redgoldarawana: MALACCA - A TRIP TO MALAYSIAN HERITAGE (PART 2 OF 2)

Hang Tuah... The legend warrior of Malacca........

DAY 2

I used a taxi from Masjid Tanah to Malacca City early morning for fare about RM 30.00. Oklah.. Not expensive. In fact the taxi driver is talkative and give a lot of informations about Malacca all the way which take me around 45 minutes. He even stop me at Klebang Beach, a beautiful beach which under construction for beautification.

He stops me at St Xavier Church, a more than 100 years red building. Than I and family just walk around the Bandar Hilir, but this time not through Bukit St Paul. I spent a moment enjoy ice-cream at a well decorated street shop besides Malacca River, where Parameswara creating the history of Malacca. There was also an ancient water-wheel during Kesultanan Melayu Melaka (Malay Sultanate of Malacca). As an Engineer, I try to imagine how this wooden structure works. And I don’t think that the Engineer has his bachelor degree, but it was a great invention anyway.

I walked again to the nearby jetty for River Cruise. I am not lucky, the jetty is under renovation and I have to walk a distance to the temporary jetty. I just forget it and continue my visit to Marin Museum (Muzium Samudera). A creative and amazing ship shape building, all made of wooden. Of course, the internal decorations are amazing where I feel I was inside the ancient ship. This informative museum covered the resplendent history of Malacca was built in 1988.There is a lot of other museums surroundings, but I don’t have time to visit. On the road end was Lembaga Pelabuhan Melaka (Malacca Port Authority) that marks question on me on its status. Anyway, the site should be the ancient port of Malacca.

Taming Sari Tower is located on the city centre, a one stop visit for aerial view of Malacca City. It was congested with visitors, and I just take photos on its footing. Anyway, the surroundings of Malacca City can be view clearly from Bukit St Paul.

I stop by at Taman Pahlawan, enjoying the man made natural beauties. I hope that some of the trees have been there witnessing the considerable changes of Malacca from Parameswara time to the heyday of Malcca until now.

Muzium Istana Kesultanan Melayu Melaka (The Museum of Malay Sultanate of Malacca) is nearby the A Famosa. This museum giving all the information related to the ancient and modern Malay Palace. On the opposite of the Palace is Prohibited Garden of Palace. I feel lucky that now I can share the modern garden which once was built only for the King’s family.

One perplexity is that, my two days trip I look around looking for Malacca trees where Parameswara gets the land name. But I cannot find even one. Or maybe I went to the wrong place. Another one is that, I try to find who the Baba Nyonya tribe is. I even asked the trishaw drivers, which mentioned that they used to exist but now most of them are now younger generation which called themselves Chinese. Which means that Baba Nyonya finally will lose their identity?

I know there are still a lot of attractive place to visit, but my time is just limited. I will make sure that I will come again to Malacca and visit the other Places like Makam Hang Tuah and of course enjoying the Malacca River Cruise and other places in this 216 Ha of declared World Heritage. Than, after shops a few souvenirs, I am tired enough. I choose to go back and rest before my next trip to Pahang. For sure, I will come back to Malacca because there are a lot of things that I not yet discover.

I love Malacca, not because of its great development or on going high rise buildings. The pride, the values are on the heritage, the history. If one day my children ask me about Malaysia, than I will tell him that Malacca is Malaysia. Nowadays, Malacca being a must visit place in Malaysia. You will meet with peoples from different continent, with their odd languages. And of course, this make me proud being a Malaysian.

The Photos below will tell better on Malacca, and why I call it the Malaysian World Heritage.......