Day trip to Ipoh

Made a trip to Ipoh last Sunday for some good weekend excitement with 4 other friends. Started the journey to mainland minutes past 8 a.m. after a simple breakfast of coffee and toasts. Traffic was light and the morning air crisp. Adele and a game of Taboo kept everyone awake in their seats.

Made it to our first pit stop - Foh San, the well-known dim sum place after asking for directions. The double tiered eatery was swamped with customers. With the intend to keep some room for more food, we wet our morning appetite with some nice tea and servings of dim sum.

Next on the agenda was a cave, the Kek Lok Tong (carrying the meaning of the cave of ultimate happiness in Chinese). I have been to the Perak Cave ages ago but this was somewhat different. Instead of narrow staircases laced with smoke and the smell of incense, open space and fresh air welcomed us. It was truly rewarding for urbanites like myself, especially after a hearty meal. Miniature table-top landscapes lined the staircases leading to a huge cave entrance, a very interesting entrée for visitors.

Upon completing my mission of exploring nooks and corners of the cave (which included gawking in mental awe at the statues and natural rock formations), I found Yang and Peter resting their tired feet, basking themselves in sunlight at the other end of the cave. This opening overlooked a small garden, with a pond as its centerpiece. I rested myself a bit as well, while waiting for the rest to finish their adventure (Jim was busy leaving his mark in the washroom). Glorious sunlight and cooling breezes do make a difference after all. I should get myself outdoors more often.

Raindrops fell as we were wrapping up the visit. Off we went in the car, in search of more food. Ipoh is famous for beansprouts, chicken and “hor fun” (a type of flat noodles). We stopped at Lou Wong’s for these 3 items. Lunch consisted of hor fun in clear soup, eaten with beansprouts and chicken seasoned in similar manner (soya sauce, sesame oil, white pepper as I can tell). A mouthful of smooth hor fun with crunchy spouts and nicely done chicken is how one  defines good food. I was once told that the water here contributed significantly to the quality of sprouts (shorter and thicker than what we normally have). I have no doubts that I can live solely on beansprouts here if given the chance. Despite of the pour outside, it remained hot and humid. We took in and burned calories at the same time.

Into the rain and the car again, caffeine addiction (for some in the group) determined our next hunt – the search for coffee. With the car parked for an all-natural carwash, we went in search of Nam Heong coffee shop (supposed to be serving the best and most original white coffee in Ipoh) on foot. Pacing up and down the same street looking for this particular shop brought us pass a couple of really nice stalls selling curry noodle and egg custard (accordingly to Yang). With the help of GPS (oh god!) and upon seeking help from a local, we managed to reach Nam Heong in one piece (and alive, having dashed across a busy road). Coffee was all we ordered, as there were not much space left in our stomachs.

With nothing much left to do, we left Ipoh with stomachs filled to the brim (and brains intoxicated with caffeine). The homeward bound journey was wet and quiet (most of the noise came from music). Yang drove heroically despite of being tired (a million thanks sweetie!), Peter didn’t do much to keep him awake (piak piak!). Someone fell asleep and got his picture snapped by me (photo shared and removed on Facebook before he realized the crime).

An undeniably fun Sunday I must admit. Time spent in the company of nice friends are always great!