Diary, June 19-23, 1989
June 19, Monday:
It’s up Penang Hill for a few days to unwind from the stress of Singapore’s workaholic lifestyle. Blustery weather, with a hint of rain, as I set off for the funicular railway turns into a downpour en route to Claremont Station. Each of the four coaches has 25 people – mostly Caucasian and Japanese tourists – jampacked like sardines even though it is a weekday. When the rain comes, you can sense everyone’s wonder at the magnificence of a tropical storm.
The rain evaporates as I alight at Claremont Station. I am glad to see Ah Hock, the caretaker of Lower Claremont (where I am putting up, courtesy of a family friend). He helps me with my bags. It’s been rainy weather, he tells me. But one sniff of the bracing air assures me that, come rain or shine, I can expect a healthy, unpolluted holiday with a great view of George Town by day and night.
