The day packed with activities started off with dim sum for breakfast at 7.30am at the famous Foh San Dim Sum. Even though it was still so early, the restaurant was already packed with early birds. They have the same serving style as the dim sum restaurants in Hong Kong where the already cooked dim sum were carted around the restaurant for customers to choose. However, they also have the self service counter where you can see all the dim sum available in the restaurant.
Foh San Restoran
Next, I went to the dim sum restaurant next door, Yoke Fook Moon, to take away their cha siew bun and big bun, recommended by the Ipoh couchsurfer, Wen. However, what I didn't know is that the size of their cha siew bun is the size of the big bun in Singapore and the size of their big bun is the size of the Amy Yip big bun I seen in Johor Bahru. I decided to save them for lunch.
Yoke Fook Moon cha siew bun and big bun.
After breakfast, I went to visit a few "tongs", the cave temples.
Kek Lok Tong
Kek Lok Tong award winning garden unfortunately spoilt by the huge power cable tower.
Ling Sen Tong
Nan Thean Tong
Sam Poh Tong
After that, I went out of Ipoh town and half way to Gopeng to the Kellie's Castle. William Kellie is some rich Scottish man who came to Malaya in the 1890s. In order to persuade his newly wedded wife to come over to Malaya, he would build her a castle. However, due to unfortunate events, he died before the castle was completed. Kellie's Castle was a setting for the 1999 movie, Anna and the king by Chow Yun-Fat and Jodie Foster.
Kellie's Castle
Next, I went further south pass Gopeng to the Gua Tempurang, one of the largest cave system in a limestone hills of Perak. In order to enter the caves, I had to sign up for one of their tours. They have the dry and the wet tours. The dry tours that covers the first sections of the cave are shorter. The wet tours that go further and involves getting wet so no cameras and handphones. After 12pm there are no more wet tours. As it was already 12.30pm, I could only join the dry tour, Top of the world. The caves were very amazing. Proper stairs were already built through the caves where we could climb. Anyone interested should be prepared for a slightly strenuous climb.
Gua Tempurang entrance
Me in Gua Tempurang
Stairs up into the "snail"
After going through the Top of the world dry tour, I sat down in front of the lake for my lunch of the 2 extra sized buns. After that, I headed back to Ipoh for their famous white coffee. I initially wanted to go to the famous Nam Leong white coffee. However, when I reached, they were closed so I when to their competitor opposite the street, Sun Yuan Foong white coffee. The white coffee was really good. The aroma was rich yet light.
Sun Yuan Foong white coffee
That leaves me to wonder why the F&B competitors in Ipoh like to open their shops next to each other. Along Jalan Leong Sin Nam, the dim sum competitors, Foh San, Yoke Fook Moon and Ming Court. Along Jalan Yau Tet Shin, the bean sprout chicken competitors, Lou Wong and Onn Kee. Along Jalan Bandar Timah, the white coffee competitors, Nam Leong and Sun Tuan Foong. Are they fighting it out to see who is the best in Ipoh?
It was only 4pm then, so I initially wanted to check out the Perak Tong. However, on the way there, it started pouring. I took shelter in Perak Tong but couldn't explore it, so I decided to return the next day. When the rain got lighter, I headed back to YMCA. On the way back, I noticed a bike repair shop and pulled over to get my mirror fixed. While fixing my mirrors, the old uncle at the shop noticed that my bike had a Singaporean license plate and started chatting with me about Singapore, the politics between Singapore and Malaysia in the pre-independent days, running and life. From the conversation, I found that he is actually knowledgable, wise and an avid runner. He is already semi-retired, runs 8km every day, frequently climbs/treks mountains near Ipoh and just running the bike repair shop to pass time.
Kedai Motor
Mirror fixed
The evening ended with dinner at a local Malay coffee shop with a couchsurfer, Kian and his friend, Arie.
Kian and I outside the malay coffee shop
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