Escape to Melaka

The history of Malaysia is indeed rich.  Between Indonesia and Malaysia runs the Melacca Straits – a major trading route for sea cargo in the East for over 400 years.  At various times in Malaysia’s history it has been occupied by a sultan from Indonesia, the Portuguese, the Dutch, the British and  the Japanese.  This is evident in the variety of cultures present – Indian, Chinese and Malay mainly.  Another interesting fact I found out about Malaysia is that when sea levels were  lower, much of South East Asia was joined together, and that there is a deep trench running between Malaysia (Borneo) and Timor.  The flora/fauna and human history on either side of this trench is dramatically different.  You can find kangaroos on Timor but not on Borneo, and you can find orangutans, elephants and tigers on Borneo but not on Timor.

After KL, I took a bus down to the south east of KL to stay for 6 nights in little Melaka.

It’s quite a sprawling little town buzzing with life and colour.  They say that Melacca is the ‘real’ Malaysia – as Melaka is in fact, in a manner of speaking, the birthplace of Malaysia.  The story goes something like this.  An outcast Sultan from Indonesia arrived in Melaka by boat.  While out hunting with his men, one of his dogs was so frightened by a mouse that it fell into the river.  The Sultan was surprised by the symbolism of the weak overcoming the strong and decided to set up his new colony right there.  He named Melaka after the tree under which he was standing.  The Melaka tree is a palm which produces palm sugar, known locally as Gula Melaka.

At the centre of Melaka there runs a beautiful little canal surrounded by the original architecture remaining from the Dutch and Portuguese occupation, as well as a very well preserved Chinatown which is a cute grid of two story dwellings lining very narrow little streets.   It was in Chinatown where I stayed in a little old guesthouse called Jalan Jalan.   Being the first proper backpackers that I had stayed in, it was at Jalan Jalan where I met my first backpacking friends!  A lovely bunch they were too.  You can see the fun we had together in the various albums, particularly “Banana Massage” (links are at the end of this blog post).

It surely was a pleasure to break the monotony and havoc of KL for the quaint and interesting vibe of Melaka.  Here I could take in things at a slower pace without being pestered by yet another business hungry teksi or food vendor, or having to get out of the way of locals and crazy traffic.  At Jalan Jalan guesthouse the accommodation was cheap (About $10 per night for a single dorm with shared bathroom, includes unlimited wifi, free tea/coffee).The guesthouse also had bike hire a lazy 10 ringgit (AUD$3.50) for unlimited usage during your stay.  This was great, as getting around by bike in Melaka is the only way to go in my view!

The pleasures of Melaka included great food.  With the mix of local ethnicities there is everything here from Chinese, Malay, Portuguese, Indian as well as western food.  The local specialities included:

• Nonya food (Portuguese for ‘mama food’). I had a chicken rendang curry the first night which was overpriced, but beautiful
• Chicken with Rice Balls (which I thought was ok, but not that great)
• Satay Celup – a variety of raw foods on skewers (chicken, seafood, okra, chilli, prawns, fish balls, tofu, tempeh, spinach, broccoli) which you cook yourself in a boiling pot of satay sauce
• Cendol (a peculiar dessert made with tapioca, coconut milk, crushed ice and other ingredients)
• Nasi Lemak (coconut rice served with roasted peanuts, dried anchovies, chilli sauce and sometimes chicken).

The sights/sounds of Melaka include the architecture in and around Chinatown, the mix of cultures, the pasar malam (night markets), the rickshaws blaring loud cheesy dance music, Little India’s vibrant shops of colourful clothing and Bollywood DVDs and the winding canal through the buildings (very reminiscent of Venice).  There are motorbikes running this way and that, a steady flow of tourist traffic from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, big shopping malls, tiny little streetside stalls, temples galore, and more museums than I could be bothered walking through!

It was in Melaka when I first began to feel the thrill of travelling.  Being so alien to this place, but enjoying every moment of the experience.  Everything is different, but you just learn to adjust and enjoy it... it’s not really that different – and at the end of the day people everywhere are just the same – going about what they need to survive, and doing things to give meaning, pleasure and purpose to their existence.  For me travelling is about opening my eyes to my cultural roots, getting a picture of how the world works and fits together, sharing my culture, knowledge and wisdom with those I meet, making new friends everywhere and stripping back my layers of socialisation, routine and material possessions to find beneath it the shining jewel that I am.

More photos at the following links:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=180265&id=682976605&l=c3daed1e73- Escape to Melaka

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=180396&id=682976605&l=c78ea5a98e – Banana Massage

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=183145&id=682976605&l=9dd15ca0dd – Last few pics from Melaka

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Blessings,

Howie.

Last few days in KL

Sorry it’s been a while since my last blog – but there have been so many other things to do of late and since I’ve been in South Africa I haven’t had good access to the internet...

The last of my time in KL was very relaxed.  I didn’t venture too far...

Day 2 – explored the local shopping precincts and had a one hour Thai massage.  Enjoyed food from the local shops, etc.

Day 3 – Met up with my mate Leigh (we worked at the same Department in Canberra).  Together we explored Chinatown, the gardens, the planetarium, mosques, etc... and caught up on our travels thus far.  It rained a lot in the afternoon.  We hid out at a patisserie and had iced coffee with eggs on toast.   That evening we explored the Pasar Malam and did a bit of shopping before making our way back to my end of town to drink beers and quite a lot of vodka.....

Day 4 – Woke up late and continued to explore the local shopping precincts with Leigh – We both had a Thai massage in the late afternoon before I went back to my room for a little afternoon nap.  I have to tell you that this Thai massage was easily the best I've ever had!  If you're in KL find "The Tropical Spa" in Bukit Bintang, just near Jalan Sahabat...  you have no idea until you try it!  Later that evening, dropped into Le Village Backpackers for quite a lot of drinking.  Walked home in the early hours of Monday morning back to my room....

Day 5 – A write-off day.  Just chilled in the room and organised the next leg of my trip – off to Melacca!

More photo's at the following link:

Malay Mayday (facebook photo album)