9th - 11th August - Malacca

We spent 3 nights in Malacca. Again another place that has changed alot since I lived here. Malacca is aonly about an hours drive from Seremban so we were regular weekend visitors here. (I's sorry there are no photos, Si has got alot of updating to do!) We really enjoyed our time here.

In the 15th Century Melaka or Malacca was the greatest trading ports of South East Asia and therefore attracted many conquering Europeans. This you can see from the Portugese and Dutch architecture, Peranakan shophouses, Victorians homes, Buddist, Taoist and Indian Temples and Islamic Mosques.

We visited all the main sights of Malacca (however we are gtting so tired of this sightseeing lark, not as enthusiastic as we once were!) including Stadthuys the red town hall and Governors residence built between 1641 and 1660 and thought to be the oldest Dutch building in the East.

We then visited Christ Church also in the town square, which was built with pink bricks in 1753. Dutch and Armenian tombstones still lie in the floor of the Church's interior.

In front of the Church stands a fountain with 4 images of Queen Victoria's face and a plaque erected by the people of Malacca in memory of a great Queen - 1904.

Next on our list was Jonker Street although it has been renamed now, this is part of Chinatown and full of antique shops. My mum and dad used to drag my brother and I up and down this road and the surrounding ones nearly every weekend (well it felt like it to us!)

We also visited St Paul's Church which sits on top of a hill. It was originally built by a Portugese Captian in 1521. The chusrch was regularly visited by St Francis Xavier and following his death the Saints body was interred temporarily here (a marble statue of the Saint commemorates this occassion) for 9 months before being transferred to Goa. The Church is in ruins now but still holds tombstones and is still beautiful.

From there we took the steps down the hill from the Church to Porta de Santiago, once the main gate and now all that remains of the Portugese fortree A Famousa orignally constructed in 1512.

SIr Stamford Raffles is said to have stepped in before the complete destruction of the old fortress, but it was a close call.

From our guesthouse we had fab views of the river (see photos when si uploads them) and of St Francis Xaviers Church which you can see has clearly subsided over the years, it was built in the 1800's though.

On our last night we stopped in Jonkers Street for a drink to watch the night market around us when Si handed me a piece of paper, it was a confiramtion email from a gorgeous big hotel in Singapore that he had booked as a surprise! YIPEEEE!!!!! SOME LUXURY!!!! It was always our intention of seeing our last 5 months of Asia out in luxury especially after roughing it for 5 months but i was over the moon. Thats wereim writing this now, amazing Singapore! we leave tomorrow for Oz....can't believe it!

Hopefully we will be able to upload some photos tomorrow before our flight ...hope you are still enjoying our journals, love and miss you all so much Michelle and Simon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx