Melaka, Malaysia

The bus from Singapore took just over 4 hours and there were lots of foreigners on it; Brits, Americans and Russians. It was air conditioned but both seats where I was sitting were stuck in the reclined position so it was very uncomfortable on my neck.

Melaka was an important maritime trading centre to Europe in the 16th century and it was ruled by the Portuguese, the Dutch and then later by the British. The city has UNESCO status and there are still many historical buildings to visit from these times.

I caught a local bus from the huge bus terminal on the outskirts of the city. We saw similar styled terminals during our last visit to Malaysia; they are circular with all the bus companies offices in the centre so it is easy to find your bus. I had directions from the hostel I had booked so it was easy to find a bus to Dutch Square, and I was able to recognise the square because ... you guessed it, it had a windmill.

The hostel was a 200 year old building in China town and was very basic and I had a comfortable single cell with a bed, desk, chair and mosquito net. WIFI was free so I could research my next move, do my blog, and read emails. The squat toilet and shower were at the end of the courtyard and were reached by a covered timber path that I had to negotiate and dodge the dripping wet hostel bed linen on the way. There was a second courtyard between the reception area and my room and when it rained, as it did everyday from sunrise to lunchtime, the whole floor area was wet. The whitewashed mud walls soaked up a lot of moisture and so there is always a lot of mildew.

Jonker Street was a short walk away and is popular with tourists for antiques, galleries and restaurants. Near it are many private museums, restored houses, and boutique hotels and B and Bs. The Chinese street market only happened on the weekend so most shops were closed around 5pm and some of the local restaurants closed early to so it was a quiet place after dark.

Some of the old landmarks include the official residence of the Dutch governors and their officers, several churches and forts, with many of them are now painted red. The rickshaw drivers in their trishaws wait by the square and take the tourists for hour long rides through Chinatown and along the canals. Some have huge speakers thumping out western music and all are covered in plastic flowers and bright coloured ribbons, plastic windmills etc.

I went up the revolving tower to look over the city and see the new megamalls and huge hotels dwarfing the old town. There is a lot of construction still going on and the place must get pretty busy when the cruise ship season is in full swing.

Along the waterfront I spotted two tourists with their feet in a fish tank like this and a sign on the shopping window advertising "Fish Spa". They pay 10 Ringgit and sit with their feet in the tank so the tiny little fish can nibble them-human fish food!

The locals left me alone and I was not hassled for anything so it made my stay relaxing. I was able to find a vegetarian buffet restaurant when I wanted a change from Asian style dishes. The local egg tarts and coconut cakes were also very nice with fresh juices.

It was easy to get money from ATMs and generally things away from the main touristy square and Jonker street were much cheaper and it was safe to walk around in the dark by myself. There were many foreign families in the tourist shops.