Monday morning, after what was a good nights sleep and no more sightings of bedbugs we managed to catch the 7.15am bus to Melaka. Journey was trouble free and we arrived in Melaka. Made our way to the Old Town Guesthouse in Bukit Cina, we chose this guesthouse as it had excellent reviews on trip advisor and there was no mention of bedbugs much to Helen and Nicks relief. The guesthouse is run by a family, Christophe and Lee Sun who have 2 children and their little girl is absolutely gorgeous. 

Melaka is a UNESCO world heritage site, a little bit of a history lesson here; the Portuguese came to Melaka in 1511 and ruled the place till 1641. In the late 17th century, Melaka came under attack by the Dutch and was significantly damaged. In the early 19th century, the fortress was taken over by the British who decided to destroy it. So it's fair to say that Melaka has a colonial slash European feel about it. 

After dumping our bags, we made our way to Porta De Santiago which is a fortress built by the Portuguese, and did some sightseeing in the surrounding area taking in Stadthuys which is known as the Dutch Town Square and St Pauls Church which is on top of a hill. St Francis Xavier was interred here for 9 months after his death. It's now ruins and perfect for photo opportunities! We then had a long walk around China Town taking in Jonker Street which is full of handicraft and antique shops, Helen in particular wished she could buy loads of furniture and post home!!! In the middle of all this, we also visited Cheng Hoon Teng Temple which is the oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia. 

Nick was really looking forwards to Melaka as it's praised for it's food! We tried Sevlam restaurant which is a classic banana leaf restaurant (Indian...much to Nicks delight!). Strange dining experience but delicious all the same! 

We then chilled out at the guesthouse and skyped a couple of people! Finally after the chaos of Mersing we had a fantastic nights sleep! 

On Tuesday, we spent most of the day at the guesthouse watching DVD's and chilling out but we managed to venture out for food. Lunch was at a chicken and rice ball restaurant which Helen must add was delish (probably her favourite meal to date even though it's basic!). 

Both of us heard lots of raves about Cendol which is a shaved ice, jelly, syrup and coconut milk dessert so we decided to buy some. Helen judged the dessert based on her sense of smell and decided that it was disgusting. Nick thought Helen was being pathetic, took the first taste and soon found that it was a revolting experience. Of course Helen tasted it otherwise it would have been a waste and can confirm it's disgusting. We couldn't get over the number of people around us eating it and actually enjoying it. 

Dinner was at Capitol Satay which again is a unique dining experience. Capitol Satay was packed to the gills and we had to queue up, the tables have bubbling vats of satay celup and you dunk sticks of raw meat into them. The look on Nicks face when we were given a tiger prawn (with the shell on) by the waitress!! Hilarious! 

Wednesday we headed to Donald and Lilys as recommended by Lonely Planet/Trip Advisor for it's Nonya treats. (Nonya's are buttery pastries with fillings). We also ordered Nyonya Laksa after a major communication breakdown with the waiter. Both of us liked the Laksa which is a local delicacy, Helen was convinced it was egg, noodles etc only for the waiter to confirm it was fish! The look on Helen's face was priceless as those who know her well will know she is not a fish eater!

We grabbed our bags, got the bus via Bukit Cina which is the largest Chinese cemetery outside of China and Poh San Teng Temple. We then grabbed the bus and headed back to Kuala Lumpur for one night before our flight to Kota Kinabalu, Borneo on Thursday. 

(apologies in advance, when we put up the photos of Melaka there will be loads of photos of yummy food!)

Exciting times ahead!