Leaving Kuala Lumpur

First, I ate breakfast at the hotel’s buffet that had  a huge choice of Western, Malay, and many other types of Asian food (included in the price of the hotel), then I was picked up for a day tour to Malacca, an old colonial city about two hours from Kuala Lumpur if you drove straight through. I had two women from the UK and a couple and a single man from Australia as tour companions. Our guide was a Chinese Malaysian.

Passing the Palm Oil Tree Groves

On our way to Malacca, we passed miles upon miles of palm oil tree groves. Palm oil is a major Malyasian export.

Rest Stop

First to the ladies room. It was a very long room with squat toilets on each side of an aisle. If there were any Western toilets here, I didn’t find them (actually, someone else found two but way at the end of the long aisle), so I had my first experience using a squat toilet. I think using one well takes practice. Not everything is Westernized yet in Malaysia, but I shouldn’t have expected it to be either.

Rest Stop

But if you were hungry, you could get Western food here as well as Malay food.

Rest Stop

I had a cup of coffee and some cookies I bought at a small convenience store there. The coffee menu was interesting––many iced coffees as it is hot here. Kopie O Kaw, I believe, is very strong coffee without milk.

On the Road

Interesting architecture along the road.

Coming into Malacca

Almost in Malacca.

Welcoming Sign

Translated: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

St. Peter’s Church

Our first stop in Malacca, a World Heritage City, was at St. Peter’s Church, built in 1710 by descendants of Portuguese emigrants. Malacca was founded by the Sumatran Prince Parameswara in 1400. By the 15th century, it was one of the richest trading empires in the East. In 1511, it fell to the Portuguese; in 1641, it fell to the Dutch; and in 1795, it fell to the British. Under Dutch rule, all religions were allowed except Roman Catholicism and Portuguese Catholics were ordered to give up their faith. When the Dutch later allowed complete religion freedom, St. Peter’s Church was built. It is the oldest Catholic church in Malaysia.

I have put most of the photos I took in Malacca (Melaka in Malay) on two slide shows: Go to Slide Shows, Asia, Malaysia, “Malacca, Day 2(A) and 2(B) or directly to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/malacca–1/        and             http://www.peggysphotos.com/malacca–2/

Malacca Town Square

The town square dates back to the Dutch (1650s to 1750s). In the photo, you can see Christ Church on the right. More photos of the town square are on slide show Malacca–1.

Musical Rickshaw–Movie

The rickshaws are gaily decorated here. This one had a music accompaniment.

St. Peter’s Church

Above the town square is St. Paul’s Church on St. Paul’s Hill, built in 1521. It was abandoned after Christ Church was built and it is now in ruins. The empty tomb of St. Francis Xavier, founder of the Jesuit order in the 16th century, is here (I didn’t see it).

Porto de Santigo

Below St. Paul’s Hill is the Porta de Santiago, which was one of the main gateways of the Portuguese A’ Famosa Fortress, built in 1512. The fortress was redeveloped by the Dutch in the 17th century, then demolished by the British in 1807 so that the French could not use it if they were successful in conquering Malacca.

There are more photos of St. Paul’s Church, St. Paul’s Hill, and the Porta de Santiago on the first Malacca slide show.

Restaurant Peranakan

Time for lunch at a Peranakan restaurant. The Peranakans are descendants of Chinese traders who married local Nonya women in Malaysia. Peranakan food combines spicy Malay pastes with Malay food using Chinese cooking techniques with flavors of Portuguese, Indian, and Thai food thrown in. We found it tasty. Photo: Our group at the restaurant. More photos on the second Malacca slide show.

Cheng Hoon Teng Temple

Our next stop was at the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, the oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia. Right after we got out of our van, there was a huge cloudburst, getting us wet and also making the pavement slippery and with huge puddles. But by the time we left the temple, it had stopped raining and we just had to negotiate the puddles.

Cheng Hoon Teng Temple

Inside the very beautiful Cheng Hoon Teng Temple. There are more photos of the temple on the second Malacca slide show.

Jonker Street

Jonker Street––the shopping street––our next stop.

Jonker Street

Our guide first took us to the Bound Feet Shoe Shop. The shoemaker told us that there are still many women alive whose feet were bound when they were young girls. He still makes bound feet shoes for them. There are more photos of Jonker Street on the second Malacca slide show.

Kampong Mortem

After spending time on Jonker Street, we drove around Kampong Mortem (also know as Kampong Kling and Kampong Bahru). It is the only Malay village that still practices the original Malay customs and traditions. The houses are built on stilts, have long roofs, use tile on their stairs, have many wood carvings, and have decorated lawns. The area is the size of a small neighborhood. The house in the photo is the Villa Sentosa. Visitors are allowed inside it. We didn’t visit it. More photos of the Malay village are on the second Malacca slide show.

On the Road

Photo: Billboard seen on the drive back to Kuala Lumpur, a very long drive even though we didn’t stop off on the way. As soon as we reached the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, we hit traffic gridlock––it was Friday night. We would go about 10 feet and then be completely stopped for five or ten minutes, then go about 10 more feet. There was no accident ahead of us to slow us down, but, rather, just too many cars for too few roads into the city. I think this was actually worse than the Friday night rush hour on the Los Angeles freeways. Once we got into Kuala Lumpur, it wasn’t too much better and a bit scary as the drivers leave no more than 12 inches between cars in the front and on both sides. Less than 12 inches and they get the horn. There is also much cutting in between lanes. It is driving insanity.

Kuala Lumpur

We made it back into the city. I was lucky in being dropped off first. I wasn’t hungry enough to try one of the hotel’s restaurants, but saw a cafe’s sign on my way to the elevator offering 1/2 price sandwiches and pastries after 7 p.m. I took advantage of the offer.