Majestic Hotel Melaka

... took a boat ride down the city river, where we saw loads of water monitors, and went on a revolving viewing tower which was like a poor fairground ride!<br><br>In the afternoon we went on a guided historic walk around the city, where we were told about the history of the places and buildings. In the evening we went for an authentic Baba Nyanya cuisine dinner with the group.<br><br><br>

... missionary work. On the way up the steps to the church, a young local Malay man wanted to talk with me. He introduced himself as Ivan &amp; corrected me that no, it wasn't Russian it was Welsh! As I was about to leave he asked me to join him for a drink that evening. Could have been interesting but could have been interesting in the wrong way so I declined. Anyway here are some online pics (minus "Ivan") of some of the things that I saw in that part of town.

... were still fighting the war against Japan - we walked them back to civilisation. In the afternoon I had to take to my bed. The exertions of the jungle or last night's excess; you decide. The next few days followed a similar course with beach excursions each day. The first of these was the beach BBQ. The boys loaded up the tenders with food drink and cooking equipment and set up their own "restaurant" on an uninhabited island ...

... de jeux individuelles. Profitons en car nous avons entendu dire que les bus en Indonésie n'étaient pas top! Melaka est une ville plutôt sympa ou l'on peut encore y voir un style colonialiste hollandais prononcé. Nous sommes restés dans une auberge de jeunesse qui offrait des chambres avec Mezzanine, passer une nuit dans ce loft était plutôt cool. Notre guide Lonely Planet recommendait de manger dans un restaurant pour y ...

... eg curried noodles). Yummy! The next day we headed straight to the Sultanate Palace to look around. It is a replica of the palace that the Sultan of Melaka used to live in. It was made entirely of wood, and inside we got to see the Sultan's bedroom, his meeting room and some examples of some clothes that he and the Sultana would wear. From here we went for lunch in another Malay-Indian place, where I had noodles. Then we visited the ...

... for a reflexology treatment, which was very good (though not as good as yours, Trish!)and so when the dour-faced Chinese man detected, through my sole, trouble in my left shoulder and asked if I would like a neck and shoulder massage I couldn't refuse. I'm sure it has done my shoulders the power of good but it was no relaxing experience...more akin to that of a steak being brutalised by a meat tenderiser ...

Jim is a big f***up in life. I know this because he tells me straight up, In fact in about the fifth sentence. Sitting across a worn wooden table and slowly sipping between soliloquies on overpriced can of Carlsberg, this perpetual nomad - 60 years old and pretty much broke - delivers to me the stories of his life that I don't particularly recall asking for. But I'm going nowhere for the next while, so I listen anyway. Or at least as well as I can. On the ...

... that tourists can ride around in. JP really wants us to do it, I don't know if I can...The guys ride around with really loud music blasting from the already-obvious rickshaw...they're all covered with sparkly garlands and fake flowers... The food here is delicieux, the specialty being Baba Nyonya, a mix of Chinese, Indonesian and Indian food. mmmmso so so good ...

... ce qui en fait l une des villes les plus charmantes de la cote. Comme nous nous approchions du Nouvel An chinois, nous avons eu la chance d assister aux preparatifs, et avons ainsi pu tester les specialites culinaires locales et assister differents marches et spectacles. Les seules choses auxquelles nous resistons encore sont les differents "massages" qui nous sont proposes dans la rue, mais ne nous demandons qu a craquer :-)