North Peninsular Day 2 - An Dong Coffee Factory, Lembah Bujang Archaeological Museum, Alor Setar, Rumah Merdeka, Keday Royal Museum, Zahir Mosque

Early morning I had my breakfast munching Foochew bagel that was bought yesterday. As I said earlier, the bagel is chewy and greasy after left overnight.

My last stop in Taiping is An Dong coffee factory (安東咖啡). An Dong coffee factory is the oldest surviving coffee processing factory in Malaysia. Their coffee is still roasted using traditional method. 

They are still using wood to roast the coffee (see right of the photo).

Roasted coffee are loaded into this big tin.

Auntie posing for photo.

They held a small shop in the factory and free tasting is provided. Around 10 types of coffees and teas are sold here, including northern coffee, southern coffee, white coffee, durian coffee, milk tea and lemon tea. I learnt about the difference of northern coffee and southern coffee that day. Southern coffee is heavily roasted while northern coffee tastes more "light". I bought northern coffee, mint coffee and lemon tea.

Someone is on a shopping spree!

I left Taiping feeling satisfied. Some said Taiping is a place suitable for retiree, which I would not disagree.

I drove around 2 hours to Lembah Bujang Archaeological Museum. This is the place I have always wanted to visit since few years ago. This museum holds archaeological findings from the Lembah Bujang sites. The museum is located remotely inside the mountain as the site is one of the archaeological site.  I enjoyed my personal time here since there are not much visitors.

Pallava script is drawn at the outer wall of the museum. Pallava script is a kind of Bhrami script that was used to record old Malay. Earliest surviving recorded Malay is in Pallava script.

The museum exhibit some artifacts found in around 20s (? not sure) archaeological sites around Lembah Bujang.

Another artifact that has Pallava script is Sungai Mas Inscription. The artifact was discovered by the British and was sent to India for identification. The artifact is now left in India and we only have a replicate model here.

A bronze censer.

Statues of Buddha.

Candi up on the hill. Some of these candi are moved from other sites and some are built here. This site is near to the river and in old time, water is crucial for their crafting works.

I drove through mass fields of gold and reached Alor Setar. My first stop is Rumah Merdeka. This is the villa where Tunku Abdul Rahman stay once he come back to Alor Setar. The villa is next to the Kedah River and Tunku often went hunting with his boat.

Next stop Dataran Masjid Zahir. This is where all the famous historical building and state governmental offices is located.

Photo taken from Dataran Masjid Zahir. Alor Setar Tower is seen on the middle. To the right is the Nobat Tower.

Balai Besar. It is a place to held royal events.

State mosque Zahir Mosque is just opposite the road. Zahir mosques is the mosque I like the most.

Kedah Royal Museum was previously royal residence. Now turned into a museum exhibiting the daily life of the Sultan. Photo below showing decoration on a side door.

View from the door of the museum.

Alor Setar Clock Tower seen from the dataran.

Nobat Tower.

State government office that have Kedah emblems.