterfall in there! That is why, the road parallel to Jalan Kebun Bunga is named Jalan Air Terjun (Waterfall Road) because in the past, it actually led there. In fact, this botanical gardens was originally named Waterfall Gardens when first established by the Brits in 1884!

By the way, not only lots of interesting flora abound in this garden, but there are fauna too!

The red arrows point to free-roaming monkeys (long tailed macaques) and blue arrows point to birds.

The birds are mostly pigeons, though we saw other darker smaller kinds. The macaques appear to be very intimidating (just like those at the Puerto Princesa Underground River). They look like they are not afraid of people, and seem eagerly ready to pounce on you and grab whatever you have that they think might be food! Those at left are even baby monkeys but audacious enough to be out by the open area!

I saw a group of youngsters (human) who were obviously scared as they walked past those monkeys!

Oh before I forget, I heard from a friend that there's a 'shooting club' (yes, guns) headquartered within the botanical gardens. Hmm, that must be cool to try one of these days! And even cooler I suppose, is this thing I also heard from another friend that, there's a 'jeep service' from the botanical gardens goin up to Penang Hill. Woh! I must try that - when I come back alone. As for now, I am just MJ's tour guide and he seems not keen on that! Mas gusto neto mag-ikot sa Gurney Plaza eh! Ayan, nagsama pa kasi!

Anyway, the HOHO Bus returned via the same road (Jalan Kebun Bunga) all the way to Jalan Gottlieb. However, it did not turn left back into Gottlieb. It instead just went straight, but where the road is now named Jalan Utama. You can again see that intersection picture above, Jalan Utama is the way to the Masjid Negeri from Jalan Gottlieb. Of course, like Jalan Kebun Bunga, Jalan Utama is also tree-lined!

You will love passing by Jalan Utama. Aside from the whole stretch of road is still lined with big trees on both sides, buildings and houses are no more than two floors high, and have that colonial-era look!

This area along Jalan Utama is an affluent neighborhood. The houses are enormous and sosyalin!

The corner at right goes to what's called Jesselton Pocket Park (maliit na park) but beyond it is an old neighborhood na mala-forbes o dasma natin ang dating. The road also connects to Penang City Park!

Interestingly, this bus turns left on MacAlister Road, as if to show more of Penang's beauty!

The route then turns right at Jalan Residensi (Residence Road), back to Jalan Utama (did you know it means Main Road?), and left to Jalan Scotland. In a way, it circles Penang Sports Club, some colleges and universities, government departments, The Residency (Governor's offices and residence), Penang Polo Club, the Chief Minister's Office and Residence, hospitals & clinics, some temples and churches!

Here are more beautiful old buildings along Jalan Residensi (Residence Road) before the hospital..,

I am not sure if they're really old and refurbished, but they sure look great in those wide grassy areas.

After the hospital and the end of Jln Residensi, the bus takes a slight right turn to rejoin the remainder of Jln Utama (less than a kilometer from that corner where we turned left to MacAslister Road earlier) and this is front of governor's official residence called Seri Mutiara (Pearl Series? I am not sure why).

It has been there since 1888 as residence of the British ruler in those times. When they left, of course this mansion became the residence (including offices) of the highest position (figurehead) in Penang.

We tourists would love to see the insides of that old colonial mansion and how it's been maintained or 'malaysianized", right? But sorry, "cannot be" as of our time that is today hehe! And it is probably better that way, for the privacy and security of the governor, since that's where he lives. His home and office!

"The Residency" is hard to see since it is far from the road due to that very wide front lawn. Tip for the makulit like me: you can visit the back side (York Street / Jalan York) for a closer look. Back view nga lang, but the buildings are nearer that road, and they still look beautiful! Ingat lang and use your charm as the houses there are all mala-Forbes, baka mapagkamalan kang "ABG" as in Akyat Bahay Gang. Da!

By the way, next to the governor's mansion are the social welfare office and Penang Children's Library.

Across all of them (the grassy green at right) is the Penang Polo Field. Brits also introduced that sport to Malaysia, also as early as the late 1800s. Sa atin, ano ang itinuro nung mga praile? Sabong yata, eh!

Then the bus turns left here (obvious ba?), and that's Jalan Scotland or Scotland Road (Street)..,

To the right of that corner is already the Penang Sports Club. It's similar to Makati or QC Sports Club - me sports na meron din sosyalan. There's a restaurant, bar, function rooms, karaoke rooms and even a library! I attended a pool party there one time. Ah their swimming pool is not only pang-sports, pang sosyalan din! Syempre there're the soccer, hockey and cricket fields, plus tennis grass-courts, squash, badminton, pingpong, darts, snookers (parang bilyaran) at ang walang kupas na sauna (steam room)!

On the opposite side (behind those cars in the picture above) are also era-like structures, but I do not know yet what those were. It now has a restobar, a gym and a pool, parang clubhouse din ang dating.

After that, there are more beautiful old-looking buildings amid wide grassy lawns - one of them is even a church (Mormon?). Another is a home for the aged, na ang tsismis, inaawitan daw ng developers na umalis dyan, so they can develop and make big profits out of that prime real estate. Familiar tune 'no?

Jalan Scotland curves to the left, even passing by the Penang Turf Club that has a 9-hole golf course!

This is an interesting intersection. Immediately to the right (not in photo) is Penang Turf Club. If you're too young to have heard about Sta. Ana Turf Club (now The Circuit Makati) and/or the San Lazaro Turf Club (now SM San Lazaro), turf clubs are all about horse-racing. Nilipat na sa Cavite or Batangas yata.

In Penang, their field is still in the city. And uniquely, the middle of the big wide oval is a golf course!

That corner building across, is their Syariah High Court or Kehakiman Syariah. You already know what is "Syariah" right? But interesting to note that "kehakiman" directly translates to "hukuman" in Tagalog. The root word is "hakim" which means "hukom" to us! But that is only for the Muslim-related laws nila.

By the way, the street to the right of the intersection (Jalan Batu Gantung) has a different name to this one on the left (Jalan York), but like everywhere else we passed-by (so far) are lined with tall big trees! The HOHO Bus goes straight at this road intersection anyway, and that is still Jalan Scotland.

Just two kilometers onward from the above intersection, the road becomes like this..,

That's a fly-over in the middle of the photo, where most vehicles are heading to. As the sign says, that is the way to the airport in Bayan Lepas, and the first bridge crossing to Butterworth - both are still far.

But the HOHO Bus goes under the skyway as it prepares to make a right turn going to Bukit Bendera!

Here.., we were about to turn right on Jalan Air Itam (to the left is going to downtown Georgetown)..,

That corner across (right edge of picture) is an important edifice that the bus fortunately passes by.

Ito yun! Masjid Negeri Pulau Pinang.., or in English the Penang State Mosque.

Have you ever heard of a name "Efren Brindez Paz"? Chances are you haven't, right? We do not see nor hear anything about him in the Philippines, right? Well, he is more remembered and acknowledged in Penang - even in Malaysia and the whole Islamic world - as the Filipino Architect who designed Masjid Negeri - the biggest, most important, most beautiful, therefore most-visited mosque in all of Penang!

It might look small as viewed from the outside, but it can accommodate 5,000 devotees any one time!

And mind you, even non-Muslims visit this mosque just to appreciate the many grand things about it!

My only advise is.., if you are not going in there to pray, avoid Fridays as it becomes too crowded!

Oh, when inside, don't just be amazed by the expanse of the main prayer area. Try looking up, and your jaw will drop at the size of the main chandelier (or whatever it's called, walang light bulbs eh) probably some 20 feet in diameter, made of crystals said to be imported from Europe (Czech Republic pa yata).

Let's proceed with the rolling tour. Wala pa yatang kalahati ito, madami lang akong kwento! The HOHO Bus tour then cruises along Jalan Air Itam towards Bukit Bendera (about 3kms) where Penang Hill is.

This rotunda is just entering Bukit Bendera (district), still about a kilometer to the foot of Penang Hill.

The bus goes around a bit and onwards (to the red arrow), and from there on, the road is not anymore Jalan Air Itam. It becomes Jalan Bukit Bendera, but if not of the little rotunda, it is still the same road!

That is an important corner (especially if you're driving). After Penang Hill, the bus returns to this area, circles around the rotunda, and goes to that road at left, which is also a tourist spot! Can you see that white obelisk at the corner? That is the tourist spot, but let us talk about it later, when the bus returns!

And we reached the western-most and highest stop on the HOHO Bus City Route: Penang Hill Station.

You see that dark car in the middle of the photo? It is making a u-turn, the HOHO bus will do the same! You see that building at left? Although it looks like one, no it's not a mall! It's just a multi-level car park.

Here here.., this is a closer look at the ground floor of the multi-storey car parking building.

Well, there are stores and eateries on street level, so the building does look like a mall! That is actually a public edifice (with offices inside) - owned and operated by "Bukit Bendera Penang Corporation", the entity (government institution) that maintains and/or oversees the Penang Hill facilities and services.

Just what is Penang Hill anyway, that there is even a dedicated government institution to manage it?

Well, Penang Hill is one of, if not the island's main attractions frequented by foreign and local tourists. But let's talk about its interesting details in my succeeding stories (tomorrow) as we will be visiting it!

Meanwhile, the blue arrow is where vehicles make their u-turn just in front of that train station. OMG a Train Station?! This island has a railway? Ah eh.., tomorrow na nga eh.., as in bukas na! Just wait for it!

Okay, as said above, the HOHO Bus returns from Penang Hill to go around (again) at this rotunda. But it doesn't go straight back to downtown yet. It instead goes right (yellow arrow) for more tourist spots.

The roundabout has no significant installation or monument. It is just there to ease vehicular traffic as this became a very busy 'T-intersection' when Penang Hill visitors peaked, after their active promotion.

Thus, after rounding the rotunda (following the yellow arrow above), we turned to this position..,

The blue arrow at right was where we were when I snapped that previous picture (that has the yellow arrow). The rotunda cannot anymore be seen here, but that is just after the right edge of the picture.

The blue arrow at lower left is where the bus was proceeding (still called Jalan Air Itam), thus we the tourists have a clearer view (and can get off at) that historical marker - "Air Itam War Memorial Park".

This little corner is also synonymously called the "Penang Overseas Chinese Anti-War Memorial"..,

Here's something cute: I learned about the meanings of things around this memorial on a little corner, from no other than a Japanese friend/colleague who worked in Malaysia some time ago. He was the one who told me that this memorial was erected in 1946 just after WWII to commemorate how people in Penang fought hard against Japanese soldiers (yung kanyang mga ninuno) during that world war!

Kuyawa 'no? Ikaw, kaya mo bang harapin ang international community ngayon, knowing that your very ancestors caused all war, death and suffering in the world? Hindi madali, but apparently kinakaya nila.

Anyway, I also learned from the same Japanese friend, that the war memorial has new additions..,

Those are the mural wall at left and "World Peace Memorial" in the middle, pointed by my blue arrows.

Mind you, I further learned from the same tomodachi (who is also a traveler), that ashes of those who died fighting during WWII were gathered from all over Penang and now buried under the white obelisk.

Let's proceed, this is still (nearing the end of) Jalan Air Itam, and the next spot can already be seen.

That is the Kek Lok Si Temple. They say it is the biggest buddhist temple in all of Malaysia. Ah, for me it's not just a temple, it's more of a temple complex! It's too wide with lots of different prayer buildings.

The bus turns left over at that end, going into Jalan Paya Terubong, which is now a one-way street.

One-way due to the number of vehicles that go to Kek Lok Si temple on such a narrow old street.

I actually like looking at this street as all parked or cruising vehicles face in the same direction. Aliw!

Then the bus turns-right at this very popular corner (Jalan Paya Terubong corner Jalan Pasar)..,

That is already the Air Itam Market, popular not only to locals but even visitors in the know - that there are fancied eateries in and around here, that serve authentic old Penang-style breakfast called Laksa.

The HOHO Bus turns right (this road is Jalan Pasar or Market Road), makes a left turn before stopping to let temple visitors off some meters before the Kek Lok Si main entrance (beyond the yellow arrow).

It then makes a u-turn to return to Jalan Air Itam via Jalan Balik Pulau (green arrow) - a one-way road.

Hey, I think this rolling tour story is getting too long. We better cut it short here, then just continue with another story for the remainder of this "city route", but after things I have to say on Kek Lok Si Temple!

I'm not familiar with this religion, but it looks like the temple is a fusion of different kinds of buddhism and I am just basing it from the people who go there to pray (me insik, me bombay, me hapon, meron Thai, meron din Pinoy na FilChi, iba-iba sila)! The place has countless buddha images of various sizes.

You will like this complex even if (like me) you're not buddhist. Eh everywhere you look is picturesque kung kodakan lang din ang hanap mo! And I don't remember if there's even a "no picture taking" place or altar in the whole complex (na parang dun sa Taoist temple sa Cebu)! Many people, especially the younger set, roam around while recording videos or taking selfies in the prayer rooms or the gardens!

Ah, have you seen an elevator that runs sideways? They have that in this temple! Well, something like slanting up a hill hehehe! Basta, hindi sya vertically up or down na parang elevators na nakikita natin! We can't also say it's a funicular train/tram, since it's just the size of an elevator with elevator buttons!

Anyway, let's end it here, and just continue with a Part 2, that's coming very soon!