Malacca/Melaka

...is a historic town with lots of traces of its colonial past; churches and forts built by the Portuguese, churches and admin buildings by the Dutch and schools by the Brits.

We had a short river trip past old houses, a "model" town built by the Brits for Malay pilots at the turn of the last century, some monitor lizards and a rare kingfisher.

Buddhist temple

St Francis Xavier (for Chris A)



View from the 33rd floor



There are many museums.  After lunch in a Chinese eating place we visited 4 before the heat finished us,   Perhaps the most intersting part of the day was a quick scoot through Chinatown where workmen were working on their haunches making pots and baskets etc alongside bike repair shops and very expensive antique shops.  We popped in to the oldest buddhist temple in Malaysia

Once again we were trapped in traffic as we got back to KL. This time due to a tropical thunder storm which broke out just as rush hour started.  Still, we were back just in time to take up our reserved cushioned lounging area in the pool bar on the 33rd floor with stunning views of the Petronas Towers.  The cocktails were very overpriced and "under- alcoholled"- though this was probably just as well as we had to walk along a narrow wooden deck over the edge of the pool to leave our alcove.

Q.I facts

KL has no poo in the main streets neither dog (unlike Paris) nor human (like Delhi)

KL has very very few beggars and none who importune passersby (unlike London etc etc)

KL has a totally inadequate road system...gridlock happens every Friday rush hour and whenever there is a downpour- which seems to be every evening

Despite all the progress the average life expectancy is falling.  This is possibly due to western junk food becoming evermore popular

Malaysia has no breakfast as such and nasi goreng doesn't appeal first thing (though it's delicious as lunch or supper)

It is a religiously tolerant society:  in Malacca in 1 street are a church, a mosque, a Hindu temple and a Buddhist temple.  Islam is less strict than in Arabia:  everywhere there are girls with their hair covered with pretty scarves but wearing skinny jeans!  They are out with their boyfriends and in mixed groups.

It calls itself a democracy but the army has a role and is headed by the king.  The latter changes every 5 years as 1 of the 7 sultans who head 7 of the States has a turn.  Demonstrations are illegal.  We saw the hundreds of police on the streets on Sunday as a demo over rising prices had been announced.  Nothing happened as the leaders were arrested in their homes the night before!

There are still laws to "protect the rights "of Malays at the expense of other races no matter how long they have lived here.  In many cases this has been for many generations.

As in many other countries, Malaysian governments seem to be hoping that expanding education will lead to rising wages and the susbsequent aquisition of consumer goods will keep the population passive.   Watch this space.....

Relations with Singapore are still wary.  The latest quarrel is over water supply.  This has been sold to S by Malaysia for many yrs at a price agreed 30 odd yrs ago.  M wanted to raise the price so S is building its own desalinisation plant.