Penang & Kek Lok Si

This Christmas, Mr. Grey Cat had some time off so we decided to give ourselves a little holiday getaway to the island of Penang in Malaysia. We didn't have a lot of time, just two full days, and rather than go to a beach resort we chose to stay at a boutique hotel in George Town. The inner city of George Town is a UNESCO world heritage site and was once a hub of the Spice trade. Ethnically and religiously diverse, it is home to many Mosques, temples and churches to serve it's varied population.

Temples of all shapes and sizes abound, we passed a huge modern christian cathedral and since Malaysia is a Muslim nation we could hear the call to prayer from just about everywhere. 

We spent quite a lot of time at Kek Lok Si, which is the largest Buddhist temple in southeast asia. 

Do you see the little dot on the gold roof in the photo above? That is someone working on the roof. The temple is having some improvements done. Here is a better look....

I found this rather puzzling as well...

Has the work been going on so long that the roof tiles have started to grow foliage? 

Anyone who has ever visited a city of any size has seen their share of beggars and homeless people, I was surprised to see many in the temple. They seemed to have their corners staked out along various corridors.  Surprisingly this was the only place in George Town that I saw any begging. I don't mean to claim that there isn't any (I don't know the city, there could be lots) I just didn't see it. 

Sadly her cup, like all the others I saw was virtually empty. I don't mean to advocate that people should give to beggars, it may just perpetuate the problem, especially if it is crime/corruption related,  but I do feel for people forced by circumstances into such a situation; and I have at times given food or change. One thing I do understand is that the issue of poverty and homelessness are complex and I try not to judge. While I am not a religious person, I find this saying to be very meaningful:

 "There but the grace of God, go I"

Ok, I will get off my soapbox now and on to more pleasant things. The more I travel the more I realize that people really are the same. Despite differences in culture and religion, in the end we all want the same things. I love the wishing tree in the temple, where people would place ribbons with their prayers in the hopes that they will come to pass. What I love even more is how at any time in our lives we have all wished/prayed for the same things. 

        

We also went up Penang Hill. Honestly I could have done without it, but it is supposedly one of "the"things to do in Penang. Had we been smarter we would have realized that it was a school holiday. What does that mean....Long Lines and Crowds! But line up we did, crowded on the train and up the hill we went. 

Up the hill we were treated to what would have been a really nice view, but it was hazy. Still it was not bad, especially compared to Hong Kong this time of year!