C'est LA viE

Yes, finally is long weekend! After continuously working for almost 2 months (since CNY, there was no public holiday ==), I finally could have a break!

Thanks to the installation of the new Agong, we got a free public holiday for this year lalala~ 

To celebrate this day, (nothing relevant actually, lol), mum suggested we go to visit Ipoh since both my parents had long time did not visit there and I just did last year around this time.

So I am the tour guide again, which is also my pleasure, had always wanted to bring them around to see and experience what they havent done.

I had booked the accommodation earlier this month, and luckily able to occupy a family room in a budget hotel with very worthy price. 

We departed earlier today, around 9am after simple breakfast. Arriving Ipoh around 12pm, and directly head to lunch. 

I suggested to have lunch in the tradition old coffee shop at the old town of Ipoh, this place is always crowded everytime i visit. 

I guess the marketing tactics of the drinks seller was really smart, he quickly got us a table, which we had to share with a couple. 

But we didn't really mind because it is already very lucky to get a table at such a peak hour, then the seller quickly asked us to choose the drinks we want, and also placed a plate of traditional eggy dessert (something like creme brulee) on a table, kinda forcing us to take it. 

To be honest, I think the way he pushed us to buy his drinks and dessert was really annoying, because of his "kindness" of finding us a table doesnt mean we had to buy his drinks. 

Well, the reason I was mad was because it was a ripped off for the drinks, it costed RM4 for a bottle of sugary drink which claimed home-made. WTH!

Ok, nevermind, travel cant really avoid this, so we just got over it and ordered some yummy food.

Finally have the chance to let my dad to try the pork Satay, glad they love it.

And my favourite chicken hor-fun also still as yummy as usual~

After lunch, we walked to the famous Ipoh concubine lanes, i pretty sure mum and dad never been here, cz I first explored here in 2015 and was really surprised there was such a nice artistic alleys in Ipoh.

Apparently, this is also my first time to visit the first concubine lane (sam nai hong) as I just visited the main one (er nai hong), and there is some very creative mural over here. Some were painted by the famous mural artist - Ernest Zarcharevic. 

Then, we continued our journey to the main concubine lane, here was so much different from last year when i come, so many people, there were no space for walking at this narrow alley!

I was thinking to have some tao fu fa (sweet tofu dessert) but failed because too many people and long wait expecting, so another time i guess. 

Overall, there was just too crowded in the concubine lane, and i couldnt wait to escape from there.

Before we leave the old town, we also visited the art zone around Plan B like what i usually did when come to Ipoh, but guess mum and dad did not have the artistic sense then lol.

Since our hotel check-in was at 3pm, and it was still an hour to go, so I suggested to visit those caves enclaved with temples.

I never visited these famous caves in Ipoh although i had been to Ipoh like 4 times, and finally got to explore these cool caves during my fifth visit.

First, we gone to san bao dong (meaning 3 treasures cave if directly translate), there were a few budhist god statue in the cave, and also a large tortise pond behind the cave. 

We stopped here in a very short time, and moved to the temple and another cave beside the San Bao Dong.

Before we check-in at our hotel, we gone to the famous Kek Lok Tong in Ipoh, this attraction also ranked very high in Trip Advisor website. 

Thank god we chose to visit here, because i really love this place, it is very awesome and beautiful!

With the free admission, I really recommend people to visit here, the place is well preserved, and the cave is huge! I simply like the limestone formation in the cave, it is so beautiful~

What surprised me further was the well maintained garden behind the cave, you will see it if you walked further into the cave and there would be another entrance leading you the garden.

There is a large pond with full of water lily, too bad the pond was definitely not being taking care because the water lily and lotus was dying, otherwise it would be another magnificient view. 

We stayed at this attraction for almost an hour plus, really enjoyed this place~ Glad that dad also have chance to take a walk, he never been walking casually since his last travel in NZ. 

My dad was diagnosed for Diabetes 7 years ago, and doctor always encouraged him to exercise and walk more. He did play badminton twice a week, but rarely walk. 

So great that this short trip provide a chance for Dad to walk around. 

After sweating at Kek Lok Tong, we finally checked in at our hotel. Overall, the room was well equiped and very comfy. 

The hotel staff was very friendly, she recommended us to a restaurant nearby which served good food with cheap cost where we had our dinner later.

Of course, any travelling in Malaysia is always associated with food, we continued our journey with food hunting at the famous dessert street (tong shui kai). 

This street is well known with more than 50 stalls, with nearly half of them are dessert stalls. Definitely a paradise for me =) 

Waited almost half an hour for this, but worth it! The fruit variety is good, and the portion size was large!

Meanwhile waiting, dad and mum talked about how lucky we were as youngster, we could easily get this kind of dessert these days, but during the old days, they would only get the chance to eat these kind of luxurious dessert if something good happened.

Yea, I agreed, because even comparing myself and those teens nowadays, they did cafe hopping during their daily life, but me, hohoho, i only can eat McD's if i finished my exam during my school days, and i remembered i went to Kim Gary with my friends for my birthday celebration. In those days, Kim Gary was considered somewhere fancy and big, and only could be visited in special day.

We were all blessed, with good food, and good luxuries surrounding us, and we must remember how grateful and happy we were!

That's how we ended our first day in Ipoh~ with a full bowl of sweetness and wonderful memories.