Melaka-I was here and so was everyone else...

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Day 5-March 10th: I took the bus from Singapore/Queen Street bus station to Johor Bahru, the border city between Singapore and Malaysia. This is how the journey went: I got on the bus, then got off the bus for Singapore customs departure clearance, then back on the bus, then off the bus again for Malaysia customs arrival clearance, then on the bus to the JB bus station, then on another bus to Melaka. Whew! By late afternoon I successfully arrived in the sleepy metropolis of Melaka. The city is a port strategically located on the west coast of Malaysia, with the river flowing through town into the Straits of Melaka. Because of its location on the coast and in proximity to this shipping lane between Malaysia and Sumatra, Indonesia, the city has been controlled at one point or another by Malaysians, Portuguese, Dutch, British, Japanese. Malaysia celebrated 50 years of independent nationhood in 2007, so it's safe to say that colonialism isn't a factor anymore!

It was raining most of the day, a good day to be on the bus and not really sightseeing. I found an Indian restaurant down the street from my hostel. Mmmm good! I wandered around the city a little bit, but didn't go far since it was after dark. The hostel shows a free movie at 10 PM each night, so a few of us gathered around for "1408" with John Cusack (my favorite!) and Samuel L. Jackson (another favorite). It's based on a Stephen King story - it was scary but good!

Day 6-March 11th: I saw all the Melaka sights today...
A'Formosa Fortress - remains of a Portuguese fort,
St. Paul's - remains of a Christian church with tomb markers from deceased Dutch and British plus there was a statue out front of St. Francis Xavier, a visitor to Melaka
Dutch Graveyard - 'nuf said
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church
Christ Church - from the Dutch period, painted dark pink on the outside
Dutch Square - with clock tower and windmill !
Jonker Street - shops and temples area
Masjid Kampung Hulu - old school mosque
Cheng Hoon Teng Temple - oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia
Kampung Kling Mosque - interesting temple w/ Chinese and Sumatran influences
Sri Poyyatha Venayager Moorthi Temple - Hindu temple
Portuguese Settlement - on the outskirts of town, not much to see there! but a nice view of the Straits
Stadthuys - History Museum which traces the history of Melaka through the Portuguese, Dutch, British, Japanese years to modern-day independence

Then I was off to the internet cafe around the corner from my hostel for a few hours (!) of uploading and writing. I was a bit sunburned from walking around earlier in the day without sunscreen - oops! But it's inevitable when I first am exposed after a long winter. I always applied sunscreen in Singapore but forgot on this day. Later in the afternoon as I was walking around I got caught in a downpour! I took refuge in the A'Formosa gate ruins and then in the shopping mall across the street. Such is the typical weather pattern in this part of the world at this time of year - sunny early in the day, with clouds gathering in the afternoon and then sprinkles or the occasional downpour, followed by decent evening weather. Never leave home without an umbrella and sunscreen and you'll be ready for anything!

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