Haw Par Villa - weird or what?

This is on the tourist trail so I decided to visit as I had a bit of time spare before I went to Bayfront to see the Light Show at the Garden By The Bay for the second time, it is definitely worth it, I might even go back tomorrow night as it's my last night in Singapore, on Minday I make my way to KL.

The villa was once known as Tiger Balm Gardens. Built by Burmese born businessman Aw Boon Haw for his brother, Aw boon Par, the park was named after the Tiger Balm medical ointment created by the siblings' father had created.

The villa and gardens are reputed to have cost over S$1M to complete, a huge amount at the time. Upon his death the villa and gardens were bequeathed by him to the nation to help teach youngsters about their Chinese folk history and morality. Looking around one has to wonder how grateful they are likely to be!

Caption free photos to follow, plus a couple from the Light Show, just to inject a bit of normality into this blog.

Comments

Of course KL has changed, I last saw it in 1975!

My 'treat to myself' accommodation has some outstanding views and it's amazing me that I don't feel at all queasy looking out of the windows even though I'm up on the 27th floor! The day did not start well which seems to be a recurring theme this trip. I have no idea where I am, I have no maps, no mobile data, no clue as to how I'm going to get where I'm going, and I'm not even sure where that is! Google to the rescue. Photos taken of google maps and off I go. Quite a bit later, obviously, I arrive at what I think is the station I'm after. No of course it's not, it's another one I've never heard of. In my defence the KL transport system is not easy to master. Anyway a less than helpful man does a bit of pointing and grunting and I set off in the direction he sort of indicates. At the next station, which still isn't the one I'm looking for, a more helpful person tries to explain that I can connect to the one I'm after if I...

It's a good job I like trains!

Having hot footed it out of Khota Bahru and caught, by the skin of my teeth ( time difference of +1hr if you remember) the train down to Gemas it turned out that I could actually buy a ticket all the way through to Joror Bahru for onwards travel to Singapore so I persuaded the ticket clerk just before I boarded to swop my ticket without a penalty. This he very kindly did, but as I was boarding I noticed that he'd made the second leg on the 22nd. Now Johor Barhu might be a great place but I had no intentions of spending nearly a week there! Oh dear, it's never simple is it? Anyway, settled on train, seat not window and not facing direction as I was assured they would be but, heck, I'm on the flipping thing. Chunter chunter through the jungle of which I saw nothing due to my desire to escape KB. Anyway, I think they're chopping vast areas of it down for palm tree planting, shame. And yes, of course there was a 3 year old 2 rows in front who managed to scream most...

Last day in KL and first day in Penang

How exciting that I actually got to do one of the parkruns I had planned before I left home. Singapore parkrun scheduled for the 22nd, the day of my planned visit, was cancelled due to the corona virus, what a disappointment for me! KL on the 29th wasn't cancelled so I rocked up at 07:20 for the 07:30 start and realised it was a good thing I'd been running early as they were half way through the first timers' briefing. Boy was it HOT! Still can't believe I finished it and in a semi respectable time of 36.53, 1st in my age group (OK, I accept I was the only one in my age group!), and I was really pleased I stuck with it. Managed to get to the KLCC Gardens, something I'd been promising I'd try to do, and walked all the way there to book my ticket at Eurolines to travel to Penang on Sunday. It was a bit late by then to find out how close all the attractions were, so much easier than taking the trains with their very long connection tunnels. And finding the fr...

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