Heritage Bazaar

We went there because it was convenient. We were rushing during our day trip and we parked in the covered parking lot at Dataran Pahlawan. My Mum wanted some belacan. Easy decision then. There was a bazaar next to the car park and it had all the usual things you needed to bring back to KL. It might not be the best of quality but when you have to grab something quick, this would do.

Idlan wondering why it was called "gula Melaka"Still fascinatedTidbitsThis bazaar was called the "Heritage Bazaar", which hosted plenty of the stalls selling the usual touristy tidbits. It occupied quite a large portion of the lower ground floor at Dataran Pahlawan and it was usually filled by tourist. Of course we paid tourist price to buy the stuff there but the local guys there was really nice in making sure we get value for money.

So, in the end we got our belacan, cencalok and some cookies. Idlan got some things to fiddle with, so he was happy. And I didn't have to walk far to the car after that ...

Beca Ride

160711 On the beca - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

Yes, it was Hello Kitty, and Idlan did not want to talk about it and refused to have his selfie taken. I guessed this experience would have scarred him for life!

A Day Trip to Melaka

As the traffic died down on the highways, we decided to take a trip out of town. The slight problem with the plan was Idlan contracted some bad bug and was in the toilet all night last night. After sending Irfan to school, we took off with Idlan on tow.

We set off after 10 on the morning, and made it to Bandar Melaka just before noon. Anita wanted to buy some kebaya and had done some research as to where to go. That made things easy as I was able to spend a good half an hour by Stadhuys taking photos and play around with my Theta.

Getting caught in one of the 11 traffic lights coming into the cityYes. We love Melaka too.Yes! It is Hello Kitty. And we rode on one similar.Not a bad idea. Something similar to the "Boris Bike" in London.A mesmerising walk.And you'd never knew what was in store around the corner ...And there was always the river bankThe weather was gorgeous, bordering on insanely hot. We parked at Dataran Pahlawan and took a beca towards Jonker where Anita started her shopping.

Being a Monday and right after a long holiday meant that the place was quieter than I used to, walking around was easy and we got things done much faster. The famous insane Melaka Town traffic was also more manageable.

A quick stop at Hard Rock CafeNice interiorAnd they were still in festive mood ....Food was niceA quick detour before homeWe stopped for lunch at Hard Rock Cafe and decided to start our journey back right after lunch as Idlan was getting grumpy - but not grumpy enough to miss the retail outlet on the way back to KL. The weather was too hot for us to venture deep into Jonker Street anyway.

Another beca trip to Dataran Pahlawan, a quick stop to buy belacan and we were off to the next leg of the trip ....

Nyonya Sayang?

Peranakan food is one of those myth that been floating around when you visit either Penang or Melaka. This is especially so among our Singaporean visitors whose eyes begin to lit with the mention of Peranakan food. It is supposed to be a fusion of old Chinese and local Malay cuisine, creating a eclectic mix of the exotic. Or so we thought.

Peranakan is an endearing term of the Baba and Nyonyas, assimilated Chinese who came and settled in Tanah Melayu during the Sultanate times. A romantic era, and they live by their adopted custom. Some of them can't even speak a word of Mandarin and could be seen in sarong and kebaya. They also often speak pristine Malay. Our original "Malaysia as the Second Home" initiative I supposed.

So one to expect something magical when it comes to their food. But unfortunately, over the years, the Peranakan cuisine had been exploited. We were dined at one such restaurant in Bandar Melaka last weekend, Nyonya Sayang. It was so bad that one of our Singaporean colleague actually stood up and proclaimed, "this is not food". Rather hatch but I must say that I agree with him. The food was poor. We should have suspected it upon seeing how deserted the restaurant was when our bus arrived.

One of these days, I should really look around for a real Peranakan meal. Maybe then, I might appreciate what the fuss is all about .....

In the meantime, avoid Nyonya Sayang at all cost .....

Jonker Time

In 2010 alone, I was in Melaka twice, but the trip I missed was with the KLickr gang during Ramadhan. I was not free on the day and from what I heard, the group really painted Jonker Street that evening. The couple of times I visited Jonker Street this year was always during the day, on the trishaw. I never experienced the fames evening market and all the eateries, plus the photos to be had. Maybe I will try again next year.

However during the reason trip, I snapped away while on the trishaw and I now understand what the place was about. It was filled with vibrant colours and subjects to be photographed. And that was during the day, when the place was not too busy. Imagine the mayhem at night ……