Malacca Weekend

Malacca has always been on my list of travels for a long time. I really wanted to visit one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Malaysia. The place is about 2-3 hours drive from Kuala Lumpur and it was just my luck to have found cheap flights to Malaysia's capital on my rest day. I contemplated about buying it or not but eventually I did.

I arrived at Malacca at around 3pm and just dropped my bag at the hotel. Time was running fast so I immediately went out to explore the place. On the way to the center, rows and rows of Sino-Portuguese inspired houses were lining the one way street.

At long last, I am able to personally see Chirst Church Melaka. This is an 18th century Anglican Church in the city of Malacca. It is said to be the oldest functioning Protestant Church in Malaysia. 

There were lots of colourful trishaws parking near the Church. Surely it would be fun to ride in one of those but I opted to walk. 

The view on the bridge heading to Jonker's Street. This is the Malacca River which flows through the Malacca City. This was a vital trade route during the heyday of Malacca Sultanate during the 15th Century. I saw the Malacca River Cruise gliding along the river and through most of the old town area. 

It was around 5 in the afternoon when I stepped on Jonker's Street. It was a weekend and the stalls for the night markets were being prepared little by little. This is where I got to eat a lot of stuff that I haven't had time to take pictures of. I was either too excited to eat or too hungry from all the walking. All I can remember was the dishes I tasted were delicious and I was full after every meal. :)

We climbed up to the summit of St. Paul's summit and found St. Paul's Church. This is a historic church building that was originally built in 1521 making it the oldest Church building in Malaysia.

The building at my back is the surviving gate of the A Famosa, a Portuguese fortress located in Malacca. It is among the oldest surviving European architectural remains in South East Aisa. 

I decided to wear red on the day I went there. Most of the buildings in the City Center were also red, I could have easily camouflaged :-P

This was my first out of the country trip for 2016. So glad to have achieved one on my bucket list. Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!. 

Penang 2015 Part 2: Around Town

Other than the street art and steel art we saw in Penang, there were also a few places we visited during our self-imposed walking tour.

No, these are not cherry blossom trees. (I wish they were and I am in Japan!) But, these are just designs in front of a mall in George Town.

We went into the GeorgeTown World Heritage Incorporated Building. To manage the heritage conservation within the city is the purpose of why this company is set up.

This was taken before we entered the building.

Inside the site were a lot of information about the history of Penang, more maps and how the old houses actually looked like.

While walking further along, we found that Penang has their own hop on hop off tour bus. We wanted to ride one but because it was already middle of the afternoon, we thought it would not be worth it.

Another alternative for touring the city is the presence of the rickshaw/ trishaws. There were a lot of colorful ones and the drivers would often invite to tour people around. Wincee was happy this driver allowed her to sit down and have her photo taken.

We also passed by St. Xavier's Institution. It was established in 1852 and is the oldest surviving formal school in Penang and possibly in Malaysia. The school has been founded by the Lasallian Brothers and as such has traditionally been headed by a brother.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw this and the building. Having been educated in a Lasallian school during my elementary years is a pride for me.

We also found the Chocolate Museum. It was late in the afternoon and their museum was already closed. According to the review, it was not really a museum anyway. We only got into the part where they sell their chocolates. The lady kept giving us samples to eat but we were full. The chocolates were also a bit over prized.

Our last, but not the least, place visited was The Camera Museum.

Entrance fee for adults is at 20 RM. However, because it was only half an hour before they close, the cute guy at the counter collected only 10 RM from each of us. Sweet!  (Or maybe he thought we were just students) I forgot to take his photo.

I saw this frame of photos hanging on the wall. Gives me an idea of what to do with printed photos back  home.

We started looking at their vast collection of cameras.

Big cameras. 

Spy cameras.

And a whole lot more.

They also made a timeline for the history of cameras. Amazing!

There were also interactive activities such as visiting a dark room.

Or going into the pinhole room.

The entire old camera showcase was at the first floor. After looking over the place, one has to go down and pass by their cafe and souvenir shop. It was definitely an informative and fun place. We were thinking we would go back soon! :)

Penang 2015 Part 1: Steel Art and Street Art

It has always been my dream to travel. This year, I would try and travel more than I did last 2014.

Last week, our company sent me and my colleague, Wincee, to a business trip to Penang, Malaysia. It was my first time but it was her second time to visit the place.

We were to go to Georgetown. This is the capital of the state of Penang in Malaysia. Further to my research, which also made me excited to go, is that the inner city of GeorgeTown is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place (such as a forest, mountain, lake, island, building, complex, or city) that is listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as of special cultural or physical significance. 

We arrived in George Town, Penang at around 10am. The trip from our city to George Town took about 10 hours by van. After settling in the hotel, doing the business we were sent for and resting, we then braved the streets of Penang. We had to stuff ourselves with food first, so we had lunch at a clean local restaurant. This chicken and rice meal cost us 4.90RM.

While walking along the streets of the city, I have observed that most buildings were old but were still being used for commercial spaces. George Town is officially recognized as having a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia.

Before we came to Penang, all I wanted to see were the famous street art they had. I was amazed to know that they had these steel art in their streets too. The concept of the steel art is to relate the history or characteristic of the selected street. That is a cool concept for me as the steel art was witty and informative. Walking along the streets, these were a few of what we found.

This steel art says that this street is the place where the famous shoe designer, Jimmy Choo, started his apprenticeship.

I thank God for having a friend with me in my trips. I have difficulty reading maps and if I were alone I'd surely get lost. She did all the map reading and I did the following. Our goal was to find the street arts of Penang.

From the map we got, I learned that it all started with a street art project called Mirrors George Town by George Town festival 2012. Since then, street art has been popping up all over the inner city. Here are a few we have seen during our excursion.

This is called Reaching Up. A boy reaching up from for a hole in the wall is painted but with a real chair for added effects.

 Kids on Bicycle.

What a gigantic cat! This art is named Skippy comes to Penang. This is one of the murals painted to create awareness of the need to protect animals and get people to foster a love for pets.

Brother and sister.

Lion Dance

Brother and sister on a swing.

It was like visiting a trick eye museum however we had to walk on real streets and watch out for cars and bicycles. The street art was challenging to find too. We found most art because of people flocking in the area and taking photos. 

Watch out for Penang 2015: Part 2 :)