Melaka
Simanderal
Michael Hughes and Ger White
Fri 9 Dec 2011 04:29
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We've been moored in the very smart and protected
Admiral Marina in Port Dickson for the last 5 days or so. Port Dickson itself is
no great shakes--though fine for some provisioning, getting local phone cards
and internet dongles etc.
But on Wednesday we had a long day trip to Melaka,
which is a "must see" town--a UNESCO world heritage town with so much to see and
do within its ancient core that we really should have spent a few days
there.
We left the marina at 0900 and left Melaka to
return at 2100--sore feet but very content. Melaka was at one time the major
port/trading centre between China and the West. Before invasion by the European
nations, they were allied with China to prevent invasion from Siam.
Since the end of the 15th century, it was occupied
by a succession of European interests, attracted by its strategic positioning in
the Straits--first the Portuguese, ultimately defeated by the Dutch, and finally
by the British during the French revolution. It became independent with the rest
of Malaysia in the sixties.
Add in the original Malay people, a major influx of
Chinese to work, a deliberate policy of intermarriage by the Portuguese and an
influx from India--mainly Tamil--has produced an incredible pot-pourri of
cultures, architecture history etc. And all walkable.
A great day out!
We now look forward to Ger's arrival
tomorrow--after which we'll be heading on North.
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