Monday, December 21, 2009

Malaysia Trip Day 3 - Malacca

Time: 7.30am
Venue: Breakfast at First World Hotel Cafe.
Rate: Food were bland and tasteless.

Time: 8.30am
Checked out of First World Hotel. They allowed us to bring our room key (the card to open the hotel rooms) back for keepsake purpose. The tour guide say cause they make too much money so they won't mind.



At the half mountain of Genting, we went to a gallery for good chocolates. There's many different packaging of chocolate there and chocolate is tax-free there. Along the slope down Genting, our tour guide briefly told us the tress by the side are called 热带雨淋。Malaysia, like Singapore has the condition for these tress to grow and the conditions are that country could not have 4 seasons and the rain must not exceed 2000 毫米 per year.

While coming down the slope of Genting, 阿龙导游 showed us the cemetery of Uncle Lim. Uncle Lim is not your ordinary Uncle. He is Genting's Casino King. He was the one who turned a jungle hilltop into one of the world's most successful casino resorts. It was almost impossible as Malaysia is a Muslim country and casino by right is banned but he managed to convince that his would be good to the economy. He died at the age of 90 in 2007. Another thing about Genting is from the coach departure area to the hotel lobby, escalator were used instead of lift and the long walk back is to allow crowds to see the Genting view and to maintain the crowds so as they won't be disperse.



Shop shop shop. One bag full of goodies.



孔子: 人之初性本善




Our lunch was at this Nonya Restaurant. Food was yummy. Every dishes served were nice. Not too spicy. The boss has a brain for business. Asked us to comment whether the chili is nice and everyone say yes, he faster proposed to us that the chili are for sale! So many people buy. Dessert was the famous Chendol and after that the boss recemmend us to buy his coconut sugar.





The trishaw there. There's three type of trishaw. Driver at front, back or side. Malacca one is the same as Singapore one with the driver at the side. In Penang, the driver would be at the back. 阿龙导游 jokingly say it's like 推你去死。At the side one is 载你去死。At the front one would be 拉你去死。Joking Joking but their trishaw is decorate until so flowery. Really looks like those 花车。



We had a 45 minutes free and easy time to shop. I spent 30 minutes at this shop called Jonker Gallery. It was really nice place to shop. I bought 2 tee and 1 dress there and lots and lots of souvenirs.



Along the street, it's not unusual to find young kids already coming out to sell sweets. Look at this two young girls. I wonder where's their parents. Are they working hard to earn money elsewhere too?








Views from the coach window. A little bit about the Malacca History. 阿龙导游 told us how Malacca got its name. It was because one day prince Parameswara went out hunting with his two hunting dogs. While he stopped by a river to rest, he witness the scene that his two big hunting dogs got startled by a small mouse deer. He thought to himself the bravery of the small mouse deer, when faced with the two big hunting dogs, it was not afraid. Since he was under the Malaka tree when he witness this scene, he decided to call this place Malacca.

In 1509, the Portuguese came and tried to takeover Malacca but failed. Within 2 short years, the Portuguese returned again, their second attempt to seize the city. The weapons used was a factor. While the Malay used short knifes, the Portuguese used bombs and guns.

阿龙导游 also explained to us why the doors in 鸡场街 are so small. That is because they have to pay tax for doors. So of course the smaller the door, the lesser the tax they have to pay. Though the doors are small, the body of the building is actually very long.

When Zheng He 郑和下西洋 and came to Malacca, along with him came about 300 boats and in one boat at least 500 people so you can imagine the power this Zheng He has. His real original name was not 郑和 but was 马和 and he is a eunuch. Due to the fact that in the kindom, horse cannot enter, so he change his name to 郑和。郑 as in the 郑 they called the 皇帝。With this name he became more and more powerful and nobody dares to laugh at him.




Honey.






At the 三宝庙。 Built in 1795, this temple has got lots of folktales. One of the amazing thing is the wall water. The water when you poured into a cup will not spill out even when it's full. However, it will form an arch at the top layer. When one have to enter the temple, there's a stopper that one have to cross over. This stopper would only be removed when the 皇帝 is there cause other then the sky, the 皇帝 is the next bigger. The stopper is to let us look to the ground and cannot be 抬头就目中无人。一人在上,万人在下。



Yo yo shop. Bought some food here too.












Dinner at this 88 restaurant. It's like wedding banquet. The aunties all make fun of our 阿龙导游 saying is it to attend his wedding. LOL. Finished our late dinner at about 9pm+ before we head back to Singapore. Luckily I took leave tomorrow.

And so my 3 days 2 nights Malaysia trip has come to an end. I would say I had enjoyed myself the most on the first day at Cameron Highland since it was my first time there and I love the fresh fruits and air over there. At Genting, there wasn't much to do since there's no time and the weather wasn't suitable for outdoor theme park. Worst, we didn't went to the casino which is a must-go over there. The last day at Malacca was rather rush. Only 45 minutes of shopping time. Didn't get to try the famous Chicken Rice Ball and 何记 Chendol but never mind, that give me the reason to go there again.

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