Western Day in Melaka

We spent half the morning looking for accommodation in Kuala Lumpur. All of the guests were getting involved in helping us find a place with suggestions, guide books, maps and websites. Finally we found a place via LateStays.com, a website that Nancie suggested. With that monkey finally off our backs, we headed out to the Chinese cemetery...............


P- Can I bitch everyday about having to climb a million steps to get to everything we want to see?

G- Yes you can. I believe that it's warranted. My legs hurt so much........

P- And the problem is that everyday they start to hurt earlier and earlier in the day.

G- I'm there with ya sista. Not to mention the fact that I am so damn sick and tired of sweating. It's like a little slice of hell while we're trying to have our adventure of a lifetime.

Finally reaching the top of the very large hill, we enjoyed the views of Melaka and walked through the graves. There was a nice breeze at the top of the hill and the clouds moved in signaling rain. We were thrilled. After walking around for several hours, we returned to the guesthouse to cool off and decide where we'd go next.

G- Hanna & Mike told us that there was a movie theater in that mall that's a few blocks away, and it looks like it's going to be a rainy afternoon, do you want to go see a movie?

P- I would love to sit in the a/c and watch a movie. Also, I'd love to have some popcorn!!

We walked over to the mall and on the way spotted a McDonald's.

G- I know we said we would not eat at McDonald's while in Asia, but I'm ready to say screw that!!! How about you?

P- Yes. I need a burger and something that reminds me of food from home; let's eat at McDonald's. Also, I'd love to have a big diet coke with ICE!!!!!  And NO rice!!!

We went into the McDonald's and got quarter pounder meal deals with cokes and ice. The cashiers were girls and wore uniforms, complete with black headscarves. All of the food cost about $5.00 USD. The McDonald's was hopping because it was right next to the mall and near the university.

G- When we first entered Malaysia I was startled, or it would turn my head, to see women in headscarves, but now I'm kind've getting use to it. It still is weird seeing McDonald's uniforms that include headscarves, but I can totally see how you'd think nothing of it if you grew up with it.

P- I was skeptical when Zareel told us that there is no specific age when girls start wearing them, but since we've been here, I've seen very young girls in them, and some older ones that might just have a loose scarf or none at all.

G- Yeah, I can't figure out the rule or maybe it just depends on the girl or on the girl's parents. And, even though we know the whole cover yourself with a headscarf rule is just some bullshit made up by Muslim men who wrote/write the rules of the religion, these women don't seem beaten down.

P- I thought Muslim women had to walk behind their husbands, but most couples walk side by side and some even hold hands.

G- I've noticed that too. And the men are much more engaged with caring for the children than I would’ve expected. But I think it is much more liberal here than in the Middle East. Some of the scarves and shirts are very pretty.

P- Some women definitely use their headscarves like accessories. They are pretty, but in this heat, I don't know how they can wear them without dropping dead from heatstroke.

After eating our lunch we went into the mall and up to the 5th floor to the theater. Our choices were limited, especially if we wanted to watch a movie in English, so we selected The Social Network.

G- 2 for Social Network.

Cashier – Pick seats.

P- We select our seats now?

Cashier – Yes.

The computer screen showed the whole theater and we selected our seats. The cashier printed the tickets which included our selected seats.

P- That sure is a nice perk. Now we can walk around the mall and come back just before the movie starts.



escalator from the movie

 We ended up in a Carrefour Grocery that was in the mall. Carrefour carries a lot of western food items. We could hear the thunder and rain outside, so we bought 2 umbrellas.

G- Look! Frosted Flakes!!! I'm buying some.

P- And I'm buying some Pringles. What the hell?! Look at these flavors.................. soft shell crab, seaweed & shrimp, honey & basil, and original.............These are the freakiest flavors I've ever heard of!!! I think I'll just get original.

G- We also need more laundry detergent. Hey, look at these bars.

P- A bar of Fab! I remember that from when I was a kid and it's the only one I recognize, so we're going with that. That first one we bought did not smell so good and I don't want to have to re-wash my drawers in dandruff shampoo for them to smell clean.



blueberry & hazelnut, soft shell crab

 G- I think it will be easier to wash with a bar instead of powder. Let's get 2 bars.

We also found a box of Nature's Valley breakfast bars and bought that. Then we headed back to the movie theater where they confiscated our bag of groceries and put them in a locker. We did purchase popcorn, but unfortunately they only had caramel popcorn and not plain. That was a disappointment, but we ate the caramel popcorn, shared a coke and watched the movie while sitting in the a/c. It was sheer heaven!!!

At breakfast we had made plans with Nancie to meet her for dinner, so we hurried back to the homestay, picked up Nancie and set off to find a place to eat. Liz & Esmond had recommended a place so we went there. Unfortunately it was closed when we arrived, even though it was only 7:30 pm. Since that place was closed, we walked around the corner and selected a Portuguese/Malaysian restaurant with a/c. We split 2 pitchers of ice cold beer, spinach, calamari cooked in green curry and spicy BBQ shrimp. It was an expensive dinner, by Malaysian standards, and cost us $30.00 USD for the 2 of us, but it was very enjoyable!



neighborhood kids playing Manchala

 Earlier in the day we had agreed to share a cab, with Nancie, to Kuala Lumpur, but over dinner we realized that we were leaving in the morning and she was staying 1 more day. That plan dashed, when we returned to the homestay, Kenny arranged for a cab to pick us up in the morning to take us to the bus station. Nancie had needed to leave at 6:00 am to catch her flight in KL, we were more flexible so we didn't have to leave until 8:30 am. I sent the KL hotel info to my mom just in case we were never heard from again. I had started doing this as a safety precaution. Then we showered and went to bed.

The View From the Top

We had, of course, showered last night because we do not like to go to sleep sweaty, smelly, & covered in bug spray. This bathroom was like the one we had in Singapore because it was one small room with a toilet, sink, and shower nozzle on the wall. It was definitely a shit, shower & shave situation like on a boat. There was an anteroom where we left our towels and pajamas. The shower was hot and there was a shelf for our products, which was a big deal because most showers/bathroom have no place to put your shampoo/conditioner/razor. The biggest problem with this bathroom was the fact that everything got wet, so if you wanted to use the toilet, you always had to be standing in water and the toilet seat was wet. Shoes had to be taken off and left in the entrance way, so we were always barefoot.


The coffee was excellent; the best we had tasted so far!! The breakfast was interesting, consisting of local fare. The only options that seemed even remotely breakfast like were a thin pancake/crepe with a coconut/sugar filling & toast with jam.

P- Gi, you want something to eat?

G- It's still kind've early for food, but what are my options?

P- This is a naan with curry sauces for dipping; sticky rice wrapped in a banana leaf, and I'm not sure what that is.

G- I'll just have coffee and one of these rolled up pancake/coconut things.

P- The naan and sauces look good, if I was eating lunch.

We chatted more with Nancie, then headed out to explore the UNESCO sites. We headed up to the Portugese Fort (c.1512) & St. Paul's Church built on top of the hill ...........

P- For the love of God!  Why is everything on top of  hill? 

G- Growing up in New Orleans we never had to deal with hills.  At least our asses are getting a good workout.

P- And our hearts, but this might kill me.  Look, even kids are panting on their way up the stairs!!!

G- But the view from the top is fantastic!!

P- If I can make it to the top, I'm sure I'll enjoy the view.

After exploring the fort, we went to the oldest Muslim Mosque in Malaysia, (Kampung Hulu Mosque built in 1782) where we saw a man sound asleep at one of the doorways & kids playing by the fountain.

P- Are we allowed to go up there?

G- I think if we remove our shoes we can go on the porch surrounding the main room, but I'm not sure if we're allowed inside.

P- I wonder if sleeping beauty is supposed to be watching the tourists.

G- If he is, he's doing a poor job. I guess we'd better just look in since we're unsure of the rules.

We then stopped for lunch at a cafe and drank our first Tiger Beers. Pinky made another appearance due to the squat toilet. Then we went to the oldest Chinese Temple in Malaysia. (Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, c.1645) The temple was beautiful, and inside we stood for a long time watching and experiencing a Buddhist Nun chanting and clanging wooden dowel and a gong. Many Chinese came to the temple, lit incense and prayed. We sat in the courtyard for an hour and watched the coming and going of the worshipers.

G- Do you feel the spirituality and sincerity in the offerings of each person?

P- Yes. Instead of a big group thing like I've experienced at western churches, this seems much more individual. It seems each person is coming to the temple because they feel a connection to God at this time rather than having to be at a church service on Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning.

G- It is nice that the church is open all day long and you can come when you want rather than when you're told. It seems to me that western religions want you to go to God through the church rather than via a personal relationship. Maybe we're wrong, because we don't know all that much about Buddhism, and I'm sure they have all their ritualistic crap just like western religions..................

P- Yes, but I feel like the most important thing in western religions is being seen in church at the appropriate time.

We walked back to the guesthouse to cool off and wait for Zareel to get off work at 6:00 pm. His girlfriend was supposed to meet us and she was going to take us to her favorite Chinese restaurant. We were in the anteroom area desperately looking for a place to stay in Kuala Lumpur. Initially we were planning to go to the Cameron Highlands for Christmas, but we could not get a bus directly from Melaka and would have to go through Kuala Lumpur. Also, we were having difficulty finding lodging in the Cameron Highlands.

G- Shit! I had no idea we would have such trouble finding a place to stay over Christmas!

P- I know! How were we to know that Asians had vacation time and traveled over the Christmas holidays? Especially in Malaysia where they're mostly Muslims, why would we expect them to be traveling?

G- They're not celebrating Christmas, they're traveling because the kids are out of school for winter break. Americans travel too, but they don't stay at hotels, they torture themselves by staying with family. It's part of their Christmas penance! Travel like Mary & Joseph and pray you get to stay in a stable instead of a relative's house.

P- Well, I wish they would have all stayed home so we could find a room. Just another reason to dislike Christmas.

While we were searching for a place to stay, Corine was also on her computer.

Corine – Excuse me. My son is not around to help me and I'm trying to send a message to several friends through my Facebook, can you show me how?

G- Sure. (I showed her how to input multiple names.)

P- (whispering to me) Is it not hysterical that a 60 something, Chinese, grandma, living in Melaka is asking us for help with her Facebook page?

G- Yes. Facebook is everywhere!!! It is scarey that the one thing almost all cultures now have in common is Facebook.

Samuel stuck his head in the door and told us all to come to the gazebo to taste some things he and Nancie picked up at the Chinese market. We had just started putting different foods onto our plates when the skies opened and it began to storm. We all ran under the gazebo to eat and ended up sitting out there for several hours to talk...........Liz and Esmond from S. Africa, Nancie from S. Korea via Nova Scotia, Corine & Samuel (Chinese Catholics), Zareel (Malay Muslim), Zareel's girlfriend (Chinese Buddhist) & agnostic Lesbians. We ate fried noodles, fried rice, dragon fruit, white & yellow papaya, something that looked like a little donut and was made with coconut, and sticky rice & pork tamale type thing.

We sat in a circle eating and talking about traveling, our countries, cooking, religions, and customs. Corine told us about her son switching from Catholicism to Islam because he was disillusioned with western religions and was searching for something else. Kenny was seeking approval, but he'd have to get it from his dad, Samuel. Samuel told us that he was not at all thrilled, but what would he do? He could withhold his approval and lose his only son, or he could accept it, which is what he did. Although, interestingly enough, one of their conditions was that Kenny not have a wife who wore a headscarf. They were very much opposed to that. Kenny agreed and is now married to a Muslim woman who does not wear a headscarf.

After the rain stopped and the food was gone, we went into the wet bathroom and took showers and got into bed under our disco, zebra blankets.

G- Don't you think it's interesting that the headscarf was such an issue in Corine's & Samuel’s acceptance of Kenny's conversion to Islam?

P- Her comments indicated that she didn't like the way women were forced to hide their heads under the scarves.

G- Clearly Corine is a strong, progressive woman and didn't raise her son to support the subjugation of women. The whole headscarf thing was really startling to me when we first got to Malaysia, but I'm kind've getting use to it now.

P- Yeah. I'm getting use to seeing it, and some of them are really pretty. You can see that some women make them fashionable.

G- And every religion subjugates women. Hell, even Corine's religion still refuses to allow women to become priests or hold any position of authority within the church.

P- Yeah and that'll never change because men run all religions.

G- I'm just trying to be open as we travel and not allow prejudices or preconceived ideas to cause me to judge these people's cultures and religions.

P- I agree.................ZZZZZZZZZ (Phyl had been horizontal for over 5 minutes and had held onto wakefulness about as long as she could.)

Eeeeekkkkk, A Dog!!!

The Apa Kaba Homestay had been recommended by Hannah & Mike (the New Yorkers we had met in Bali). We had booked an air con, double with a shared bathroom. It was quite an interesting set up; 2 single beds shoved together with a large, shiny disco looking towel as a top sheet/blanket. The home stay was in a traditional Malaysian house, raised off the ground due to flooding issues, with an open entrance room and bedroom surrounding the main area. We were quite pleased for about $18.00/night for the 2 of us. The home stay is run by a family (we're still confused as to whether the parents own it and the son & his wife run it, or if the son & his wife own it and the mom & dad were helping out while we were there). Samuel, a retired university professor and his wife Corinne were there, along with their son, Kenny, and his wife, Linda, and their 2 kids. Linda and the kids were in Kuala Lumpur until the last day we were there, and Kenny went to pick them up the prior day.


At 6:00 pm we went off with Zareel for dinner. Samuel met us at the door and showed us, and Zareel, a short cut through a neighborhood.

Samuel – This area is mostly Chinese, so you will see dogs. Over there it is mostly Muslim and you will not see dogs because it is forbidden for Muslims to touch a dog.

G- Really? I did not know that.   (no sooner had Samuel told us this, but a dog ran up to us)

P- (seeing Zareel freak out and move away from the dog) Zareel, I won't let him get you.

Zareel – I have never in my life touched a dog. Muslims are not allowed to touch dogs.

G- Wow!  Our dog slept with us every night.  What else can't you touch?

Zareel – Dog, duck & pig.

G- Really? Duck too?

P- Well stand behind me Zareel and I'll be sure the dog doesn't touch you.

Samuel – You will also not see dogs in China or Vietnam, but it is because they eat them.

G- Then we'll be very careful not to eat any meats in Vietnam or China that could possibly be dog.

Samuel – Cats too. They eat the cats.

P- Good to know! I think I'll be a vegetarian in Vietnam and China.

We split from Samuel and walked along with Zareel, through the red buildings and along the river. We past Christ Church dating back to the time the Portugese ruled Melaka and finally arrived at his favorite Malaysian restaurant, Quayside. I ordered salty fish rice and Phyl ordered rice with chicken & veggies. She had tried to order 2 other dishes, but each time they had run out. Zareel was meeting his girlfriend later for dinner and ordered an iced coffee.

P- Where are you from, Zareel?

Zareel – My family lives in the northeast, about an 8 hour moped ride from here.

G- Do you go home often?

Zareel – No. It is far to go and I must go to school and work.

P- How long have you lived in Melaka?

Zareel – For 3 years while I am at college.

G- Do your parents like your girlfriend?

Zareel – They have not met her, but they are ok about her. Her parents are not happy about me.

P- Why?

Zareel - Because I am Muslim and she is Chinese and Buddhist.

G- I have read that the eastern side of Malaysia is mostly Muslim and more conservative. Is that true?

Zareel – Yes.

P- What will you do when you finish school?

Zareel – I have finished my studies. When I finish working (his internship) I will get my certificate. I want to have a farm with cows, but my father says that is not good and wants me work with him for his building business.

G- Construction?

Zareel – Ah, yes. Construction for people's houses. He say growing cows is too hard and not smart for making money.

G- Sounds like the typical age old fight that fathers and sons have all over the world. So what will you do? Will you be a rancher or in construction?

Zareel – I don't know.

Over dinner Zareel talked to us about being Muslim and answered our many questions. We also discussed the relations between the Malays (Muslims, about 65% of the population), the Chinese (Buddhists & Christians, about 10% of the population), the Indians (Hindu, about 7% of the population) and the remainder of the people. Zareel was proud of the fact that there was little trouble between the different religions and told us about the Prime Minister's initiative called 1Malaysia which encourages Malaysian unity, acceptance, and mutual respect. We also discussed Israel, the Middle East, and Jews.

Zareel – I have heard that Jews think their religion is the most important.

P- Have you ever met a Jewish person?

Zareel – No.

G- Every religious group thinks their religion is the one true religion and the best. People like to feel part of a group and superior to others. That's what is wrong with all organized religions. But at their cores, people are all the same. Don't believe everything you're told, Zareel.  Read many things and decide for yourself.

Zareel walked us back to the homestay and we said good night. He was off to meet his Chinese girlfriend. The one whose hand he supposedly cannot hold because he's forbidden to hold a woman's hand. He has no idea what will happen when his 6 month internship is over. I guess they're just enjoying the remainder of their “college” time together, before the ugly realities begin to take control.

Before we went to our room, we sat in the entrance way and talked with the other guests...........Nancie from Nova Scotia who has been living in South Korea for the past 10 years and teaching at a university, and Liz & Esmond, (Irish) but retired engineers from South Africa where they have lived for 27 years. It may be that the thing we are enjoying most is meeting and talking to people from all over the world.

Disgusting Durians

We really liked Singapore and wished that we had, at least, one more day to spend there, but we had already booked a place in Melaka, Malaysia, so we called a cab to hooker hotel and were picked up at 8:45 am. We had scoped out the bus station the day before and decided that it was just too far to go via foot (about 1 mile) and via the metro (up and down several flights of stairs) with our stuff. We know that we're not being true, thrifty backpackers by spending the money to take a cab, but we also realize that we're old and our feet hurt like hell. We expected to catch the 11:00 am bus, but arrived at 9:57 am and were lucky enough to get onto the 10:00 am bus. It was a very nice bus with seats much more comfortable than those on an airline. We paid $20 Singapore dollars each (about $16.50 USD).

We were told the ride would take 2.5 hours, would stop once for food and a toilet break, and would make only one stop in Melaka, at the bus terminal. After an hour, we stopped at a very interesting “restaurant” and I use the term loosely, or truck stop kind've place. We had no Malaysian Ringgits and there was no ATM, not that we saw anything we wanted anyway, so we ate snacks from our bag....... peanut butter crackers, an apple, and water. The bathroom was clean, but contained only squat toilets, so pinky made another appearance.

After another hour on the road, we made an unofficial stop in the town of Muar, Malaysia. We had no idea that we were not in Melaka and started to get off the bus when the bus driver said, “You stay!”.

P- Ok, I guess we don't get off here.

G- I thought we were only making one stop, but it appears that the locals seem to have known we'd stop here.

Bus driver – (to Canadians) You not get off bus!

Canadians – Is this Muar?

Bus driver – Yes. Not Melaka.

Canadians – We want to be in Muar. We're getting off.

Bus driver – Ok. You get off.

About 2/3 of the passengers got off in Muar, and then we continued up the road. The remainder of the people moved up to the front. A girl in her early 20s sat next to us and we began to chat. She lived in Melaka and was returning from her friend's house in Singapore. 3 older women also sat behind us. They were wearing head scarves. We were seeing more and more women wearing head scarves. Malaysia is 65% Muslim.

P- What is your name?

Elaine – It is Elaine.

G- Elaine? That doesn't seem like a very Malaysian name. It seems very western.

Elaine – Really?

G- Elaine, do you know if Malaysia has a higher standard of living than Indonesia? Just from the little we've seen so far, we think that Malaysia looks like a wealthier country than Indonesia.

Elaine – I do think so because I know that a beginner clerk in an office in Indonesia will be paid maybe $100 US dollars per month, and a beginner clerk in Malaysia will be paid maybe $800 US dollars a month.

P- The houses we've seen since we entered Malaysia seem much nicer, or larger, than in Indonesia.

Elaine – Yes, I think so.

We made several additional stops. If someone wanted to get off along the road, they'd go sit on the first step by the bus driver and tell him where to stop. We surely couldn't imagine anything like that happening in America, but it makes sense, except for the fact that it took 3 hours to get to Melaka rather than the 2.5 hours advertised. Because we had taken a bus, and our packs were placed in the luggage area under the bus, we had put them in larger zipper bags that would protect the straps, etc. and could be locked to make theft of the contents more difficult. I had read this tip on several travelers' blogs. The one bad thing about it is that when you get to the bus station, it is more difficult to carry the black bag than the backpack because you're less inclined to pack meticulously.

We had planned to catch a city bus from the bus terminal to our guest house, but we needed Malaysian Ringgits. Elaine stayed with us and walked me around the terminal to the different ATMs while Phyl stayed with the bags. After trying 5 ATMs, all refusing to give me money, Elaine called her sister and they offered to drop us off at our guesthouse. We protested, but after she pressed, we gladly agreed. Elaine drove her 10 year old, 4 door Honda Accord and pointed out the sights as she drove us to the guesthouse. It was difficult to hear her over the radio which was playing all American music, some of it rap. She drove us through the UNESCO site and stopped in front of a pastry shop. But we were not there to eat just any pastry. NO! We were there to taste a durian puff pastry.

Elaine – Have you tasted a durian fruit?

G&P – No. What is it?

Alex (Elaine's younger sister) – It is a very famous fruit in Malaysia. Our father is a durian farmer.

G- It is good?

Alex – You must taste and decide. Some people like it and some don't.

P- Do you like it?

Alex & Elaine – (Giggling) Not so much, but we eat sometimes because it is always in our house.

Alex jumped out of the car and was going to buy us the pastries when I jumped out and followed her. I purchased 2 durian pastries............small puffs about 1” across and filled with durian cream. When we got back into the car, I handed Phyl her pastry.

G- You taste it first.

P- It stinks! Does it taste better than it smells?

Elaine – (Still giggling) Yes, it taste better.

G- That's a good thing, because the way it smells reminds me of the way my dad's socks smelled, when I was a little girl, when he'd come home from work. That is not a good thing.

Phyl & I tasted our durian pastry...............

G- Well, it does taste better than it smells, but I don't think I'll be running out to get another one.

P- It is just slightly better than revolting, but the smell is so terrible I can barely stand it! Just about anything will taste better if you add cream and sugar to it.

For the remainder of the ride, we held onto our napkins smeared with the durian cream filling. The car filled with the disgusting odor.

P- Now I see the reasons for the signs in Singapore!!

G- Yes! In Singapore's subways, there are signs everywhere that say no eating or drinking, no smoking, no flammable substances, and NO durians.

Elaine – Yes, I have seen them. It is funny.

We finally arrived at Apa Kaba Homestay and said good-bye to Elaine & Alex. We thanked them profusely as their help was invaluable and it was so sweet of them to drive us to our guesthouse. We offered to give them money for gas, but they declined. At Apa Kaba, we met Zareel, a cutie pie 23 year old student who had just that day begun working at Apa Kaba. He was getting a Business Degree (maybe his masters degree, but I'm not totally sure due to the language barrier) and was required to intern at a business. We started cutting up with him and after a while we had made dinner plans. Zareel would get off at 6:00 pm and he'd take us to a place he liked for typical Malaysian food.