Melaka, a Historical City

Last weekend my grandchildren and their parents took a leisurely drive to Melaka. What should have been a two and a half hour journey became four and a half hours with many traffic light stops as they negotiated their way to their boutique hotel. My grandson Stephen said," It was soooo booooring!" Many streets were one-way and there were many visitors that weekend.

They shared some of the snapshots they had taken of the places they visited, including the hotel where they stayed, an old shophouse converted into a lovely boutique hotel filled with antiques.



Many of the centuries-old buildings are reddish and they include Christ Church and former government buildings which have been converted into a museum.


Another famous landmark is the A'Famosa gateway, the only remnant of a huge fort perched on a hill which protected Melaka against marauders in its heydays.

Melaka retains much of its history and the following snap gives a view of the city from a vantage point.

There are many side streets that have little shops selling things and one of the more famous streets is Jonkers.


There is also a Nonya & Baba Heritage Museum which is not to be missed if you happen to go to Melaka.
The Nonyas and Babas decended from the intercultural marriages between the locals and the immigrant Chinese many generations ago. They are renowned for their special cuisine and their cakes are mouth-watering.
No one makes nonya cakes like the nonyas and their butter pineapple tarts are absolutely delicious, coming from me who is very fussy about the quality of pineapple tarts.

The Chicken Rice Balls are very traditional and you rarely get them elsewhere. The chicken rice is compressed into balls. The normal chicken rice is usually served as rice cooked in chicken fat and onions and this gives it the distinctive aromatic flavour. When I was a child, there was a special shop in Kuala Lumpur that used to sell chicken rice balls but of course it no longer exists today.


The picture below shows the old Clock Tower and the Trishaw which is prettily decorated and for a fee, it will take you on a city tour.
The Melaka River Cruise is also not to be missed. There are the old houses on the river banks and there is a pretty riverside walk for those who wish to walk, exploring the city on foot. Incidentally the back of the houses front the river.

There is also a Portuguese settlement which turns into a twinkling fairyland by night during the Christmas season.
At night there is the pasar malam or night market where a variety of wares, including souvenirs are for sale and the stalls offering local hawker food to satisfy your stomachs.

Melaka is a unique city that beckons not only history buffs but the ordinary person because you get lots of great food and antiques which you can still buy, apart from the usual souvenirs. I shall re-visit it later this year.