Melaka: The historical city Posted on March 29th, 2014 by Elizabeth Strom

View from the Melaka Riverboat Cruise

Jonker Street

On Friday, March 21st, the Gusties rolled into Melaka at about 4pm after a long 8 hours on the bus. Ironically, after falling in and out of naps to stop and eat at truck stops along the way, a few of us decided we were tired and hungry upon arrival in Melaka. After freshening up in the hotel (which had AC!), we departed on a walk in search of Jonker Street, a popular night market. We saw a lot of tourists and visited the different vendors selling any souvenir you can think of. The street was also lined with food, and we had everything from char kuey teow to quail eggs to apam balik (a favorite dessert of our group).

After dinner, a few of us went on a river cruise, which was beautiful at night, it was a nice way to see the city. It is worth noting that Melaka was a famous trade city back in the days of British rule, so seeing the water felt like a good way to participate in and celebrate the rich history of the city.

At St. Paul’s Cathedral

After a great night’s sleep in the air conditioning, our first time with this luxury since arrival, we ate breakfast at the hotel and hit the city. We walked to St. Paul Cathedral, which was built in 1521 and no longer had its roof intact. The building was beautiful in its simplicity, and we got some great pictures there, including an infamous jumping pic.

Malacca Sultanate Museum

Next, we went to the Sultanate Palace, a replica of the 15th century Sultan of Melaka Palace. It was interesting to see the different outfits and learn about the history behind this dynasty. After lunch, we departed the hotel at about 1:30 for a couple days in KL, which definitely made Melaka feel like a small town.