An Amazing Historical Journey to Malacca

The historical walls of Malacca are tumbling down, as the LEOs make their grand, roaring leap into the once majestic heritage of an ancient empire...

 The LEO Club Malacca Invasion Trip 2012

  

It's been a long time ever since I stopped posting travel journals mainly because travel journals need an ample amount of time and efforts to compose. I need some research and resources to write about a destination and I don't like to compromise on my works. This is a travel account of last year's 2 days 1 night trip to Malacca organized by the Leo Club of our college. 

source: google images

Brief Description

Malacca-currently one of the smallest states in the Malay Peninsular was the historical site of one of the earliest Malay Sultanates that developed from a fishing village to a prominent trading empire due to its strategic location being in the central the of trade routes of Arab and China. Being later colonized by the Spanish, Dutch and afterwards part of the British Colony for more than 400 years, this state presents to you an array of historical monuments and colonial buildings that form the facets of this unique multicultural state. At the 7th of July 2008, this state has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site together with the Georgetown City in Penang.

DAY 1

Accommodation: Home Stay

 

This trip is a two days one night trip. We stayed in a cheap accommodation in Kampung Bachang. It was actually a home stay villa. It is called the D' Roma Home Stay. I hear from the organizers of this trip that the accommodation is actually very economic considering that it is a two storey building that is separated into two sides. Both sides have about 6 rooms each and share a common hall. The location is 15 minutes drive to Bandar Hilir, the nearest town. Well, it might sound exotic to stay in midst of a village, however you must always take care of your own belongings as there had been thefts of shoes during our stay.        

The "Signboard"

The inside of the villa. These pictures are taken upstairs

A room and the corridors.

The common hall connecting the both sides of the villa. There is a massage chair and a dining table.

Despite being unsafe for storing personal items inside, the villa is really clean and quite comfortable, I must say.

The beginning of an adventure

After unpacking our stuff, it is time to go and have some adventure in the streets of Malacca. Here are the buildings that we saw on both sides of the streets on bus:

Well, to be honest, I don't know this place. XP

Anyone, any ideas?

 St. Francis Xavier's Church in Malacca. We didn't visit this place either.

The Stadthuys or the Dutch Red Square in Malacca. We actually visited this place later. The photos here are taken on board of the bus.

 One of the streets of Malacca. You can simply find old-fashioned buildings that has been preserved along the streets of this historical site.

Our first stop, Jonker Walk!

Jonker Street/Jonker Walk

 

 Located in the heart of the Malacca UNESCO heritage site, Jonker Street is a street that showcases the traditional Baba Nyonya and Chinese culture. Walking along this spectacular street that has a history of more than a hundred years, one can see various shops along both sides of the road as well as hawker stalls selling an array of souvenirs or authentic food.  

An Indian Primary School next to Jonker Street.

A plate that depicts the history and founding of the street.

The streets are flanked by shops ranging from those that sell handicrafts, souvenirs to those that sell local treats and cuisines. Shops like this one in the left sells antique stuff such as artifacts or relics as well as some hand-made crafts.

 

The Jonker Street and all the other heritage sites are non-smoking zones.

Above: A Baba Nyonya cuisine restaurant in Jonker Street. We are supposed to have our lunch here but eventually we didn't because it is in its rest hours at the time we reached there. There are lots of Baba Nyonya Restaurants in Malacca. Most of them are similar in terms of the type of dishes available, and the quality of the cooking is almost the same. You just have to simply butt in anyone of it to have a taste of the cuisine, but you may need to survey the prices before entering. :)

Above: The biggest Pineapple tart of Malaysia made by the Lucy Wee Nyonya Pineapple Tarts House in 2004 as recorded in the Malaysia Book of Records.

 

 The stage where performances such as the Chinese Opera and karaoke of old songs performed by the elderly takes place.

Left: More shops and a hotel. Right: An old Guan Yin Bodhisattva temple.

The crowded scene of Jonker Street. Getting past a sea of vehicles is necessary for tourists and other pedestrians to go to the other side of the road.

I came across a stall selling Taiwan style Burgers. It is actually two fried eggs clamping a fresh fried meat patty of your choice. I choose ham for my patty. It is quite delicious and worth a try.

Below: Dragons dancing in the clouds decorated the pillars of the building that houses the Malacca Hokkien Association. These associations served the communities of people of similar ethnics that migrated from China to look for job opportunities in the Malay Peninsular in the past and stayed there. These associations still function today and provides a platform for the descendants of the similar ethnic to interact and strives to improve their welfare through neighborhood activities.

The Jonker Walk World Heritage Park.

This place that is recently set up is a small garden with miniature figurines and some decorative plants where one can pose to take photos. The muscular statue is actually a statue tribute to the father of body building in Malaysia and Chairman of Malaysia Body Building Federation, Datuk Wira Dr Gan Boon Leong who was once awarded the title of Mr Universe.

Below: The scene opposite the World heritage Park.

Stalls selling snacks and handicrafts.

A traditional Chinese surname chopstick. I found the chopstick of my surname, "Wang" and managed to take a photo of it before leaving.

The QQ Ice 86 Shop. A much quiet restaurant and rival of the famous Jonker 88 restaurant. Here, we have some Durian Cendol before entering the Jonker 88 restaurant. Do I forgot to mention that Durian Cendol is a must try here?

Jonker 88 restaurant.Soooooooooooooooooo famous for being crowded. XD People queue here all the time for its Nyonya Asam Laksa and flavored Cendols.

The mood and atmosphere of this shop is set at the late 19th and early 20th century. One can have the feeling of slipping back to the past in this traditional designed restaurant.

The Nyonya Asam Laksa(Price: RM5) on the left was tasty. It tastes differently from the laksas we have in other parts of Malaysia and probably in Singapore. Also, the Passion-fruit Cendol is surprisingly good. Its distinct aroma and perfectly blended flavor will trickle your taste buds. I didn't tried the Durian Cendol of this restaurant, but it should be tasty too and more better than the one at next door. Shhhhh....

The owner of Jonker 88 Restaurant is also an avid collector of old bank notes and portraits. He does not hesitate to display his collections on the walls of the restaurant and offers a considerable price to those who want to buy or trade his collectibles.

The antique stuff adds a plus point to this store.

So, now we are back to the streets of Jonker Walk.

The scenery along the bridge of Malacca River.

The Stadthuys

So, we finally made it to where we saw just now. The stadthuys is located at the end of Jonker Walk. The word "stadthuys" is an old Dutch spelling that carries the meaning of city hall. These brick red buildings are built by the Dutch occupants during 1650 as the administration office of the Dutch government when Malacca fall into their hands. Most of the structures remain in good conditions until now and is currently situated at Jalan Laksamana.

The miniature Dutch Windmill serves as a perfect spot for taking pictures.

The Dutch Square also hosts a plaza with a garden that has a gigantic fountain in its core. The Christ Church of Malacca is also located here.

The outside of the Cheng Ho's cultural museum. We didn't visit this place prior because it is not open for visitors at that time.

Taking the path above the small hill leads to the most famous buildings of Malacca, the St Paul's Church and the A' Famosa fort. Just follow the signboards or ask the people around.

It is quite a distance from the stadthuys but it is really worthy as you reached your destination.

Behold the serene and peaceful scenery of the St Paul's Church uphill.

St. Paul's Church

Part of the Malacca Museum Complex located on the summit of St. Paul's Hill, the St. Paul's Church is originally a small chapel that further enlarged with the addition of a second floor and a belfry tower during the time St Francis Xavier entered Malacca. When the Dutch invaded, it was reconsecrated but eventually abandoned when the Dutch reconstructed another new church. The structure was then modified to become a watchtower to fortify Malacca.

The Taming Sari Tower from the summit of St. Paul's Hill.

The exterior and the interior of the church.

The looming Portuguese tombstones excavated from the burial vault seem to add a sense of sorrow and pity to this place that has slowly faded into oblivion.

 

The lone, rustic scene of the deteriorated walls and chiseled off interiors were the only remains of a once grand and distinctive church.

A' Famosa Fort

This famous Portuguese Fort has been the hallmark structure of Malacca. It was built for more than 400 years ago and is considered as one of the most oldest European architectural remains in Asia. The fort was later handed over by the Dutch to the British. The British at first decided to demolish the fortress but during the process of demolition, Sir Stamford Raffles who happened to visit Malacca, intervened their plans. However, by the time he tried to stop them, almost the whole fort has been destroyed, leaving only the small gate house, Porta de Santiago intact only.

   

It doesn't matter now whether we had a complete fortress like the Fort Cornwalis in Penang, or a ruined one like this one in Malacca, what had happened has happened. History happens only once and never repeats itself, only men repeats history. We must know how to learn from the past and try to prevent the same thing from happening in the future. This is the reason why we need to learn about history.

Left: fighter jeeps and tanks in the Taman Pahlawan park. 

Right: The proclamation of Independence Memorial in Taman Sejarah next to Taman Pahlawan

Trishaws, 3-wheeled traditional transport vehicles had been a famous tourist attraction in Malacca. 

We visited the 3 parks of Taman Pahlawan, Taman Sejarah and Taman Merdeka around the surroundings of the A' Famosa Fort. These parks have real unused models of old locomotive trains, fighter jets, helicopters, tanks and other vehicles used for warfare. Due to the dark surroundings, most of my photos cannot be seen clearly.

The night scape of the Middelsburgh Bastion. It is actually known to be a part of the structure of the A' Famosa Fort accidentally discovered through excavation in year 2006. A watchtower is reconstructed on its unearthed remains and it is opened for public.

Left: The uneven and uncovered ground beneath left traces of evidence of an excavated site.

The view of the Malacca river from the watchtower.

These canons guard the fort from enemies that were supposed to enter the fort from the river.

The Restoran Famosa Chicken Rice Ball. One of the restaurants that sell traditional Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls in Jonker Walk. This became our official dinner of that night. 

The roast chicken and traditional Hainanese rice balls. Price: RM9.00 per person. IMHO, I felt that the price is not cheap as me and my friends, which is four of us have to share the food together and its taste is only average. I mean, what can you expect in a tourist attraction here? But I having eaten chicken rice for countless of times ever since I was born, had taken chicken rice as something normal. And based on my experience, it is not the best one in town. Well, sorry to say, it just failed to amuse me. Not really recommended but you can try too.

The night time scenery in Jonker Walk. A busy road where vehicles pass through at day transforms into a crowded cultural bazaar or market at night. The sea of people flooded the streets of Jonker Walk that are sealed from the entry of vehicles during the night. More stalls sprouted and this time placed at the center of the road. Caution must be taken to prevent pickpockets from stealing your belongings.

DAY 2

Baba Charlie Nyonya Cake House

Our first stop for day two is a home-based shop that sells Nyonya Cakes. This place houses a variety of homemade Nyonya Cakes that are fresh from the oven made by the Peranakan family living there. All the Nyonya Cakes are sold by piece. The Nyonya Dumplings are a must try.

We bought some nyonya cakes and shared among ourselves. The stuff below is RM13.20. Not cheap.

Tan Kim Hock Product Center

It was then another souvenir time at the Tan Kim Hock Product Center located right in the front of the Little India street.The Tan Kim Hock Product Center is famous for its durian and coconut products.

A little refreshments at the Little India Street before proceeding to our next stop. RM1 for any of the beverages in the hawker stalls.

San Shu Gong Local Delicacy Shop

source: web

We returned back to Jonker Walk again. Here, we entered the third souvenir shop for the day. The San Shu Gong is a tall, red building located at the entrance of Jonker Street. It has a cafe that features its famous Durian Cendol and special White Coffee. Beside the cafe is a shop that sells other special treats such as chicken biscuits, pumpkin peanut biscuits (Songshan Biscuits), pineapple tarts, mandarin lime juice and melon seed biscuits to name a few.

Clay jars arranged neatly in shelves used by the Ancient Chinese to preserve food and make wine now served as a decoration along with the cute figurines.

And then it is time for us to have our lunch :)

A high class Peranakan restaurant. Whoa, we initially thought that we were going to have our lunch here. Check out the decorations and adornments of this restaurant...

We settled our lunch at Nancy's Kitchen Nyonya Restaurant located at the surroundings of Jonker Walk. We had the traditional ayam pongteh, spring rolls, omelet eggs and another dish that I had forgot.We have four big dishes and 9 persons per table average RM10 per person.

Mahkota Parade and the free hours

Let's say if someone throw you in Mahkota Parade, the biggest shopping center in the city of Malacca  for 5 hours, what will you do if you do not intend to shop at all?

Actually it is not a big deal, because all of the historical sites and tourist attractions that I mentioned and went to yesterday are all located nearby. Check this map and you will know what I mean:

  

source: enitravelkaki.com

Realizing this fact, we went to visit some of the destinations that we missed the opportunity to visit due to time constraints yesterday after two games of bowling. 

Taming Sari Tower

Crowds, crowds, crowds. I am getting bored of this.

The one and only gyro tower in Malaysia has the structure and design that follows a traditional Malay weapon, keris which is a thin and long, crooked small blade used by warriors of the past. The name is derived from Hang Tuah's mythical weapon, the Sang Keris that is rumored to enhance his combat abilities. Tourists can view the breathtaking scenery of the town of Malacca and its surroundings by boarding the air-conditioned, revolving cabin of the tower that rises 263ft high. 

The entrance fee is RM10 for Malaysia citizens.

Scenic views of the city of Malacca can be observed from above. Houses, skyscrapers, buildings, the stadium, the Malacca river and the museums all form a colorful kaleidoscope that will captures the hearts of those who see it. The entire ride is only about 7 minutes. How I wish it would be longer.

We decided to go to the Maritime Museum. From Jalan Merdeka, we walk across a couple of roads to Jalan Quayside and walk along the Malacca River to our next destination: the Maritime Museum

The view of Malacca River from the Jalan Quayside.

The beaming sunshine casts a bright glare on the waters, creating a misty Summer panorama.

Maritime Museum (First Phase/Flor de Lamar Model)

 

The price is RM3 per adult and 50 cents per child. With this ticket you can enter 3 museums: the Flora de La Mar ship itself, the museum at the warehouse beside it and the Royal Navy Museum.

The museum itself is a replica of the Flora de La Mar Portuguese ship that sank as it left Malacca on the way to Portugal. This museum depicts the glorious golden era of Malacca as the Emporium of the East and how Malacca maintains the maritime dominance through the wisdom of its rulers. Visitors will also have a glance into the inner structure of the ship and the life of a sailor.

The structure of the Flora de La Mar ship replica.

 Crowds of people gather to board on the ship at this blazing Sunday afternoon.

Portraits, figurines and scenes of reenactment depict the history of seafaring and the secrets behind the glorious empire of Malacca.

The steep, winding staircase leads to the lower floor of the ship.

Feeling pirate today! 

From above the ship.

Maritime Museum (second phase)

The second phase of the maritime museum is located next to the replica of the Flora de La Mar ship. It is actually built at the renovated old Guthrie warehouse. Inside the museum, we can learn about the sociological and economical impact of the ocean on the history and development of mankind as well as the various marine life residing the oceans

Information boards and historical artifacts filled the hallways of the gallery.

Models of submarines and ships of different kinds tell stories of the progress and development of marine transportation.

Well, there is not much to see here. Just a couple of stuff related with maritime. Let's head towards the following museum.

The Royal Malaysian Navy Museum

This museum is located in front of the Flora de La Mar replica. The museum showcases various objects that are related to the Malaysian Navy such as photographs, medals, vehicles used for combat and communication, naval uniforms and weapons. There is a small garden behind the museum that has the replica of a live size vassal used by the navy.

The designs of this museum are both futuristic and artistic at the same time.

Left: Prepare your guns my men, we are going to blow out this ship!

Right: Anchors ahoy! Let's fight into the enemy ship and victory shall be ours!

Area cleared! The ship has fallen into our hands alas! 

Okay, this may sound boring. But allow the writer into his indulgence will you? XD

We returned to our bus at around 6pm to find ourselves hungry for food. So, we headed straight towards the last destination-The Portuguese Village for a unique Portuguese seafood meal.

Night at Portuguese Village

Before going back, we had a nourishing dinner at the Portuguese Village. This place is like a hawker centre except most of its stalls sell authentic Portuguese Seafood. The food is scrumptious and mouth-watering and the price is good. The only cons of this place is its poor hygiene of the surroundings and the never ending crowd of people. Some of my friends waited for more than an hour but it still haven't reached their turn. Just imagine how crowded it is!

We had giant prawns, battered fried squid, Portuguese style butter-grilled scallops, and mixed vegetables. Price: RM62 for 5 persons.

The famous Mango Milk Shake of the Portuguese Village. RM2.50 only. 

After lunch, while waiting for the others to finish their meal, we had a stroll at the harbor there. At ten o' clock, we departed from Malacca and headed back to Kuala Lumpur and reached there at around midnight.

Overall, this trip is an enjoyable one yet economical one. Although there are some problems that we encountered in this trip, I still felt that the organizers had done their very best in organizing this simple yet memorable trip. It was my second time to be here in Malacca and I really felt tranquil and rewarding rather than boring for revisiting this place. There is yet so much to see and so much to learn in this place. The rich culture and history Malacca will continue to beckon me for now and for the future.