Blogs from Melaka City, Melaka, Malaysia, Asia - page 14

We got a bit turned around during our tour of Malacca’s old quarter and weren’t entirely sure how to get to our next stop, the antique and curio district of Jonker Street. Given how small and centralized Malacca is, I’m not entirely sure how we accomplished this. I blame the disorientation on Red Bull and constantly looking through camera lenses while walking around. In any case, we decided to avail ourselves of one of the lavishly decorated trishaws which are ubiquitous in the Town Square. Covered with wreaths of flowers and often blaring pop music from oversized radios, the trishaws themselves are as much of an attempt to attract the attention of tourists as the drivers themselves, calling out destinations and prices to all who pass by. We found a cluster of trishaws an... read more

Melacca, Malaysia. By Paul A port city. Melacca is a port city on the west coast of Malaysia. It’s a historically rich city. If you take a look at a map, you’ll see why. Melacca sits right in the Straits of Melacca, a shipping lane through which everything going between Indonesia and China and India, the Middle East, and Europe used to have to go. Ships would hop from the Spice Islands (Indonesia) and China to Melacca. Ships would hop from India, from Arabia, and from Europe to Melacca. The two major monsoons, coming from India and through Southeast Asia, converge on Melacca. It’s been a major port and shipping route forever. A mixture of cultures. First the Indians came. So there’s a deep well of Hindu culture here. Then the Chinese, with Confucianism and Taoism. ... read more

So we arrived from KL with Ade and Ellie in around two hrs. Was pretty uneventful apart from the very untimely flash flooding and storm!! So we get out of the bus and we have to run for shelter at possibly the most depressing bus station I've ever been in. Usual hassle from taxi drivers with their special"white and raining price". After a while we realized that the rain was not going to stop and so the boys went off to get us a cheaper ride and came back with a very friendly chappie in tow. We embarked on our endeavor to all pile into the same cab with all of our gear (there is never enough room for 4 backpacks!) and ended up pretty uncomfortable and then really wet also. The driver thought that my ... read more

was gestern nicht erwaehnung fand, jedoch ansich nicht so unwichtig ist, ist ein bisschen geschichtliches, weil dadurch der grund unseres aufenthalts erklaert werden kann. zunaechst sei ueber melakka gesagt, dass es ab dem 15. jahrhundert ein wichtiger handelsposten war (unter anderem fuer gewuerze), so wichtig, dass die portugiesen hier im 16. jahrhundert ein fort, errichteten. 1641 waren sie auch schon wieder weg, nachdem die niederlaender die stadt belagert hatten. 1795 waren die briten am zug. ausserdem kamen im 15 jahrhundert chinesische siedler, die hier malaien heirateten und als baba-nonya bekannt sind. gestern abend musste noch am medan portugis, ein ort in melakka wo vermehrt nachkommen der portugiesen leben, die dortige fusionkueche gekostet sein. der indische taxifahrer schimpft ueber singapur, idiotische amerikaner, die ihr hab und gut in taschen mitnehmen, und stellt fe... read more

Melaka was our last destination in Malaysia and just a year ago was designated an UNESCO World Heritage site and today is awash with a plethora of museums and quirky little side streets to provide a couple of days of relaxed amusement. In its heyday in the Middle Ages, it was a major port, it's prime location meant it was commandeered by the Dutch, the Portugese and the English at various times and their influences are evident in the town's architecture. Hand in hand with the historic buildings comes the enormous shopping centres that befit a nation apparently obsessed with shopping. Melaka, even though a city, retains a small town charm with friendly locals providing a warm welcome. ... read more