The Historic Town of Melaka

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Selamat Detang everyone
Welcome to Malaysia, its early days and we are right on the tourist trail, and so far everyone has been very friendly and helpful. After a very long trip traveling the relatively short distance from the city of Singapore to Melaka in Malaysia, the time being taken by having to queue to get through customs!! Arriving in the historic town of Melaka, we found a very clean and friendly place to stay called Trekkers Lodge, the staff very friendly and helpful, towels are provided but no top sheet, this has to be hired separately!! (we live and learn).
Although we’d read up about Melaka before arriving, it didn’t prepared us for the history of the place and it's been fascinating as well as a gourmets delight, well perhaps not quite, but the food is definitely interesting!! A wide ranging choice of Chinese, Indian and Muslim and this just on the streets! There’s absolutely no need to enter a posh restaurant, as the food on the streets is tasty and freshly cooked. We’ve had the local delicacies of chicken rice balls, and sweet pineapple tarts.
The main historical building, mostly government owned have all been painted a red colour, just in case you should miss them, but this is impossible. The only one not painted is the replica of the Sultans Palace, quite a plain wooden structure but well worth a visit as the Malaysian costumes alone are worth seeing.
We took a ride up the river, and the guide took a shine to Arnie!! Whether he thought he needed educating on the history of Melaka, or perhaps the only one who was really listening, I’m not sure, but the guide was extremely entertaining, speaking very good English and humorous too. We saw monitor lizards, each was named after a film star, Jo-Lo, Stevie Wonder and quite a few others. There was a Malaysian wedding in progress on the river bank, the drummers dressed in bright yellow and the women in bright costumes made it a very colourful affair.
There was too much to see and do in Melaka, China Town, Little India, the Chinese market at night on Jonker Street as well as lots of karoke!! We didn’t leave the town to visit all the attractions in the surrounding areas such as the crocodile farm or the rubber plantations, plenty more for next time!!! Tomorrow we move on to KL, the next destination on our trip through Malaysia.
Jumpa lagi
Arnie & Maggie

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Photos

fort at Melaka
All that's left of the Portuguese A Famosa Fort after the British destroyed it in 1807 with gunpowder!

Remains of the Church at Melaka
Statue of Jesuit missionary St Francis Xavier outside Portuguese built St Paul's Church. St Francis visited the Melaka in 1545 and was buried here in 1553, exhumed in 1554 and his final resting place is in Goa India.

Drummer Boys
These very finely dressed boys played the drums in a Malaysian wedding ceremony that was taking place on the river bank in Melaka.

Trishaw
Arnie has found a new profession, as a trishaw driver, do you like the hat!!!

Riverbank
The goverment are spending a vast amount of money on the riverside in Melaka, what's been done so far is very good, andwill be even better in 2010, when they intend that the river will be the cleanest in Malaysia. (Quite a bit to go yet!!)

Trishaw driver
Arnie & our trishaw driver sitting on a piece of Baba-Nonya furniture, it's very highly carved and decorated with mother of pearl.

Sunday lunch
This is our Sunday lunch being prepared, pork, rice and green cabbage, all for the price of 7rm for both of us. (equivalent to 1 British pound)

Windmill
In keeping with the rich history of Melaka, this is the Dutch influence on Melaka, it's surrounded by beautifully kept flower beds.