So we heard it's snowing at home? Just to let you know we're currently suffering 32 degree heat here in Malaysia, although to be fair we are, at this moment in time, sheltering from a huge tropical thunderstorm!!

It's the 1st December and life this year is a lot different to normal. We would be putting up the tree, singing christmas songs, planning christmas drink sessions with friends and opening the first door on our calenders. However, we are still trying to embrace the spirit in this toasty environment by posting a few crimbo cards and playing our christmas playlist on the iPod. This year our big present is going to be the huge family get together in Bangkok which after not seeing people for so long is going to be incredible.

Anyway, we arrived in Melaka from Singapore at about 7pm and caught the local 'ghetto' bus (you could see the engine whilst sitting on the bus) to Dutch Square, where we planned to look for a hostel. We came across the first hostel, Jalan Jalan Besi, and on our way in bumped into the owner. He rushed us to the only vacant room (a romantic twin room with a bunkbed) then he shouted at us to hurry and leave our bags, apparently we were going out!!!! Sam, the owner, led us with about 10 other people on a short walk across town, up a hill to a derelict church, St Pauls. It was a stunnig location and was filled with huge stone plinths with scriptures engraved on them, the church also had no roof and you could see birds and bats flying around overhead. Inside they had decorated the place with lots of arty stuff and coloured mood lighting. An usher led us to a mat on the floor and as soon as we sat down the lights dimmed an we were treated to an, 'interesting' concoction of theatrical performances from random dancing and singing to warbling and yelling! It was a pretty cool start to Malaysia.

After the performance we all headed back into town for some dinner, we ended up in a hawker centre eating various Malay dishes and drinking lots of Skol beer. This carried on into the night until most people fell asleep or passed out.

The following day we woke up early and went for a tasty breakfast of pitta and houmous and fresh fruit juice. We grabbed the camera and set off on a few hour wander around the small town looking at the amazing mix of colonial Dutch and Chinese architecture before settling down by the river for a bit of local scran. That night we walked up and down the night market snacking on random things and Liz bought a luminous pink casio watch for £2! (100% genuine of course.....).

Our final day turned out not to be so final, we packed, checked out and sat in reception waiting for a taxi when a couple turned up, explained how they hadn't partied for almost two months and really fancied a beer, so........being the charitable pair that we are, out came the beer. And that was the beginning of the end. Needless to say, we had to book another night in Melaka!

Tuesday was pretty bad weather, however, we managed to miss the downpour, just......! We caught the local bus back to the station and found some cheap tickets to Kuala Lumpur where we are now.

That's all for now, keep enjoying the snow/rain/sun. Only 24 days till christmas YAY! .....and only 8 days until my birthday yippeeeeeeeeee!

Love, a very sweaty pair of charitable backpackers

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