Ipoh Off The Beaten Path

I discover a pet store in the central part of town on Jalan Sultan Abdul (jalan translates to road in Malay), that specializes in all things exotic. Now they called it a pet store, but by the look of the cages and cramped condition, perhaps 'exotic animal prison' would be a more fitting title. Poor-luck puppies must sleep on iron bars, as no bedding is provided. Iguanas rest on top of tortoises, forced to dwell in a cage with too many inhabitants and not enough room.

Despite its many faults and grievances, I must admit, this pet store houses a wider variety of animals than I've seen in some zoos. To name a few; sugar gliders, both turtles and tortoises, fighting roosters, chinchillas, tapirs, iguanas, kittens, puppies and even an African Grey Parrot.

I try coaxing a phrase out of this one, but no luck. What inspiration could he find stacked three cages high? I will try again tomorrow, and perhaps bring some snacks for all the animals. I will need to feed them discreetly though, as the shopkeeper has a fierce gaze and watches me like a hawk and not like a parrot.

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Perak Tong (Perak Cave) Temple is located at Gunung Tasek about 6km north of Ipoh and houses over 40 Buddha statues and many murals. The cave was discovered in 1926 by Chong Sen Yee and his wife Choong Chan Yoke who came from Jiao-Ling province in China. On approval from the Perak State Government, they started to develop a cave temple. Over a 50 year period, they worked in and around the cave temple. A 40-metre high statue of Buddha in the temple is the tallest and largest of its kind in Malaysia.

Open: 8am-5pm.
Take Reliance Bus 141 from Ipoh.

Built in 1899 by a Ceylonese architect, C.H. Labrooy, this building was used as the Anderson Primary School between 1909 to 1919. Up until the 1960s, it was used as the Perak Chief Ministers office and the State Secretariat. The design is Neo-Classical with Roman pillars.

Jalan Kuala Kangsar

The museum is located in the town center next to the post office building... The museum is a repository of the country’s rich history and is one of the few reminders of the former capital of the great ancient kingdom of Gangga Negara...

On display are Chinese ceramics from the Qing Dynasty, old tin money in the shape of animals, incense containers from the ancient days of Hinduism, 19th Century plates from England, bamboo prawn traps, a rusty 128kg cannon, earthen water jars and other artefacts...

The Gangga Negara kingdom was founded in the 8th Century by Raja Ganji Sarjuna from Kedah... During its Golden Age, the present districts of Bidor, Tanjung Rambutan, Ipoh and Sungei Siput were under its control... In 1025 and 1026, Raja Chola Rajendran of Coromandel in south India attacked Gangga Negara, leading to its collapse...

After a lapse of some 500 years, the kingdom of Beruas was later established in the 15th century when a prince from Sumatra, named Malik al-Mansur, landed in the area after sailing upriver along the Sungai Beruas... The kingdom of Beruas grew through trade and paid tribute to Sultan Mahmud Shah of Malacca... Unfortunately, in the 17th Century, Sungai Beruas became heavily silted and the kingdom lost its importance as a trading port... Slowly, it declined into oblivion as its population moved away for greener pastures...

The museum is opened from 9.30am to 5.00pm daily except Sundays when it is closed... Admission is free but visitors must sign a visitors book...

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24 March 2008

I have often been asked about the tin industry in Malaysia by many of my overseas friends and it was a discovery that I made with Warisan Kapal Korek (or “The Heritage of (Tin) Dredge” in English) in Batu Gajah recently that brought my 3 relatives from Hong Kong to visit it.

We drove from Ipoh, taking the exit at Simpang Pulai toll. From there on, we followed the road to Kellie’s Castle, and entered into the Batu Gajah town. From there we followed the direction to Tanjung Tualang, a small town famous for its fresh water prawns, and reached Warisan Kapal Korek.

The dredge forms a mammoth landscape in the vast openness of the place. It is parked on a mining pool. The place has very few trees and one can imagine how the tin miners toiled under the harsh sun not too long ago.

There is a briefing of the tin mining process at a meeting room where photos are shown and Steven, our guide, is on hand to explain everything to us. It is very educational and I highly recommend this place for family outing and schoolchildren. After all, the history of many cities and towns in Malaysia is intertwined closely with the history of tin mining.

The most exciting part is visiting the dredge. It is about 70m in length and 35 m in height. When we are inside, we have to climb steps and there are platforms where we can see the dredge equipment. Reaching the top is no mean achievement for someone like me who is acrophobia. Going through every floor, we feel like we are in a scene out of one of Jackie Chan’s action movies. There are irons frames, large machinery, buckets and conveyor everywhere and we have to pick our way through carefully. It is an adventure not to be missed.

Due to the time constraint, we returned to Ipoh after the visit. However it is recommended that a traveler travels from Ipoh should make a stop at Kellie’s castle (which takes about 30 to 45 minutes to visit) first, then to the Warisan Kapal Korek, the tour of which is about 1.5 hours. Afterwards one can drive to Tuajung Tuallang for a lunch of fresh water prawns before returning to Ipoh. This will make a nice half-day tour.

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Lata Kinjang is one of the most majestic waterfalls in Malaysia. It is visible from along the NS Expressway as you travel from Tapah to Ipoh but is not accessible from the highway... To go to the waterfall, you have to exit at the Tapah interchange, and then drive about 18km on the trunk road towards Kampar town...

The main attraction of this waterfall is the impressive series of cascades winding down a 100-meter drop... The whole length of the waterfall is about 850m high... There are parking bays and eating stalls for picnickers. Visitors may also visit an orchid garden and a bamboo park. The area is inhabited by aborigines (known as Orang Asli), with villages around Lata Iskandar and Kuala Woh...

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Gua Tempurung literally means Coconut Shell Cave. The cave is very popular among caving enthusiasts. It is more than 3 km long and is one of the longest caves in Peninsula Malaysia. Part of it has been developed as a show cave with electric lighting and walkways for easy access. An internal underground river runs for about 1.6km through the hill. There are three very large chambers with some spectacular stalactites and stalagmites.

Heritage Acres provides 3 type of tours in exploring the caves... viz Golden Flowstone, Top of the World and Short River Adventure... and these are of different lengths and difficulty.... The wet tour will need require a change of clothing after the tour...

One of the nice things to do when in Ipoh is to check out the traditional Chinese Medicine shops. While you can find these herbal and traditional medicine shops throughout Malaysia, many of the older ones have ceased operations or have been coverted to more modern Pharmacies.

In Ipoh, however, I noticed that many traditional Chinese medicine shops continue to ply their trade. Perhaps it is because there is a large enough population of retirees here or simply because of tradition. I'm not sure.

When you visit the shop, just tell the Chinese sinseh about your complaint, and he may check your pulse and ask you a few more questions, before prescribing something for your health.

Traditional herbs are not used only for medicinal purposes but also in cooking (such as herbal chicken soups). Among the better known herbs are ginseng (only to be drunk when you are feeling robust and in good health), dong kwai (for women's ailments and well being), gei ji etc.

Although it takes a while to boil up the concoction, I always do enjoy drinking herbal concoctions for coughs, colds and other general ailments. The herbs are aromatic and generally improve your sense of well-being. I guess the taste is an acquired taste-they can be bitter, lightly sweet, bland, or with a hint of tanginess- but I certainly do like it.

To get the most out of your visit, you would need to bring along a Chinese speaking friend. Having said that, most Ipoh folks are well-educated and do speak good English.