North of Peninsular trip (Dec 2012) - part 2

continued from part 1

After going to Padang Besar, we went back to Kangar. Kangar is the capital of the state of Perlis and it is not as big as other towns in Malaysia. There are not many tall buildings. I feel like it is the first time I was here even though my mother said that I have been here when I was a baby. We didn't go to places further than Perak (my parents' homestate) because my parents use their expenses for therapy and education for me and my other siblings. Places that are further than Perak that I have been before are Langkawi, Kota Bharu, Kuala Terengganu (my father's sister lives there), Melaka (I've been there in June 2010 and in November 2012) and Johor Bahru (I was five and my father worked there).

We spent a night's stay at Putera Palace Hotel. My mother said the hotel reached its best years about 20 years ago. The best part while I was at Perlis is a big radio transmission tower located at Jalan Kaki Bukit, located not far away from Kangar. It is located at ground level instead at the top of the mountain like other places such as Gunung Jerai in Kedah.

The next day we left Kangar to visit our relatives at Kodiang, Kedah, not far from the border between the states of Perlis and Kedah. My mother felt that she had missed her relatives there for a long time since I was born.

Gunung Keriang not far from Alor Setar

We continued our journey to nearby Alor Setar, the capital of Kedah. The distance between Kangar and Alor Setar seems to be very short because the size of both states are not big, easily reachable and also have very large paddy fields. This is the second time I am at Alor Setar. The last time I was there was in June for my mother's younger brother's wedding, in fact it was the first time I was there. But this time I went there in a full scale. I was amazed by the buildings in Alor Setar because this is the first time I see them in real life.

Art Gallery

Balai Nobat

Balai Besar

Masjid Zahir

Alor Setar is also the birthplace of Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammad, the former prime minister of Malaysia. I've seen and visited some places that are related to him. They are Maha Klinik, the clinic that Mahathir once used when he was a doctor before becoming a politician and Pekan Rabu, an open-air shopping complex selling local foodstuffs.

The last picture is Menara Alor Setar. It's a smaller version and a variation of Menara Kuala Lumpur in Kuala Lumpur. After that we left Alor Star for home.