Almost Time

So, all we were waiting for was for the boys to wake up this morning. Most of the packing had been done except for the tit bits we bought yesterday from Jonker Street. We would just dump those onto the boot of the van I thought.

We would probably set off after lunch. We scrapped the plan to go via Ayer Keroh since my Dad-in-law wasn't very well. He had been nursing a cough since the beginning of the trip. We would likely be driving straight to KL from here.

The boys had another day to go before their school opened on Tuesday. I would still be on leave until Wednesday. Maybe do a bit of shopping tomorrow. We still need to get them their school bags.

I still got some stuff to do at the apartment when I get back. Busy day tomorrow I think.

More on the Melaka trip here.

Muara Sungai Duyung

The original plan was to go to Alai for dinner. They have the more famous ikan bakar restaurants in Melaka up there.

We booked transport for 6 in the evening and just before we set off, we asked the driver where he reckon we should go. He gave us a few choices and by the end of the discussion, we decided for Muara Sungai Duyung.

The queue built up the moment we were done with our orders. Lucky!Proper fresh fish on offer. You just pick the ones you wanted, they would weigh it and you then tell them how you wanted it cooked. Easy!And the otak-otak? That was something else!I thought I had been here once before, many moons back. The place had changed although there were still only one restaurant there. We arrived just after 6.30 but the place was already getting full. It was Saturday night after all.

The fish and crabs there were certainly fresh. The otak-otak was exquisite. We ordered a lot, finished them all. It was that good.

Anita had terubuk all to herself. I had siakap and stingray. No complains. The only drawback was the rice was overcooked of all things.

These tasted so sweet ....We took home some coconut jelly of course ....And it won't be complete without cencalok!Muara Sungai Duyung was located about 8km from City Center. But getting there might be tricky if you were not used to the route. We had a van taking us there, arranged by the hotel.

More stories from this trip here.

Flora de la Mar

It threathened to rain when we reached the next stop. It was a replica ship at a dry dock. An old Portuguese vessel, four stories high.

And in the gut of the ship was a museum, the Flora de la Mar Maritime Museum. Some really nice items inside and you could rent an audio device which gave you commentary on the items on show.

Many tales, many stories ...And using a headphone and an mp3 player, you can listen to the backstoriesAnd Irfan listened to all the chaptersAnd he would ask us if he didn't understandGood thing it was raining when we were inside and shelteredIt was still cloudy, but at least it wasn't raining anymoreBy the time we reached the second floor, it poured outside. And that gave us ample time to look things through, much to the delight of the boys. They enjoyed it. Just make sure that you hire the audio units, as it would interest the children to explore. I paid an extra buck for the units.

More stories from the Melaka trip here.

Muzium Kesultanan Melaka

Out first outing this afternoon was off a beca, heading towards A Famosa. But with the number if stairs to negotiate up the hill, Anita took the easier option. Right next door to the fort entrance was a replica of an old Istana Melaka, turned into a museum. And a slick one at that.

Entrance was nominal especially occupy carry a MyKad. The whole museum was built of wood but the interior was comfortable enough, complete with air conditioning.

Shoes off please ...There were three level of exhibits, two which were opened to the public. The exhibits basically was a good introduction to life in the Melaka Sultanate of the 15th Century.

Puan Anita doing a bit of exploring

Intricate wall carvingsThere were also exhibits on attire from each of the Peninsular states. And the centerpiece of the museum was a replica of an old Balai Rong Seri.

Things were nearly laid out, and the exhibits were marked in clear English, not those off Google Translate.

The boys doing exploring on their ownOne word sprung to mind when I saw this ..... MATRIX!I spent the whole visit explaining to my boys who Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat were. And they both agreed that Tuah should not have killed Jebat just because the Sultan told him to. After all, the Sultan had made a prior decision to banish Tuah in the first place. His judgement hence were flawed. And the Sultan is not Allah. Sound logic in that. Certain things should never be argued about I guessed.

More blog posts from this trip here.

Settling In

Was to tired to blog last night when we arrived at Melaka. The drive in was really smooth, leaving KL just after 6.30, making it to the hotel by 9. Check-in was also pretty straight forward before we head straight for dinner. I was starving then.

Nice comfortable suite Anita booked and settling into the room took a long time as usual with the boys jumping around excitedly. Real havoc and it was way past midnight before they finally settled.

I had a bath instead of the a shower while enjoying the boys bickering. And I was already asleep when they finally settled down.

The hotel we stayed was right in the middle urge town, built in the 90s and was more of a business hotel than for tourist. But the location was excellent. And they had a swimming pool, which was a prerequisite.

I had just finished my breakfast while Anita was having hers downstairs. The boys were still asleep and I was tasked to plan today's excursions. My parents-in-law was around as well, so we couldn't plan anything too taxing. They came here to relax. But a beca ride or two may do them good. Will probably do that after lunch.

More on the rest of the trip here.