Trip to Taiping II: Traipsing

When your hotel is just beside Taiping Lake Gardens, there is no excuse for not waking up early and having a nice walk around it. The historical park offers beautiful landscaping, and wonderfully fresh air. The old raintrees (some so bowed down that the town council support them with steel crutches) really give a distinct character to the place. Most people go jogging around it, some pull out a book to read, sitting on one of the many benches overlooking the lake. While others have a picnic on the grass with their family, and the select few dress up their cats in dresses and let them roam around (not sure if pets are allowed actually). After a round of strolling and camwhoring with the aunties, it was starting to get sunny. Retreated back to Medan Selera Tai Hu for breakfast. Breakfast there was even more disappointing than dinner. 

Checked out from the hotel and headed to the Church of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, which was actually under extensive renovations. They let us in to have a quick look anyway. According to the development plans, an old folks home was being built next to it, and there were further plans for a hospital. With the close proximity of a Catholic cemetery, it was actually a stop shop. From home to hospital, and if you don't make it, funeral mass at the church, and later up the hill for burial. 

Next was Perak Museum (the oldest museum in Malaysia), a great place to escape from the sweltering heat really. Small collection of state history, natural history (look for the tapir), arts and crafts, and indigenous art. Just opposite the road from the museum was Taiping Prison, which is the oldest modern prison in Malaysia. From the museum, we were herded to St. Louis Church, which is actually merged together with the Church of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart as a single entity. 

St. Louis Church's stone facade and simple architecture gives it a very charming presence. For the first hour or so, we couldn't go in because the doors were locked (we were actually too early). Instead, we had a fellowship with the local parishioners who treated us to delicious local chai kueh. Once the priest returned from his previous engagement, he opened the doors for us, and we went in for some silent prayer.  

Come lunch time, we headed to the famous Larut Matang Food Court, a place where the locals go for good food. The whole place reminded me a bit of the old heartland food centers in Singapore. Super crowded and stuffy. Stall 58 was very popular. Serving up "Goreng Kuey Teow Mee Fishball", which is basically tossed flat rice noodles with fishballs. Not really CKT. The fruit rojak was also excellent, with a super thick sauce that doesn't turn runny. 

Aun Tong is a famous coffee roaster in the area. The moment we alighted from the bus, our senses were perked up by the aroma of local coffee. Still pretty much done the old way. Everyone left with at least a few packets of instant coffee. Coffee was not the only attraction there. On the compound is a house that was once occupied by Dr. Sun Yat Sen. 

Before heading back to KL, we had dinner at GP Food Court, the new home of Langkap Pau. The amount of people who throng at their counter to buy paus is ridiculous. Basically one has no time to peruse their menu of nearly 30 varieties. Mum randomly bought a few of their bestsellers-- pumpkin pillow pau, and curry chicken pau. Settled our dinner there, and headed back to KL.