MEKAKA.
Melaka or Malacca - they are both right. You have to say it in a gutteral tone so that it sounds like Muluka....and say it quickly.
Last day in Singapore, up with the sparrows again and got MRT to Nichol Highway Station and caught a luxury coach to Melaka. It was the best coach I’ve ever been in. Seats were all Jason Recliner style, elevating footrest, recliner and massage. The massage buttons didn’t work but would have been great. Only three seats per row, 2 and 1.
Half an hour through the streets of Singapore and then to Singapore Customs for clearance. All good. Then a 7 minute ride over the river to the Malaysian Border. Here, we had to alight and take all our belongings with us for a proper security scan. (Singapore didn’t require this). Went thru the Customs without a hiccup, got back onto the coach when Wendy discovered she had left 1 ¾ bottles of Wild Turkey on board and didn’t declare it. Such is life. We then sped up the highway for 2.15 hours to Melaka Sentral bus depot. We then grabbed a No.17 bus (which was a school bus during WW1) into town, there was two young German backpackers who thought only of themselves. Because the bus was full, we nursed our packsacks, not the Germans, they put their pack packs on a seat and let the local passengers stand! We got off at Dutch Square and walked across the Melaka River and missed the turn to our accommodation. An extra 15 minutes walk with backpack in stifling heat was not required. Found the River One Guest House. Our room is spacious yet sparse. 1 very large king bed and a small book case was all that was provided. But it was very clean and comfortable. The air-con and wifi worked well.
That night we went into the famous Malaka Night Markets. I don’t know why they are famous, these types of markets are everywhere in Asia. Had a foot massage.
The fellow massing Allan enjoyed it more than he did. He actually hurt.
Had a meal and then bed.
Day two in Melaka - up before the sparrows and at 6.00am greeted by the amplified sound of Muslims being called to prayer. It sounded right across the city. (or at least it seemed that way)
Yonkers Street. 
Melaka River behind River One
Had a leisurely start to the day, started walking at 9.30am, about 32 Celsius with 95% humidity, dripping wet after walking a couple of blocks. We found Melaka has a long and fascinating history. We spent about 1 ½ hours walking thru the Ethnicology Museum which shows the evolution of Melaka from the early 1500s right through to this century. Their mystical seafaring past. The colonialisation by the Portuguese, Dutch, Chinese The British and other Asians that going into the mix Nyonya.
St Francis Xavier spent some time in Malacca in the early 1500s. He died in December 1552 on Sanchuan Island China. His corrupt body was taken from the island in February 1553 and was temporarily buried in St. Paul's church in Malacca on 22 March 1553. An open grave in the church now marks the place of Xavier's burial. (A bit morbid, they dug him up after 4 months of rest) He was later taken to Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa, where it was placed in a glass container encased in a silver casket on 2 December 1637. (thanx Wikipedia)
We then went to A’Formosa Fort. We nearly bought an oil painting from a hawker, but couldn’t agree on which one so we didn’t buy either. Went on board a replica of a Dutch War Ship at the Melaka Maritime Museum.
The went on a short river cruise on the Melaka River. At one stage during the cruise it belted down with rain at which point we pulled up under a bridge for 15 minutes. The cruise showed how Melaka had developed and the Malay villages that are maintained by the Malay Government. Something like our Housing Commission estates. One thing we’ve noticed - they don’t have graffiti on their walls. Have seen a few but nothing like the problem we have in western culture.
Melaka is an interesting place, there are plenty of museums, places of interest and the people are good and friendly. We left the River One Guest house at about 10.00am to get a local bus to Melaka Sentral to catch another coach to Kuala Lumpur. The local bus cost 1.5 ringit ($0.50) and the coach from Melaka to KL cost R12.5 ($4.10) for the 2 hour trip. Allan’s stomach a little dodgy, slowly acclimatising to the real Asian food. Wendy’s is holding up well.
