MEANDERS IN MALACCA (or MELAKA)

MEANDERS IN MELAKA, OR MALACCA

MALACCA, it has always sounded very exotic & a bit weird to me. And so it is a little bit.
It is a UNESCO World Heritage site with an extraordinary history of ancient power & wealth mixed in with European history & empires.

Malacca is a famous seaport situated on the Malaysian side of the Straits of Malacca.
 It was sort of the old capital of Malaysia before Malaysia really existed.
For many many centuries the Straits  of Malacca offered safe passage between the major trading partners, China & India. The city of Malacca was a strategic & politically important post. And marriages were arranged with the daughters of the Sultan of Malacca,

to ensure security & safe passage through the strait formed between Sumatra & Malaysia.

Islam was brought down to Malaysia & lndonesia from the Middle East along this trade channel, long before Christian missionaries ever thought about saving the simple souls of the people of the peninsula & islands.

 To this day the Straits of Malacca remains one of the world's most important shipping channels linking the Indian Ocean with the northern Pacific. One quarter of the world's oil is transported by sea through this channel.

The Portuguese invaded Malacca in 1511 for it's wealth & to gain control of the strait. There is still a Portuguese territory in Malacca where the descendants of the invaders & their Malayan wives speak a unique creole language & celebrated Christian festivals. The cuisine is also an interesting & exotic blend of Portuguese style & Malayan ingredients. The seafood from the Portuguese Square is exceptional & without equal.

Then the Dutch invaded  Malaaca  in 1641 & dominated for 180 years. There is an old medieval church on top of St Paul's Hill & the graveyard dates well back in the 1600's. The hill also offers overlooking views of the city & out to sea.

Of course then the British had a go as well & they ruled until independence in 1959.

Malacca  is now a UNESCO World Heritage site & an extremely interesting multi-cultural & historical city. There is much to see & do and is well worth a couple of days stop-over.

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I hadnt visited Malacca in a few years & decided to have a break out of Kuala Lumpur.
Malacca is about 2 hrs south of KL in a very comfortable bus, along an extremely good highway. Costs 10RM ($3.50). I hadnt pre-booked accommodation and planned to do it the old fashioned way by walking the streets aided by a few Lonely Planet recommendations.
Well that's got knobs on it!

It was so unbearably hot, considering Malacca is a seaport there was no hint of a breeze.
 I walked around Chinatown without any luck, brinking on heat-stroke. It was a Sunday & the streets were crowd clogged with day trippers from Singapore & Kuala Lumpur.
I politely ploughed my way through Jonker St. market which sells every Chinese tacky plastic contraption ever produced.

 Just as I thought collapse was immediately imminent, l spied an unassuming little guesthouse with a name that rang a bell.
So I rang the bell. One last bed was available! Thank Shiva! And what a gem of a find. A kool oasis out of the heat of the Malaccan afternoon heat & haze. I flopped on the clean, cool, comfortable couch & ordered a beer. All was well with the world again.

The Rooftop Guesthouse is a family run business and has a cosy, homey feel about it. Very clean & spacious. It is decorated with charming Malaccan bric-a-brac with old photos & lovely exotic paintings. And there is a small rooftop garden.

After a freshen up & a few beers with my new friends, we ventured out again onto Jonker St. Dining out in Malacca is a treat & there is vast & varied offering of cuisines. Lots of touristy upmarket resraurants ctering for wealthy Singaporeans has cropped up. As well as some very expensive trendy Western cafes. Fortunately there is still some characteristically cheap Chinatown chow available in quirky little bars along the river.

Colourful tri-shaws with flashing lights & booming music are a fun & unique way to trip around Malacca visiting the many historical sites and also the many exotic markets. Malacca is 2 hrs south of KL & about 3 hrs north of Singapore. Buses arrive at the Malaccan Mall & then another local bus or taxi is needed to transfer the 5 km into the city near the Dutch Clock which is right outside of Jonker St, Chinatown. Bus costs 1RM (30c), taxis 12-15RM (4-$5)