Malaysia – Melaka 1

The Bus station in KL was a very slick affair and a bit like being in an airport with gates etc.

The bus was very clean comfy with seats that lie back. We were just keen to look out of the windows for the next couple of hours. It’s lush and you can see the jungle would just take over if left to its own devices. Humans however have made it into a sterile (to birds and animals) agricultural farm of mostly palm oil trees. The plant comes originally from Africa and has many uses, food and drink, cosmetics, soap and biodiesel so you can see why it’s a popular crop. It’s the same all over the world, Mega mono crops!

Why Melaka? Because I remembered it from my first visit in the 1980s. When I say I remember it, I really don’t, primarily it seems so touristy now and it didn’t then. The first time round there were people weaving baskets and riding very simple trishaws. I remember finding what was a tourist shop selling Chinese and Malay things and later that day I returned to the shop with my friends who were not ‘early birds’ like me. The owner of the shop was so delighted he gave me a sandalwood fan in a card and glass top box. I think my mum still has it!

Melaka today still has charm though!

We stayed in a Chinese Temple Guest House, Heng Ann Tian Hou Temple. On our arrival a ceremony was happening, I think for the end of the Chinese New year. Lots of dragons coming to pay homage to the goddess of the sea Tian Hou by looping though the temple!

A black faced deity was carried/pushed up to the temple and the receptionist excitedly explained that this god absorbed all the badness of the world and hence he was black. The receptionist was bobbing up and down nodding and praying, he was a spectacle himself. Tatjana forwarded her cough on to the god in the hope he would take it away and he did! Probably gave it to me!

We visited the madness that is the night market at Jonker Walk, Gone are the simple Trishaws!

We had a light meal in the ‘Baboon House’ which was in one of the traditional Baba and Nyonya houses (I’ll explained shortly) We also had our first Durian fruit of the trip in a dish that is very popular here, Cendol (pronounced Chendol) which is ice, coconut milk, padan ,syrup and beans. I have come to the conclusion I don’t like the Durian fruit, the smell is too much! Tatjana had one that didn’t taste of much and one that tasted off so neither of us are a fan.

The water here is ok to drink but it has a lot of chlorine and apparently sediment. It’s ok in ice and to brush teeth but I’m filtering it to drink generally.

We ambled back to the Temple Guest house with me having moments of deja vu, passing the covered walkways and temples although none of it quite tallied with my memories.