The Charm of Malacca

Location: Malacca, Malaysia

NP: In Flames - Metaphor

Mood: Bittersweet

So it is that I keep running into the same patterns of thought, of likes and dislikes, here in Malaysia as I did in Finland. Preferences are not and should not be country-specific. The surroundings do not adapt to you nor do you adapt fully to the surroundings. And so your likes and dislikes remain mostly unchanged, only slightly diluted, and at times convoluted, by the journey and the local customs.

In this instance it means my preference of cities over jungles, but not the biggest cities in particular. No, I've enjoyed the smaller refuge of Malacca far more than I enjoyed Kuala Lumpur's vast hordes of people and large landscape. Perhaps it's because it's easier to get to know within a short period of time and most things are within walking distance.

The locals call this place Melaka. It's a silly thing to translate such a name into Finnish as Malakka, or into English as Malacca, when the original name is easily pronounced with both languages, especially Finnish. In Malaysia everybody speaks some English.

Jonker Walk in Chinatown.

This city has history. After the rule of the Malacca Sultanate in the 15th century it has been conquered by three European empires (Portuguese, Dutch and British) which shows in architecture and the center has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008. It has a silent character with loud and bizarre bicycle rides, a red christian church and large shopping malls. A muddy river of brown and dark green, where large monitor lizards prey on snakes, runs through the center of the city.

Dutch Square with the red church.

Having spent the last five days here, I am already a little fond of the place. The narrow set of streets near Jonker Street (in Chinatown) enjoy a frequent stream of cars and though Jonker itself is geared toward tourists with its souvenir shops and restaurants, there is something enjoyable in dodging bodies on the tiny sidewalk and peering at the wares of local art shops. What the city lacks in nightlife it makes up for with excellent local Nonya (or Nyonya, as they seem to spell it here) food and the tasty Indian and Pakistani dishes Pak Putra serves.

Butter Nan and Bombay Chicken at Pak Putra.

This city, perhaps, might even be appealing enough to live in for a time. Perhaps, if only the beer wasn't so expensive (8 ringgit ie. 2 euros for a small bottle has been the cheapest price I've seen)...