I'm in Melaka! Huzzah!!

Yes! This is great!! I'm finally getting out of Singapore and into another part of Southeast Asia! I've turned down other trips with friends to places like Indonesia and Vietnam because I figure since I intend to go to those countries later for a long period of time, why spend good money just to go there for a few days? Also, I have to admit that overall, when I look back on my trips, I enjoy travelling alone for the most part. You meet more people that way and you can be a bit selfish about where you go and what you do. But on the road itself that does get lonely and can be difficult, so maybe the ideal way to do it is to travel with one other person, but take periodic breaks where you travel apart for a little while. Finally, something tells me my friends would have a hard time staying in some of the, uh, ‘budget’ hostels I tend to use.

But about Malaysia. I took a rather colorful bus from Singapore to Melaka, expecting it to take somewhere around 4 hours. It took 7.5. What I failed to appreciate was that this was Vesak Day, a public holiday, and thus a day that people would be fleeing Singapore en masse to take a little holiday. We crawled through traffic, crossing one of the world’s smallest countries at a snail’s pace. Malaysia’s immigration desk didn’t help, though, and in a room the size of a high school gymnasium, approximately 2,000 people waited for clearance to enter the country. Guess which line moved most slowly?

I slept through most of the bus ride, which really felt great, and only woke up when a. the air conditioning went out (again) and it got too steamy on the bus, b. I had to go into customs and c. the bus driver tried to leave me at a golf resort with the other passengers on the bus, a Chinese family staying there for a reunion. It was another 45 minutes from there to the actual station listed on my ticket. Thanks for trying to leave me alone in the middle of nowhere, dude.

But that’s where the complaints end because Melaka is great! I had a few hours before the sun went down, so I checked into Sama-Sama Guesthouse’s dorm and hit the street. This is one of the most walk-able cities I’ve ever been to—all the roads dump you out into basically the same main locations: city square, the bridges leading across the canal, or the Jonker Walk (more about that later). The streets are narrow and mostly one way and there are no sidewalks so pedestrians must squeeze between the cars trundling by and the foot-deep gutter that collects run-off and garbage. Straying to either side is not advised! Living in the US, I never would have guessed that it could be so enjoyable, though, just to twist and turn up one street and down another, ducking into alleys, following gravel paths, and generally trying to get lost. Nothing in America is like this at all.

When I left my hostel, I learned it was on Jalon Tukang Emas, or Harmony Street. It’s called this because within a half-mile you can find Kampung Keling Mosque, Malaysia's oldest Hindu temple (Sri Payyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Temple), and Malaysia’s oldest Buddhist temple (Cheng Hoong Teng--Green Clouds Temple). The mosque is a bit bland and shabby, but you can tell the donations are made good use of in Cheng Hoong Teng. The paint is fresh, the floor is clean, the lanterns aren’t coming apart, and the brass is polished. Add to the captivating view the heavenly smell of incense being burnt and gongs being struck periodically and suddenly you find yourself wondering if you have to convert to be Buddhist or if you can just start coming here whenever you want.

Continuing along the street I buy a freshly-cut pineapple (an under-appreciated benefit of living in the tropics: the wealth of fresh fruit available year-round) and look at all of the traditional nonya shoes for sale. In a refreshing change from other travels, I realize that no one is calling out to me or taking photos of me or trying a sales pitch or honking at me or anything like that. While I certainly don’t go without being noticed, I’m not harassed, either, and it’s wonderful!

Cutting down a gravel path between buildings I stroll past a beautiful traditional wooden home as well as some shacks made out of sheet metal, tarps and hope. Soon, though, I’m at the canal and walking towards the ocean. It’s easy to imagine Melaka as a busy port 500 years ago, with boats being rowed up and down the river loaded with spices, fabrics, precious metals and other goods coming from or bound for China, Persia and Europe. The massive red buildings built by the Dutch (original) and 17th century wooden cargo ship (replica) conspire with the traditional low-lying houses, canal-side ruins of a fort, smell of salt water and flaming sunset to make you believe the East India Trading Company still exists and is dominating the NYSE.

After exploring and creating a mental map of the city, I sit down for a beer, some fried tempeh with salt and curry leaves (oh, wow, so good) and a slightly spicy vegetable soup served in a coconut. It’s dark out now and the weekend street market has come alive. Cheap shit made in China is put on display next to food vendors and it reminds me of an American fair: lots of things that light up, food on sticks, young people out for a cheap date, and...senior citizens singing karaoke while wearing jester hats and sparkly shirts? All right, that one I have no equivalent for, although I’m happy to report that corn dogs are just as popular in Asia as they are in the US.