Chapter 3
Day 4
The way to Melaka – The house of the ancient travelers
My third day in Kuala Lumpur started after such a nice night of sleeping. The previous night I fell asleep as soon as I landed on my bed. Or better, as soon as I crushed or even collapsed on that bed. I was after a dreamless night, but my bed, and the all those twisted bed sheets witnessed what looked like a very agitated night. I wondered if I spent the night dreaming of being a break-dancer or a wrestler.
The alarm-clock of my mobile rung that it was 6.30 a.m.. I stood up and still dizzy, I went to brush my teeth, took another shower, ate one of the chocolate cookies full of trans-fats that I bought the previous evening, I brushed my teeth again, wore new clothes, packed my backpack and I was ready to go. This time, I decided to try to go to Melaka or as we call it in the West, Malacca.
Let’s see if I can do it.
The city of Melaka always been, for me, like a synonym of the word “exotic”. I always thought of this place like a crossroad of ancient travelers, swords wielding pirates, salt soaked buccaneers, greedy traders, adventurers with incredible landscapes in their eyes, disciplined colonial soldiers and tourists. Ok, I wrote the last group of people to fit myself in the list too. So, from Sandokan (the hero of novels by Emilio Salgari with the same name) to the treasure hunters or people running away from their countries, the city of Melaka was almost a forced check point on this side of the world. Here the Thai peninsula goes down toward the equator, and the huge island of Sumatra, Indonesia, would force boats to take a long way southward to avoid the strait between the Thai peninsula and Sumatra. So, there, in the strait, on the Malaysian side of the same strait, is where was funded Melaka. See it as a shelter, a port, a trading spot or just a docking from where to leave for adventures on the main land. But for me, it’s one of those places that a traveler, or even a tourist, can’t miss. So, I had to go there.
I had to go there, by myself, without any help.
In past I looked for information on how to get there and I discovered that I could use both a train or a Pullman, but the second way was the most suggested, as the train would leave me far from the city and I’d have to take a Pullman still for a short way to get to the city, and then a taxi or a local bus. All the publications that I found said that I should take the Pullman from the Kuala Lumpur Pudu Station Pullman Terminal. I trusted those guides, and I booked my hotel not so far from Pudu Station, but then, as I kept on searching, I discovered that those information were outdated. The truth was that the station was left for other short lines, while the longer ones, like those for Singapore, Penang or Melaka were leaving from the new terminal, the “Bersepadu Selatan Bus Terminal”.
Damn.
Just a few days before leaving I made a crazy search for information, as I wished to confirm which one of the terminals was the right one, and most importantly, to avoid an useless long trip to the new terminal if it were the wrong one. No, I really had to go there.
I left my hotel that the sky was already bright. I took the monorail from Raya Chulan and I went in a matter of a few station farther, to the Hang Tuah Monorail station. Sometimes history has her own humor… The way to reach Melaka is the Hang Tuah. He’s some kind of an hero of Melaka, but when I’ve read the legend itself, to me, he looked more like a double-crosser or somebody ready to betray his best friend. But until now, many Malay scholars are still discussing about this thing.
Hang Tuah
Hang Tuah is a legendary warrior/hero who lived during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah of the Sultanate of Malacca in the 15th century. He was the greatest of all the laksamana, or sultan's admirals, and was known to be a ferocious fighter. Hang Tuah is held in the highest regard, even in present-day Malaysian Malay culture, and is arguably the most well-known and illustrious warrior figure in Malaysian history and literature.
Hang Tuah's illustrious career as an admiral or laksamana includes tales of his absolute and unfaltering loyalty to his Sultan, some of which are chronicled in Sejarah Melayu (the semi-historical Malay Annals) and Hikayat Hang Tuah (a romantic? collection of tales involving Hang Tuah).
Hang Tuah became the Sultan's constant aide, accompanying the King on official visits to foreign countries because he spoke chinese and from China, therefore he is a chinese. On one such visit to Majapahit, Taming Sari, a famous Majapahit warrior, challenged Hang Tuah to a duel. After a brutal fight, Hang Tuah emerged as winner and the ruler of Majapahit bestowed upon him Taming Sari’s kris or weapon. The Taming Sari kris was named after its original owner, and was purported to be magical, empowering its owner with invincibility. It is said to be the source of Hang Tuah’s alleged supernatural tai chi abilities.
Hang Tuah also acted as the Sultan's ambassador, travelling on his Sultan's behalf to allied countries. Another story concerning Hang Tuah's legendary loyalty to the Sultan is found in the Hikayat Hang Tuah, and involves his visit to Inderaputra or Pahang during one such voyage. The Sultan sent Hang Tuah to Pahang with the task of persuading the princess Tun Teja, who was already engaged, to become the Sultan's companion. Tun Teja fell under the impression that Hang Tuah had come to persuade her to marry him, not the Sultan, and agreed to elope with him to Melaka. It was only during the voyage home that Hang Tuah revealed his deception to Tun Teja.
The Hikayat Hang Tuah and Sejarah Melayu each carry different accounts of this incident, however. The Hikayat records that it was Hang Tuah who persuaded Tun Teja to elope with him, thus deceiving her. Sejarah Melayu, however, claims that it was another warrior, Hang Nadim, who deceived Tun Teja.
Perhaps the most famous story in which Hang Tuah is involved is his fight with his closest childhood companion, Hang Jebat. Hang Tuah's deep loyalty to and popularity with the Sultan led to rumours being circulated that Hang Tuah was having an illicit affair with one of the Sultan's stewardess dayang. The Sultan sentenced Hang Tuah to death without trial for the alleged offense. The death sentence was never carried out, however, because Hang Tuah's executioner, the Bendahara, went against the Sultan’s orders and hid Hang Tuah in a remote region of Melaka.
Believing that Hang Tuah was dead, murdered unjustly by the Sultan he served, Hang Jebat avenged his friend's death. Hang Jebat's revenge allegedly became a palace killing spree or furious rebellion against the Sultan (sources differ as to what actually occurred). It remains consistent, however, that Hang Jebat wreaked havoc onto the royal court, and the Sultan was unable to stop him, as none of the Sultan's warriors dared to challenge the more ferocious and skilled Hang Jebat. The Bendahara then informed the Sultan that the only man able to stop Hang Jebat, Hang Tuah, was still alive. The Bendahara recalled Hang Tuah from his hiding place and the warrior was given full amnesty by the Sultan and instructed to kill Hang Jebat. After seven gruelling days of fighting, Hang Tuah was able to kill Hang Jebat.
It is notable that the two main sources of Hang Tuah's life differ yet again on the details of his life. According the Hikayat Hang Tuah, it was Hang Jebat who avenged his friend's death, only to be killed by the same friend, but according to Sejarah Melayu, it was Hang Kasturi. The Sejarah Melayu or the Malay Annals are unique in that they constitute the only available account of the history of the Malay Sultanate in the fifteenth and early sixteenth century, but the Hang Jebat story, as the more romantic tale, remains more popular.
Hang Tuah continued to serve Malacca after the death of Hang Jebat. Later in his life, as Hang Tuah progressed in his years, the warrior was ordered by the successive Malaccan Sultan to court a legendary princess on the Sultan's behalf. The Puteri Gunung Ledang (Princess of Mount Ledang) was so named because she resided on Mount Ledang at the Melaka-Johor border. According to legend, the Princess met with Hang Tuah, and only agreed to marry the Sultan if he satisfied a list of requirements, or pre-wedding gifts. The list included a golden bridge linking Melaka with the top of Gunung Ledang, seven trays of mosquito livers, seven jars of virgins' tears and a bowl of the Sultan's first born son's blood. Hang Tuah knew the tasks would not be fulfilled, and was said to be so overwhelmed that he failed his Sultan that he flung his kris into a river and vowed only to return to Melaka if it resurfaced, which it never did. It was also said that he then vanished into thin air. According to other sources, however, Hang Tuah lived until old age, and his body is said to be have been buried in Tanjung Kling in Melaka, where his tomb can still be seen today.
Hang Tuah is famous for quoting the words "Takkan Melayu Hilang di Dunia" which literally means "Malays will never vanish from the face of the earth" or "Never shall the Malay(s) (race) vanish from the face of the earth". The quote is a famous rallying cry for Malay nationalism.
He remains an extremely popular Malay legend, embodying the values of Malay culture at the time, when allegiance and loyalty were paramount above all else. Although its historical accuracy remains disputable, the legend of the tragic friendship between Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat represents a paradox in the Malay psyche about loyalty and justice, and remains a point of debate among students of Malay history and literature.
Once out of the Hang Tuah station, I had to take a short way to the Hang Tuah Rapid KL station, where I had the chance to take the commuter to the Pullman Station. I guess that the area all around the Hang Tuah station is a crossroad for the Malay workers. I guessed that as the area was packed of hawkers selling food. The most popular one looked like to be Banana-Leaf cones filled with steamed rice. I passed by the hawkers and I entered the station. Many works are going on, but it’s quite easy to get to the counters and then to the platforms. The ride wasn’t very long and it passed by some residential areas of Kuala Lumpur. As we got farther from the center of KL, the housings became smaller and smaller. On board of the train it looked like I was the only tourist of the car. The rest of the people looked like sleepy Malays except another guy that was a black man, dressed like he could be some sort of a teacher. In short, we arrived at my stop, the Bersepadu Selatan Bus Terminal.
The Bersepadu Selatan Bus Terminal is simply huge. It’s all brand new and organized that it looks more like an airport than a Bus Terminal. Here I went to a super computerized counter and I bought my ticket to Melaka, it had a ridiculous price. The gentle girls on the other side of the glass asked me which seat I’d prefer. It was all empty except for four already booked seats. Did I really had to choose a seat? Anyway, I didn’t complain I took a seat next to a window. Then I had to run to take that bus as it was already almost time to leave.
I’m always late. In Malaysia too.
I arrived at the Pullman that had the engine already on. I gave my ticket to the driver, and I took my seat. Four more people were on board. The girl’s screen didn’t lie. I sat down, and I looked outside the window. There were drops on the glass. In the beginning I thought that the driver-guy washed his Pullman before leaving, but I was naïve.
I’m always naïve.
It wasn’t that the guy washed his Pullman, but it was the air-con that was so cold that made the moisture to condensate on the top of the glass, and it was going down in drops. It was a matter of minutes that I realized that it was turning damn cold there inside and I was facing a two hours long trip and the high chance to get a cold. I had to do something. By good luck, in the end of my precious backpack I had a waterproof jacket. So, I took it out and I wore it.
The Pullman left Kuala Lumpur in perfect time. First we took a motorway, then a stop, we carried on board a lot of people. Then it came back on the motorway, and it started the long journey. Time to sit back and relax and enjoy the ride.
Malaysia is very beautiful. The landscapes that kept passing by outside the windows were changing along the way. From some sort of hills, to villages, palm plantations, flat lands with crops, palm plantations, rivers, villages, palm plantations, small villages all the way. During the journey, first I turned on my MP3 player and then I had my second breakfast. The triple-layered chocolate cookies, filled with many Malay-written unknown ingredients and trans-fat-acids were addictive.
I guess that anything with trans-fat-acids is addictive. Especially if triple layered with chocolate.
I almost ended the box and then, still during the way, I started eating those sugar-free flou-green lime-flavored candies without any lime inside. They were fabulous, especially the fizzing filling. I loved them. The music kept playing and the song of that trip was the song sung by Linda Eder in the musical Gipsy. I love Musicals.
Some people sit on their butts
Got the dream, Yeah, but not the guts
That's living for some people
For some humdrum people
I suppose
Well, they can stay and rot!
But not Rose!!!
(ok, only for this song, you can call me Rose)
In about two hours on the Pullman, spent gazing at the beautiful landscape, listening and the music or sleeping, we arrived in Melaka. It was such an amazing feeling. I did it, and so far, so good.
The Pullman stopped at the Melaka Pullman Terminal. I went out in the nice warm Malaysian air. I was missing that feeling as inside the Pullman was like being inside a refrigerator. The sun was very strong and the city looked very lively.
I entered the low-and-large building of the terminal. Inside there was what looked more like an indoor market than a bus terminal itself. The same was with the Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station, where I’ve got lost the first night in Kuala Lumpur, and it’s quite weird getting lost into a station-born suq with all the stalls shut at night. But this wasn’t the case. Now it was day, and getting lost into a indoor market at day it’s a brand different story.
I kept following the boards with written “Teksi” until when I reached the “teksi counter”, where a lot of “Teksi Drivers” were swarming around, trying to take travelers before they could hit the desk. I did it, and I managed to get a voucher to the city. It was 15 Ringgit, that means about 3.50 Euro. And now it was time to look for a “Teksi Driver” that, hopefully, would take me to the city and not getting myself lost again.
The alarm-clock of my mobile rung that it was 6.30 a.m.. I stood up and still dizzy, I went to brush my teeth, took another shower, ate one of the chocolate cookies full of trans-fats that I bought the previous evening, I brushed my teeth again, wore new clothes, packed my backpack and I was ready to go. This time, I decided to try to go to Melaka or as we call it in the West, Malacca.
Let’s see if I can do it.
The city of Melaka always been, for me, like a synonym of the word “exotic”. I always thought of this place like a crossroad of ancient travelers, swords wielding pirates, salt soaked buccaneers, greedy traders, adventurers with incredible landscapes in their eyes, disciplined colonial soldiers and tourists. Ok, I wrote the last group of people to fit myself in the list too. So, from Sandokan (the hero of novels by Emilio Salgari with the same name) to the treasure hunters or people running away from their countries, the city of Melaka was almost a forced check point on this side of the world. Here the Thai peninsula goes down toward the equator, and the huge island of Sumatra, Indonesia, would force boats to take a long way southward to avoid the strait between the Thai peninsula and Sumatra. So, there, in the strait, on the Malaysian side of the same strait, is where was funded Melaka. See it as a shelter, a port, a trading spot or just a docking from where to leave for adventures on the main land. But for me, it’s one of those places that a traveler, or even a tourist, can’t miss. So, I had to go there.
I had to go there, by myself, without any help.
In past I looked for information on how to get there and I discovered that I could use both a train or a Pullman, but the second way was the most suggested, as the train would leave me far from the city and I’d have to take a Pullman still for a short way to get to the city, and then a taxi or a local bus. All the publications that I found said that I should take the Pullman from the Kuala Lumpur Pudu Station Pullman Terminal. I trusted those guides, and I booked my hotel not so far from Pudu Station, but then, as I kept on searching, I discovered that those information were outdated. The truth was that the station was left for other short lines, while the longer ones, like those for Singapore, Penang or Melaka were leaving from the new terminal, the “Bersepadu Selatan Bus Terminal”.
Damn.
Just a few days before leaving I made a crazy search for information, as I wished to confirm which one of the terminals was the right one, and most importantly, to avoid an useless long trip to the new terminal if it were the wrong one. No, I really had to go there.
I left my hotel that the sky was already bright. I took the monorail from Raya Chulan and I went in a matter of a few station farther, to the Hang Tuah Monorail station. Sometimes history has her own humor… The way to reach Melaka is the Hang Tuah. He’s some kind of an hero of Melaka, but when I’ve read the legend itself, to me, he looked more like a double-crosser or somebody ready to betray his best friend. But until now, many Malay scholars are still discussing about this thing.
Hang Tuah
Hang Tuah is a legendary warrior/hero who lived during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah of the Sultanate of Malacca in the 15th century. He was the greatest of all the laksamana, or sultan's admirals, and was known to be a ferocious fighter. Hang Tuah is held in the highest regard, even in present-day Malaysian Malay culture, and is arguably the most well-known and illustrious warrior figure in Malaysian history and literature.
Hang Tuah's illustrious career as an admiral or laksamana includes tales of his absolute and unfaltering loyalty to his Sultan, some of which are chronicled in Sejarah Melayu (the semi-historical Malay Annals) and Hikayat Hang Tuah (a romantic? collection of tales involving Hang Tuah).
Hang Tuah became the Sultan's constant aide, accompanying the King on official visits to foreign countries because he spoke chinese and from China, therefore he is a chinese. On one such visit to Majapahit, Taming Sari, a famous Majapahit warrior, challenged Hang Tuah to a duel. After a brutal fight, Hang Tuah emerged as winner and the ruler of Majapahit bestowed upon him Taming Sari’s kris or weapon. The Taming Sari kris was named after its original owner, and was purported to be magical, empowering its owner with invincibility. It is said to be the source of Hang Tuah’s alleged supernatural tai chi abilities.
Hang Tuah also acted as the Sultan's ambassador, travelling on his Sultan's behalf to allied countries. Another story concerning Hang Tuah's legendary loyalty to the Sultan is found in the Hikayat Hang Tuah, and involves his visit to Inderaputra or Pahang during one such voyage. The Sultan sent Hang Tuah to Pahang with the task of persuading the princess Tun Teja, who was already engaged, to become the Sultan's companion. Tun Teja fell under the impression that Hang Tuah had come to persuade her to marry him, not the Sultan, and agreed to elope with him to Melaka. It was only during the voyage home that Hang Tuah revealed his deception to Tun Teja.
The Hikayat Hang Tuah and Sejarah Melayu each carry different accounts of this incident, however. The Hikayat records that it was Hang Tuah who persuaded Tun Teja to elope with him, thus deceiving her. Sejarah Melayu, however, claims that it was another warrior, Hang Nadim, who deceived Tun Teja.
Perhaps the most famous story in which Hang Tuah is involved is his fight with his closest childhood companion, Hang Jebat. Hang Tuah's deep loyalty to and popularity with the Sultan led to rumours being circulated that Hang Tuah was having an illicit affair with one of the Sultan's stewardess dayang. The Sultan sentenced Hang Tuah to death without trial for the alleged offense. The death sentence was never carried out, however, because Hang Tuah's executioner, the Bendahara, went against the Sultan’s orders and hid Hang Tuah in a remote region of Melaka.
Believing that Hang Tuah was dead, murdered unjustly by the Sultan he served, Hang Jebat avenged his friend's death. Hang Jebat's revenge allegedly became a palace killing spree or furious rebellion against the Sultan (sources differ as to what actually occurred). It remains consistent, however, that Hang Jebat wreaked havoc onto the royal court, and the Sultan was unable to stop him, as none of the Sultan's warriors dared to challenge the more ferocious and skilled Hang Jebat. The Bendahara then informed the Sultan that the only man able to stop Hang Jebat, Hang Tuah, was still alive. The Bendahara recalled Hang Tuah from his hiding place and the warrior was given full amnesty by the Sultan and instructed to kill Hang Jebat. After seven gruelling days of fighting, Hang Tuah was able to kill Hang Jebat.
It is notable that the two main sources of Hang Tuah's life differ yet again on the details of his life. According the Hikayat Hang Tuah, it was Hang Jebat who avenged his friend's death, only to be killed by the same friend, but according to Sejarah Melayu, it was Hang Kasturi. The Sejarah Melayu or the Malay Annals are unique in that they constitute the only available account of the history of the Malay Sultanate in the fifteenth and early sixteenth century, but the Hang Jebat story, as the more romantic tale, remains more popular.
Hang Tuah continued to serve Malacca after the death of Hang Jebat. Later in his life, as Hang Tuah progressed in his years, the warrior was ordered by the successive Malaccan Sultan to court a legendary princess on the Sultan's behalf. The Puteri Gunung Ledang (Princess of Mount Ledang) was so named because she resided on Mount Ledang at the Melaka-Johor border. According to legend, the Princess met with Hang Tuah, and only agreed to marry the Sultan if he satisfied a list of requirements, or pre-wedding gifts. The list included a golden bridge linking Melaka with the top of Gunung Ledang, seven trays of mosquito livers, seven jars of virgins' tears and a bowl of the Sultan's first born son's blood. Hang Tuah knew the tasks would not be fulfilled, and was said to be so overwhelmed that he failed his Sultan that he flung his kris into a river and vowed only to return to Melaka if it resurfaced, which it never did. It was also said that he then vanished into thin air. According to other sources, however, Hang Tuah lived until old age, and his body is said to be have been buried in Tanjung Kling in Melaka, where his tomb can still be seen today.
Hang Tuah is famous for quoting the words "Takkan Melayu Hilang di Dunia" which literally means "Malays will never vanish from the face of the earth" or "Never shall the Malay(s) (race) vanish from the face of the earth". The quote is a famous rallying cry for Malay nationalism.
He remains an extremely popular Malay legend, embodying the values of Malay culture at the time, when allegiance and loyalty were paramount above all else. Although its historical accuracy remains disputable, the legend of the tragic friendship between Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat represents a paradox in the Malay psyche about loyalty and justice, and remains a point of debate among students of Malay history and literature.
Once out of the Hang Tuah station, I had to take a short way to the Hang Tuah Rapid KL station, where I had the chance to take the commuter to the Pullman Station. I guess that the area all around the Hang Tuah station is a crossroad for the Malay workers. I guessed that as the area was packed of hawkers selling food. The most popular one looked like to be Banana-Leaf cones filled with steamed rice. I passed by the hawkers and I entered the station. Many works are going on, but it’s quite easy to get to the counters and then to the platforms. The ride wasn’t very long and it passed by some residential areas of Kuala Lumpur. As we got farther from the center of KL, the housings became smaller and smaller. On board of the train it looked like I was the only tourist of the car. The rest of the people looked like sleepy Malays except another guy that was a black man, dressed like he could be some sort of a teacher. In short, we arrived at my stop, the Bersepadu Selatan Bus Terminal.
The Bersepadu Selatan Bus Terminal is simply huge. It’s all brand new and organized that it looks more like an airport than a Bus Terminal. Here I went to a super computerized counter and I bought my ticket to Melaka, it had a ridiculous price. The gentle girls on the other side of the glass asked me which seat I’d prefer. It was all empty except for four already booked seats. Did I really had to choose a seat? Anyway, I didn’t complain I took a seat next to a window. Then I had to run to take that bus as it was already almost time to leave.
I’m always late. In Malaysia too.
I arrived at the Pullman that had the engine already on. I gave my ticket to the driver, and I took my seat. Four more people were on board. The girl’s screen didn’t lie. I sat down, and I looked outside the window. There were drops on the glass. In the beginning I thought that the driver-guy washed his Pullman before leaving, but I was naïve.
I’m always naïve.
It wasn’t that the guy washed his Pullman, but it was the air-con that was so cold that made the moisture to condensate on the top of the glass, and it was going down in drops. It was a matter of minutes that I realized that it was turning damn cold there inside and I was facing a two hours long trip and the high chance to get a cold. I had to do something. By good luck, in the end of my precious backpack I had a waterproof jacket. So, I took it out and I wore it.
The Pullman left Kuala Lumpur in perfect time. First we took a motorway, then a stop, we carried on board a lot of people. Then it came back on the motorway, and it started the long journey. Time to sit back and relax and enjoy the ride.
Malaysia is very beautiful. The landscapes that kept passing by outside the windows were changing along the way. From some sort of hills, to villages, palm plantations, flat lands with crops, palm plantations, rivers, villages, palm plantations, small villages all the way. During the journey, first I turned on my MP3 player and then I had my second breakfast. The triple-layered chocolate cookies, filled with many Malay-written unknown ingredients and trans-fat-acids were addictive.
I guess that anything with trans-fat-acids is addictive. Especially if triple layered with chocolate.
I almost ended the box and then, still during the way, I started eating those sugar-free flou-green lime-flavored candies without any lime inside. They were fabulous, especially the fizzing filling. I loved them. The music kept playing and the song of that trip was the song sung by Linda Eder in the musical Gipsy. I love Musicals.
Some people sit on their butts
Got the dream, Yeah, but not the guts
That's living for some people
For some humdrum people
I suppose
Well, they can stay and rot!
But not Rose!!!
(ok, only for this song, you can call me Rose)
In about two hours on the Pullman, spent gazing at the beautiful landscape, listening and the music or sleeping, we arrived in Melaka. It was such an amazing feeling. I did it, and so far, so good.
The Pullman stopped at the Melaka Pullman Terminal. I went out in the nice warm Malaysian air. I was missing that feeling as inside the Pullman was like being inside a refrigerator. The sun was very strong and the city looked very lively.
I entered the low-and-large building of the terminal. Inside there was what looked more like an indoor market than a bus terminal itself. The same was with the Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station, where I’ve got lost the first night in Kuala Lumpur, and it’s quite weird getting lost into a station-born suq with all the stalls shut at night. But this wasn’t the case. Now it was day, and getting lost into a indoor market at day it’s a brand different story.
I kept following the boards with written “Teksi” until when I reached the “teksi counter”, where a lot of “Teksi Drivers” were swarming around, trying to take travelers before they could hit the desk. I did it, and I managed to get a voucher to the city. It was 15 Ringgit, that means about 3.50 Euro. And now it was time to look for a “Teksi Driver” that, hopefully, would take me to the city and not getting myself lost again.
Melaka – Stadthuys and Bukit St. Paul
I turned around just after having grabbed my “Teksi Voucher”, I walked few steps toward the exit, when a not-so-tall round-faced mustache-holder smiling “Teksi driver” stepped toward me and told me, still smiling “Where we go?”, inviting me to his cab. I jumped inside, he took his seat and turned smiling “Where we go?” I answered “To the Star Dust!” giving him my “Teksi Voucher”.
I always had problems saying “Stadthuys”.
He looked at the voucher, and as his smiling vanished, he said “Stadthuys… Well…”. Then he started the engine and we left for the center of the city. The drive was nice and pleasant. I have to say that I liked Melaka. Somehow, it reminded me a little bit Phuket Town, but in a better way. Both are colonial cities, but in Melaka is missing the heavy decadent touch of Phuket Town. The ride keeps short to reach the Stadthuys from the Pullman Terminal. To make it feel a bit longer, was Mr. Teksi Driver that didn’t say a word for all the trip long. I don’t know if he just, simply, couldn’t speak English, or it was the “Teksi Voucher” that killed our relationship… Not that I’ve ever fancied a relationship with a mustached fat Teksi driver. Most of the time, not speaking about uninteresting stuff, is the gateway to the thinking. And I loved to think about that trip and feel it as much as I could.
Surprisingly, the Teksi Driver didn’t deliver me in the Melaka version of Chow Kit, but exactly where I asked. I went down, and even before having the time to say “Thank you” that the guy already left, mixing into the intense traffic made of many Teksis looking like his own. I turned around, made a very short way, and I arrived to the Stadthuys. But what is the Stadhuys? The word Stadhuys means in Dutch “Town House” as “Stad” means “Town” and “Huys” means “House”. While to pronounce that, is a whole different story. The name refers to the oldest Dutch building in the East as it dates back to the 1650s. In the beginning, during the Dutch ruling, it was the house of the Dutch Governor, while in our days it houses the Museum of History and Ethnography. The building is huge, beautiful and painted in bright red. While referring at the Stadhuys, usually, tourists usually mean the whole square in front of it with the same building, the bright red Clock Tower and the bright red Christ Church of Melaka. Everything in a very beautiful bright red.
The square itself is quite pretty, in the center there is a big flowerbed, on the Stadhuys side there is a line of stalls selling souvenir-junk, in front of them, near the channel there is also a small windmill, just to remember the Dutch presence, and all around there are many bicycle-powered rickshaws waiting for customers. These rickshaws are something impressive. The kitsch with all the flowery holidays stereotypes are concentrated in such unique, super customized, zero-environmental-impact vehicles. Many tourists can’t resist the temptation to take one and have a ride on it. Some of them have also an Hi-Fi Stereo with some holiday-themed music. It was both surreal and perfect. I couldn’t expect more from that immensely colored and music filled square.
After having declined the many offers for a ride from the rickshaw guys, I took my map out of the backpack and I sorted how to visit Melaka. First checkpoint, the “Santiago Gate” and “Bukit St. Paul”.
I left the Stadhuys square heading south. First a crossroad, then a round point, then again turning left in that dangerous turn, hoping of not being driven over by a teksi, and in short I was in the beautifully paved Jalan Kota that takes to the “Santiago Gate”, going along a street flanked by many museums and huge trees. By the way, seeing that I’m crazy about the way Thais name their streets, I decided that, in spite it was Malaysia, that street name would be, for me “Soi Museums”.
Since the beginning of Jalan Kota people see a road on the left going uphill, while Jalan Kota keeps its way flat. That’s the street that leads to Bukit St. Paul, the Pt. Paul Church Hill. Beside this street, there are two more ways to get to the top of the small hill. Along the way to the Santiago Gate here is also a narrow stairway between the “Muzium Seni Bina Malaysia” and the “Muzium Islam Melaka”, it’s easy to recognize the stairway as in the beginning there is a plate with a arrow and written “Bukit St Paul”. The street, while going to the Santiago Gate has, on the right side just few housings, many trees and a park named Taman Merdeka with a sort of a small Airplanes Museum, while on the left hand side there many different museums, and I listed:
Muzium Seni Bina Malaysia
Muzium Islam Melaka
Muzium Layang-Layang
Muzium Setem Melaka
Muzium Dunia Malayu Dunia Islam
Following the street, after a broad turn, I arrived to the Santiago Gate. The so famous Santiago Gate is the only still standing part of the bigger fortress called “A Famosa” (in Malay “Kota A Famosa”). The “A Famosa” was an ancient fortress built by the Portuguese fleet lead by Alfonso de Albuquerque in the 1511. The Portuguese fleet meant to establish a line of friendly ports along “the route of the spices” to China and back. In the 1641 the Dutch took over the Portuguese and conquered the city with its strategic port. The “A Famosa” was now ruled by the Dutch East India Company and its crest was carved on the same Santiago Gate with the year 1670, the year of a renovation of the same gate. In the 1806 Melaka changed again the ruler when was handed over the British Army in an attempt to stop the Napoleonic overseas expansion. The British Army decided to obliterate the fortress and it’s famous the episode of a part of it that was packed with barrels of gunpowder and made to explode. Only the intervention of Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of Singapore, which had a passion for history, saved a small part of the fortress called “Santiago Gate”.
I arrived behind the turn, into the full sunshine. It was a nice day and there were many tourists around, but not too many. I mean, it was a lively place, but not overcrowded. The “Santiago Gate” is quite small, and it's also the starting point of a broad road called Jalan Parameswara. The gate itself is in the middle of a triangular fenced garden with old cannons in display all around. When I reached there I found that the small gate looks more like a narrow tower and I guess that the use of a gate was just to let people inside and not carts or chariots as it’s very small. The thick walls made of stone tell an old colonial story written in scars on the walls. The surface is both made of stones and old pieces of white plaster. On top of it, facing the outsider side there is a sort of a small bell tower. While I was there, I found so hard to imagine this door as a part of the huge “A Famosa” fortress. To help people to understand what “A Famosa” was, there is also a board with a draw of the plan of the ancient fortress. The sign “You’re here” marks you in front of it, on the outside part of the walls. While looking at it from that position, you’ve the Indipendence Memorial on you right side and also the “Istana Kesultanan Melaka” a museum of the Sultanate.
I entered the gate and I found it quite narrow, with a couple of rooms that now house few draws vendors. These draws are about the gate, Melaka or some holiday theme. The surprising thing was that, inside the gate, the air was really fresh, but the place also smelled of humidity. I left the place from the same gate where I entered, I circled it to see for more clues of its adventurous past and I found myself before a stairway. This stairway is the third way to reach the top of Bukit St. Paul.
I chosen this way to go up the hill and I guess I chosen the best way.
It’s good to be always sure of what we’re doing.
The way up isn’t so hard and it’s even quite short too. The first stop, the Dutch Graveyard. It looks like old Dutch people, during their dominion chosen this place as a graveyard for the aristocrats. It’s on the side of the hill, facing the sea. Ok, now it faces the city and there behind, quite far, there is the sea. I think that now there are about 20 graves in display but fences don’t allow to get near to them. Most of them are monumental stone tombs that sink, with their behinds in the same hill. The tour of the graveyard takes short, but, even if it’s hard to say, that graveyard is a nice place. It’s shady for the tall trees and in some points has a good view over the city. All around there were far noises from the city below and the chattering of far people. It looked like, once at the entering of the graveyard, people split in two groups. Easterners, I mean, Asians, stopped at the junk vendors and then kept going up to the Church of St. Paul, while Westerners avoided the junk vendors and entered first the graveyard and then went up to the Church.
I went up to the top of the hill and I found myself facing the side wall of the ancient church. I turned left, the side with the view on the sea, followed the wall, and I found myself in front of the façade of the church. In our days, not much is left of it. The Church, which original name was Nossa Senhora da Annunciada (Our Lady of Grace), was built in 1521 as a simple chapel. Then, further enlargement works turned it to be the main church of the Portuguese times of Melaka. Later, after the arrival of the Dutch people, was built the new church, the Christ Church of Melaka, next the Stadthuys and this one was left as a spare church. Even more recently, with the British arrival, the church was first used as a gunpowder depot, and then, it was left to fall in ruins.
In our days the only things left of the church are the walls and the bell tower, while the roof of the church collapsed long time ago. The best point to picture it, of course, is the front yard. From the yard there is a beautiful view over the city up to the sea and also the church with the bell tower. Soon arrived a lot of people. It looked like there were at least two large groups of Asian tourists. These people were wandering around and sticking in the middle of my pictures just before I could take them. Moreover I wonder why Asians have to take all the picture with the same pose keeping the fingers like a “V”. Once I asked to an Asian girl why, and she answered “Because... Hmmm... Because! Ahhhh... Uhhhh... No, know...”. After a long and frustrating waiting that all those “V” shaped fingered pictures, the Asians gave me the time to take my pictures, so I entered the church.
The bare inside walls were like the external sides, with a dark shade of old and vegetation growing between the stones. In spite there were lots of people, the lack of decorations made the church to give a feeling of emptiness. I wandered around, huge tomb-stones were in display along the walls. Again, many Asians were posing, all smiling, with their “V” fingers, next to the tomb stones. I wonder if they knew that they were just posing on a tomb... I guess no. Probably they thought that the symbol of the skull and bones was some advertisement of a local Heavy Metal band which name is “In dear memory of Mary”.
In the opposite side of the entrance there was a small burial vault with a steel structure looking like a tomb. There weren’t many descriptions around, but it looks like this structure marks the temporary burial place of St. Francis Xavier, before being then moved to the final resting place in Goa, India.
The tour of the church takes quite a short time, and then I came back down to the “Santiago gate” along the stairways. Again a short glance to the “Santiago gate” and I was on my way back to the Stadhuys. After such an old-historical-relics touring, I decided to visit something more modern. It was time of the new tourist area.
I always had problems saying “Stadthuys”.
He looked at the voucher, and as his smiling vanished, he said “Stadthuys… Well…”. Then he started the engine and we left for the center of the city. The drive was nice and pleasant. I have to say that I liked Melaka. Somehow, it reminded me a little bit Phuket Town, but in a better way. Both are colonial cities, but in Melaka is missing the heavy decadent touch of Phuket Town. The ride keeps short to reach the Stadthuys from the Pullman Terminal. To make it feel a bit longer, was Mr. Teksi Driver that didn’t say a word for all the trip long. I don’t know if he just, simply, couldn’t speak English, or it was the “Teksi Voucher” that killed our relationship… Not that I’ve ever fancied a relationship with a mustached fat Teksi driver. Most of the time, not speaking about uninteresting stuff, is the gateway to the thinking. And I loved to think about that trip and feel it as much as I could.
Surprisingly, the Teksi Driver didn’t deliver me in the Melaka version of Chow Kit, but exactly where I asked. I went down, and even before having the time to say “Thank you” that the guy already left, mixing into the intense traffic made of many Teksis looking like his own. I turned around, made a very short way, and I arrived to the Stadthuys. But what is the Stadhuys? The word Stadhuys means in Dutch “Town House” as “Stad” means “Town” and “Huys” means “House”. While to pronounce that, is a whole different story. The name refers to the oldest Dutch building in the East as it dates back to the 1650s. In the beginning, during the Dutch ruling, it was the house of the Dutch Governor, while in our days it houses the Museum of History and Ethnography. The building is huge, beautiful and painted in bright red. While referring at the Stadhuys, usually, tourists usually mean the whole square in front of it with the same building, the bright red Clock Tower and the bright red Christ Church of Melaka. Everything in a very beautiful bright red.
The square itself is quite pretty, in the center there is a big flowerbed, on the Stadhuys side there is a line of stalls selling souvenir-junk, in front of them, near the channel there is also a small windmill, just to remember the Dutch presence, and all around there are many bicycle-powered rickshaws waiting for customers. These rickshaws are something impressive. The kitsch with all the flowery holidays stereotypes are concentrated in such unique, super customized, zero-environmental-impact vehicles. Many tourists can’t resist the temptation to take one and have a ride on it. Some of them have also an Hi-Fi Stereo with some holiday-themed music. It was both surreal and perfect. I couldn’t expect more from that immensely colored and music filled square.
After having declined the many offers for a ride from the rickshaw guys, I took my map out of the backpack and I sorted how to visit Melaka. First checkpoint, the “Santiago Gate” and “Bukit St. Paul”.
I left the Stadhuys square heading south. First a crossroad, then a round point, then again turning left in that dangerous turn, hoping of not being driven over by a teksi, and in short I was in the beautifully paved Jalan Kota that takes to the “Santiago Gate”, going along a street flanked by many museums and huge trees. By the way, seeing that I’m crazy about the way Thais name their streets, I decided that, in spite it was Malaysia, that street name would be, for me “Soi Museums”.
Since the beginning of Jalan Kota people see a road on the left going uphill, while Jalan Kota keeps its way flat. That’s the street that leads to Bukit St. Paul, the Pt. Paul Church Hill. Beside this street, there are two more ways to get to the top of the small hill. Along the way to the Santiago Gate here is also a narrow stairway between the “Muzium Seni Bina Malaysia” and the “Muzium Islam Melaka”, it’s easy to recognize the stairway as in the beginning there is a plate with a arrow and written “Bukit St Paul”. The street, while going to the Santiago Gate has, on the right side just few housings, many trees and a park named Taman Merdeka with a sort of a small Airplanes Museum, while on the left hand side there many different museums, and I listed:
Muzium Seni Bina Malaysia
Muzium Islam Melaka
Muzium Layang-Layang
Muzium Setem Melaka
Muzium Dunia Malayu Dunia Islam
Following the street, after a broad turn, I arrived to the Santiago Gate. The so famous Santiago Gate is the only still standing part of the bigger fortress called “A Famosa” (in Malay “Kota A Famosa”). The “A Famosa” was an ancient fortress built by the Portuguese fleet lead by Alfonso de Albuquerque in the 1511. The Portuguese fleet meant to establish a line of friendly ports along “the route of the spices” to China and back. In the 1641 the Dutch took over the Portuguese and conquered the city with its strategic port. The “A Famosa” was now ruled by the Dutch East India Company and its crest was carved on the same Santiago Gate with the year 1670, the year of a renovation of the same gate. In the 1806 Melaka changed again the ruler when was handed over the British Army in an attempt to stop the Napoleonic overseas expansion. The British Army decided to obliterate the fortress and it’s famous the episode of a part of it that was packed with barrels of gunpowder and made to explode. Only the intervention of Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of Singapore, which had a passion for history, saved a small part of the fortress called “Santiago Gate”.
I arrived behind the turn, into the full sunshine. It was a nice day and there were many tourists around, but not too many. I mean, it was a lively place, but not overcrowded. The “Santiago Gate” is quite small, and it's also the starting point of a broad road called Jalan Parameswara. The gate itself is in the middle of a triangular fenced garden with old cannons in display all around. When I reached there I found that the small gate looks more like a narrow tower and I guess that the use of a gate was just to let people inside and not carts or chariots as it’s very small. The thick walls made of stone tell an old colonial story written in scars on the walls. The surface is both made of stones and old pieces of white plaster. On top of it, facing the outsider side there is a sort of a small bell tower. While I was there, I found so hard to imagine this door as a part of the huge “A Famosa” fortress. To help people to understand what “A Famosa” was, there is also a board with a draw of the plan of the ancient fortress. The sign “You’re here” marks you in front of it, on the outside part of the walls. While looking at it from that position, you’ve the Indipendence Memorial on you right side and also the “Istana Kesultanan Melaka” a museum of the Sultanate.
I entered the gate and I found it quite narrow, with a couple of rooms that now house few draws vendors. These draws are about the gate, Melaka or some holiday theme. The surprising thing was that, inside the gate, the air was really fresh, but the place also smelled of humidity. I left the place from the same gate where I entered, I circled it to see for more clues of its adventurous past and I found myself before a stairway. This stairway is the third way to reach the top of Bukit St. Paul.
I chosen this way to go up the hill and I guess I chosen the best way.
It’s good to be always sure of what we’re doing.
The way up isn’t so hard and it’s even quite short too. The first stop, the Dutch Graveyard. It looks like old Dutch people, during their dominion chosen this place as a graveyard for the aristocrats. It’s on the side of the hill, facing the sea. Ok, now it faces the city and there behind, quite far, there is the sea. I think that now there are about 20 graves in display but fences don’t allow to get near to them. Most of them are monumental stone tombs that sink, with their behinds in the same hill. The tour of the graveyard takes short, but, even if it’s hard to say, that graveyard is a nice place. It’s shady for the tall trees and in some points has a good view over the city. All around there were far noises from the city below and the chattering of far people. It looked like, once at the entering of the graveyard, people split in two groups. Easterners, I mean, Asians, stopped at the junk vendors and then kept going up to the Church of St. Paul, while Westerners avoided the junk vendors and entered first the graveyard and then went up to the Church.
I went up to the top of the hill and I found myself facing the side wall of the ancient church. I turned left, the side with the view on the sea, followed the wall, and I found myself in front of the façade of the church. In our days, not much is left of it. The Church, which original name was Nossa Senhora da Annunciada (Our Lady of Grace), was built in 1521 as a simple chapel. Then, further enlargement works turned it to be the main church of the Portuguese times of Melaka. Later, after the arrival of the Dutch people, was built the new church, the Christ Church of Melaka, next the Stadthuys and this one was left as a spare church. Even more recently, with the British arrival, the church was first used as a gunpowder depot, and then, it was left to fall in ruins.
In our days the only things left of the church are the walls and the bell tower, while the roof of the church collapsed long time ago. The best point to picture it, of course, is the front yard. From the yard there is a beautiful view over the city up to the sea and also the church with the bell tower. Soon arrived a lot of people. It looked like there were at least two large groups of Asian tourists. These people were wandering around and sticking in the middle of my pictures just before I could take them. Moreover I wonder why Asians have to take all the picture with the same pose keeping the fingers like a “V”. Once I asked to an Asian girl why, and she answered “Because... Hmmm... Because! Ahhhh... Uhhhh... No, know...”. After a long and frustrating waiting that all those “V” shaped fingered pictures, the Asians gave me the time to take my pictures, so I entered the church.
The bare inside walls were like the external sides, with a dark shade of old and vegetation growing between the stones. In spite there were lots of people, the lack of decorations made the church to give a feeling of emptiness. I wandered around, huge tomb-stones were in display along the walls. Again, many Asians were posing, all smiling, with their “V” fingers, next to the tomb stones. I wonder if they knew that they were just posing on a tomb... I guess no. Probably they thought that the symbol of the skull and bones was some advertisement of a local Heavy Metal band which name is “In dear memory of Mary”.
In the opposite side of the entrance there was a small burial vault with a steel structure looking like a tomb. There weren’t many descriptions around, but it looks like this structure marks the temporary burial place of St. Francis Xavier, before being then moved to the final resting place in Goa, India.
The tour of the church takes quite a short time, and then I came back down to the “Santiago gate” along the stairways. Again a short glance to the “Santiago gate” and I was on my way back to the Stadhuys. After such an old-historical-relics touring, I decided to visit something more modern. It was time of the new tourist area.
Melaka – River Cruise
I walked the way to come back to the Stadhuys that it was late morning. The heat of the day was getting stronger and stronger, and more time passed, more tourists were giving up at the offers of the rickshaw guys. Being taken around in such a beautiful cart in such an hot day would be tempting. I liked the continuous passing by of those slow and colourful vehicles, and I found somehow amusing to see those fat tourists gasping for air in such a day. I guess that they weren’t going up the Bukit St. Paul. Unless they wanted to commit a suicide climbing those stairways in such an hot day, but at least, the sight would be beautiful.
But not beautiful to kill... For that, would be the heat and their own body fat.
I kept going until I met the round point. While there, I turned on the opposite side of the Stadhuys and I kept following the Melaka river. Actually, the thing that called me in that place, was what looked like a vessel, an ancient boat. I’ve seen it from the top of Bukit St. Paul, and it got my attention. In short I arrived there, and it was quite a delusion to discover that it was a brand-new just-built fake-vessel on a concrete yard. It was such a tourist trap that I couldn’t believe. I guess that lately Melaka is growing as a tourist attraction, so new hotels are being built up right now, and the city is planning new tourist attractions. On my map this place was called “Maritime Museum & Naval Museum”. Further researches shown that this ship is the copy of the “Flora de la Mar”, a Portuguese galleon that sank off the coast of Melaka. In our days it houses maps, ship models and maritime weaponry.
Just near the old-looking ship, just a little bit further, after what looked like some modern warehouses, now used for restaurants or just empty waiting for some venues to be opened, I found a small building. It was the starting point of the river cruises. In the beginning, it felt like another tourist trap. The boat were kind of huge plastic rafts with overboard engines. From each of them was coming some music, mainly pop music. The heat, the colours, the smell, the music and the river itself. I couldn’t resist to such a tourist trap.
It’s always so hard for me to resist at the kitsch things.
I went at the desk and I bought a ticket for a ride. I waited for some minutes and then came my boat. It was time to visit the Melaka river.
I boarded the plastic boat and I took a seat on the board side. The seats were with their backs on the parapet side and also all around a central area where were stored some life jackets. As results, my knees were touching the ones of a young Asian mom and her terrible kid both sitting in front of me. Next to me there was a young couple of English speaking people. She was blonde and fair skinned, he was blonde and tanned. I guess they were from Australia. They spoke just enough to let me know that they were English speaking, and then they fell silence. All their attention was taken by the panorama and they were in what looked like in a really intense physical relation with their own big cameras. The driver turned the engine on, rose the music volume and we left for the exploration of the river. First sighting was a Varan, the huge lizard. I’ve seen Varans in past, while being on Koh Raya, a very pretty Thai island. It was still surprising to see such a big lizard going around freely. In my city we have big cats and rats walking around, here they have huge lizards too. Maybe those lizards are a good pest control too, I guess. We kept going upstream, first we passed under the bridge in front of the Stadhuys and we arrived an area that I called “Little Amsterdam”. Actually, beside the thing that here there is a river and some bridges, it had nothing else in common with Amsterdam, but my imagination was running wild. On the banks of the river two beautiful promenades with beautiful blue-painted lamps separated the river from the colourful neat houses in Sino-European style. Actually I don’t know if this style really exist or I just made it up, but were a mashup of European and Chinese houses. The perfect style to fit in this place. Most of these houses were well painted, some with nice draws, while a few of them, were left uncared. Every now and then, there was a restaurant or a pub. It was about midday and only few people were walking in the heat, while most of the restaurants and pubs were closed. It was a Monday morning, so I guess it was the closing time of the week. Along our way we met many beautiful bridges, well painted with bright colours and some with sculptures in the ends. We passed through the beautiful residential area, the “Little Amsterdam”, and then we first went by an area with trees and what looked like a swamp, then again, an huge tourist complex with what looked like a short monorail train. From the boat, it looked like the area was crammed with people and more “river cruise boats” all docked around. I wonder why there were so many people there. Probably that sort of resort was a stopping point for the day trips from everywhere. Here we inverted our route and we went back downstream. The river was very trafficked by all those tourist-boats going up and downstream. I relaxed, enjoying the sun and the gentle breeze. The city passed one more time before me and in short I was disembarking in the docking area. The trip took over an hour, but it felt like it lasted only 20 minutes. If this was a tourist trap, it was a really beautiful one.
But not beautiful to kill... For that, would be the heat and their own body fat.
I kept going until I met the round point. While there, I turned on the opposite side of the Stadhuys and I kept following the Melaka river. Actually, the thing that called me in that place, was what looked like a vessel, an ancient boat. I’ve seen it from the top of Bukit St. Paul, and it got my attention. In short I arrived there, and it was quite a delusion to discover that it was a brand-new just-built fake-vessel on a concrete yard. It was such a tourist trap that I couldn’t believe. I guess that lately Melaka is growing as a tourist attraction, so new hotels are being built up right now, and the city is planning new tourist attractions. On my map this place was called “Maritime Museum & Naval Museum”. Further researches shown that this ship is the copy of the “Flora de la Mar”, a Portuguese galleon that sank off the coast of Melaka. In our days it houses maps, ship models and maritime weaponry.
Just near the old-looking ship, just a little bit further, after what looked like some modern warehouses, now used for restaurants or just empty waiting for some venues to be opened, I found a small building. It was the starting point of the river cruises. In the beginning, it felt like another tourist trap. The boat were kind of huge plastic rafts with overboard engines. From each of them was coming some music, mainly pop music. The heat, the colours, the smell, the music and the river itself. I couldn’t resist to such a tourist trap.
It’s always so hard for me to resist at the kitsch things.
I went at the desk and I bought a ticket for a ride. I waited for some minutes and then came my boat. It was time to visit the Melaka river.
I boarded the plastic boat and I took a seat on the board side. The seats were with their backs on the parapet side and also all around a central area where were stored some life jackets. As results, my knees were touching the ones of a young Asian mom and her terrible kid both sitting in front of me. Next to me there was a young couple of English speaking people. She was blonde and fair skinned, he was blonde and tanned. I guess they were from Australia. They spoke just enough to let me know that they were English speaking, and then they fell silence. All their attention was taken by the panorama and they were in what looked like in a really intense physical relation with their own big cameras. The driver turned the engine on, rose the music volume and we left for the exploration of the river. First sighting was a Varan, the huge lizard. I’ve seen Varans in past, while being on Koh Raya, a very pretty Thai island. It was still surprising to see such a big lizard going around freely. In my city we have big cats and rats walking around, here they have huge lizards too. Maybe those lizards are a good pest control too, I guess. We kept going upstream, first we passed under the bridge in front of the Stadhuys and we arrived an area that I called “Little Amsterdam”. Actually, beside the thing that here there is a river and some bridges, it had nothing else in common with Amsterdam, but my imagination was running wild. On the banks of the river two beautiful promenades with beautiful blue-painted lamps separated the river from the colourful neat houses in Sino-European style. Actually I don’t know if this style really exist or I just made it up, but were a mashup of European and Chinese houses. The perfect style to fit in this place. Most of these houses were well painted, some with nice draws, while a few of them, were left uncared. Every now and then, there was a restaurant or a pub. It was about midday and only few people were walking in the heat, while most of the restaurants and pubs were closed. It was a Monday morning, so I guess it was the closing time of the week. Along our way we met many beautiful bridges, well painted with bright colours and some with sculptures in the ends. We passed through the beautiful residential area, the “Little Amsterdam”, and then we first went by an area with trees and what looked like a swamp, then again, an huge tourist complex with what looked like a short monorail train. From the boat, it looked like the area was crammed with people and more “river cruise boats” all docked around. I wonder why there were so many people there. Probably that sort of resort was a stopping point for the day trips from everywhere. Here we inverted our route and we went back downstream. The river was very trafficked by all those tourist-boats going up and downstream. I relaxed, enjoying the sun and the gentle breeze. The city passed one more time before me and in short I was disembarking in the docking area. The trip took over an hour, but it felt like it lasted only 20 minutes. If this was a tourist trap, it was a really beautiful one.
Melaka – Jonker Walk
Once disembarked I made my way back to the Stadhuys. Just near the red building, on the southern side of the round point, I still found two interesting spots. The first was the Melaka Sultanate Water Mill. As it the name says, it’s a real Water Mill. It was built between the 2007 and 2008 at the cost of about 1.500.000 Ringgit, that means, more or less 375.000 Euro. The technological inspiration was the “Islamic Technology” from Syria and Lijiang, China. The wheel is about 13 metre tall and it’s all wooden. Just before it, there’s a square with a metal plate that explains about this mill. The real use of the mill is of being still and useless. In fact, it doesn’t pull water anywhere, it doesn’t crash grains to make flour, but, the project involved the installation of water buckets that would fill in the river and they’d pour water into an artificial pond connected with the river. A river-powered water transportation show. The mill, that was first awarded as the tallest water mill of Malaysia and then it also was chosen by UNESCO as world heritage thing. I supposed that to be enlisted as a “World Heritage Something” it should require something more than the quality of “being built in some style” and having some use, not just being in good display. Anyway, the water wheel is really beautiful.
Just near the Sultanate Water Mill there are the ruins of both a small fortress made of bricks and some other ancient ruins of walls that were found during some works near the street. I guess that all these parts are from the ancient and huge “A Famosa” fortress. It’s interesting to be there and wondering how big had been that fortress.
I followed the street up to the round point, then I turned left and I entered the bridge on the Melaka River. On the other side, there was China Town and Jonker Street. Long time ago, while gathering the information for the trip, I’ve read a lot about Melaka and about Jonker Street too. I’ve read that it was some sort of commercial district and any day trips were describing it like a circular street, which loop would be so wide that would be taken only half of it. When I planned this trip, I refused to seek for pictures, and I imagined it like a commercial street full of different shops with clean windows and a lot of well lit junk in display. I couldn’t be more wrong.
First things first, the so called “Jonker Street” or “Jonker Walk” isn’t the real name of the street. The circular trail is made of two streets that run parallel for most of their length until a point that they convert until touching. Both start from the river, so people can follow first one and then to go in the next to come back. The real names of the streets are Jalan Hang Jebat, the most commercial one and Jalan Tukang Emas the most Chinese one. I arrived at the beginning of Jalan Hang Jabat, and then, I decided to start from the next one. So, I followed the rived and then I entered Jalan Tukang Emas. The sun was scorching and I was trying to follow the street using every piece of shadow that I could find. On my sides, old and low Sino-Portuguese buildings were housing cheap hotels and ageless shops, like the den of that old and bold blacksmith that was striking a piece of red-hot iron with his hammer while smoking a twisted cigarette.
Along the way, where the street bends and goes to meet the parallel Jalan Hang Jebat there are two Chinese temples that are worth the visit, the first is Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, laso known as “The Merciful Cloud Temple”. This temple, dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy Kuan Yin, built in the 1646 is the oldest of the country.
Cheng Hoon Teng Temple in Melaka
Founded in the early 14th century by Parameswara, a Sumatran prince, Malacca quickly became a key port of call for merchants playing the routes between India and China– once the two greatest markets of the world back then. Under the guidance of the Melaka Malay Sultanate, the city soon attracted European powers who sought to make it another linchpin in their empire-building schemes. Unsuccessful colonisation attempts by the Portuguese, Dutch and British led to Malacca’s landscape becoming irrevocably altered, with an abundance of majestic colonial architecture rubbing shoulders with aged Chinese store fronts.
Malacca is best known for its narrow, shaded alleyways with locals playing mah-jong, colourful flower and teddy bear studded trishaws and kids riding bicycles along its labyrinth of streets. Home to a plethora of historical sightseeing attractions, Malacca’s vibrant mix of ethnic communities has resulted in a city liberally sprinkled with houses of worship.
One of the most notable edifices in the city is the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple; located nearby the Hindu Sri Pogyatha Vinoyagar Temple, this Chinese temple is reputedly the oldest in the country. Erected in 1646, the temple – also known as Merciful Cloud Temple – is located along Jalan Hang Lekiu; opposite the temple is a traditional opera theatre. Dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy, Kuan Yin, the main prayer hall has a weighty saddled roof and domineering dark timber beams; a black, gold and red-robed effigy of the goddess stands in the central prayer hall. Beside the opera theatre, there’s the newly constructed Xianglin temple (Fragrant Forest Temple) – this shrine follows the traditional layout of Chinese Buddhist temples.
Cheng Hoon Teng temple was erected by Chan Lak Koa, son-in-law to the second Chinese kapitan – a mediatory position created by the VOC which made it possible for them to govern the diverse ethnic communities. Apparently Chan Lak Koa’s relative success after his father-in-law’s death motivated him to construct the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple as an expression of gratitude for his prosperity.
Managed by the same board of trustees as that which serves Bukit Cina (the ancestral burial ground to the northeast of town), due to the burial ground’s ongoing controversy, Cheng Hoon Teng’s walls have newspaper clippings detailing its struggles displayed prominently throughout the temple.
Notable for its carved woodwork, the shrine is a central place of worship for Malacca’s Buddhist community. All building material for the temple – as well as the artisans concerned with its construction – was brought in from China. Smaller chambers devoted to ancestor worship are prominent throughout the temple – these rooms are filled with tablets bearing photographs of the deceased. Also in these quarters are wads of fake money and papier-mâché models of luxury items – which are used as symbols of creature comforts for the dead.
The second temple is the Xiang Lin Si Temple, that as far as I was told, it’s more like a theatre or even a stage where people act or performs dances to amuse the Gods.
Once reached the two temples, just a little further behind the bend of the street there is the corner of the triangular crossroad where the street joins Jalan Hang Jebat. In this corner there were many beer shops and even a bakery. Here I went a little down the street and then I made my way back and I entered the more commercial Jalan Hang Jebat. The street itself is full of food vendors and souvenir shops. The one that interested me the most was the “Gibbon House”, that is a shop which income is partly used in the Gibbon conservation.
It was time for lunch and on my way down Jalan Hang Jebat I found a really interesting place, the Geographer Cafè. This place is a Colonial style building, serving a range of typical Malay food and international ones. With food there is also a nice list of drinks, from water, juices, cocktails both with alcohol and alcohol free. The furnishing is in perfect colonial style and it’s broadcasted Caribbean music. It’s an amazing spot. I sat at a polished wooden table on the corner of the porch. A very gentle waiter came and gave me a menu. I chosen a dish with fried rice, fried egg, mixed vegetables with black sesame, sliced fresh hot pepper, chicken skewers with spicy sauce. As a drink I chosen first an alcohol-free cocktail with Oolong Tea, Lime juice and Grenadine, which gave at the drink a strong clear sparking pink-reddish colour and sour taste. After it, a bottle of fresh water was amazing. Next to me, while waiting, I noticed that there were two old English-speaking ladies that were wearing khaki explorer clothes and white frilly-edged hats that soon were called by a Malay tour guide. In a dark corner of the porch, next the door to go to the other dining room, there was a long-bearded big-man that had such a huge pile of empty dished on his table. He was finishing to eat a huge fish when was joined by his black-haired not-so-tall a-little-chubby pale-skinned girl, then, in front of me was a young blonde Western couple which took some steamed rice and noodles soups. The food arrived and it was simply amazing, both tasty and well displayed on the dish. Eating in that place, with the heat of the day and that nice music was perfect and I couldn’t ask for anything more than that.
Just near the Sultanate Water Mill there are the ruins of both a small fortress made of bricks and some other ancient ruins of walls that were found during some works near the street. I guess that all these parts are from the ancient and huge “A Famosa” fortress. It’s interesting to be there and wondering how big had been that fortress.
I followed the street up to the round point, then I turned left and I entered the bridge on the Melaka River. On the other side, there was China Town and Jonker Street. Long time ago, while gathering the information for the trip, I’ve read a lot about Melaka and about Jonker Street too. I’ve read that it was some sort of commercial district and any day trips were describing it like a circular street, which loop would be so wide that would be taken only half of it. When I planned this trip, I refused to seek for pictures, and I imagined it like a commercial street full of different shops with clean windows and a lot of well lit junk in display. I couldn’t be more wrong.
First things first, the so called “Jonker Street” or “Jonker Walk” isn’t the real name of the street. The circular trail is made of two streets that run parallel for most of their length until a point that they convert until touching. Both start from the river, so people can follow first one and then to go in the next to come back. The real names of the streets are Jalan Hang Jebat, the most commercial one and Jalan Tukang Emas the most Chinese one. I arrived at the beginning of Jalan Hang Jabat, and then, I decided to start from the next one. So, I followed the rived and then I entered Jalan Tukang Emas. The sun was scorching and I was trying to follow the street using every piece of shadow that I could find. On my sides, old and low Sino-Portuguese buildings were housing cheap hotels and ageless shops, like the den of that old and bold blacksmith that was striking a piece of red-hot iron with his hammer while smoking a twisted cigarette.
Along the way, where the street bends and goes to meet the parallel Jalan Hang Jebat there are two Chinese temples that are worth the visit, the first is Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, laso known as “The Merciful Cloud Temple”. This temple, dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy Kuan Yin, built in the 1646 is the oldest of the country.
Cheng Hoon Teng Temple in Melaka
Founded in the early 14th century by Parameswara, a Sumatran prince, Malacca quickly became a key port of call for merchants playing the routes between India and China– once the two greatest markets of the world back then. Under the guidance of the Melaka Malay Sultanate, the city soon attracted European powers who sought to make it another linchpin in their empire-building schemes. Unsuccessful colonisation attempts by the Portuguese, Dutch and British led to Malacca’s landscape becoming irrevocably altered, with an abundance of majestic colonial architecture rubbing shoulders with aged Chinese store fronts.
Malacca is best known for its narrow, shaded alleyways with locals playing mah-jong, colourful flower and teddy bear studded trishaws and kids riding bicycles along its labyrinth of streets. Home to a plethora of historical sightseeing attractions, Malacca’s vibrant mix of ethnic communities has resulted in a city liberally sprinkled with houses of worship.
One of the most notable edifices in the city is the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple; located nearby the Hindu Sri Pogyatha Vinoyagar Temple, this Chinese temple is reputedly the oldest in the country. Erected in 1646, the temple – also known as Merciful Cloud Temple – is located along Jalan Hang Lekiu; opposite the temple is a traditional opera theatre. Dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy, Kuan Yin, the main prayer hall has a weighty saddled roof and domineering dark timber beams; a black, gold and red-robed effigy of the goddess stands in the central prayer hall. Beside the opera theatre, there’s the newly constructed Xianglin temple (Fragrant Forest Temple) – this shrine follows the traditional layout of Chinese Buddhist temples.
Cheng Hoon Teng temple was erected by Chan Lak Koa, son-in-law to the second Chinese kapitan – a mediatory position created by the VOC which made it possible for them to govern the diverse ethnic communities. Apparently Chan Lak Koa’s relative success after his father-in-law’s death motivated him to construct the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple as an expression of gratitude for his prosperity.
Managed by the same board of trustees as that which serves Bukit Cina (the ancestral burial ground to the northeast of town), due to the burial ground’s ongoing controversy, Cheng Hoon Teng’s walls have newspaper clippings detailing its struggles displayed prominently throughout the temple.
Notable for its carved woodwork, the shrine is a central place of worship for Malacca’s Buddhist community. All building material for the temple – as well as the artisans concerned with its construction – was brought in from China. Smaller chambers devoted to ancestor worship are prominent throughout the temple – these rooms are filled with tablets bearing photographs of the deceased. Also in these quarters are wads of fake money and papier-mâché models of luxury items – which are used as symbols of creature comforts for the dead.
The second temple is the Xiang Lin Si Temple, that as far as I was told, it’s more like a theatre or even a stage where people act or performs dances to amuse the Gods.
Once reached the two temples, just a little further behind the bend of the street there is the corner of the triangular crossroad where the street joins Jalan Hang Jebat. In this corner there were many beer shops and even a bakery. Here I went a little down the street and then I made my way back and I entered the more commercial Jalan Hang Jebat. The street itself is full of food vendors and souvenir shops. The one that interested me the most was the “Gibbon House”, that is a shop which income is partly used in the Gibbon conservation.
It was time for lunch and on my way down Jalan Hang Jebat I found a really interesting place, the Geographer Cafè. This place is a Colonial style building, serving a range of typical Malay food and international ones. With food there is also a nice list of drinks, from water, juices, cocktails both with alcohol and alcohol free. The furnishing is in perfect colonial style and it’s broadcasted Caribbean music. It’s an amazing spot. I sat at a polished wooden table on the corner of the porch. A very gentle waiter came and gave me a menu. I chosen a dish with fried rice, fried egg, mixed vegetables with black sesame, sliced fresh hot pepper, chicken skewers with spicy sauce. As a drink I chosen first an alcohol-free cocktail with Oolong Tea, Lime juice and Grenadine, which gave at the drink a strong clear sparking pink-reddish colour and sour taste. After it, a bottle of fresh water was amazing. Next to me, while waiting, I noticed that there were two old English-speaking ladies that were wearing khaki explorer clothes and white frilly-edged hats that soon were called by a Malay tour guide. In a dark corner of the porch, next the door to go to the other dining room, there was a long-bearded big-man that had such a huge pile of empty dished on his table. He was finishing to eat a huge fish when was joined by his black-haired not-so-tall a-little-chubby pale-skinned girl, then, in front of me was a young blonde Western couple which took some steamed rice and noodles soups. The food arrived and it was simply amazing, both tasty and well displayed on the dish. Eating in that place, with the heat of the day and that nice music was perfect and I couldn’t ask for anything more than that.
Melaka – The Melaka Strait
After lunch I went down the street. I looked carelessly at the shops, where I bought some postcard, and soon I arrived at the end of the street. Now I had to decide where to go. The river was before me, so I should go upstream or downstream? Definitely downstream. In that direction there was the “Melaka Strait” and it was an opportunity to see it that couldn’t be missed.
I started to follow the river downstream. The city changed her face soon. First I passed by some modern white-painted low-buildings complex. Here there were many works going on and it looked like that, from what looked like bars or clubs, in the night that dead-looking place could get some life. That was the end of the city, then the street, surrounded by muddy fields first passed under what looked like a motorway bridge, and then, it went straight, in the scorching sun, to the sea. I followed the street. Here the very few cars were riding at such an high speed that, as soon as I could, I decided to leave the road and to go through a just-dried muddy field. Few cars running fast, few gangster-looking people, a coastal street with some tree all along and nothing else. Silence regularly broken by the sound of the ocean.
And some running car and some boat engine.
After such a long walk I arrived on the edge of the coast. There was no beach but a line of huge stones that started from the river and went all along the coast until a sort of port or maybe a shipyard.
I stood in the shadow under the branches of a tree, I took some pictures at the “Melaka Strait” and I glanced at it wondering how many travellers, boats and adventurers passed by that place. It was amazing for me and for a moment, the time stopped flowing. The sea where flowed history. The contended land which shores are washed by the sea beyond the eastern horizon. A breeze was blowing from west, she was coming to me after having carried the smells of flowers in Java and being enriched of the sea salty taste. It was fresh and velvety on my skin. After such a long contemplating break, it was time to put the camera back in the backpack and make my way back.
I jumped down the rocks and I passed by a car with inside a girl that fell asleep next the sea. Then, again through the dried-mud field and again along the dangerous street. The coming back way looked much shorter than while going to the sea, and in what felt like few minutes, I was back at the Jonker Street, in front of the Stadhuys. Now it was time to go upstream.
While having the boat cruise up the river I’ve seen that this part of the city was so pretty and the promenades on the banks of the river looked so romantic. So, I decided to have a closer look. It was full day and the sun was at its top strength. I walked a little bit on the right bank going upstream. It was just too hot and it was too empty. All the places were close, there was nobody around and the bright walls were reflecting such a strong light and heat. Soon I arrived at the St. Francis Xavier church, that it was closed. So, no chance to visit that shady place. I felt that it had no sense to keep going on that way, especially after that I already made all that way, first to the sea and then to this church. So, I turned back and I looked for a shady coffee.
I found a place, it was an empty bar. Some waitress were together screaming and laughing at the corner of the bar. Some tourist was into a central table, and I took a seat next to the street. In shadow, where was a gentle breeze. So, with a black coffee, I sat down and I relaxed enjoying the Melakan breeze. It was so nice to be there and the heat made me decide to take some more time there. I felt inspired, so I took the postcards out of my bag and I wrote them all.
They were just five.
Later I took my bag again, I left the place and I came back to Jonker Street with a short stop at the Post office to send the postcards. By the way, the Post Office is just near the Stadhuys.
One more look at the nice shops in Jonker Street, and I found a shop that I missed before. It was an handmade wooden goods shop, where I bought a nice wooden flute. They had so many beautiful things, and I wished to buy half of the shop. Then one more stop at the gem-shop where they have such a beautiful small statues that I didn’t buy. And also one more stop at the juice shop where I bought a great mixed tropical fruit juice. That was lovely. Now it was time to come back at the station.
I stopped a cab. I bargained and he offered me to take me back at the station at the same price that I paid that morning. For me it was fine. The driver was cheerful and gave me plenty of information, especially that the next time I should come back there and stay over the weekend when the city is more lively and there is also a night market. It’d be amazing, but the problem is that there is no beach there. So, I guess that I’d have to take a teksi to find a beach somewhere there near.
I started to follow the river downstream. The city changed her face soon. First I passed by some modern white-painted low-buildings complex. Here there were many works going on and it looked like that, from what looked like bars or clubs, in the night that dead-looking place could get some life. That was the end of the city, then the street, surrounded by muddy fields first passed under what looked like a motorway bridge, and then, it went straight, in the scorching sun, to the sea. I followed the street. Here the very few cars were riding at such an high speed that, as soon as I could, I decided to leave the road and to go through a just-dried muddy field. Few cars running fast, few gangster-looking people, a coastal street with some tree all along and nothing else. Silence regularly broken by the sound of the ocean.
And some running car and some boat engine.
After such a long walk I arrived on the edge of the coast. There was no beach but a line of huge stones that started from the river and went all along the coast until a sort of port or maybe a shipyard.
I stood in the shadow under the branches of a tree, I took some pictures at the “Melaka Strait” and I glanced at it wondering how many travellers, boats and adventurers passed by that place. It was amazing for me and for a moment, the time stopped flowing. The sea where flowed history. The contended land which shores are washed by the sea beyond the eastern horizon. A breeze was blowing from west, she was coming to me after having carried the smells of flowers in Java and being enriched of the sea salty taste. It was fresh and velvety on my skin. After such a long contemplating break, it was time to put the camera back in the backpack and make my way back.
I jumped down the rocks and I passed by a car with inside a girl that fell asleep next the sea. Then, again through the dried-mud field and again along the dangerous street. The coming back way looked much shorter than while going to the sea, and in what felt like few minutes, I was back at the Jonker Street, in front of the Stadhuys. Now it was time to go upstream.
While having the boat cruise up the river I’ve seen that this part of the city was so pretty and the promenades on the banks of the river looked so romantic. So, I decided to have a closer look. It was full day and the sun was at its top strength. I walked a little bit on the right bank going upstream. It was just too hot and it was too empty. All the places were close, there was nobody around and the bright walls were reflecting such a strong light and heat. Soon I arrived at the St. Francis Xavier church, that it was closed. So, no chance to visit that shady place. I felt that it had no sense to keep going on that way, especially after that I already made all that way, first to the sea and then to this church. So, I turned back and I looked for a shady coffee.
I found a place, it was an empty bar. Some waitress were together screaming and laughing at the corner of the bar. Some tourist was into a central table, and I took a seat next to the street. In shadow, where was a gentle breeze. So, with a black coffee, I sat down and I relaxed enjoying the Melakan breeze. It was so nice to be there and the heat made me decide to take some more time there. I felt inspired, so I took the postcards out of my bag and I wrote them all.
They were just five.
Later I took my bag again, I left the place and I came back to Jonker Street with a short stop at the Post office to send the postcards. By the way, the Post Office is just near the Stadhuys.
One more look at the nice shops in Jonker Street, and I found a shop that I missed before. It was an handmade wooden goods shop, where I bought a nice wooden flute. They had so many beautiful things, and I wished to buy half of the shop. Then one more stop at the gem-shop where they have such a beautiful small statues that I didn’t buy. And also one more stop at the juice shop where I bought a great mixed tropical fruit juice. That was lovely. Now it was time to come back at the station.
I stopped a cab. I bargained and he offered me to take me back at the station at the same price that I paid that morning. For me it was fine. The driver was cheerful and gave me plenty of information, especially that the next time I should come back there and stay over the weekend when the city is more lively and there is also a night market. It’d be amazing, but the problem is that there is no beach there. So, I guess that I’d have to take a teksi to find a beach somewhere there near.
Melaka – Coming back to Kuala Lumpur
When I arrived at the bus station, it looked that almost all the Pullman were almost taken, so in order to take a cheap one, I took a ticket for one that would leave an hour later. So, I had plenty of time to go through the bus-station-market one more time, and to have a snack with a chocolate filled pancake. Then it was time to leave.
I entered the Pullman that filled up in few minutes. Then it started going up north, toward some very huge and black clouds. Soon we entered a storm and outside it went so dark. I started my MP3 player and while relaxing, I fell asleep.
I arrived in Kuala Lumpur that it just stopped raining. The hot air became chilly and it was so clear all around the Bersepadu Selatan Bus Terminal. The light was great and the horizon was, every now and then, crossed by some lightning. I took some pictures and then I went back first to the commuter and then to the monorail. This time, in spite going at the Raya Chulan station I went out of the monorail at the Imbi Station, where is the Times Square shopping mall. It was already around 21.00. The mall was amazing, so huge, so bright and with so many beautiful things to buy. I wandered around and finally I found such a beautiful shorts that I couldn’t resist to buy. There it was the shoppingholic in me that took control of the situation. It was so smooth. See it, try it, buy it. That’s the nice shoppingholic style. Time to put it in my backpack and I went at the Japanese restaurant where the Japanese-pretending Malay-guy cooked for me such a nice shredded squid with stir-fried vegetables, fresh bean sprouts and cold Mountain Dew.
It was late, the mall was closing. I felt twisted after such a long day. I wandered around, mainly without an idea of where I was going. All shops, elevators, lights and sounds. It felt like in some sort of a modern well-lit labyrinth with perfectly clear tiled floors. Then, I arrived into the legendary place of the Times Square mall. The Theme Park. I could never imagine that inside a mall could even fit a Theme Park, but there it was. Ok, it was already closed, but seeing that the mall is huge, even this big Theme Park fitted inside, with even a roller coaster running and twisting all around. It was a marvel of technology and architecture. I was simply amazed. I needed time and I spent long watching it. Then a voice called all people outside and I made my way back, somehow, finding even the exit without being locked inside for the night.
I went out of the mall and it was raining again. The clouds kept their promise to not leave so soon. I didn’t want to take again the monorail, as I wished to stay among people and to stop at the internet point to write back home. So, first stop, the internet point, by good luck, nothing weird happened. Then again the streets. The crowd was massive. I was walking around in a state of dizziness. The rain poured over me, the noises, people and colours all around. Then, a huge crowd stood in front of me. It wasn’t an impression, but a lot of people gathered in a small square and was watching something. There were two black street dancers performing some Break Dance. Unluckily they had just stopped and some people from Peru or Chile or whatsoever, covered in feathers and leather started to play their version of some famous song. In the same time, the street dancers were rehearsing their next choreography. I found shelter under the arcade of a building and I waited long enough that the people from Chile or Peru or whatever, ended their boring performance and the street dancers came back to call the crowd. In a matter of seconds the crowd came back in place and I had a nice spot from where to watch the performance both in first line and sheltered from the rain. My small camera, the Hi-Sensitivity and High definition one started to show me the “Low Battery” sign.
Damn.
I waited, waited and waited again. I didn’t want to risk to turn it on and drain the rest of the battery. Then the guy gave a signal and they started their performance. I turned the camera on and pressed the “Record” button just in time. The choreography was wonderful, they were both skilled and funny at the same time. It lasted about two minutes, but it was worth the waiting. By good luck, my camera lasted too. So, I had it recorded to watch it again once back home.
Now it was time to make the short way back to the hotel. When I entered the room I felt like my energies were very low. I placed the camera to recharge, the SD card on the backup unit and then I took shower. Before going to sleep I counted the expenses for my day trip. The Pullmans costed me 9 Ringgit to go and 11 to come back and the Teksis in Melaka costed me 15 Ringgit for each ride. The total amount was 50 Ringgit, that means 12 Euro. If I took a Day Trip with a guide, I’d spend over 35 Euro without all the freedom of wandering around Melaka as I wished. So, I’m happy of my trip. The day had been amazing and I was looking forward for the next one.
I entered the Pullman that filled up in few minutes. Then it started going up north, toward some very huge and black clouds. Soon we entered a storm and outside it went so dark. I started my MP3 player and while relaxing, I fell asleep.
I arrived in Kuala Lumpur that it just stopped raining. The hot air became chilly and it was so clear all around the Bersepadu Selatan Bus Terminal. The light was great and the horizon was, every now and then, crossed by some lightning. I took some pictures and then I went back first to the commuter and then to the monorail. This time, in spite going at the Raya Chulan station I went out of the monorail at the Imbi Station, where is the Times Square shopping mall. It was already around 21.00. The mall was amazing, so huge, so bright and with so many beautiful things to buy. I wandered around and finally I found such a beautiful shorts that I couldn’t resist to buy. There it was the shoppingholic in me that took control of the situation. It was so smooth. See it, try it, buy it. That’s the nice shoppingholic style. Time to put it in my backpack and I went at the Japanese restaurant where the Japanese-pretending Malay-guy cooked for me such a nice shredded squid with stir-fried vegetables, fresh bean sprouts and cold Mountain Dew.
It was late, the mall was closing. I felt twisted after such a long day. I wandered around, mainly without an idea of where I was going. All shops, elevators, lights and sounds. It felt like in some sort of a modern well-lit labyrinth with perfectly clear tiled floors. Then, I arrived into the legendary place of the Times Square mall. The Theme Park. I could never imagine that inside a mall could even fit a Theme Park, but there it was. Ok, it was already closed, but seeing that the mall is huge, even this big Theme Park fitted inside, with even a roller coaster running and twisting all around. It was a marvel of technology and architecture. I was simply amazed. I needed time and I spent long watching it. Then a voice called all people outside and I made my way back, somehow, finding even the exit without being locked inside for the night.
I went out of the mall and it was raining again. The clouds kept their promise to not leave so soon. I didn’t want to take again the monorail, as I wished to stay among people and to stop at the internet point to write back home. So, first stop, the internet point, by good luck, nothing weird happened. Then again the streets. The crowd was massive. I was walking around in a state of dizziness. The rain poured over me, the noises, people and colours all around. Then, a huge crowd stood in front of me. It wasn’t an impression, but a lot of people gathered in a small square and was watching something. There were two black street dancers performing some Break Dance. Unluckily they had just stopped and some people from Peru or Chile or whatsoever, covered in feathers and leather started to play their version of some famous song. In the same time, the street dancers were rehearsing their next choreography. I found shelter under the arcade of a building and I waited long enough that the people from Chile or Peru or whatever, ended their boring performance and the street dancers came back to call the crowd. In a matter of seconds the crowd came back in place and I had a nice spot from where to watch the performance both in first line and sheltered from the rain. My small camera, the Hi-Sensitivity and High definition one started to show me the “Low Battery” sign.
Damn.
I waited, waited and waited again. I didn’t want to risk to turn it on and drain the rest of the battery. Then the guy gave a signal and they started their performance. I turned the camera on and pressed the “Record” button just in time. The choreography was wonderful, they were both skilled and funny at the same time. It lasted about two minutes, but it was worth the waiting. By good luck, my camera lasted too. So, I had it recorded to watch it again once back home.
Now it was time to make the short way back to the hotel. When I entered the room I felt like my energies were very low. I placed the camera to recharge, the SD card on the backup unit and then I took shower. Before going to sleep I counted the expenses for my day trip. The Pullmans costed me 9 Ringgit to go and 11 to come back and the Teksis in Melaka costed me 15 Ringgit for each ride. The total amount was 50 Ringgit, that means 12 Euro. If I took a Day Trip with a guide, I’d spend over 35 Euro without all the freedom of wandering around Melaka as I wished. So, I’m happy of my trip. The day had been amazing and I was looking forward for the next one.