Melaka journal

Old fortress gate
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After arriving in Melaka finally I checked into a lovely hostel, then went to find something to eat down the road.  I soon had 3 older guys sitting with me for a chat, which was nice until one of them guessed my age at 31!!  Ouch!!

Melaka has an interesting history as the Portugese, then the Dutch, then the English all made their home here due to its advantageous location for trade.  I went to a couple of museums to learn a bit more about the history of Melaka, and Malaysia in general.  As it is the 50th anniversary this year of Malaysias independence from Britain it seemed appropriate to learn about their struggles against the occupiers, the occupiers struggles against each other, and final success as an independent nation.

Old church
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The Portugese left behind a large fortress, which the British then blew up leaving only a gate remaining, and the ruins of an old church dating back to the 1500's.  The views from the church, being on a hill, where beautiful, over to the Straits of Melaka where all the action was.

In the afternoon I wandered around the atmospheric Chinatown, slightly touristy but in a much more tasteful way than in some other Chinatowns I have seen.  There were some lovely clothes boutiques that I started the arduous process of rebuilding my non-backpacking wardrobe in, as well as temples and houses to look at.

View from Portugese settlement
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That night I had dinner at a Portugese settlement beside the sea, taken there by a guy who I thought worked in the guesthouse so I thought was safe enough.  Turns out that he just uses his connections at the guesthouse to pick up women - and proceeded to regale me with stories of his successes covering 20 years, including how rich they were, where they took him and what happened when they found out about each other.  Sheesh!  I couldnt wait to get back the guesthouse, especially after he told me how he sometimes introduces girls to his friends...