We enjoyed our singapore slings in raffles - especially as eating peanuts and throwing th shells on the floor was expected etiquete! They also had electronic paddle fans on the ceiling which excited Mel.

So we said another teary farewell to Stu's mum, and left his Dad "bus spotting" and it took us 15 minutes to travel one block but we eventually got out of singapore. Easy border crossing into Malaysia (but didn't get to use the london tube-esque automatic barriers for the Malays!) and got to our guesthouse with no problems. The people there were very friendly and provided us with an excellent hand drawn map of what to do. Our double room is what you would expect for 2 pounds a night, however we were lucky as we had a "balcony"!

Got up early to make the most of our one day in Melaka. We planned our walking tour to take in all the top sights, starting with the Princess Hang Li Poh's well which was once poisoned so now has its own fortifications! We walked past St Francis Xaviers church - had a refreshing drink by the river and then went to Dutch Square, with Christchurch, Victoria's fountain and lots of trishaws with ornate flower decorations. On Jen and Alex's recommendation we went to the Mutilation Museum (sorry - officially now called the People's Museum and Enduring Beauty Exhibit) where we saw all about tattoos, lip plates, corsets and chinese feet binding. Went to the Independence Memorial (free entry for a history of why the British deserved to be kicked out) and then St Pauls church - the oldest church here which the English used as a gunpowder store (possibly supporting above history!). Went to the oldest Chinese temple and all the "junk" antique shops.

Having a major drama with Mel losing all her photos due to a card fault but some expert computer wizardry has recovered them (and for free!)

Lots of love from the country where the traffic lights have countdowns!

Mel and Stu x