Sunday January 27, 2019 – We anchored near the City of Malacca in Malaysia at 7:30AM and assembled at 8AM in colour coded groups (that remain the same throughout the cruise and is based on type of cabin) in the Ambassador Lounge. We are Red 2!
Soon thereafter we boarded tenders for the 24 minute ride into the town of Malacca with a population of just under 1 Million. Mostly Malaysian 67% and all by law have to be Muslims, another 28% are Chinese and the remainder other ethnicity. We boarded the coach (Left Hand Drive) and were greeted by the excellent local guide Lisa Ong and the ship’s representative – Skye. Of note is that until 1957 the country was Malay and only after annexation of the two provinces (Sarawak and Saba) on the island of Borneo in 1963 that the country’s name was changed to Malaysia.
The town was founded in the 1400’s by Parameswara a Hindu Prince from Palembang who arrived from Singapore on a hunting trip and stayed. Legend had it that he observed a Java mouse deer (Chevrotrain Spp.) Being driven away by the dog and seeing this as an omen of the power of strength over weakness decided to build what was to be a large city of 100,000 people, for example when the Portuguese arrived (a city bigger than Lisbon). Due to it’s key location on the Straights of Malacca, the village grew into a major trading port, in part due to its proximity to the spice Islands of Indonesia. It was named for the local (bitter) fruit Malacca Tree (The Indian Gooseberry) . Soon thereafter the Chinese Zheng He of the Ming Dynasty landed with 208 ships and some 2,800 sailors anxious to settle with native wives and attendants so establishing Chinese rule and protection and mixing of the races. This lasted for about 100 years until the Portuguese took over in 1511 for 120 years. Next it was the Dutch from 1641 to 1824 when the British took over (in trade for a town in Sumatra – Benculu) until the Japanese domination during WW2 and finally independence in 1957.
Our first stop was in Dutch Square named for its architecture and seat of government during the Dutch occupation. All buildings are painted red (Ochre) (formerly all whitewashed) – The (Anglican) Christ Church (consecrated August 25, 1838 and formerly since 1753 the Dutch Reformed Church); The Stadthuys (built in the 1650’s) – what was a town hall and Governor residence until 1979 (now a museum), another Art Gallery which was a government building and a clock tower. A columnar fountain is in the center of the square commemorating Queen Victoria’s Jubilee. There were a number of bicycle rickshaws (trishaws) with their colorful adornments / disguises of Spider-Man, miss Kitty and many other such cartoon characters.
We then started up the hill towards St Paul’s Church, stopping to hear all about the Malacca tree. Similar leaves to a Jacaranda or Peru (pepper) tree, bearing small (ping pong ball sizes) green fruit. These are very bitter (somewhat akin to large gooseberry but not translucent) and are good for digestion. They can also be picked and eaten as snacks.
We continued up the 120 steps to the top of the hill where St. Paul’s Catholic Church was built, now in semi ruined state (no roof – Taken down in 1753 and reinforced with short brick walls so soldiers could use the thick walls as a fortress and a place to observe enemy ships entering from the sea or armies from the land). The tombstones of noblemen (now standing upright to prevent further damage) are still well engraved and readable despite them being some 400 years old. Perhaps though, the most important aspects of the church are that it is the oldest church in Southeast Asia (built in 1521 by a Portuguese sea captain – Duarte Coelho and called “Our Lady of the Hill”) and that it was the tomb of St. Francis Xavier (albeit temporary). St. Francis Xavier made many visits to Malacca and to St Paul’s during his lifetime and when he died in Sancien, Macau he was nurtured with a lot of lie to decompose his body. Three months later he was dis-entered and his body was intact and brought to St. Paul’s Church where he was buried. Subsequently in 1548 it was moved to Goa, India and I believe is now in the Vatican. One certainly got a terrific view of the city from the hill.
Descending the hill we saw the one remaining gate through which people and soldiers entered the fortress that was built by Admiral Alfonso de Albuquerque, around the hill. This Porta de Santiago is the only remaining of the four gates to enter the fortress “A Famosa”. Dutch bricks brought from Holland and used as ship ballast, are still the originals that form the walkway. Near the entrance are two other buildings – one with an onion dome turret was the British Club and then was the site of the proclamation of Independence by the first Prime Minister of Malaysia. The other was the Sultan’s Palace and is now the “Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum”.
Leaving this area we headed to Chinatown and the main shopping street of town – Jonker Walk – and went to the Cheung Hoon Teng (Temple if the Green Clouds) which is the oldest Chinese temple in Malacca dating to the 1600’s, dedicated to the goddess of mercy Kuan Yin. Buddhism and Taoism are similar with the former originating in India and the latter in China. Thus this temple was a Taoist one and consisted of three primary altars with the central one being to the Goddess of Mercy and the others dedicated to the Guardian of fishermen and seamen with the other being the deity of justice. Several side altars around the sides of the quadrangle have ancestor worship, learning and other deities to whom the people pray by shaking three times lighted joysticks while bowing each time followed by placing one of the group of joysticks in the urn for that deity. The temple received in 2002 the UNESCO Asia -Pacific Heritage Award for Cultural Heritage Conservation, following its extensive renovation.
Jonker Street was decorated with Chinese lanterns and the shops filled with wares for the Chinese New Year next week.
Leaving the temple, we wandered the street and found a cafe for a cool beer and watched the world go by until it was time to head back to the coach and to the tender station. Most of the passengers took the ferry back to the ship, including Judy, but Anne and I asked the tour guide where we could find a good Malaysian Restaurant. She very kindly took us in her private car to Restaurant Nyanja Suan where we enjoyed the spicy local chicken and prawn dishes. After a brief visit to the mall next door we walked back to the tender station caught a tender back to the ship and attended the ecumenical Sunday service. After which there was s brief tall introducing the guest speakers and they gave us background on themselves and the lectures we are to hear, starting with three tomorrow. Drinks, dinner and bed followed.
Tomorrow is a day at sea with lots of talks, which should be fun.
Roger & Anne Travels 