Malacca, Malaysia

Way too long a break between posts, but I hope to finish up our Hong Kong Adventure shortly. Then look for the next one to start - Patti & Ken's European Adventure. More on that later.

Starting our farewell tour before leaving Hong Kong, we joined our friend May Lene in Kuala Lumpur and took a short trip to Malacca. This is one of the oldest cities in Malaysia and a significant port on the Silk Route of old.

We took some time to visit the Maritime Museum which features a replica of the original trade ships that filled the waters many years ago.

Following our museum visit we wandered along the canal soaking up the history.

We then crossed the canal and spent some time in a quaint shopping area where we had a lunch featuring a local specialty - chicken balls. They are actually balls of rice with bits of chicken mixed through.

Take note of the way coconut juice is served. I love that drink.

It always amazes me how familiar things pop up in the most unexpected places.

A popular mode of transportation around the city is the pedi cab. What makes the ones in Malacca so special is the way they are decorated.

And after a long day of pedaling the drivers occasionally take a little snooze.

Off on our wandering again, we headed toward the ruins of St. Paul's Church. It is one of the oldest Western structures in Malacca.

The slabs along the walls are grave markers which have survived. Many of them are written in multiple languages and tell a story of the deceased.

Just down the hill from St. Paul's are the remains of Fomosa, the ancient fortress built is 1511.

Before leaving the area we saw a most interesting activity. On an open plaza you could rent these nearly life sized horses that were propelled by the rider's body movements. It looked like lots of fun.

Before returning to the hotel to get ready for dinner, we went back to the shopping area to browse through one of my favorite types of establishments - a fabric store.

Needless to say, I bought some.

Dinner was hosted by May Lene's sister Elin, her husband and the family. Elin was our travel companion in Beijing and it was wonderful to see her again and to meet her sons. We also were fortunate enough to meet May Lene's mom and an exchange student from Africa studying in Malacca. The meal was wonderful and featured many courses with the chili crab as the featured item. There was even a wonderfully slushy dessert.

We only had one day to explore before heading off the next morning to Singapore, but it was a wonderful chance to meet up with old friends before traveling on.