Melaka, City of Million Museums

Riding busses is now a skill that Leighton and I have. One might think anyone could do it, but they'd be wrong. It's not easy to sit for hours and hours while maintaining bloodflow to your bum. It's not easy to keep yourself entertained. It's downright hard to relax each time the bus stops and they open the undercarriage compartment where your bag is. These things, however, are now second nature to us. And the four hour journey from Kuala Lumpur to Melaka was like butter. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

We got off our long distance bus and were met by a tall dark man who wanted to offer us accommodation at Le Village GH. After talking we discovered it is owned by the same people as our GH in KL. It was also just around the corner from the place we'd made reservations: Backpacker's Freak Hostel. We let the tall dark stranger escort us to the local bus that would take us the 6km into town for a ringgit, thanked him, and made it on board as it was pulling away.

We were told to ring the stop bell as we passed the "big ship." As the bus rumbled through the town square we had our first glimpse of Melaka's history-on-display. Each painted in an off-salmon red were Stadthuy's, Christ Church, and a few other buildings all built by the Dutch in the mid 1600's through to the end of their more than 154 year reign. The square was bordered by the Melaka River, a bridge into Chinatown, and the tourist information center.
We continued south with the river on our right and suddenly we were passing a giant replica Portuguese Galleon (the Portuguese ruled for 130 years starting in 1511)! We pushed the bell and hopped off, thanking the driver as we always do.

We checked out Le Village and weren't disappointed. It was almost an exact copy of Oasis in KL. For 35 ringgit a night we could have two small singles and a fan and share a bathroom with 15 other people.

We walked around the corner to BFH and walked in as a girl was walking out. We found the manager waiting for us. He showed us our room: a queen bed with furniture in the room! A brand new hostel (opened in Feb) meant a brand new mattress!! Best sleep we've had in months. Great staff and lounge, quiet corridors, and excellent security. We are very happy here! Free breakfast (and coffee) to boot!

We learned that Friday-Sunday there are two markets, one in Chinatown and one right next to our street that is more Malay people and vendors. We hit them both up that night! The Chinese market was over the bridge and into Chinatown. All along the famous Jonker Street the shops spilled out and overtook the entire footpath on both sides, leaving us and the thousands of others to walk in the middle of the closed street. It was the average market experience but with new and different smells and trinkets. 

We saw umbrellas that were tucked into plastic holders and made to look like skinny little wine bottles. There were tiny Chinese dresses for real wine bottles to be uses as a sort if wrapping paper when gift giving. Wooden chairs, art, carvings, keychains, etc. A million gizmos and gadgets that did ridiculous things. And food. Oh the food! 

Popiah! More expensive than in KL but just as amazing. Skewers of various meats and veg for .40 cents each ($0.15 usd) that we were meant to dip into a boiling vat of peanutty satay sauce and cook before we ate them... oops!! They were delicious anyway. On the second or these night at the market (we went each night) I tried rojak, a delightful "radish salad" that wasn't salad-like at all but more like stirfry with fat noodles and soft tofu. I died a little with each bite! That same night Leighton had Cendol for dinner. Haha. He was happy as a puppy with a ball! Shaved ice covered in coconut milk, a sugar-juice made from coconut bark, bits of fruit, and a sugary tea all poured over. Wasn't he supposed to be careful of his bloodsugar....????

The Malay market warrants it's own perusal but not as many highlights, or foreigners. The best thing there was a stand selling pancakes (another pancake!). These were, again, like crepes, but in two new ways. The diet night Leighton ordered 3 for 1 ringgit. They were very thin, about 6 inches across, and layered with some sugar, peanuts, and a sprinkle of creamed corn. When they were finished cooking they were folded up like a hard-shell taco. Crunchy and amazing! The second night we each ate a BIG one. The batter was layered on thick on a much bigger griddle. Way more sugar, peanuts, and corn. Fold at the last minute. Cut into peices. Eat. So full it was accidentally dinner. So worth it: only 2 ringgit!!

At the same market was a street artist making badges (buttons for the American readers). He started with a flourescent colored base and then used paint markers to draw a characature-like portrait of the buyer for just 6 ringgit, or about $2 USD/$2.60 NZD. I really wanted to get one but ended up not. They were really cool!

Melaka is home to a million bajillion museums. We visited about 6 or 7 including an art museum, history museum, ethnography museum, literature museum, education museum, youth organization movement museum, democratic leaders museum, maritime museum (which included a replica Portuguese galleon), and the former governor's mansion (in front of which was a 1957 Chevrolet that looked a hell of a lot like the '55 in my dad's garage). We also made it to the Chinese cemetery, where we saw 600 year old graves, and St. Paul's Church on the top of the hill overlooking the town. We walked by the Dutch cemetery and stopped for photos around the sole remaining gate tower of the Portuguese A'Famosa Fortress, dubbed St. John's Fort. 

We meander up to a Malay heritage museum on Monday, but it was closed. We walked the rest of the 3km to the bus station to buy tickets to Singapore and then took the bus back. Another 6km in the midday's sun may have killed us. That day we went to the town pool do an afternoon swim! We returned the next two days as it was only 2 ringgit entry! An olympic sized pool!!

Arms tired from swimming, legs tired from walking, we spent Thursday watching a movie at the hostel and then went to buy gum for the fiend we're staying with in Singapore. After dinner we came back and now I'm writing this blog. We leave tomorrow afternoon and couldn't be more excited!

Our favorite meals here were banana leaf food, which was amazing! Five different types of veggie curry and a pile of rice a mike high topped with a giant ladleful of dhal curry served with a cup of sour yoghurt and one of tangy chicken broth on the side. So full we waddled home and then ate it for lunch the next day.

The other was satay! We actually found a restaurant where we couldn't miss the satay sauce bubbling away like fondue! Haha. It was incredible. Imagine fondue but with a spicy peanut sauce. Sticks of meats and tofu and veggies and dumplings. I ate 9, Leighton 8. Full to bursting again!

To Singapore we go. Thank God we have free accommodation because our era of uber-cheap eats will end. Instead of being $1-2 for a meal it will be $5+++ Still the same great foods though! I guess it's good we've been spending so little money the last 4 months of traveling! 

Yes, it's been 4 months. We have enough left to do it all over again so where we'll stop nobody knows!!! After Singapore comes Indonesia and then we'll probably fly to Taiwan or The Philippines. Fatigue is in the mind and two heads are better than one.