Sunday 9th October
Well, another lazy day in Melaka. One day and evening is all that is needed to see and appreciate the town. But I am here for longer because I don't leave Malaysia until Friday and I am not interested in going anywhere else, until I go back to KL.
This afternoon I went to The Discovery Cafe again and watched both RWC matches and in the evening wandered along to the night markets with English Ryan and Carla, and Canadian Anna. Other travellers seem to feel the same as me about Melaka; it is ok but nothing special and not very exciting.
Monday 10th October
Masala dosa and big cup of tea for very late breakfast. Went to the Maritime and Naval museum which is housed in a replica of a Portuguese ship (Flora de la Mar); there is a diorama of early traders and their wares such as spices, veggies and crockery. There are some paintings showing the ships in the harbour and in the Melaka straits and Melaka when it was a small village. The displays were quite informative and not too wordy.
I wandered around Chinatown again looking at the different historical buildings, and went into the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple. Then back to the Indian restaurant for veggies and rice and tea and egg roti, and reading Dracula. I walked down to the Quay and sat on the rocks looking out to the Melaka Straits, but no shade so I didn't stay for long.
Laksa for dinner; the town was pretty quiet this evening, the weekend's tourists have gone. Played cards with Ryan and Carla and Anna.
Tuesday 11th October
Checked out and got local bus to Melaka Central and straight on the bus 2 hours back to KL and to cheap, friendly hostel. After Chinese beef noodles, I crossed the river to look for the Sultan Abdul Samad Building and found it, along with some other nice-looking buildings; it is a mix of Victorian, Moorish and Mogul architecture with a clock tower. There is an old cricket pitch opposite and a large flag pole in Merdaka Square.
I then went to the old seldom-used KL train station which is Mogul-Moorish. Opposite is the Malayan Railway Admin building which has many gothic arches and external stone stairways; I like that kind of thing anyway, and more so since I am reading Dracula at the moment!
Next I was in the area of the National Mosque but I didn't bother getting to close since I had my holey shorts on which would not be deemed appropriate attire. Maybe another day.
After more Indian food I wandered to the shopping malls since there are some good clothes here in the sales but I didn't buy anything. Street noodles for dinner, and late night Macca's choco top ice cream for supper - yum.
Wednesday 12th October
Lazy lie-in. Followed the LP guided walk of Little India, passed some places I had already been and through a market and past a couple of mosques. It is the Deepvali festival this month so the streets in Little India are even more colourful. Samosas and tea for lunch and then I walked up to Lake Titiwangsa, north of the city centre. The lake is man-made, it was peaceful and pretty up there. I sat and read my book and walked around the edge of the lake. Then I walked back into the city.
I got my new shorts taken up as they were too long. The Chinese lady there was very nice. Her English is good because she lived in a convent in Georgetown (I had passed it when I was there) so she learned English from Irish and English nuns when she was a girl. She also talked about how she and her friends wanted to send their children to study in Australia but it is too expensive, because the dollar is so high......tell me about it!
Egg roti canai and tea for afternoon snack. Good chat with friendly shop assistant where I bought a couple of shirts. She is from Surabaya in Java.
Thursday 13th October
Late breakfast of veggie fried rice. Short walk to the post office to send 3kg home by surface mail. Stayed in the hostel during the middle of the day out of the heat. Mid-afternoon I walked to the National mosque. I wasn't really planning on going in since I have been to many mosques this year, but when I got there I saw that it was during the one hour in the afternoon when tourists are allowed in, so I donned the mandatory blancmange-purple gown and headed inside.
The mosque was built by the British and has a umbrella-style roof to represent protection for the faithful. The main prayer hall is quite spectacular with Italian stain-glassed window. I chatted to some volunteers there; we had a good talk about the customs of Islam and different mosques and the 5 Pillars of Islam, by which all Muslims must abide. Men must visit the mosque at least once a day. The lady said that the men sit nearer the front because they are head of the household. The women sit behind, or upstairs. Nearby there is a mausoleum housing some ex-Prime Ministers.
I walked up to Little India and to a veggie restaurant I had passed yesterday. I had a delicious crispy masala dosa followed by kesari, and tea. For dinner I got 4 types of veggies, rice and some sauce and tea.
Friday 14th October
So this week I have enjoyed hanging out in Melaka and KL. It was never my intention to visit many places in Peninsular Malaysia and rush around like I did in Indonesia; I have enjoyed taking it easy and being a man of leisure instead. Most of all I have enjoyed sitting in the restaurants people-watching while eating good food, drinking tea, and reading Dracula, which might be my favourite book.
But tonight I am back to being a proper traveller again. I fly to Myanmar this evening; I will be there for 4 weeks before heading home to Sydney.....
Well, another lazy day in Melaka. One day and evening is all that is needed to see and appreciate the town. But I am here for longer because I don't leave Malaysia until Friday and I am not interested in going anywhere else, until I go back to KL.
This afternoon I went to The Discovery Cafe again and watched both RWC matches and in the evening wandered along to the night markets with English Ryan and Carla, and Canadian Anna. Other travellers seem to feel the same as me about Melaka; it is ok but nothing special and not very exciting.
Monday 10th October
Masala dosa and big cup of tea for very late breakfast. Went to the Maritime and Naval museum which is housed in a replica of a Portuguese ship (Flora de la Mar); there is a diorama of early traders and their wares such as spices, veggies and crockery. There are some paintings showing the ships in the harbour and in the Melaka straits and Melaka when it was a small village. The displays were quite informative and not too wordy.
I wandered around Chinatown again looking at the different historical buildings, and went into the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple. Then back to the Indian restaurant for veggies and rice and tea and egg roti, and reading Dracula. I walked down to the Quay and sat on the rocks looking out to the Melaka Straits, but no shade so I didn't stay for long.
Laksa for dinner; the town was pretty quiet this evening, the weekend's tourists have gone. Played cards with Ryan and Carla and Anna.
Tuesday 11th October
Checked out and got local bus to Melaka Central and straight on the bus 2 hours back to KL and to cheap, friendly hostel. After Chinese beef noodles, I crossed the river to look for the Sultan Abdul Samad Building and found it, along with some other nice-looking buildings; it is a mix of Victorian, Moorish and Mogul architecture with a clock tower. There is an old cricket pitch opposite and a large flag pole in Merdaka Square.
I then went to the old seldom-used KL train station which is Mogul-Moorish. Opposite is the Malayan Railway Admin building which has many gothic arches and external stone stairways; I like that kind of thing anyway, and more so since I am reading Dracula at the moment!
Next I was in the area of the National Mosque but I didn't bother getting to close since I had my holey shorts on which would not be deemed appropriate attire. Maybe another day.
After more Indian food I wandered to the shopping malls since there are some good clothes here in the sales but I didn't buy anything. Street noodles for dinner, and late night Macca's choco top ice cream for supper - yum.
Wednesday 12th October
Lazy lie-in. Followed the LP guided walk of Little India, passed some places I had already been and through a market and past a couple of mosques. It is the Deepvali festival this month so the streets in Little India are even more colourful. Samosas and tea for lunch and then I walked up to Lake Titiwangsa, north of the city centre. The lake is man-made, it was peaceful and pretty up there. I sat and read my book and walked around the edge of the lake. Then I walked back into the city.
I got my new shorts taken up as they were too long. The Chinese lady there was very nice. Her English is good because she lived in a convent in Georgetown (I had passed it when I was there) so she learned English from Irish and English nuns when she was a girl. She also talked about how she and her friends wanted to send their children to study in Australia but it is too expensive, because the dollar is so high......tell me about it!
Egg roti canai and tea for afternoon snack. Good chat with friendly shop assistant where I bought a couple of shirts. She is from Surabaya in Java.
Thursday 13th October
Late breakfast of veggie fried rice. Short walk to the post office to send 3kg home by surface mail. Stayed in the hostel during the middle of the day out of the heat. Mid-afternoon I walked to the National mosque. I wasn't really planning on going in since I have been to many mosques this year, but when I got there I saw that it was during the one hour in the afternoon when tourists are allowed in, so I donned the mandatory blancmange-purple gown and headed inside.
The mosque was built by the British and has a umbrella-style roof to represent protection for the faithful. The main prayer hall is quite spectacular with Italian stain-glassed window. I chatted to some volunteers there; we had a good talk about the customs of Islam and different mosques and the 5 Pillars of Islam, by which all Muslims must abide. Men must visit the mosque at least once a day. The lady said that the men sit nearer the front because they are head of the household. The women sit behind, or upstairs. Nearby there is a mausoleum housing some ex-Prime Ministers.
I walked up to Little India and to a veggie restaurant I had passed yesterday. I had a delicious crispy masala dosa followed by kesari, and tea. For dinner I got 4 types of veggies, rice and some sauce and tea.
Friday 14th October
So this week I have enjoyed hanging out in Melaka and KL. It was never my intention to visit many places in Peninsular Malaysia and rush around like I did in Indonesia; I have enjoyed taking it easy and being a man of leisure instead. Most of all I have enjoyed sitting in the restaurants people-watching while eating good food, drinking tea, and reading Dracula, which might be my favourite book.
But tonight I am back to being a proper traveller again. I fly to Myanmar this evening; I will be there for 4 weeks before heading home to Sydney.....
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