168. MALACCA - ONCE MORE WITH FEELING

The iconic Dutch Studhuys

The conservationists have done a good job. There are a lot more Malays running street businesses - for a long time, Malacca was a Chinese town...

The former Straits Settlements comprising Malacca, Penang and Singapore were predominantly Chinese towns and prospered as trading ports...

The museum is up and a lot of displays 'glorify' the Malays as the builders and defenders of this town...they 'discovered' a 'new date' (how convenient!)
There's a 'new' word going around that's often used now - either 'manipulation' or 'fake news' but that's been around a long time...insidiously

The trishaws have become fancier and fun...
A 'conservative' society like Singapore's is boring - no ideas, no daring, no original creativity, it's play safe at all times as failure is not an option...mercifully, its people can get their fix outside the country. Safe and boring is a trade-off in a small space - you can get your excitement nearby...consider the neighbouring countries as our suburbs...

The Sunday night market sells more or less the same stuff - this coconut juggler provided the entertainment. Seems only on Sunday evenings, this whole stretch comes alive, over the next few weekdays, it was deserted - the shops are shuttered the whole day - they are able to get by on part time opening hours - what bliss!

 

Watermelon innovation - a large opening is made in which the flesh is extracted and one eats that like a ice lolly. A handmixer goes in and breaks up the rest of the fruit into mush, ice is added, and presto! One drinks that as a juice - entertainment value! 

We got our fix here - peaceful and quiet except for a buzzing mozzie!

The hotel is an elegant shophouse. The owner has turned the public areas into a showcase of collectables...

This part of town in where the action is - like a town center.
Malacca's great for exploring on foot as it's small and most of the attractions and action are concentrated in this town center.

A short taxi ride will take one to the Portuguese settlement and the seafront.
The boat ride was good as it gave me an overview of what has been done since I was last here. I'm impressed!

Most buildings are the originals and they didn't do a lot to create a newer looking structure - it was just art and paintwork - old bricks and mouldy mortar and peeling plaster were left as is...gives it its character - like wrinkles and white hair - wish I could say that's wonderful...

They've really cleaned up the river - it was stinking silt for years

I adore the several bridges across the river - each different and unique - at least 2 might be newly constructed but suitably aged - I don't recall seeing this many bridges 2 years back. But love them all the same

That flag was painted on a zinc roof - would any Singaporean have the guts or pride to even do something similar? Too many associate their country's flag with the support of a political party - they seem to have a problem between love and pride of their country with support or non at all for a Government

Down by the riverside...

In the vicinity of the hotel are these fabulous gems...

She's beautiful once restored she'll be stunning - she sits quietly waiting for the moolah to come along that will change her life...

Along the same street is this other beauty - the Chee Ancestral Mansion

Quizzical eyebrows - 'what are you looking at?'

Something the Malaccans excel in - shrimp or krill paste, drying in the sun

Like in the old days - drop your coin in the tin and take your purchase, when the shopkeeper isn't there...

Checked out a few cafes - the decor were fabulous - didn't pay too much attention to the food

This furniture museum is likely a private collection. It was haphazard with no labeling and didn't open till late afternoon but what beautiful old pieces and the staircase is c`est magnifique as one visitor exclaimed...