sailing along

PTL-MELAKA-sat5nov-museuns,bodybuilders&dutch pizza

Passed this statue in front of gym on way to famous jonker steet walk in chinatown.originally dutch buildings.great facades.

jonker street coffin shop and temple

jonker street chinese guildhall

jim&barbara,peter&margie,kerry

then to Baba-Nonya Heritage Museum.originally dutcg,then wealthy chinese.fabulous tasteful period interior

dutch colonial-Stadthuys1641(R)=history museum

then the history museum in massive,impressive,solid thickwalled stadthuys=original townhall for dutch,built 1641-1660=oldest surviving dutch building in the east.nice museum now.

christchurch from museum

hotel puri

hotel puri where we didnt stay.one of beautiful buildings along hereen steet where really rich straits chinese lived.we went in for a look and it is very nice
then some exercise,walking along malacca river,to kampung morten=heritage malay village,on river bend,still in city central.river walk=pretty,with old houses,cafes,guesthouses and sreetart.we stopped at riverfront Dutch Cafe,for nice cold beers(Skol,Jaz) & wines,and had a loveely pizza for dinner(not really dutch).another great day in Melaka'

ptl-MELAKA friday 04-11-2011-old city,maritime museums&portugese dinner

nice local chinese breakfast=cheap-a few dollars

chinatown near sama sama

cafe voyage-sama sama guesthouse HQ-a great place to relax,drink coffee and do free internet

malacca river

after breakfast and internet we headed off to see heritage stuff,starting at the clocktower(1850),christchurch(1753) and Stadthuys=original dutch toenhall(1641)-all very colourful and nice atmosphere.right next to malacca river and remains of old dutch fort.

then climbed bukit st paul(hill) to st pauls church.majestic 2 storeysoverlooking melaka,a ruin for last 150 years,and a great place for this wedding photo session

Porta de Santiago=themain gate of A'Formosa

st pauls church in background

this ruin is impressive being the only remains of the original portugese fortress built in 1511.so much history!

naval paratrooper

The maritime museums were good value.this photo shows a naval commando from PASKAL section-they are involved in preventing piratism in malacca straits and attacks on Petronas oil ships and oilrigs-reassuring.

after drinks at the very cool Baboon cafe with dale and sophia,we hit the night market in jonker street and had a lovely meal at portugese restaurant.then nice to retreat to our cosy sama sama guesthouse after a great day in melaka.

PTL- MELAKA thur 03-11-2011

what a luxery marina.only 50rm per day(A$17).we had a walk around,looked pool and gym,saw sab3 off,helped intiq sort out net problem,then went for long beach walk.beach not like bondi.
caught 11am shuttle bus to port dixon,then public bus to seramben,had lunch(2 coffee & rice 4rm),then next public bus to Melaka,thenanother bus into old city(total fares 14 rm=$4)-4 hours. walked to sama sama guest house in chinatown.it was 2007 lonely planet best budget guesthouse.cute and only 40 ringatts per night with free pushbikes amd internet.Bought beers from little house across the street which went down well.then john,the manager,from myanmar,took us and 2 other backpackers,and sagar,staff,from nepal,on a magivcal mystery tout thru old malacca,stopping once for 3 jugs of myanmar beer.arriving back aafter dark to sama sama,we had showers and then all went out for a lovely meal at a busy outdoor pakastani restaurant.what a lovel day.