Melaka : gula only for some...

Yesterday, 27th December, Ben wanted to go to Malacca for a day trip. We had a quick breakfast near my place and then drove down. He wanted to buy a lampshade at Jonker Street.

There was a jam as we approached the town centre (city? heritage city..). We could have enjoyed traffic jams at out leisure in KL... but then Malacca has different sights, no?

The upgraded, updated and amended riverside which is much better than any river in KL. At least there aren't any plastic bags floating around. And the river doesn't stink.

One of the many tourist barges plying up and down the river

One of the resuscitated, restored and renovated old buildings being put to better use for the tourist horde.

Part of the local tourists.. he he he hee..

The real local tourist horde

Not a tourist, but part of the local scene. He must've been tired of the ravenous crowd each day.

Thriving business

From the other side of the river I saw this waterwheel. Couldn't figure out the structural style from which period in history.

Boy and chicken (real boy, fake chicken). Outside the chicken rice ball shop

A huge signage for Jonker Street. Commercialism has finally set in.

A collection of malay balls. The sepak takraw bola

Modern bric-bracs at the antique shops location

Colourful modern flip-flops

Updated old-style wooden clogs



I gave up trying to photograph more wares on sale for 3 main reasons:
a) there were far too many modern trash offered for sale to the toursits;
b) there were far too many tourist jostling to take each other's pictures;
c) many of the shops displayed "No Cameras" sign.. what the heck..

After a short break at a cafe where we met up with FS & friends who came down a day earlier, we strolled to this temple (the oldest in the country)

A very nice dragon motif at the main entrance door

A lone lotus in a big pot

One of the many figurines at the temple's backyard

Spotted this beautiful facade a few doors down the temple street

Nice name for a shop

Another nice name. For B&B I think

Spotted this blacksmith's furnace along the road

The old and the young. They were all there.

More colourful modern trash for sale

A quick souvenir shot

Gaudy and expensive trishaw rides.

This is another trishaw's roofing. Plastic flowers, no less.

Probably a Bufori. Not exactly fake vintage. But close. The pride radiating from the diver's face wasn't faked though.

Making our way back

Last shot of the river



Ben didn't get his lampshade. The shop doesn't stock the shape he wanted anymore. On the way home, we stopped somewhere near Dengkil for a dinner of satay. Then we continued our way home..


Till the next posting~~!!