Well, at least that's how he appeared to us. Mr. Yearbook Yourself Hairstyle No. 2 was rude, abrasive, self-absorbed and really, a pain to deal with. We knew our luck would run out sometime during this trip since we had such a worry-free adventure yesterday and so we just sat back, relaxed while listening to him chat away during the 2-hour trip to Melaka. Of course we were careful not to let him see us dosing off at baka masigawan pa kami. Heehee.Melaka is a small, sleepy town just outside Kuala Lumpur that was the center of trade and industry during the early history of Malaysia. Because of its strategic location straddling the Straits of Melaka, it thrived as a port/harbor and served as the point of entry for ships and merchants from China, Japan, India, the Middle East and South Africa.
Along the way, we saw unusual structures such as the tombs shaped like an inverted mother's womb with matching ovaries. The area itself is known as the Bukit China Burial Grounds. Our pirate/tour guide says that when we die, we go back to the womb or something like that. They also had beautiful waiting sheds lined up along the main avenue and their houses were built on stilts. 
Our first stop was St. Peter's, a lovely charming church right outside the town center of Melaka. Notice Mr. Man-In-Black in the middle picture. He is wearing a WOOL coat in 90 degree weather and he would not take it off! My goodness. We were all sweating just looking at him. Cute ni Lolo! Just like my buddy Maja, no apologies! Heehee.
The most famous and photographed area in Melaka is the Dutch Square located right at the center of the city. The Dutch, who held Melaka for over a century, left many fine buildings marking their heritage. The most imposing relic of their occupation is the Stadthuys, a strikingly pink town hall which is today the oldest Dutch building in the Far East. Right next to it stands the bright red Christ Church, constructed with pink bricks imported from Holland and covered with local red lacerite. These buildings together with the ruins of the Portuguese built A Famosa and St. Paul's Church are the most prominent reminders of the Europeans' presence in Melaka. Which is where we're off to next.
Its namesake, the Ruins of St. Paul in Macau is the more famous one but the one in Melaka is just as enchanting. As you can see, its mostly just the wall that's standing. Talagang very similar to the one in Macau. Was not able to take a picture of the A Famosa, which literally means The Famous. It all formed part of a mighty fortress meant to guard the city from pirates like Mr. YYH No. 2. Can you imagine he made the four senior citizens in our group trek on a grassy, slopey area that was prone to slipping and sliding. And if you'd walk slow, he would bark at you. As in! Awang awa kami kay lolo and lola(s) but you know what? They walked the 101 steps to the Ruins, trekked the grassy, slopey area and went down the other 101 steps to our bus. And they were all smiles, making jokes, being kulit. Really funny moment. And all throughout, lolo was wearing his wool coat! Hahahaha! Pero at lunch, he took it off na. Baka daw pawisan siya. Heehee.After a hearty lunch, our next stop was Jalan Hang Jebat, formerly known as Jonker Street. This area is a definite haven for antique collectors and bargain hunters! Authentic artifacts and relics can be found among a host of interesting collectibles, each with its own history and mystery. Also in the vicinity of Jonker Street is the Kampong Kling's Mosque. It is one of the oldest surviving mosques in the country. The Sumatran influence is apparent from its three-tiered pyramid-shaped roof, in place of the more conventional dome. The free-standing minaret resembles a pagoda, again reflecting an infusion of Oriental influences. It serves as a popular venue of worship for the local Muslim community. The mosque is open to visitors but since I was wearing my short dress, I was banned. Well, no apologies as per Maja.
We also got a glimpse of the Cheng Hoon Teng, the oldest traditional Chinese Temple in Malaysia. It is a premier historical monument that has survived the ravages of time. It remains one of the most beautiful Chinese temples around. In fact, it was given a UNESCO award for outstanding architectural restoration. The temple ranks among the most significant in Southeast Asia, being central to the spiritual aspirations of the Chinese community in historic Melaka.
Too much walking around makes you hot and thirsty. At this point, we tried one of the local favorites, the ice kacang. This is the classic Malaysian dessert that everyone loves especially on a hot day. It is also known as ABC or Air Batu Campur (Malay for Mixed Ice). Essentially, it is a mound of shaved ice packed on top of a mixture of sweet red beans, toasted peanuts, creamed corn and jelly bits. The ice is flavoured with syrup and a mixture of evaporated and condensed milk. The one we had used brown palm sugar syrup and a splash of evaporated milk. Well, at least we tried it diba. Taste a lot like our halu-halo except I think our version is better.By the end of the afternoon, the others just opted to stay in the bus while our pirate/tour guide still insisted on going to other temples and points of interest. Nena was still game taking pictures but Rina and I had our butts firmly planted on our bus seats. It was just too hot na to get off and on the bus.
Kaya naman at our last stop at the actual Straits of Malacca, Mr. YYH No. 2 no longer went down the bus. Nagtampo siya! No more explanations, no more Q&A, no more guiding us where to go. We all went down, took pictures then rode the bus 5 minutes after. Very unprofessional noh? Of course we didn't say it to his face that we had every intention of dumping him in the water--hahahaha! We needed to get back to our hotel before we could give him a piece of our mind. But then the 2 hour ride back to KL mellowed us out and so by the time we got back to Royale Bintang, relax na kami. We were ready to take on our last meal before our red-eye flight back to Manila.Did I say how lucky we were today? Well, our luck continues on to dinner. Our first restaurant choice turned out to be more of a merienda place so that when we got there, it had just closed for the day. Our second choice was in a very remote area which our cab driver was not familiar with and so he drove aimlessly for about an hour before we arrived in Restoran Sek Yuan.
As we step inside, everyone looks at us like we were lost. We tried asking for a menu and oddly enough, they didn't have one. Nena picked a really authentic place! So authentic that we were getting lost in translation! Heehee. But you know, you just have to have faith in people. Right at the next table was a very mild-mannered gentleman who spoke very little english but was very willing to assist us in ordering. He translated everything for us and he even allowed us to take a peek at his table for their orders so we could copy off them.
And what a feast we turned out having in Sek Yuen! We had the mandatory duck, super yummy ribs and fish with sweet, tangy orange sauce. And since it was our last meal in KL, I succumbed and finally had 2 bowls of fried rice, my absolute guilty pleasure.
Two days in KL doesn't seem like a lot but Nens, Rina and I had great, great fun in our short stay here. There was really more places to see and more restaurants to try but we all needed to get back to reality in Manila. Then again, that just gives us more reason to come back to this lovely city. With Hannah hopefully the next time around. Heehee.
