Week 17: Melaka

This weekend I had the pleasure of a custom tour around the historic city of Melaka, brought to me by some coworkers who were determined to be exceptionally hospitable. (Everyone I work with is nice and welcoming, but unlike some other countries, they insist on going above and beyond to take me places of interest on the weekends. It’s really fun, if unexpected.) The goal of the weekend: eat lots of local food. Mission accomplished.

Our first stop was at a sea turtle research facility, where they observe these creatures and educate visitors about them. We got to enjoy these creatures swimming about lazily in front of a gorgeous ocean view. Continuing our trip, we witnessed the newest phenomenon in hotels: old busses were converted into themed hotel rooms, complete with indoor plumbing! While they wouldn’t allow us into any of the rooms (busses?) you can read all about this new craze online. The coconut shakes at the nearby lot of busses turned stationary food trucks did not disappoint however.

Our next stop was the downtown and historic area of Melaka, a port city previously colonized by Western forces including the Portuguese and the British. We were able to board a model ship and learn about trade in the area before we headed on to Jonker street (pronounced like a New Yorker “Yonker”) for lunch. This street is full of the Chinese Malays and their shops, restaurants, and mannerisms were very reminiscent of being in China itself. We stepped into a popular food store that was like a Chinese Harry and David’s for some treats (unfortunately no Moose Munch!) before heading on our way to see more of the old town. I admired a lot of the tri-shaws along the way; these are bicycle driven carts that compete with each-other for the most flamboyant designs and themes. Everything from FROZEN to Hello Kitty to SuperMan to Pokemon could be found, and to put the cherry on top many had speakers that would blare pop music as the car rolled away.

We wrapped up a fun day with a trip to the top of the hill in the center city, where we were treated to a beautiful view amid ruins of an old church from the days of colonization. Following this, we headed to a beach for an impromptu photoshoot (to provide pictures for the company newsletter, of course!) and to enjoy some local food before heading home for the night. It was a lot of fun and I feel so lucky to have coworkers who would go out of their way to take me on adventures within their home country.