Exploring Melaka.
Trishaws and drivers, Melaka, Malaysia.
Before coming to The Ibis, Melaka, I had read some reviews of it and they all went on and on about it doing the worst breakfast ever. Peter told me that we didn't need to worry about that, as we didn't get breakfast on our deal, but when we checked in, the receptionist said: "You are platinum; you are entitled to a free breakfast. Just say your room number when you go in." So on the first full day of our stay we went rather nervously into breakfast.
Well, I always say you should judge for yourself, not listen to others and this proved to be true here, too. The coffee served by The Ibis was awful, absolutely undrinkable and they also did a terrible nasi lemak, but I quickly discovered that I loved their Indian vegetable curry with paratha and so I had that for breakfast every morning. Peter had freshly cooked plain omelette with toast, beans and roast potatoes. We were both perfectly happy with that.
The service at breakfast was supposed to be awful too, but one waiter was always incredibly kind and helpful towards us. In fact to our horror, on the second full day, when he saw we had no coffees (we had taken a pledge never to touch the vile stuff again) he went and brought two coffees and a jug of milk to our table, so we felt we had to bloody drink it. On the third full day, he actually asked us if he could get us some coffees and we both screamed "No!!!" at him at the same time. I then tried to soften it by saying: "We don't really drink a lot of coffee." which is a total lie. We both absolutely love coffee and had simply taken to making our own in the room. Anyway apart from the coffee, the breakfast turned out to be pretty good.
Up until this point we had been living off ringgit left over from a previous visit to Malaysia, but we were beginning to run out, so my first task after breakfast was to go and find a money changer. I asked at the hotel reception and they told me to exit the hotel and go right, in the direction away from the centre of Melaka, and I'd find one. The person working in the money exchange was a very pleasant Malaysian woman, but she would not change my US dollars because they had a bank chop on them. This happens a lot in South East Asia, people will not take any foreign currency unless it is absolutely pristine.
I returned to the hotel and got our Aussie dollars that we had had for ages, left over from a long ago trip to Australia. Fortunately, these passed her stringent tests and we managed to get enough ringgit for the rest of our stay.
Peter said I should go sightseeing first and that we'd swim when I came back. There's quite a lot to see here, and although I have done it before, I decided to start with the historic centre of Melaka.
As I mentioned before Melaka started out as a sleepy fishing village. That all changed when Paramesvara, the ruler of what is now Singapore, fled here around 1400. Under Paramesvara's rule Melaka became an important trading port. Ships could resupply here when they voyaged to and from the spice islands of Indonesia. They could also shelter here in bad weather. In 1405 the Chinese Muslim admiral Cheng Ho arrived here bearing gifts from the Ming Emperor and promising to protect Melaka from any attacks by the Siamese. Following his visit, many Chinese settlers flocked to Melaka and intermarried with the local Malay population creating the Baba Nonya or Straits Chinese people that Melaka is famous for.
However, the success of Melaka as a port attracted the attention of the Portuguese. Their initial approaches here were friendly and involved attempting to set up trade deals, but when things later turned sour, the Portuguese invaded and seized Melaka by force. The Sultan of Melaka was forced to flee to Johor from where he launched many attacks on the Portuguese in an attempt to regain his sultanate. Melaka was Muslim and the Portuguese sought to convert the population to Catholicism. This religious clash caused many of the surrounding Islamic sultanates to avoid trading with Melaka. In 1641 the Portuguese eventually lost Melaka to the Dutch after an eight month long siege.
The Dutch initially built many fine buildings here, but later neglected Melaka, concentrating more on their colonies in Indonesia. Then the Dutch started experiencing troubles back home when they were invaded by the French and control of Melaka ended up being passed to the British. Together with Singapore and Penang, Melaka became one of the three British Straits Settlements. So as you can see, there is a big cultural mix here and a rich and diverse history.
I left Little India and headed towards the river. This involved crossing the road in a slightly different place from yesterday. I discovered the pavement on the other side of the road was absolutely covered in pigeons. There were so many that I couldn't even step on it and actually opted to stand blocking oncoming cars until I found a way around this tangled mass of birds. Just the thought of them all suddenly flying upwards together was enough to get me out of there pretty damn quick.
Visions of Hitchcock movies come to mind.
The houses, restaurants and bars on the river were all beautifully painted in bright colours.
Houses on the river.
Houses on the river.
I began my explorations of Melaka at Dutch Square. It was a Monday and that meant that all the museums were closed. The buildings in Dutch Square used to all be white in colour but since 1911, they have all been painted bright red.
Looking towards Dutch Square.
Christ Church and the clock tower.
One of these buildings is Christ Church. This was built by the Dutch in the eighteenth century and is now the oldest functioning Protestant church in Malaysia. It's only open during service times and I have been inside only once. This church was originally a Dutch Reform Church, but when the British took over, it became Anglican.
Christ Church.
Nearby The Stadthuys dates back to the 1650's. This was the town hall and the governor's residence. Its design is based on the town hall in Hoorn in The Netherlands. Nowadays it is The History and Ethnography Museum.
Stadthuys.
Also on Dutch Square is the Tan Beng Swee Clocktower which was built in 1886 by Tan Jiak Kim, a successful businessman and philanthropist, who built the clock as a memorial to late father, Tan Beng Swee.
Christ Church and clock tower.
Near the clock tower is the Queen Victoria Fountain. This was built to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. It has images of Queen Victoria on it and an inscription that reads: 'Victoria Regina 1837-1901, erected by the people of Malacca in memory of a great Queen'.
The Queen Victoria Fountain.
After looking around Dutch Square, I climbed up Bukit Melaka to visit the Church of Saint Paul. It's not too hard a climb and there are good views from up here.
Bukit Melaka.
At the top of the hill there was a busker and a street artist who drew caricatures. They asked me where I was from and when I said Scotland, they said 'Ah yes .....' and a name I couldn't quite catch. I eventually realised they were saying Susan Boyle. Not the first person I would think of if you said Scotland to me, but correct nonetheless.
The stairway up to Saint Paul's Church.
The stairway up to Saint Paul's Church.
I stopped for a while to enjoy the views over the city. In the distance I could see the revolving viewing tower that rises above the city.
View from the hill.
View from the hill.
Saint Paul's Church is the oldest church in Malaysia. It was originally called The Church of Nossa Senhora da Annunciada and was built in 1521 by Portuguese nobleman, Duarte Coelho. He dedicated this church to The Virgin Mary in gratitude for his surviving a terrible storm in the South China Sea. The church was expanded in 1556 when it became the property of The Society of Jesus, i.e. the Jesuits. A belfry was added to the church in 1590. Later under the Dutch, the church was reconsecrated as Protestant and renamed Saint Paul's Church. The Dutch used this church until Christ Church in Dutch Square was completed. When the British took over Melaka, they used the church as an ammunition store and allowed it to deteriorate.
In front of the church there is a statue of Saint Francis Xavier, a co-founder of The Jesuit Order along with Ignatius of Loyola. Francis Xavier spent quite a lot of time in Melaka and his body was taken here for burial temporarily after dying of a fever on a voyage to China. His body was later disinterred and shipped off to Goa for permanent burial, but his right hand was cut off and sent to Rome as a relic. The statue of Saint Francis Xavier in Melaka originally had two hands, but according to local folklore, it was struck by lightning and the right hand dropped off.
The Church of Saint Paul's.
Close up of the Statue of Saint Francis Xavier.
The Church of Saint Paul's.
The Church of Saint Paul's.
Inside the church there are many beautiful old gravestones, some are quite ornate.
Inside the church.
Schoolgirls inside the church.
Inside the church.
Gravestones.
Gravestone.
Gravestone.
Gravestone.
There were several stalls around the outside of the church selling paintings and souvenirs.
Stalls beside the church.
Stalls beside the church.
Stalls beside the church.
To one side of the church is an old colonial building which was once the official residence and office of the Dutch governor of Melaka. After independence, it was the residence of the Malay governor of Melaka. Nowadays it is a museum called Muzium Yang di-Pertua Negeri Melaka.
The governor's museum.
There's a walk down the hill from here that leads to the A Famosa Gate, but workmen had sealed it off with tape and seemed to be repairing something there, so I went down a different way and ended up in the courtyard of a closed museum building. There was some lovely artwork outside the museum.
Looking down on the gate.
Going down.
Going down.
Graves on the hillside.
Art outside the museum.
Due to the workmen, I took the slightly longer way round to A Famosa, which means 'The Famous' in Portuguese. When Afonso de Albuquerque seized control of Melaka for the Portuguese in 1511, he had a huge fortress built here to protect his colony. Some of this fortress was later destroyed in The Battle of Melaka in 1641. Then in 1811 the British began destroying the remaining parts of the fortress. They were stopped from doing this by Sir Stamford Raffles, the British founder of Singapore, who was sent to Melaka from Penang on sick leave. However, by then not much of the fortress remained. One part that did remain was The Porta de Santiago Gate. Nowadays this gate is referred to by the name of the original fortress - A Famosa.
A Famosa.
A Famosa.
There's a bas-relief of the Dutch East India Company on the gateway. This was added by the Dutch in 1670.
Bas-relief.
There are several cannons outside A Famosa. It's still possible to walk through the gateway.
Selfie inside.
Canon.
Canon.
There are good views back up Bukit Melaka towards Saint Paul's Church.
Bukit Melaka.
Bukit Melaka.
In addition, there are several interesting things to see next to A Famosa.
There's The Malacca Sultanate Palace Museum which is a modern reconstruction of the original Palace of the Melaka Sultanate. It is made of wood and joined together using wooden pegs rather than nails. It's supposed to be interesting inside, but it was closed as it was Monday. There was a huge bulldozer positioned outside the museum, which stopped me getting a decent view of it.
The Sultan's Palace.
Then there's The Proclamation of Independence Memorial. This started out as a Dutch colonial mansion. Later, under the British, it became The Malacca Club, a meeting place for the British in Melaka. In 1985, Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman converted this building into a memorial to the Malays' struggle for independence.
The Proclamation of Independence Memorial.
Outside the museum there are several old vehicles on display.
Vehicle
Vehicles.
While I was photographing these museums, the workmen who had taped off the walk down the hill, had come down off the hill and had taped off access to the museums, meaning I was now on the wrong side of the 'do not enter tape'. I had to go under it to get out.
Across the street there is a large Maritime Museum. We visited this on our first trip to Melaka, but nowadays I think it's much bigger.
The Maritime Museum.
The Maritime Museum.
The Maritime Museum.
The Maritime Museum.
There's also an 'I love Melaka ' sign here for taking selfies.
I love Melaka
I love Melaka.
I walked back towards Dutch Square passing lots and lots of bright red old museums on the way.
Museum.
Museum.
Museum.
Museum.
Dinosaur outside a museum.
I had a quick look at some transportation displays outside one of the museums.
Transport.
Transport.
Transport.
Then I visited the only other part of the old Portuguese fortress that remains - The Middelburg Bastion. There were lots of Malay people here and their kids were enjoying sitting on the canons. One tiny boy sat there making loud 'boom boom' noises as he pretended he was firing the gun. I told his mum he sounded like a one man war
The Middelburg Bastion.
Visitors to The Middelburg Bastion.
Kids and cannons.
By the river.
By the river.
I passed stalls and restaurants and lots of trishaws. I rather like that they are all completely different.
Stall.
Stalls.
Restaurant.
Restaurant.
Trishaws.
Trishaws.
I noticed a wharf for boat trips on the Melaka River.
Boat trip.
The Melaka River.
Flowers.
I crossed the river back onto Jonker Street where the night market had been. I just wanted to wander aimlessly and hope I'd find something interesting to see.
Jonker Street dragon.
I noticed an interesting looking mosque down a side street so went to take a look. This turned out to be The Kampung Kling Mosque. Apparently many mosques here are based on the Sumatran style and look quite different from mosques in the rest of Malaysia. This mosque is a mixture of different styles. The original mosque building was made of wood. It was built by Muslim traders from India in 1748. Then in 1872 it was rebuilt in brick.
Kampung Kling Mosque.
I then walked up another street with lots of interesting looking shops.
Shop.
Shop.
Soon I came to a large Chinese temple called Cheng Hoon Teng. This is the oldest functioning Chinese temple in Malaysia. It was built in 1673 and is dedicated to Kuan Yin, goddess of mercy. This temple has Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian elements.
Entrance to The Cheng Hoon Teng Temple.
The front of Cheng Hoon Teng Temple.
Cheng Hoon Teng Temple.
Cheng Hoon Teng Temple.
Inside Cheng Hoon Teng Temple.
Cheng Hoon Teng Temple.
Flower shaped lamps in Cheng Hoon Teng.
There was a man dressed up in traditional clothes having a photoshoot here, so I had to take a photo of him, too.
Photoshoot in costume.
Photoshoot in costume.
At the back of the temple there was a sort of grotto of Kuan Yin.
Kuan Yin's grotto Cheng Hoon Teng Temple.
There were many beautiful flowers here.
Jasmine.
Desert rose.
Just across the road from The Cheng Hoon Teng Temple there was another temple. This one was called The Xiang Lin Si Temple. This double story, relatively modern temple follows Mahāyāna Buddhism. It is named after a monk from China and was originally built of wood in 1958. It was rebuilt in brick in 1985.
Xiang Lin Si Temple.
Inside The Xiang Lin Si Temple.
Looking across at Cheng Hoon Teng Temple.
I then found a small temple, but am not sure what it was called.
Small Chinese Temple.
I passed the Buddhist Wah Teck Keong Temple.
Wah Teck Keong Temple.
Then I found the much larger Chin Sang Kong Temple, but I can't find much information about it online.
Chin San Kong Temple entrance.
Chin San Kong Temple.
Chin Sang Kong Temple.
There were some buildings I liked near here. One was very colourful.
I just liked this building.
I just liked this building.
Colourful building.
Colourful building.
Bikes.
I found a side street filled with tour groups buying sponges I think.
Tour group buying sponges.
Sponges shop.
Sponges.
Back on Jonker Street I looked at The Kwan Yin Temple dedicated to the goddess of mercy.
Kwan Yin Temple on Jonker Street.
Kwan Ying Tang Temple.
Kwan Yin Temple.
I passed by The Hang Kasturi Mausoleum. Hang Kasturi was one of five brothers-in-arms led by Hang Tuah who served in the court of Sultan Mansor Shah of Malacca during the 15th century.
Hang Kasturi Mausoleum.
There were other beautiful buildings on Jonker Street.
Hokkien Huay Kuan on Jonker Street.
On Jonker Street.
Chinese building on Jonker Street.
I had a quick look at the statues in the little park by day.
Mr Universe..
Ox statue.
I was delighted to find many people dressed up in traditional Chinese clothes to have their photos taken with the traditional Chinese buildings. I always turn into a sort of stalker when I see people dressed up. I just have to take their photo even if they don't want me to.
Costume.
Costume.
Costume.
Costume.
Costume.
Costume.
I then went back to the hotel and we went for a lovely relaxing swim.
Swim.
Swim.
Afterwards we went for our free soft drink. I had sprite, Peter had cola. We laughed about the fact we could have had the hotel coffee as our choice. We thought we had solved the food and beer problem. I chatted up the waiter and discovered they did pizza and that they did a half and half pizza so that Peter could have his preferred kind and I could have mine. I also discovered there would be no problem in taking the pizza up to the room. Sorted, we thought. Then the waiter came back and said: "Sorry we are out of pizza."
Free drink.
So later on I walked through Little India and along the river, which was beautiful at night. I got us something called a cheese hot dog which turned out to be a bit like a sausage roll. I also went into an Indian restaurant and bought poppadoms and we ate an enjoyable meal in our room.
Little India.
Little India.
River by night.
River by night.
River by night.
River by night.
