tedTRAVELjournal (INTERNATIONAL)

tedTRAVELjournal (INTERNATIONAL) is a series of blogs highlighting the travels I had outside the borders of the Philippines. The spots featured in this series are limited to the places that I had explored and visited. The order of the featured spots has nothing to do with the date of visits and the degree of likeness. Further, the photos used in this post are my personal phone captures as part of my exploration in phone photography and editing.

#tedTRAVELjournalINTERNATIONAL

tedTRAVELjournal (INTERNATIONAL) #1: Selamat Datang di Melaka

Selamat Datang di Melaka! is a Bahasa Melayu language. It literally means, “Welcome in Melaka!”

Melaka, a UNESCO World Heritage City, is the capital city of the state of Melaka in West Malaysia.

Brief History

Melaka is formerly known as Malacca. It is alongside the Strait of Malacca at the mouth of the sluggish Melaka River. According to the history, the city was founded by Paramesvara about 1400. Paramesvara was the ruler of Tumasik (now Singapore) who fled from the forces of the Javanese kingdom of Majapahit. He took a refuge which was then a small fishing village. There he founded a Malay kingdom aided by the Chinese.

Alfonso d’Albuquerque, viceroy of the Portuguese Indies, conquered Melaka which ended the Malay rule in 1511. The Portuguese, during 16th century, realized enormous profits from the especially lucrative spice trade that passed through the port. In 1641, Dutch took over the ruling of the place, yet was interrupted by the British in 1795.

My Experience

I was bored in Singapore during a three-day break (September 1-3, 2017) from school. So, I decided to travel alone to Johor Bahru, Malaysia (the adjacent state of Malaysia from Singapore). After the immigration processes from both checkpoints of the two countries (Singapore and Malaysia), I decided to travel to another place since I’m always visiting Johor. For several checks in the web and being a cultural educator, I decided to check Melaka, Malaysia being a UNESCO World Heritage City.

I hopped into the bus of Johor Bahru Larkin Station around 10 AM heading to Melaka. While in the bus, I posted in my Couchsurfing app that I’m travelling to Melaka. Fortunately, a local, Jerry See Toh, from Couchsurfing app replied and was willing to host me in his apartment.
I arrived in Melaka Sentral Bus Station and I managed to find a public bus transport going to the place where my host can pick me. While waiting, I walked to the nearby buildings and without knowing, I am already in the Dutch Square. Yet, in a short while, my host arrived.

We went for a short jogging in a park nearby his apartment. We shared common interest in having a walk or a jog around nearby parks. First tourist spot he brought me was St. John’s Fort. It was a fort up in the hill which will allow you to have an overlooking view of the city . And we then went to his apartment for me to settle my things.

In the evening, my feet were eager to explore the night life of the downtown. So, I asked my host where the best spot is. He mentioned the Jonker Walk. Without delays, I grabbed a taxi and went to the Jonker Walk. Indeed, the night was alive in the Jonker Walk – full of highly spirited individuals, foods, drinks, local products and the like. I was very amazed how the government supported such movement of making a long stretch of street not only as a tourist area but a place for friends and family bonding. While walking, I saw the Melaka River with some boats accessorizing its slow river flow. Then I wasn’t able to control my kiddo self and boarded the almost an hour river cruise. My eyes then were full of delights as I saw the shining and glittering buildings and shop houses along both riversides, the fully decorated bridges and the historically graffiti-painted house walls.

St. John’s Fort

St. John's Fort was once a private Portuguese chapel dedicated to St. John the Baptist and was rebuilt by the Dutch in the 18th century. It has cannons facing inland to fight the attacks from the hinterland.

Fantastic tropical sunset view at the top of the hill.

Jonker Walk

Jonker Walk is a haven for antique collectors and bargain hunters with a cultured air of old-meets-new through its new wave of cafes and craft shops that have sprouted on this street.

Melaka River Cruise

The river was the main artery of trade for Melaka in its heyday when it was bustling with traders from all around the world.

A painted shop house along the riversides

In my second day, my target was to culturally-map the Dutch Square. It is a spot where most of the historical and heritage sites are closely beside each other. I spent my whole morning in the area without minding the scorching heat of the sun. I enjoyed every step I took, every sight I viewed, every click I captured, every small talk I made and every moment I cherished.

Dutch Square

* Dutch Square Melaka is the red-filled colonial Dutch architectures and the most picturesque along Jalan Kota.*

A small one-way street as entrance to the Dutch Square

Dutch Square at night.

Church of St. Francis Xavier

The church is located at the entrance area of the Dutch Square. It is a twin-spired neo-gothic structure which was built in 1856 on the site of an old Portuguese church by a French priest, Father Farvé.

Queen Victoria’s Fountain and Christ Church of Melaka

Queen Victoria’s Fountain is central figure which commemorates Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1904. And facing the fountain is the Christ Church of Melaka, built in 1753, to commemorate the centenary of Dutch occupation in Melaka and to replace an earlier Portuguese church, which was by then a ruin.

The beautifully decorated tri-shaw which transports tourists from the Dutch Square to other spots nearby.

The shinning and shimmering tri-shaw at night.

Stadthuys in Dutch Square

The Stadthuys in Dutch Square houses a collection of museums which served originally as the official residence of the Dutch governors and was used as a town hall throughout the British administration.

St. Paul’s Church

St. Paul's Church is located at the summit of St. Paul's Hill and was originally built in 1521, making it the oldest church building in Malaysia and Southeast Asia.

Another view of St. Paul's Church

Inside St. Paul's Church

A dungeon-like structure inside St. Paul's Church which became a "wishing well-like" thing wiht the tourists.

A Famosa

A Famosa, built in 1511, used to sprawl across a whole hillside. Now, only a lone gate (Porta de Santiago) remains, yet still being considered as one of the oldest surviving European architectural remains in Asia.

Later in the afternoon, I remembered my river cruise I had and I thought of having a walk checking its morning view. From one end to the other end and going back to the starting point traversing both riversides, I found myself mesmerized with its other flavor to offer. I had captured beautiful pavilions, flower gardens, architectures, village houses with different historical significances, and wall graffiti paintings with rich Melaka stories.

Melaka River Walk

A face-lifted river from being a stinking waterway lined with decaying houses on stilts and the untidy rear side of crumbling shop houses to a preserve historic buildings and bridges along the river which most have been painted with colourful murals depicting different aspects of Malacca's rich history and culture.

Historical graffiti along the Melaka River Walk

When I was about to end my walk, a pint of beer quenched my thirst in one of the hotels alongside the riverside. I rested for a while trying to catch the setting sun. While relaxing and refreshing, another Couchsurfing friend, Izzat Yussof, dropped a message that he is willing to show me around. Quite overwhelmed, I met up with him and he showed me the other beauty of the Jonker Walk, treated me for a fruit drink and he drove me to the underdeveloped beach side tourist attraction of Melaka. We laughed out loud sharing some stories of each other’s silliness. We also found out that both of us are interested in adventurous activities.

How to get there?

The town has an airport and road links to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. It takes 6 hours bus ride to reach Melaka from Kuala Lumpur or Singapore. There are grab, uber or metered taxis in the area to drive you around.

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