Blogs from Melaka, Malaysia, Asia - page 21

Hi guys, Singapore is a shoppers paradise-malls everywhere;lots of sky-scrapers; a very well kept subway; very clean-substantial litter fines in place; and a very spacious, futuristic airport. We stayed in Little India-a great place-buzzing with energy. Sunday night seems to be the big market night-it was packed on the streets-everyone stocking up on their vege and spices or just standing around chatting. The food was great-eating off a banana leaf with your fingers-nothing like Indian at home-much nicer and lighter! The Ancient Civilsation Museum was well worth a visit-we learned a bit about the different religions and cultures of Sth East Asia. Singapore's downfall I guess is it's expense in comparison to it's neighbour-Malaysia. I reckon a lot of backpackers limit their stay due mainly to the high cost. Our first stop in Malaysia was Melaka- ... read more

(Day 320 on the road)I feel great, but unfortunately I don't look the part. In fact, I think I look a bit like a drug junkie at the moment. People in the street stare at me, and I am pretty sure it is not because of my good looks (for the time being): On my forehead, my nose, my neck and my arms, the skin is peeling off from a sunburn I caught whilst on Pulau Tioman last week. Around my mouth, there are an incredible amount of heat blisters, also from the sunburn. On my left arm and my left leg, there are big red rashes where I was stung by stingray whilst diving. Further, on my left bum (luckily not many people get to see this) there is a massive blue spot from the ... read more

arrived in port dickson early wednesday afternoon and it is a very quite place (although our room had a hair dryer - i have never been so excited to see a hair dryer in my life! i could do my hair properly instead of hanging out of a window willing it to dry!) so decided to spend the afternoon chilling by the pool. was just starting to unwind when the pool area was swarmed by 30 malay people all on a team building exercise and were looking for ?clues, ?flags, ?other team building things. felt very uncomfortable sat in my bikini surrounded by fully clothed people screaming at each other! they soon disapeared though and the rest of the intrepid group turned up so we had a laugh playing daft games in the pool. went to ... read more

It's my second day in Melaka. Got stuck in Singapore for a few days - at first I thought I was getting sick but I think it was just allergies from all the plants - and then had to stick around one more day because all the buses were booked. Anyways Melaka is pretty interesting. It's a UNESCO heritage site, having been ruled by the Portuguese, Dutch, and then the British for about 150 years each. Lots of cool colonial buildings. It's really really hot here. Maybe because Singapore is surrounded by sea it's not so bad. Either way I got a lot of sun today and look like a tomato now. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures. So the Chinese here (my hostel is in Chinatown) are all getting ready for the Chinese New Year. ... read more

Malacca is a city unlike any other. On the west coast of malaysia, is a city frighted with the past, soaked in blood and sown with bones. It is an extraordinary city where half of the world's races have met, fought, loved and reproduced; where different religions have come together tolerated each other and integrated; where the intrests of great empires have struggled for primacy... if you wait until evening and then walk silently along thew walls or go up one of the hills and sit quitely on the old stones, you will hear it. It is alsmost a whisper, like the breeze, but you hear it all the same: the voice of history. malacca is one of those places. They whisper in chinese in portuguese, in dutch, in english, in malay, some even in italian... ... read more