My stay in Ipoh was short and sweet. A forty minute search after my initial arrival in town had me staying at a reasonably priced hostel with beds including towel racks, charging points, free cold drinking water and a rooftop terrace from where it was possible to view the city, surrounding hills and wonderful sunsets over the river below.
Spending one full day there, I headed out to Perak Tong temple cave in the morning. A Chinese temple around 20 minutes bus drive from town, or one hour if the bus driver forgets to stop the bus for you, you get taken a good 10 minutes past the cave and have to get another bus back to your intended location…
All this was soon forgotten as I stepped off bus number two and walked through an archway, down the road to the temple entrance.
There was an area of square artificial ponds to my right, with a small central pavilion to sit. Ahead, a large building was crafted straight into the side of a rock wall, jagged grey and green foliage hanging overhead. As I walked up a small set of stone stairs, through an entrance dressed in scaffolding, I was unsure quite what to expect.
Looking straight ahead on entry, I found myself gazing into the face of an enormous golden statue, the cave above its head plastered and then painted with a tale of dragons I could not fully comprehend.
The meaning behind the artwork, I fear, was lost on me. Though I made my way in awe from one picture to the next, I think I could not grasp the depth of meaning they were portraying. This is not to say I wasn’t moved by the experience. By the dedication, faith and skill of the artists who created every part of the masterpiece I walked through.
More stone steps near the back of the cave took me up and through the structure’s roof. Out into the sunlit heat above, to view the sprawl of the city below and become fully aware just how enclosed by hills this population seemed to be. Every time I thought I was coming to an end of this upper section I stumbled upon more stairs, more hidden artifacts and finally, a whole new landscape to survey as my path led across to what would be the rear of the cave.
A place I had nearly forgone, after the hassle of the buses and the intensity of the heat had reduced my enthusiasm, I spent nearly two hours entranced by one wonder or another within that spiritual place. I cannot fathom the skill and effort it took to place steps (however haphazard they may have felt at times) and structures throughout and above that cave with the resources that must have been at hand.
After a pleasant talk with a lady from Edinburgh on the way back to town, I spent my afternoon wandering Old Town. One of the more touristic and historical parts of the city. I appreciated the myriad of street art scattered around the area, the quirky, Chinese style Concubine Lane, where I tried the interesting dessert of longans and tofu in a watery syrup. My walk took me along the river, fishermen dotted along the opposite shore, and eventually back to my hostel, where I prepared for the following day’s journey further north.
