Malacca Malacca, Malaysia (SEA 5)
Last post: Singapore – Main Attractions (SEA 4)
The trip to Malacca was an easy 3 hours bus trip from Singapore. My first bordercrossing in Asia. When the bus arrived at the central bus station it was hard to find the right city bus in all the chaos around. After asking a serval of people and organizing the Malayan money I saw myself standing in a crowded bus in direction Dutch Square. I stepped out and walked around to find a hostel. The one I found was a small informal place with clean bathroom and breakfast included.
The city Malacca is a cosmopolitan place with a lot of charm. The colonial era brought many western influences to this place and you can see the Dutch, Portuguese and English inspired buildings everywhere. The old part of the city is surrounded by Chinatown and Little India and you can find little art shops on every corner.
After a short nap at my hostel I went to the Jonker Market (From Fr – Su) and let myself flow with the crowd. I also had good street food on the market. Grilled chicken with rice balls which I had on a table in the middle of a whole Malayan family. A good experience with friendly people inviting me to share their food and drinks with me. (This was not the last time in Asia I had this kind of experience.)
At the end of the day I walked back to my hostel and had two beers next to the Malacca River in a bar called Reggae Riverside View. There I had a good conversation with the owner before I went to bed.
Next post: Historical Malacca (SEA 6)