at Melaka 

Amazing! That sums up the first day at Melaka (or “Malacca” some would prefer that spelling). 

Amazing the fact that a driver actually stopped short to allow the group of 8 of us, to cross the junction, near the Christ Church and Stadthuys (on the right). 

It may seem insignificant but it was good enough to make our day, after the bumpy ride from home to this sleepy town. 

Taking this rare opportunity, I decided to make my way to Cheng Hoon Teng (left), the oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia, to thank the deities for answering my prayers, made more than a decade ago, allowing me to take some photos on my 3rd trip here, after the first 2 attempts failed. 

Though it's quite a journey from where we were staying, it still worth the trip, as along the way, we saw some relics like the “A’ Formosa”, “Christ Church” and other historic buildings.

what we saw in Melaka
	A' Formosa If not for *William Farquhar, who disobeyed his bosses, I don't think "A Formosa", will survive and become the landmark of Melaka, till this day		Christ Church Another heroics of Willie saw Christ Church survived the onslaught. This red-coloured building was build by the Dutch in 18th century
	Proclamation of Independence Museum It was here where the first Prime Minister of Malaya, Tunku Abdul Rahman, first announced Malaya would become a independent state by 1957		Trickshaws everywhere Beautifully-decorated trickshaws are a common sight in Melaka.
*William Farquhar is the British Resident and Commandant of Malacca from 1814 until the restoration of Malacca to the Dutch in 1818, who defied his superiors' order to destroy the fortifications and buildings.

at KL 

What a different scene greeted us as we passed the Sungei Besi toll (on the left, which signifies the entrance to Kuala Lumpur). 

Whereas there is a slow-paced, carefree ambience in the historic Melaka, it's a vibrant, endless flow of traffic, be it human or vehicular that welcome us. 

Welcome to Kuala Lumpur…. 

The first stop brought us to TIMES SQUARE (right), the newest attraction in the capital city of Malaysia. 

Nothing really fancy, even with its much-touted "roller-coaster", I guessed with so many established shopping malls (e.g.: Sungei Wang, BB Plaza) nearby, it's no wonder there's a saying,” too many cooks spoiled the broth"
 

what we saw in Kuala Lumpur
Election poster Saw this poster outside TIMES SQUARE. Pretty interesting, for those who understand, you sure know what it means Election posters were everywhere, as the Malaysian just had their elections concluded.		Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, where our hotel is located
		The Landmarks of the city KL Tower on the left, with Petronas Twin Towers on the right, as seen here in the morning
		Jalan Bukit Bintang Jalan Bukit Bintang, one of the main shopping areas in Kuala Lumpur.

at Petaling Street aka the Chinatown  

With Cantonese as its main dialect, you would be forgiven if you thought you were in Hong Kong the moment you stepped into Jalan Petaling. 

According to the watch seller, who I bought the pocket watch (right) from, vehicles are prohibited daily from 5pm till around 11pm, when most of the stalls call it a day. 

Just like any open air markets around, bargaining is a must, as visitors from all continents throng the narrow street all day long, to hunt for stuffs like T-shirts, shoes, watches, etc. (of course, things are much cheaper here than in KLCC)
 

what we saw in Jln Petaling
The entrance This is the gate that mark the entrance of Jalan Petaling	Making our way out After having our makan and shopping, we were on our way out of the street. Thank goodness, our hotel is just a stone throw away..	The Biggest Bun This is probably the biggest bun, I ever seen in my life. However, big it may be but the fillings inside is just the opposite.

Conclusion

Nothing much to say, except that if you are taking a long bus journey when travel in Peninsular Malaysia, it is advisable to clear your bowels before the start of the trip, as the halfway stop is normally 3 hrs away from the starting point.

With lush vegetation flanked at both sides of the North- South Highway (left), this trip is definitely good for one's eye therapy

The minus point is the halfway stop (pictured on the right) for the travellers to have their coffee-breaks, don't expect any delicacies and the price tags aren't really fantastic either but grab the opportunity to clear your bowels (houseflies are a common sight).

Have a nice trip ahead..

PO HUI

© 2004 Ko Po Hui