Sunday, April 26, 2009

Malacca getaway

My friends and I travelled to Malacca for a weekend getaway. The trip was blessed with the summer sun, but mired by my constant need to rest my feet.

Dutch and Portugese architecture characterized the landmark areas of the city. The first area we checked out was the Christ Church and Stadthuys Square across it. The area was named a UNESCO Heritage Site, and its image was featured in all advertisement of Malacca. The maintenance of the Church and of the Stadthuys Square stayed faithful to the Dutch architecture.

Stepping into the Square transported me to a European park in the 18th century.


The landmark picture. We’re done here.

That gorgeous lampost and the darling water fountain. It's the small details.

Tan Beng Swee Clocktower


Random delights in the Square: danger at the palm of my hand

Within the Stadthuys Square is the Malay Heritage Museum. A quick visit will show you the city’s roots.


Boy band at the Malay Heritage museum

Chilling within the Malay Heritage Museum

A few steps from the Stadthuys Square is Jonker Street. Jonker is famous for its line of antique and specialty shops. We made our way into the alleys and marveled at wood carvings, huge sculptures and cool finds like the naughty boy night light. All sorts of lamps hung along the alley - I can only imagine how carnival- like Jonker is at night!


Muah Chee and the 5 ringgit girl

Jonker Street is the heart of Chinatown.

Jonker’s best cultural find

Naughty boy night light

Necessity and frivolity. Always choose both.

The rice balls were a pleasant surprise.

Formosa's chendol is my ultimate favorite. The coconut they used is creamier, tastier, and more filling. A superb refreshment for a hot afternoon spent walking.

Chendol

We drank in the culture and visited another museum: Jalan Istana (Sultan’s museum). It showcased the grand Malaysian heritage via the manikin’s re-enactments of typical activities of the Sultan’s family.

Boy band at Sultan’s palace

We ended our trip with a ride on the observation wheel that granted us a panoramic view of the city. It felt much more grand on a bird’s eye view. The Dutch settlements looked awesome in light of the order and consistency upon which it was constructed.

Shophouses, really, only 3 floors higher.

3 comments:

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  2. finally natuloy din ang malacca! nice pictures- pahingi ng copy! :)

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  3. i edited these, but i can give you the original copies the next time we see each other =)

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