Malaysia - Melaka

We arrived in Melaka looking forward to our visit to the city. Formerly known as Malacca, the Malaysian government changed its name officially, in 2017 to revert to the original Malay name rather than the anglicised version.
It is a World Heritage Site and melting pot of cultures with an interesting history. Originally an Islamic Sultanate founded by a Sumatran prince and then undergoing a period of colonial rule - first by the Portuguese, then Dutch and following them, the British, not forgetting the Japanese occupation during World War II.
Its mixed population of different ethnicities and emigrants include Indians and Chinese. A vibrant place, colourful by day and by night.
A place with a mix of styles, beliefs, religion and food, sitting on the coast of an important trade route going back hundreds of years.

We wandered through the historic central centre with its square surrounded by Dutch-era buildings including the city hall (Stadthuys),
The square is a place where people congregated in the evening and also a departure point for trishaw rides.
Melakan trishaws are adorned with various items in garishly bright colours and often themed - Pokémon, Hello Kitty, Spider-Man etc. At night they seem to come alive - they are covered in LED lights and pump out music from their onboard sound systems. Pedalled by their drivers, they wait for business and pick up passengers, often families with children, who then wedge themselves into the front bench sea, 3 or 4 abreast. They grin and smile as they get ridden through the streets, filming themselves to capture the experience. It makes for a strange sight.

It was Sunday when we arrived and the street where we stayed on was closed to cars.
People meandered amongst the various stalls and street vendors and we wandered up to the famous Jonker Street which becomes a bustling food market in the evening.
This is where the Dutch resided during their rule. Today it is in the heart of the Chinese influenced part of the city. The street market was lined with a multitude of mainly food stalls selling everything from fresh juice and tea, to noodles, chicken balls, grilled squid and octopus, barbecued meat and sweet snacks. Large metal pots of food bubbled away and satay sticks sizzled on grills. It was packed with people and hard to stop and investigate the stalls in the traffic jam of people.
We found our way to the river that snakes its way through the centre of the city. Many of the river walkways, bridges and buildings have been refurbished and preserved to encourage tourism. With the introduction of river cruises along the river, it has been likened it to a mini Venice. The river once was an important conduit for trade between the Strait of Malacca and city during the Sultanate in the 1400’s.

The following morning we went to the edge of Little India to get some breakfast. We found a small peaceful cafe, whose airiness, plants and curios made it welcoming, as did the warm smile of the owner, Mr. Patma. A diminutive man with a friendly demeanour, he served
us an amazing breakfast of roti and murtabak, washed down with some hot sweet teh tarik!
So good, we went back the following day, when he spoke effusively about the curios that decorate his shop, many from his British father-in-law who owns an antique shop. He shared his knowledge of food and cooking, having learnt his trade in his hometown in the Cameron Highlands and later in restaurants in Kuala Lumpur. His love for his cafe, set up three years ago, was evident and he showed us the small courtyard behind the front cafe which he wanted to develop. Cool and shaded, it had a fantastic spiral stair up to the upper floors of his house. Each step had a potted plant which he said he watered every day! A hanging garden that kept him fit!!! A truly lovely man with a good energy we will remember him fondly.

With stomachs full, we found our way to Temple Street. It has a Hindu temple, a Mosque and two Chinese Temples within a stones throw of each other - along with all the various outlets selling the incense and offerings that worshippers can buy to satisfy their religious deference or gift to honour their ancestors.
Allah, Ganesh (the remover of obstacles), the Chinese God of Mercy, and Buddha have been neighbours in the street for centuries. They have coexisted as part of the diverse communities spiritual beliefs of the Indian Hindu, Indian Muslim, Chinese and Malay people who have made it their home.
The UK often seems to struggle with multiculturalism and as there is increasingly a leaning toward the right and its divisive dog whistle politics. This street reminded me that harmony can exist and that it can be accommodated, provided everyone has a little bit of tolerance for others.

Exploring the back streets after dark was very atmospheric. Many of the old shophouses have kaki-lima. Kaki-lima are the covered walkways in front of the houses that act as a shade from the sun and protection from the rain.
Navigating our way along the kaki-lima we had to tread with care. There are often changes in level, steps, parked motorbikes, pipes that stick out, open gutters and other hazards to keep you on your toes!
Many floors and walls of the shops fronts were decorated with ornate tile work of flower patterns and geometric motifs in vibrant colours, many in a relief style with raised designs They are referred to as Peranakan tiles, however, they were often imported from Europe and other places.

Next day we visited a traditional Peranakan home, now a museum, the ancestral seat of the Chan family - several generations of whom lived in the house, after their ancestors emigrated to Melaka from Southern China. These Chinese migrants are collectively known as Baba-Nyonya.
The house contained many items from the family’s life, and although opulent, it felt like a family home. The house itself was the star. It had two floors joined by a fantastic wooden staircase that had a special hatch, which could be deployed and locked to protect those on the upper floor and stop anyone from getting upstairs.
The terraced houses on this street are 160 ft in depth and 55 ft in width. There are no windows on the left or right walls. Ventilation and light comes into the house through 3 inner courtyard airwells, surrounded on the ground floor by living and dining areas and on the upper floor by bedrooms. Open to the sky, rain falls through the airwell, to cool the house, and also brings good luck and prosperity (ong) into the house as it is believed that water signifies wealth.

On our last evening we went out for a stroll. We climbed up to the old Portuguese fort on the hill behind the main square. The sun was setting over the strait of Melaka and evening light painted the stones of the old
Church of St. Paul pink. As it got dark we
found ourselves again in the back streets, where paper lanterns decorated with Chinese symbols hung under the kaki-lima, swaying gently in the evening breeze - throwing a warm red glow that bathed the covered arcade. Many businesses were closed but in places, open shutters were an invitation for us to nosily peer inside. This would reveal a glimpse of a person in the dimness, engrossed in something or other, vignetted like a figure in an old painting.
Along the river path, we stumbled upon an ‘emporium’ of curios in the flea market Trash & Treasure, a veritable museum of vintage items. One unit is given over mainly to alcohol memorabilia. We chatted with the proprietor David, who started up the flea market years ago and is an avid collector and enthusiast, particularly of items related to the alcohol industry. He told us that when the government decided to restrict the promotion of alcohol in many places, that much of the alcohol related paraphernalia - posters, branded glassware, bottles, advertising and marketing materials, became redundant.
He has a big collection including items from Johnnie Walker, Guinness and Tiger, many of which are rare, as they were special versions released in the SE Asia market only. He talked for ages with such enthusiasm. Even though we weren’t buying anything, he showed some of his favourite items and as we mentioned we live in Scotland, paid us attention to some special whisky memorabilia!

Our impressions of Melaka were that it was a visually interesting place, and one that was wonderful to walk around. The colours popped, the multicultural influences made it stimulating, and the heritage buildings added to the feel of faded grandeur. A city that we could have spent more time exploring.Read more