River Cruises on the Sungei Melaka
By the time I got to Melaka, it was already almost lunch time. It was a bit later than I hoped for. I think I took too much time waiting for that bus after I got out of Malaysian immigration. Not only that, but I believe if I managed to get the first trip out of Singapore, probably on SBS 170, then maybe I would have a better timetable. Anyway, I will have to make the most of this trip now.
Main Street of Melaka's Chinatown
The crowds at the Melaka town square was already annoying me no end. Dozens of tourists with their flag toting guides jostle for position to get a better photo of the town square. I decided to go get some food first and read up on what to do. I didn’t really plan much for this trip since I really want to just get out for a change. The historic center of Melaka is divided into two by the Sungei Melaka or Melaka River. The river here seems to be in pretty good shape, apparently after a serious revival and rehabilitation effort. It now has river cruises of all things.
Impressive Shophouse Exterior
Crossing the bridge across the Sungei Melaka, the natural place people tend to gravitate to is Melaka’s Chinatown. It is natural to Melaka to have a Chinatown since most of their population is Chinese. Most of the structures here in historical Melaka have a Chinese touch. If it is not old Chinese shophouses, it would be Chinese temples. All of these are plentiful here in Melaka.
Standing Outside an Old Shophouse
I can’t help but marvel at how different Melaka feels now. It is much brighter, cleaner and it feels safer. This is a testament to the efforts of the local government which has improved poured funds into Melaka’s infrastructure. Although I needed to quickly find food, I can’t help but keep stopping because I would see something interesting and believe me, Melaka is full of interesting things.
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