Melaka

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Trip Start Jun 24, 2008 Previous
Entry Trip End Jul 12, 2008

  Melaka, Malaysia
Friday, July 11, 2008

Actually, we are back in Bangkok and we leave for home later tonight.  A brief rundown of our last days in Malaysia.

Saturday, July 5, 2008
Today we left Kuala Lumpur and headed for an area called the Genting Highlands.  The area has a much higher elevation and is much cooler than Kuala Lumpur.  Unfortunately, we didn't get to do much outside because this area is dominated by a huge theme park/resort/casino and it is pretty much impossible to do much outside unless you have your own car.  We spent most of our time at the casino and did pretty well.  We lost about $25 each, but that is not too bad for as much time as we spent gambling.  Blackjack here is different than in the US.  Players can ride on other player's hands.  Basically, we could bet on someone's hand besides ourselves.  Also--the dealer gets his second card after all players get their hands.  If a player gets 21, they automatically win and get paid, even if the dealer winds up with a blackjack.

While the gambling was fun, the most interesting part of the trip to the highlands was our cab ride.  Our driver talked a lot and wanted to talk about politics, both  Malaysian and  American.  Malaysian politics made us appreciate American politics somewhat although politicians are politicians no matter where in the world.  Malaysia's opposition party has gained much ground in the past year or two due to the price of oil.  There was a big rally scheduled for Sunday in Kuala Lumpur (a good reason to get out of the city) and our cab driver implied that we should stay out b/c who knows what could happen.  Luckily the worst thing that happened was a singer decided to pull down his pants and sing in his boxers.  He spoke about US politics too and I think he favored US intervention in world affairs.  Also interesting is the fact that he is part of the Chinese minority in Malaysia and not a Malay nor a Muslim.  It was a very interesting conversation.

Sunday, July 6 -Wednesday, July 9 2008
On Sunday we took a Super VIP bus from the Highlands to Melaka.  Melaka is the historical heart of the country of Malaysia.  Almost everyone we spoke with mentioned the history.  Melaka's history began in 1403 with the arrival of Parameswara, an exiled Hindu prince who later converted to Islam.  Melaka gained prominence as a vibrant maritime trading center and eventually was conquered by Alfonso d'Albuquerque in 1511 and ruled by the Portuguese until 1641.  The Dutch took it from the Portuguese and ruled for 154 years.  The British took over in 1824 and ruled Melaka and Malaysia until independence in 1957. 

The city itself is interesting, but could use a face lift.  We saw several sights including:
St. Francis Xavier's Church--built in 1849 in honor of St. Francis Xavier who died in Melaka.  A very simple, yet beautiful Roman Catholic church that has remained in use since its opening.

Christchurch--built by the Dutch and later converted from a Dutch Reformed Church to an Anglican Church.  This church has an amazing picture of the Last Supper in glazed tiles. 

St. Paul's Church--or the ruins of St. Paul's which was built in 1521 and was the original burial place of St. Francis Xavier. 

The Porta de Santiago (A'Famosa)--a fortress built by Albuquerque in 1511.

The Stadthuys--the official residence of the Dutch governors, built in 1650 and houses several museums today.

The old Dutch and English cemeteries--need I say more?

The Maritime Museum--this is housed in a replica of the Flor de la Mar, a Portuguese vessel that sank off the Melaka coast.  This museum traced the history of Melaka from the 15th century through British occupation.

Overall, we very much enjoyed Melaka.  It is much smaller than KL and an easy city to navigate and meet people.  In fact, one night we went to a place called the Geographer's Cafe for a few beers.  While there we met and sat at a big table with people from France, Egypt, and Kuwait and had a great time and good conversation.  One of the best things about traveling is that you can enjoy a few drinks while sitting at a table with people from 4 different continents.  One of the not so great things would be that people from places other than the US are much more touchy than us. 

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