Solo Trip - Ipoh (July 2022) - Ipoh Shopping and Souvenirs

Above is my Ipoh souvenir basket of goodies! Looking at it makes me happy! I tend to buy more food related or perishables as souvenirs. It is useful, edible, and taking a photograph of it doesn't take up too much space. So let me show you in detail what I got. 

The first photo was just a sample souvenir basket. Above is the actual load I carried back. 

I got 2 boxes of my favourite biscuits from there. I can't stop eating these. I shared some with my family members too. 

I also got these chicken biscuits. I've totally forgotten about their existence until I was browsing some biscuit shops and came across them again. It's one of those lost and found memories of my childhood snack. So I bought a bunch to snack on, and share with my families. To be honest, I thought they were rather expensive. I recalled they were really cheap when I was young. Maybe less than a dollar a pack? I guess all the prices have gone up now....sigh

I knew I wanted to buy some white coffee back, but I didn't know which brand was famous or good. They gave out samples for you to try the coffee at this Lam Fong shop, and the above coffee was thick and not too sweet. It has become my favourite white coffee brand!

I also got these Chang Jiang famous white coffee. They have their own cafe in Ipoh, and even one scenic and overpriced cafe near Tasik Cermin. Unfortunately, it was too sweet for me. I gave most of these away to friends and family.

Lastly, my most precious buy was my danggui salted baked chicken! I love this so much! Salted Baked Chicken are baked using salt, and not actually cooked flavoured with salt. They aren't that salty. I place them on top of my rice pot when I am cooking rice. The oil of the chicken will soak into the rice and I get this super fragrant chicken rice that smells of danggui. They also use kampung chicken, so the chicken meat is kinda tough and gives you quite a bite. 

And so ends my solo journey to Ipoh, the first of many to come! Just to give you a preview, the following will be up coming next!

- Solo Trip - Kuala Lumpur (November 2022)

- Solo Trip - Taiwan (July 2023)

- Solo Trip - Nagoya (August 2023)

Stay tune! I'll be taking a break for Christmas, New Year, and Birthday celebration. Will target to complete the next trip's blog by Chinese New Year, and the rest a bit later :)

Solo Trip - Ipoh (July 2022) - Birch Tower and Train Station

On my walk back to the train station, I decided to cut across town via Birch Tower. The small alley is just opposite to Book Excess, and it will lead you to the above space. On weekends this place sometimes turned into a weekend craft market. I think it's quite a scenic spot, but again, it could do with some maintenance.

Walking up the slow of stairs will bring you to the Birch Tower, which is quite well maintained and is quite a beautiful site. Next to it is a Malay food court where you can get a drink or something to eat. There are no shelter around the tower, so it can get pretty hot in the noon sun! There are lovely piece of art at the top of the tower which is pretty lovely. I though this was one of the most well maintained tourist spot in Ipoh! 

Right across the Birch Tower there is a beautiful mosque. It looks pretty impressive, but I didn't visit it. For some reason, I have not entered a single mosque in Malaysia before. I have however, entered many mosque and muslim places in India!

Going downhill from the tower and heading straight to the train station, I came across the city council building. It was a grand colonial building that matches the train station. But again, it needed a lot of maintenance. There were paints feeling off, molds, and broken windows. In 2023, the place was fenced up. I hope it was due to maintenance work, and they can soon reveal the old building back to it's original glory. 

Perhaps the weather was better when I was headed home. I managed to get a nice shot of the train station with a bit of a blue skies behind it. I love that it has the state flag and country flag in front. I have better photos of this place in 2023 when the weather was just stunning! Guess those sharing would just have to wait its turn to appear in this blog....

I didn't notice it before, but apparently there are benches you can sit and admire the view from. It looks like a nice place to take in the scene. And I like it that it was so green too. 

There is tourist walk you can do on your own call the Heritage Trail. Basically it brings you to all the noteworthy heritage buildings in Ipoh. Above was the sign for the train station with a brief history explanation of it. I tried to follow the trail on my first day, but just gave it up and went impromptu mode. 

Exploring the train station, there is one section that looks super nostalgic call the Majestic Walk. Again, so much potential for this beautiful place, but it has been left to just rot away. The above photo shows it still being quite respectable. In 2023 when I was there again, there were pools of water due to the heavy rain in the previous evening. 

I've read before that there is a train station hotel, but none existed here except for this sign. It would have been great if people would stay in this lovely building. Making it something like the E&O Hotel in Penang, or Raffle's Hotel in Singapore. This place has so much potential that it is kinda sad to see it go to waste like this. 

There is even an old cafe inside the station. It looks pretty run down like everything else here.... It reminded me of a nice cafe I went to in Rome's Train Terminal. Ah.... the potential if only the right people took over...

I was early for my 4pm train. So I sat there people watching for almost 2 hours. I don't have issue waiting for trains, or plane, or any mode of transport when I am travelling. I find it rather relaxing just watching people. And Ipoh train station is a very interesting place to people watch. While there in 2023, I realised that families in Ipoh shows they care a lot and in public. Family members leaving on a train are often send off by whole families with hugs and kisses. Something you rarely see in big city airport. Makes me quite envious really. 

It was a two hour train ride home, plus a ferry, and a bus ride home. I managed to reach home by 730pm! 

I do love going to Ipoh. The food is great, and everything is quite compact. They have beautiful natural places outside of town too. I hope I can visit more of those in future. Now with the komuter train, I can visit it more often, if only the hotels were cheaper!

Solo Trip - Ipoh (July 2022) - Cafe and Keng Hong Square

After checking out on day 2, I decided to walk to a place call mural alley. It was across Gerbang Malam to the other side of town. When I reached there, I was expecting lots of mural, well maintained streets and well, living up to it's name Mural Street. What I found was just a space with some graffiti, and unkept area that I didn't dare ventured beyond the front of the road. Above was the main mural I saw, and opposite is the mural of the kids playing a long skipping rope....

When I went back in 2023, I don't recall seeing the top mural anymore. But the kids were still there. I also managed to find more murals near the river on coffee. Will post that on a separate series of my 4day3night trip to Ipoh 2023!

Walking back to town, it was still quite early, so I just ronda-ronda around. The above mural was near Book Excess. Back then, I didn't know much about the building that Book Excess was at. Apparently it used to be a bank, so there was a vault and storage boxes at the underground basement. Cool. Again, this was only discovered in my 2023 trip which I had more time to really explore Ipoh. 

Wandering around town, I saw a few interesting cafe. Above was one of it that only shows a wooden pathway into the care somewhere! It was really pretty, almost Japanese-like. This place looks even cooler in the evening, and with a bit of rain. The reflection of the lights bouncing off the concrete was really mesmerising.

The above is the front of a shaved ice cafe. With it's wide window, you can look in to see the staff preparing the dessert for the customer. And somehow, a bicycle always adds on to the aesthetic of the place.

There was even a French Parisian cafe, I presume selling French Desserts? The cafe is at a corner of Kong Heng Square, and it looks lovely. But all these fancy cafe looks expensive, and I've walked passed them many times, but have never entered any of it. If I wanted a Parisian Cafe, I'll go try one in Paris! Not in Ipoh!

There were also some retro coloured looking deli that wasn't opened yet. Come to think of it, I didn't see it open in 2023 either. I think this shop might have already closed down....

As I've said, there are lots and lots of fancy cafe in Ipoh Town. But frankly, how many times can you drink a cup of coffee? Or eat dessert a day? The town has to be pretty boring, or the people visiting it rather dull, to spend all their time in cafes on their trip!

On my first day, I mentioned I walked pass Plan B. I forgot that there was an artisan square nearby called Kong Heng Square. So I back tracked where I went the previous day in search of this place which was supposed to display and sell arts and craft. 

It was found among the old buildings and lots of old trees! Lots of people come here to take instragram photos, or even wedding photos. The place looks lovely everywhere you look!

If you explore inside, there are more quirky art deco, and small cafes inside. It was like a museum inside. It's free to enter. And there are stalls selling crafts inside too. 

There are plenty of pretty corners for photo taking.

And giant old tree with ruin facade of buildings with run down wooden windows make a good shot!

I saw a retro barber shop in 2022. It was inside a glass room and looked so cool. Sadly, I didn't see it again when I went back in 2023. I thought it would have been nice to kept it there, for some vintage hair cutting memories. 

Plan B cafe looks something like the above. Food was pricey, with typical cafe menu and some local offerings. Unless I was dripping money, I couldn't make myself dine here lol!

Satisfied with my exploration, and running out of sights to see, I went back to Gerbang Malam and bought some stuff. The above is my favourite biscuit shop in Ipoh that sells the Pork Floss Bean Paste biscuit. There are traditionally made, and I think by human hand. Cause I've bought these 3 times and ate them 4 times, and there was once it tasted dry. The rest of the time, it was delicious, with it's sweet salty taste. A box of 4 biscuit cost 10rm. There are some more expensive variety too, like with salted eggs and what not.

For lunch before leaving Ipoh, I ate bean sprout chicken rice from Ong Kee. It was surprisingly expensive! Almost 15rm if not mistaken! But the kamquat drink here was so refreshing. Not too thick, and served cold. Best kamquat I've ever drank. Through out my stay in Ipoh, I mainly conversed in my broken Cantonese until the locals gave up and spoke to me in mandarin, lol. But I am always impressed with myself when I could make myself understood to them. Always fun to be multi-lingual! Comes in helpful in my future solo trip!

 

Solo Trip - Ipoh (July 2022) - Day 2 Morning Breakfast

Good morning to day 2 of my solo trip to Ipoh! I was actually out by 7am, making my way to the kopitiam nearby for an Ipoh style breakfast. When I came back, this sleepy one eye kitten was lying comfortably on the door mat outside -_________-

The hostel actually provide free breakfast, of whatever spread found in their kitchen above. Bread was found in the fridge, and you could toast it. Packet coffee, tea and water was also provided. If you're on a budget, you could probably save yourself some money. But I was no longer a young backpacker saving my every dime. I was in Ipoh after all, and I haven't really tasted much of their local cuisine. I was betting that if I got there when the coffee shop open, there would be high chance I don't have to fight for a table with the touristy crowd. 

My assumption was correct! I was able to dine comfortably in the shop. I had the local curry mee, and my very first cup of white coffee. They also have pulut with kaya, something I've never seen or tried before. I ordered it after finishing my curry mee. Eating pulut after that was very very filling! It was an okay breakfast. Things weren't exactly cheap in Ipoh to my surprise.... 

After breakfast, it was still too early for anything to be opened. So I went  back and made myself some tea while chilling at the hostel. Above is the side table at the kitchen area. Beautiful isn't it? All those green and wood look really is to my liking! No one was around either, so I quietly sip my tea and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. 

The main table in the kitchen is this weird swing-like feature. I actually tried sitting on it, and it was quite interesting. You have to keep your balance, so it was not as easy as it would seem....

After a while, I found that I was not alone in the kitchen. An adult cat came in and lazed around the floor. The cat looks like my husband's pet cat Fox, and it was so fluffy and cute. I spend a good half an hour following it around and taking photos of it, along with another cat that was also there. 

Both the cats were rather playful, and were running around the house. After a while, they both ended up at the stairs. With the beautiful morning sun shinning into the wooden stairs and the tiles as backdrop, I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my morning :)

Isn't he adorable? :)

The cats disappeared when a couple of angmoh came down the stairs and almost stepped on them. So I went back to the kitchen to finish my tea. I saw some postcard on displayed and went to take a look. Apparently they have a sketcher gathering in the hostel, and some of the sketches are turned into postcard for sale. I thought that was  nice, especially sketches of famous place in Ipoh. You could purchase the stamp from the reception, and just drop it in the postbox right there. So very convenient! Only problem was, there was nobody at the reception....Guess they don't start work till maybe 9am or 10am. 

Since nobody was around, I had time to actually appreciate all the postcards there were available. I wanted to get some for myself, and maybe send one to my husband who was currently in Singapore. Postcard and postage stamps make a great trip souvenir. They are cheap and meaningful, and you can write memories on them to remember your trip by, and they weight nothing to carry along with you since you post them to you home address! I've been sending myself postcard for ages! From Japan to Vietnam, to Bali, Italy, Taiwan. Whenever it was convenient and I remember to do so, I would send myself something. 

So these were the two I picked. On top is the train station, and I sent this to myself. The one below is of Concubine Street, which I sent to my husband. I waited till the receptionist arrived, bought the stamps and dropped them into the postbox. After that I went back to my room, packed up and decided to checked out. I wanted to get an early lunch, and buy some souvenir before catching the train back to Penang. 

Solo Trip - Ipoh (July 2022) - Mural Hunting in Old Town

This post is all about murals. There are just so many of them in Ipoh! I hope I have enough words to describe them. I recall the post I did on Brazil's graffiti that it was basically just a photo post! But since now I have more time, I seem to be writing more and letting the word flow. So here goes! Above is a small alley at the old town. I didn't see it in 2023. It's just outside a cafe at some alley. I thought t would make a good cover photo to start off this post!

Most of the murals found around town shows scenes of olden days. And they are sometimes blend in to the surrounding, or have some actual physical objects as part of the mural. Here looks like a casual setting of people are the alley. What makes this nice is the red lantern and the metal gate that kinda adds to the ambiance of the mural. 

Nearer to the shops at Gerbang Malam, there is a mural of how the traditional biscuits are made. It blends in with the air con unit just hanging above it, and the walkways of shops next to it. Yes, some of the Ipoh biscuits are still made using the traditional method.

Above is a scene of chinese playing with the temple flag or chingay flag. What is nice is the colour scheme, of red and yellow, and also the steps. It makes the mural blend into the surrounding. 

Some coffee shop scenes along 3rd wife's lane. The old clock, and the chinese calendar is a typical scene at old coffee shop, along with the marble table if any. Since this is Ipoh, they serve white coffee at the coffee shop. The best white coffee so far that I've came across is at Nam Heong kopitiam in old town. Goes well with their egg tart, or some siew mai. 

Above is a prettier mural of a tycoon and a lady in cheong sam at a kopitiam at Concubine Lane. As you can see, lots of people shopping at this street, or just browsing and soaking in the atmosphere. 

Chinese herbal drink is also very popular in Ipoh. This mural shows the olden day herbal drink peddle. I actually visited the museum and shop of Ho Yan Hor on my latest visit, and it was an educational find! Plus the herbal was not too bad either. 

For some reason, there is also some Japanese themed mural found here. I think it looks lovely, with the red and green door as it's border. Most of the photos here are in their original form as I try not to edit them too much. I needed to show the actual framing I do when I took them. Someone once told me I got a good eye for framing photographs :P

Another famous mural, where the metal trishaw is an actual physical object. Love the red lanterns, and even the side wooden windows that add to the feel of this scene. Old moldy walls also makes for a good backdrop for photos of old town like Ipoh and Georgetown! It's amazing how wonderful they turn out in photographs. Something very authentic about old run down buildings that adds to the charm. 

Above is a cheesy mural of kids. I added it here cause it features children, so we got to be kind to the kids, even though I don't really thing it's that outstanding....

Above another 3D mural, with actual table and chairs. I think these are newer murals, meant mainly as scenes for the shops. But every time I walk pass, these shops are never open.....

There is also a makcik mural, and the table and bowl she is pouring into is actual physical objects. I think the mural is just so-so, but I do love the vibrant red backdrop, along with the rusty green metal gates, and charming tiles. So makcik also won a spot in this post :)

A simple black and white minimalist mural of tin mining scene. This can be found at the side of the Ho Yan Hor building, just next to teh car park. What is nice about this is the simplicity, the lack of colours, and of course, the moldy walls that blends in as part of the mural.

At 3rd wife's alley, I assume there once was a fabric shop or tailor there. He has been immortalised at the side wall of one of the alley. I like this photo cause the walk way on the right has such low arch. The people long time back must be very short! I also like that the black sign board is painted as part of the mural. It almost looks like an actual shop!

Lastly, Ipoh's famous white coffee! With colourful pink stool for you to sit on while you sip the bubbly drink.  Stay tune! More murals found on day 2 of my trip too! I'm amazed I can write so much and I'm still in day 1! I initially planned just one day to blog the whole 2D1N trip. But now it looks like it's going to take one week to complete! I cannot imagine how long it's going to take to blog my 2 weeks trip! It is sure to keep me busy!