S2L77: Malacca

From 1977 02 02 Malaysia

150 miles from Singapore up the Malaysian peninsula lies Malacca. It's about a three hour car ride on a two lane coastal highway through occasional villages. It's how I got my introduction to driving in Asia (as a passenger, not a driver myself). You don't wait for a break in oncoming traffic to pass slow moving vehicles (and when you're in a car, everything else is slow moving). You pass by pulling out into the passing lane, bluffing as much of the oncoming traffic off onto their own shoulder as you can, and just keep going until you're forced back into your lane by a better bluffer than you. Cheaper than a Six Flags ticket, more exciting than any thrill ride.

After the jump, a geographical history lesson.

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Look at a map of the Malay peninsula and Malacca's place on it. It commands one of the most strategic waterways in the world. All the shipping between East Asia and the Middle East and Europe sails through the Strait of Malacca. So, it's not surprising that it's been a key settlement for trading powers for hundreds of years. One of the oldest surviving European buildings in Asia, or at least a gatehouse from it, is there. It's the Porta de Santiago from the Portuguese fortress A Famosa, dating to 1511. Malaysia's oldest Chinese temple, Cheng Hoon Teng, built in 1645, is there. An 18th century Dutch church, turned into the English Christ Church in the 19th century, is there.

As for my own stay in Malacca, oddly I can remember nothing except what's in these photographs. No hotels, no restaurants, no meals, no nothing. "Long ago it must be, I have a photograph..." (Except I'm sure I enjoyed some chicken satay with peanut sauce at some outdoor restaurant or other. Mmmm.)

From 1977 02 02 Malaysia

From 1977 02 02 Malaysia

From 1977 02 02 Malaysia

From 1977 02 02 Malaysia

One of a continuing series.
Start: Around the World in 800 Days
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