After one last delicious breakfast at Antipodean Cafe, we returned to our hotel and hopped in a taxi to KL Sentral to board our next train to Melaka. Given the previous bus drama of our last trip south, we opted to stick to trains for the rest of our journey.
The train itself was not in the best shape but it at least appeared clean even if worse for the wear. If nothing else, it was mosquito and cockroach free AND dropped us off at the location for which we had purchased our tickets. Both welcome changes from the bus.
We made our way through a few stores and around a few blocks before stopping for a drink at one of the recommended cafes. It was on a street corner with lots of outdoor seating so it was a good place to relax and take in the street scenes. They even served sour plum juice, which I did not pass up. We had dinner at an underwhelming guidebook recommended restaurant called Cafe 1511 that served decent but not spectacular Baba-Nonya cuisine.
After leaving the church, we continued through the colonial area and saw a few more sites including Porta de Santiago, which was built by the Portugese in 1511 as the entrance to the fortress (A Famosa). What remains today was saved from English destruction by Sir Stamford Raffles (of Singapore fame) in 1810.
We ended our tour of the area with a visit to the Stadthuys, which was built in 1650 by the Dutch and served as the office of the Dutch Governor and Deputy Governor. To enter the building, you have to buy tickets for the History & Ethnography Museum. We spent a bit of the afternoon exploring the historical displays, complete with mediocre (read: creepy) mannequins, historical artifacts, and art.
At this point in the afternoon, we'd had enough of the tourism and colonial scenery (in my opinion, these are usually the least interesting parts of town) and decided to have lunch at a highly recommended and artsy cafe called The Baboon House. The food and coffee were spectacular, as were the surroundings. Each room felt light and airy, and featured water plants, each with tiny goldfish companions.
After an afternoon rest in the airconditioning, we went to the Jonker Walk Night Market that takes place every Friday and Saturday night. Jonker Street is shut down to motor traffic and hundreds of food and shopping stalls materialize. Restaurant and bar seating spills into the street and the whole length of road becomes a chaotic marketplace. The atmosphere was energetic and fun, but I certainly didn't enjoy it as much as the Thai night markets. It was difficult to walk without having to push past people. We had dinner at a popular restaurant that served many Malaysian and Chinese food items.
For dessert we tried the often talked-about Malaysian dessert called cendol, which is a bowl of shaved ice topped with worm-like strands of mung bean flour, red beans, coconut milk, and liquid sugar. Melaka is well-known for its palm sugar, which gives this dessert a rich, molassesy flavor.
We ended the night at the same bar we had visited the day before and watched the festivities unravel around us.
The next day began with a visit to the Baba-Nonya Heritage Museum, which is located inside a traditional Peranakan mansion. We arrived just as a tour was getting started so we were fortunate to get a narration of the different rooms, their uses, and the items in each, including items used for funerals, weddings, and birthdays. We had seen similar items and displays in museums so it was interesting to actually hear the background and history of the home, family life, and traditions combining both Chinese and Malay influences. No photography was allowed inside so we don't have any photos to share.
The rest of the day was spent mostly in Chinatown with one detour via trishaw. Upon spending more time in the area, it became obvious that the area was not as unique and diverse as our first impression suggested. After walking for a few blocks, shops selling similar souvenirs and food items become apparent. This takes away somewhat from the charm, but walking just one block outside the main area reveals the continued existence of interesting shops, cafes, houses, and storefronts. Not the mention the fact that the streets were much easier to walk. Given Melaka's now touristy status, there are swarms of visitors in buses that overwhelm the sites and the sidewalks. The streets are very narrow and allow cars to drive on them (big mistake for safety and general annoyance reasons, in our opinion). Navigation is made even more difficult when having to walk around said swarms of stopped or strolling folks.
We stopped for tea at a place called Cheng Ho Tea House, which was located in a beautiful old Chinese temple courtyard. Tea service came with a traditional tea brewing demonstration. The location was lovely and it was a very enjoyable and unique way to spend part of the afternoon.
With tea time finished, we decided to do something very touristy: take a trishaw ride. The first driver we approached tried to overcharge us even though the fees are clearly posted ("Those are the old rates.") We had better luck with the second driver. Most of trishaws in Malaysia are decorated quite garishly but the ones in Melaka are especially well-known in this regard.
We made a few stops along the way at a Chinese temple (though I'm not sure which one)...
and St. Peter's Church (still a functioning church – one of the oldest Christian churches in Asia).
Our day, again, ended at the Jonker Street Night Market. Upon reaching Jonker Street, we were immediately greeted by a dance troupe performing the Lion Dance, which is performed during Chinese New Year. If you're interested in more information about it, please read the link provided. It was quite spectacular to witness with colorful costumes, loud drumming, and general crowd excitement. Matt was able to get a few shots even though the lions kept moving!
After eating we hurried back down the street to see the event we had been greatly anticipating – the coconut breaking skills of kung fu master Dr. Ho Eng Hui, who holds the Malaysian record for breaking the most coconuts (four) in 30 seconds with only his index finger. And witness this we did. Unfortunately, the act is not all for show as Dr. Hui sells a "miracle oil" that cures aches and pains and, according to his demonstration, reduces the inflammation in his index finger after it smashes through a coconut husk.
He was quite the character with quite the act, complete with recorded announcer extolling the achievements of the good doctor in the drama-filled manner of a stadium pre-game announcer and appropriately anticipatory music preceding each feat. After some public stretching exercises, the show began with Dr. Hui calling out Matt and asking him where he had heard about the show to which Matt replied, "Lonely Planet." Dr. Hui then asked to see the book so I extracted it out of my purse and handed it over. With much grandiosity, Dr. Hui autographed the pages of the book opposite the spine and gave us a free bottle of the miracle oil. He did this with several more people before first trying to sell bottles of his oil and finally starting his act. The act went back and forth between being an advertisement for Dr. Hui himself, a sales platform for the "miracle oil," and performance. We were there for the coconut breaking and so quickly tired of the advertising bits. However, you've got to admit that he has a pretty unique draw! I'll let the picture do the rest of the talking.
You can watch videos of it here and here.
Overall, Melaka was an interesting, arsty, history-filled town to visit but we could have seen it in one day. Unfortunately, the masses of tourists and ensuing tourist shops made it a less interesting and less pleasant place to visit (funny how that works...). We enjoyed ourselves most when exploring the less touristy streets, cafes, and shops. There still are some and they were definitely worth seeking out.
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| Banana pancakes with butterscotch; fruit salad with yogurt, honey, and mint; and corn and pumpkin fritter with bacon and sweet chili sauce. YUM. |
The train itself was not in the best shape but it at least appeared clean even if worse for the wear. If nothing else, it was mosquito and cockroach free AND dropped us off at the location for which we had purchased our tickets. Both welcome changes from the bus.
Unfortunately, Melaka is not located on a train line. To reach the town, one must take the train to a station called Tampin and then take a taxi the remaining 38km. The Tampin station was quite small and had only a few taxis waiting when the train arrived. We easily found a taxi for a good price with a chatty driver who narrated our route ("If you know Melaka, you know Malaysia!" "This is a traditional Malay house. Very important!" "I show you rice paddy, okay!"). He was a nice guy except for the important fact that he treated the highway like his own personal racetrack, speeding up to 130 km/hr when he could and swerving in and out of lanes. Not the ideal taxi driver to say the least. We declined his offer for a return ride to the train station after our stay in Melaka was over.
Our hotel was located on the edge of Chinatown so after checking in and dropping off our bags, we went out to explore. The area immediately proved to be hip and interesting with lots of artist studios.
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| Chinese lantern hangs at the entrance of a building |
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| Entrance to Chinatown |
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| Arsty driveway |
We made our way through a few stores and around a few blocks before stopping for a drink at one of the recommended cafes. It was on a street corner with lots of outdoor seating so it was a good place to relax and take in the street scenes. They even served sour plum juice, which I did not pass up. We had dinner at an underwhelming guidebook recommended restaurant called Cafe 1511 that served decent but not spectacular Baba-Nonya cuisine.
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| Jonker Street, the main drag of Chinatown |
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| Upper level of Peranakan house |
The next day we set out to explore the Historic Town Center, which is home to most of the Melaka's colonial structures. The history of Melaka is a fascinating mix of original Malay inhabitants, Portuguese colonialism, followed by Dutch colonialism, followed by British colonialism, and then eventually independence. All through its colonial history – much like Penang – immigrants flocked to Melaka from China, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and other places in Asia and Europe. Our guidebook, which was published in 2009, said that Melaka was becoming more toursisty but was not yet "a packaged parody of itself." I'm not sure this is completely accurate anymore. Getting to the colonial area from Chinatown involves crossing the river via a small bridge, which is now flanked on one side by a HARD ROCK CAFE. Upon crossing the river, tourists are immediately accosted by touts selling tours, souvenirs, trishaw rides, etc. Hello tourist ghetto! Next to historic buildings were stall upon stall of cheap souvenirs. Not exactly the ideal way to honor a historic past (not to mention Melaka's UNESCO World Heritage Site status).
And from there it only gets worse. We made our way up to St. Paul's Church, a beautiful old building that is located at the top of a very steep staircase (from which the souvenir stalls are unfortunately not absent). This church was originally built in 1521 by a Portugese captain and houses the gravestones and remains of the Dutch nobility that followed. The church has not been in use for more than 150 years and, though still standing, is a weathered shell of itself. On all accounts this should be a sacred space for contemplation and reflection. Fast forward to reality where there is a man singing pop songs for tips (amplified, no less) in the main room, another man taping (yes, taping) sketches for sale to the wall of the church in the smaller room, and toursits touching and climbing over everything. It was really disgusting and Matt and I both left feeling very unsettled. It was all very disrespectful. Seems like UNESCO World Heritage sites should be held to higher preservation standards.
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| Melaka River |
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| Town Square and Fountain |
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| Stairs to St. Paul's Church |
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| St. Paul |
After leaving the church, we continued through the colonial area and saw a few more sites including Porta de Santiago, which was built by the Portugese in 1511 as the entrance to the fortress (A Famosa). What remains today was saved from English destruction by Sir Stamford Raffles (of Singapore fame) in 1810.
We ended our tour of the area with a visit to the Stadthuys, which was built in 1650 by the Dutch and served as the office of the Dutch Governor and Deputy Governor. To enter the building, you have to buy tickets for the History & Ethnography Museum. We spent a bit of the afternoon exploring the historical displays, complete with mediocre (read: creepy) mannequins, historical artifacts, and art.
 |
| Colonial woman in dining room |
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| Man at food stall |
At this point in the afternoon, we'd had enough of the tourism and colonial scenery (in my opinion, these are usually the least interesting parts of town) and decided to have lunch at a highly recommended and artsy cafe called The Baboon House. The food and coffee were spectacular, as were the surroundings. Each room felt light and airy, and featured water plants, each with tiny goldfish companions.
 |
| The little guy at our table |
After an afternoon rest in the airconditioning, we went to the Jonker Walk Night Market that takes place every Friday and Saturday night. Jonker Street is shut down to motor traffic and hundreds of food and shopping stalls materialize. Restaurant and bar seating spills into the street and the whole length of road becomes a chaotic marketplace. The atmosphere was energetic and fun, but I certainly didn't enjoy it as much as the Thai night markets. It was difficult to walk without having to push past people. We had dinner at a popular restaurant that served many Malaysian and Chinese food items.
For dessert we tried the often talked-about Malaysian dessert called cendol, which is a bowl of shaved ice topped with worm-like strands of mung bean flour, red beans, coconut milk, and liquid sugar. Melaka is well-known for its palm sugar, which gives this dessert a rich, molassesy flavor.
 |
| Tastes better than it looks! |
We ended the night at the same bar we had visited the day before and watched the festivities unravel around us.
The next day began with a visit to the Baba-Nonya Heritage Museum, which is located inside a traditional Peranakan mansion. We arrived just as a tour was getting started so we were fortunate to get a narration of the different rooms, their uses, and the items in each, including items used for funerals, weddings, and birthdays. We had seen similar items and displays in museums so it was interesting to actually hear the background and history of the home, family life, and traditions combining both Chinese and Malay influences. No photography was allowed inside so we don't have any photos to share.
The rest of the day was spent mostly in Chinatown with one detour via trishaw. Upon spending more time in the area, it became obvious that the area was not as unique and diverse as our first impression suggested. After walking for a few blocks, shops selling similar souvenirs and food items become apparent. This takes away somewhat from the charm, but walking just one block outside the main area reveals the continued existence of interesting shops, cafes, houses, and storefronts. Not the mention the fact that the streets were much easier to walk. Given Melaka's now touristy status, there are swarms of visitors in buses that overwhelm the sites and the sidewalks. The streets are very narrow and allow cars to drive on them (big mistake for safety and general annoyance reasons, in our opinion). Navigation is made even more difficult when having to walk around said swarms of stopped or strolling folks.
With tea time finished, we decided to do something very touristy: take a trishaw ride. The first driver we approached tried to overcharge us even though the fees are clearly posted ("Those are the old rates.") We had better luck with the second driver. Most of trishaws in Malaysia are decorated quite garishly but the ones in Melaka are especially well-known in this regard.
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| Barbies and dinosaurs! |
and St. Peter's Church (still a functioning church – one of the oldest Christian churches in Asia).
Our ride ended with a trip down a colonial road back to the main square.
In search of food, we had to fight even harder to get around the crowds that gathered near the dancers. Eventually we made it to the food stalls and were rewarded, as usual.
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| Character distributing mandarin oranges, a traditional Chinese sign of abundance and prosperity (and perhaps keeping a few secrets) |
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| Malaysia is juice heaven |
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| Fried oysters |
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| Char Koay Teow, wide rice noodles stir-fried with prawns, eggs, bean sprouts, soy sauce, and chili |
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| Popiah, spring roll stuffed with turnip, carrot, chicken, etc. These are the fried version but they are often served raw |
After eating we hurried back down the street to see the event we had been greatly anticipating – the coconut breaking skills of kung fu master Dr. Ho Eng Hui, who holds the Malaysian record for breaking the most coconuts (four) in 30 seconds with only his index finger. And witness this we did. Unfortunately, the act is not all for show as Dr. Hui sells a "miracle oil" that cures aches and pains and, according to his demonstration, reduces the inflammation in his index finger after it smashes through a coconut husk.
He was quite the character with quite the act, complete with recorded announcer extolling the achievements of the good doctor in the drama-filled manner of a stadium pre-game announcer and appropriately anticipatory music preceding each feat. After some public stretching exercises, the show began with Dr. Hui calling out Matt and asking him where he had heard about the show to which Matt replied, "Lonely Planet." Dr. Hui then asked to see the book so I extracted it out of my purse and handed it over. With much grandiosity, Dr. Hui autographed the pages of the book opposite the spine and gave us a free bottle of the miracle oil. He did this with several more people before first trying to sell bottles of his oil and finally starting his act. The act went back and forth between being an advertisement for Dr. Hui himself, a sales platform for the "miracle oil," and performance. We were there for the coconut breaking and so quickly tired of the advertising bits. However, you've got to admit that he has a pretty unique draw! I'll let the picture do the rest of the talking.
You can watch videos of it here and here.
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| Dr. Eng stretches before the show |
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| The whip comes out (after telling the audience that no one has ever been injured by his whip cracking) |
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| Talking to the audience |
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| The much-anticipated coconut husk breaking |
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| Showing off his finger after applying the mirale oil |
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| Dr. Ho Eng Hui and Matt after the show |
Overall, Melaka was an interesting, arsty, history-filled town to visit but we could have seen it in one day. Unfortunately, the masses of tourists and ensuing tourist shops made it a less interesting and less pleasant place to visit (funny how that works...). We enjoyed ourselves most when exploring the less touristy streets, cafes, and shops. There still are some and they were definitely worth seeking out.
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