Malaysia, Part Three: Melaka

Melaka (or Malacca, if you're into colonialism) is a tiny, ancient port town in Malaysia at times governed/claimed by the Malay Sultanate, the Dutch, the British, and whoever-else-wanted-to-fight-over-it, always populated by a diversity of native Malay, Dutch, British, Chinese, Indian, Portuguese, and a spice-blend reflective of the various nationalities entering the Strait of Melaka for trade. At a crucial moment of international shipping commerce decision-making in history, Singapore was chosen over Melaka as the port in which to invest more future industry, and thus it became what it is now: a ruin-dotted, tourist-friendly, European-rooted relic of the power it once boasted. It's history may have made for a turbulent past, but it certainly made for a tasty culinary future. The Old Town was our home for a few days, and we welcomed the smaller scale and slower pace.

Our hostel view on the Melaka River.

 

Our hostel is the one with the blossoming tree branches on top, and the umbrella-covered table and chairs were our nightly perch at the back entrance of our beer supplier.

Just an iguana beating the heat.

You'll see more of this kitten later.

I have a peculiar love of old graveyards.

The River at night. Still humid as hell.

Totally reminds me of Pirates of the Caribbean.

Indian food on a banana leaf. Damn, that naan was tasty.

Satisfied after drinking some of the most delicious coffee I've ever tasted
(and post-scarring by durian fruit attempt, as well).

Nasi Lemak, the national dish of Malaysia (except this was a vegetarian version I stumbled upon with spiced TEMPEH!). That rice is cooked in coconut milk and is creamier than my winter thighs.

Next up, the final installment starring the calico kitten glimpsed in this post.