Enjoying Melaka

I've thoroughly enjoyed having two nights in Melaka to relax before I head inland to explore the tropical rainforests.

A canal in Melaka

The guesthouse turned out being ok after all. Last night was especially good having a relaxing drink on the covered roof of the house. It was fantastic looking out onto Melaka from this vantage point with the region's favourite beer: Tiger. The guesthouse turned out being in an excellent location. Melaka has some interesting historical relics, an entertaining Chinatown and relaxing bars/restaurants along the canal. After this, I'm heading off to a highly recommended restaurant for more enticing Asian food.

Talking about food, the food here is absolutely delicious. Last night, I came across a very busy restaurant in Chinatown full of locals so I thought I'd give it a go. I wasn't disappointed. The meal included steamed chicken, rice, soup and rice balls with a lot of accompanying spices and sauces. Lemon juice was used to finish it off. I'm sure the guy made a mistake when it came to paying the bill because he only charged me RM6 ($2). Amazing tastes at amazingly good value.

Communal Area at Shirah's Guesthouse

Another thing I've noticed is the people, especially the children. What I've seen so far is that the Malaysians (more so the children) are very friendly and smiley. It gives me a real buzz when I'm walking through the town and I have locals give me a smile or hello. This makes for such a special time in a foreign place.

I've set myself a challenge over the next few weeks. At the moment, my backpack is about 16.8kg. My aim is to reduce it by 3kg over the next few stops by sending stuff home (getting it down to 10kg would be bliss). Already, I've picked up on some tricks of the trade like washing my travel pants in the shower at night with a bit of soap. Given that they dry so fast, this makes for a clean pair of travelling pants on a daily basis. I could probably get by on 1 pair of shorts, 1 pair of travelling pants which I wear daily, and two shirts. I can't see myself wearing my pair of jeans over the next 5 months so they'll probably go home. I thought I was pretty spartan with my pack, but I know that some clothing will never get worn. I'll keep you posted!

Historical Area in Melaka

Roof in disrepair

Shirah's Dorm Room Melaka