20WOC

Wow! I've just returned in the midday heat, my belly full of delicious roast duck, from an astounding morning. I haven't been anywhere on the tourist trail (very evident yesterday all the coaches and hawkers, noise, intrusion. ) Noone on a tour party could stop in the middle of a bridge to watch a man scramble down under and cast his fishing net. One of the reasons I choose to stay in this part of Melaka, Melaka Raya, was to see the historically famous straits of Melaka. The other reason was the maritime museum/ship replica which yesterday I found disappointing, I over-sold it to myself. So having finally found some postcards yesterday in the tourist tat, I posted them and kept walking to the bridge over to Melaka Pulau, (Melaka Island) - no scale on my map but maybe 20 strolling mintues away. On the way I enjoyed a beautiful simple Chinese garden adorning a hotel. The bridge gave me lovely early morning views of the strait, the big buildings along the rocky foreshore, a little row boat tethered, trees, the man going fishing, everything simple and lovely. I hope the camera has captured some of it. It was just a different world to the touristic area hardly a km away. I had no idea what I'd find on the island or even if I could get on or would be welcomed on. Clearly there were lots of very flash buildings facing the city. Ideally I wanted to get to the other side to view the sea. A big developers sign welcomed and explained the plan, It was kinda Pegasus on Sea. Always, the street sweepers, toiling n the full sun, this one sweeping every falling leaf as his sweat fell also. The big apartment or maybe institutions are still clearly being built, and corrugated iron block the view to the sea as I walked under the avenue of trees. A hole in the fence. I caught a rabbit. It gets better. At a huge construction site,seaward, the security guard came out to greet me. I asked if I am allowed to be here and we got chatting, he was so eager and informative. He was checking in workers on this site which is going to be an Arab shopping mall. He said the island is mostly reclaimed land and the buildings had been stopped for 16 years, recently restarted with new money from the Middle East. Like so many people, he was eager to chat, and explain, I felt I am learning so much from these ordinary encounters, like, the man in the post office queue yesterday or the one who showed me this morning which box to post your postcards into. The Security man said I must keep walking and see the Mosque, and go into the grounds. He said it would give the best view of the straits, the big ships, and the reclamation. Wow, I have never seen anything like this. Masjid Selat Melaka 'Melaka Straits Mosque' I think - just beautiful - huge, the beautifully balanced proportion of the architecture, yet so simple, the blue sky, the sea beyond and the integral landscaping right in front of me. One again I just hope the camera has done justice, not sure. I think it cannot. Made myself known to the Mosque security guard, asked permission to go into the grounds. He said I could enter the Mosque if I covered my arms and took off shoes. I went round to the sea, and met some teenage boys. They were so astounded I would be here without my husband, I mean even more astounded than most people, and I am asked in every conversation where he is.... that I could not bring myself to say he is not even in the country. I said, my Husband is in a business meeting in Melaka city. They showed me how the Mosque is built on stilts above the sea, the effect being it is floating. That's not evident at all from the front. It was just incredible, not only the tall Tower but the whole environment of the landscaping and the trees. And yet, this is why I am here - see the traders come in their ships from long ago, from all places from all people, bringing trade with 'the spice islands of the Malaccas' , Magellan, de Gama, other heroes of navigation who are not well known in the western histories, see the Portuguese ships, and the Dutch, dozens of huge armed sailing ships appearing together from the horizon, the galleons, the soldiers the pirates, the sea battles over centuries, it was here. See the Chinese in trading boats from the centuries when the Greeks thought they were civilised, and the Japanese who within the time of our memory, were not. Here. You can tell, it was pretty special. On my return to the hotel... roast duck with rice and a 100Plus drink, MYR6,00, that's $2.40 and it was truly binyamin.. xxM