For this morning’s adventure in Penang, Malaysia we set out for Kek Lok Si Temple. It’s a Buddhist temple up on Penang Hill above Georgetown. On the way we stopped for some breakfast in one of the hawker stalls.

I wanted to go to a place I had read about, Sister Curry Mee, but they were already closed when.we arrived. Instead I bought some Curry Mee from one of these stalls. It’s a spicy noodle soup with pork, and the broth was really good.

Tracey wasn’t up for a spicy breakfast, so she found a pastry shop across the street. After breakfast (brunch really) and a stop at an ATM, we were already getting really hot–it was 90+ degrees after 10am, so we stopped for a cool treat. I had cendol–shaved ice with noodles, kidney beans, and palm sugar syrup. Tracey tried the lemon ice jelly–shaved ice with lemon, jello, and some other type of fruit. Both were quite refreshing.

It was a neat area too.

Then we took a short cab ride up to the lower temple. From there you climb up to to the various buildings in the complex. In hindsight we would have been better off starting at the top, but it seems very few do so.

This was a sprawling complex, and we explored for a few hours. There are several shrines throughout, and they are easily as ornate as some we saw in Europe (if more modern). There’s a lift that takes you to the huge statue at the top that’s worth the admission. Here are some highlights of the temple grounds.

Tonight we’re headed the fishing piers and a night market.