Phunny Panang Story

Kek Lok Si - Temple of Supreme Bliss

aka Temple of Ten Thousand Buddhas

This was the view as our tour bus pulled into the parking lot at the bottom of the temple grounds. Awaiting us were as they say 'at least 100 steps' to make our trek to the top. And having now been there let me add at least 100 vendors along the way as well.

No the figure in the white tee & visor is not one of the 10,000

Once inside the view is really rather spectatular especially as you make your way higher and higher up the very unsteady and uneven steps. 

I was poking around to see if I could gather some more information before posting this blog and stumbled upon a blog written by Arthur The Nony Kek Lok Si - the temple of boom in which he describes the pagoda below "as an epic piece of confectionery" - well it made me chuckle because my friend that accompanied me on the tour that day and who was at my side when the shutter went click on my camera said:

"It looks like a giant birthday cake." ~ Cruiser Peggy

I couldn't really argue with my friend's observation and it seems she is not alone with her opinion. But Arthur's blog drew me in enough to be curious about an additional post he had up My Drug Crazed Days in the Pearl of the Orient.

At first when I began to read Arthur's post my heart skipped a beat, "Had I missed something really big on my visit to Panang?" Certainly I never read about a "Chasing the Dragon' excursion as being an offering.

The more I read the more I began to chuckle, though I am sure Arthur didn't find the experience all that funny as he was experiencing his fate at the time. What was funny to me was that from our first port on the cruise in Nassau I remember running into other cruisers from the ship who asked, "Have you seen a pharmacy?"

It never occurred to me that such an innocuous question could end up having such dire consequences. Well all's well that ends well, especially in the case of Arthur the Nony.