|
|
|
A Safari in Summertime
If you're looking for thrills and adventure this summertime, there's no better way to go than a safari. The bushveld is one of the best 'get-away-from-it-all' holiday destinations, for you to unwind from the stress of everyday life. Also a perfect...
Alaska Hunting Guide
WHAT TO HUNT AND WHERE: Alaska is a hunter's paradise. Hunting here can provide the full scope of experiences- from caribou to deer and moose, from grizzly and brown bears to wolves, from Dall sheep and mountain goats to muskox, from waterfowl to...
Cancun, Mexico - A Little Something For Everyone
A sleepy island area in the 1970s, Cancun has been transformed into a mega tourist destination. Located on the Caribbean side of Mexico, this resort area has something for everyone.
Cancun
Make no mistake, Cancun is a very tourist friendly...
Christmas Shopping in Spain
Thinking of flying out to do a bit of Christmas shopping? Maybe
a good idea if you want to escape the crowded UK stores. In
Spain, the shops tend to be more individual with specialist
shops selling specific products, whereas in the UK, you...
WHICH AIRLINE SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?
The latest headlines are often what many travelers use as benchmarks to help decide which airline to choose. Recent accidents, crashes, mechanical problems, labor disputes, delays, financial difficulties and so on, are hot fodder for the media. No...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Melaka - A Life & History Less Hurried
It's the greenery that tells you are a long way from home. Everywhere tropical vines, banana palms, fruit trees peep over walls or rear overhead providing refreshment of both sight and smell. Clean and green Singapore is the prototype city that Shanghai is modeling itself on - with a long way to go just yet. It was a short ride to the Keong Saik Hotel, a charming old renovated row house, in what we later found out was the former red light district. Though if my memory serves me well there was a lot of old Singapore that was a red light district. Sitting outside a nearby corner café was the wizened 'Tan', an octogenarian all too ready to share stories with anyone nearby and willing to listen. Later we sat around laughing and bantering amongst the smoke, noise and steam of the local night food stalls sharing some wonderful laksa and satay for dinner.
"Till tomorrow", said Tan as he excused himself extending his bony hand, crushing mine with a strength that belied his years. I couldn't bring myself to tell him that we were moving on in the morning. Within hours the sun trickled through the drapes and I set off on a leisurely walk down wide broad clean streets to the train station to book tickets. In hindsight we decided that maybe we shouldn't have stayed the night in Singapore and caught an overnight train instead. But then we wouldn't have met Tan. On the way back I dallied at a couple of temples, Hindu and Sikh respectively, reflecting the cosmopolitan nature of Singapore society. In a nearby park I watched some tai-chi exponents practicing with swords under the far flung shady canopy of banyan trees. I'm not sure about the concept of finding inner peace while you're hanging onto a dirty great weapon.
The 'express' (sic) train to Kuala Lumpur was not a memorable one. Well, maybe it was, but not for any good reasons. We only managed to travel about ten minutes out of the now aging, but formerly grand, Singapore station before grinding to a halt at a siding, where it remained steadfastly stuck for the next hour or so. The a/c felt like it was turned to about minus 10º. We had to sort through our bags and then it was four t-shirts all round.
Finally and gratefully the train slid into the brand spanking new Kuala Lumpur (KL) Sentral railway station. After a day and a half seeing the sights and a night spent on a friend's coach in suburban KL we set off back toward Singapore on the long way around via Melaka. Buses leave for Melaka from the Sentral Bus Station in KL regularly. In fact, buses from KL seem to leave regularly for EVERYWHERE - and at an extremely good price. This one cost a mere 8RM for the three-hour trip to the coast. Melaka is famous as an old trading port that first belonged to the Dutch and later the British before they abandoned it for Penang further north. Here the indigenous Malay and immigrant Chinese cultures blended into a unique society known as baba-nonya. Throw in the sprinkling of European influences and you have a wonderful cultural mix unlike anywhere else.
After escaping the harassment of various taxi operators and fellow touts at the bus station, not to mention the occasional giant iguana, we made our way down to the old baba-nonya quarter where one can find a collection of places to stay amongst the fine old family homes. These magnificent two-story wood and stone structures feature a central open courtyard that can be used for several purposes. To me the greatest enjoyment was lying in a comfortable bamboo recliner, a drink in hand, watching as a refreshing tropical deluge came thundering down inches from my bare feet.
That evening we strolled down to 'Glutton's Corner' - a lively food market near the sea for both locals and tourists alike. This is not a place to
visit if you are on a diet. Here, amongst other plentiful offerings such as fresh seafood and noodles, we helped ourselves to some of the most delicious satay known to mankind - Kajang satay. Kajang is famous throughout Malaysia for it's satay, and obviously some of its townsfolk had either moved across the hill to Melaka or sold their secret recipe of herbs and spices to the local Melakans.
After the meal we strolled (as best we could under the weight of what we'd just eaten) through the antiquated narrow streets that are reminiscent of some of the older towns in Guangdong and Fujian where many of the first immigrants originated from. Hokkien dialect appears to predominate as the favored tongue. It was interesting to see how the local Chinese community clubs come alive in the evenings. At one, groups of elderly people were sitting around chatting when suddenly "Achy Breaky Heart" came on over the loudspeakers. In a flash they were off their seats and all up line dancing! I'm sorry Billy-Ray Cyrus - but you have an awful lot to answer for...
Upon the morn we sauntered casually around the local, surprisingly quiet, streets browsing the wonderful old antique, second-hand and curio stores. Life is not lived at a hectic pace here and local store holders seem just as happy to share a chat as conduct business. We were drawn into many of the old temples that litter the old district, especially the ones that seemed to try and appease as many gods as possible. If you want to be prosperous and/or live a long life it seems you've got to cover all your bases! On Jalan Tun Tan we visited the somewhat tacky Baba-Nonya Heritage Museum where the tour guide was intent on getting us all through in record time. If we dawdled for too long in one room (viz., more than ten seconds) she just went straight to the next room and started her spiel, regardless of whether we were there or not.
We moved on to the old Standthuys building that was home to Dutch colonial administration and the nearby ruins of St. Pauls. Apparently Francis Xavier, that famous apostle to the Far East, had been buried here briefly before being dug up again and taken somewhere else. Seriously. To Macau I think. Old St. Franky got around a bit in his day - even AFTER he had carked it. Maybe he didn't really die and he's sharing a beach resort with Elvis and Lord Lucan somewhere. There are still quite a number of other things to see, but with our limited time, there was nothing left to do except grab our bags and hop on one of the many buses Singapore-bound.
Our time was too short. Allow 2-3 days in both Singapore and Melaka plus a similar time in Kuala Lumpur if you continue heading north. Malaysian Airlines and Singapore Airlines have several daily flights to and from the area. Prices vary according to season. Hotels in Singapore can be reasonably expensive, usually beginning around S$70 per room, per night. In KL and Melaka the rate will be 50-70% of that figure. Melaka can be reached directly from either KL or Singapore and inter-city buses are very affordable. It is a good idea to check out the bus before buying your ticket as standards of comfort can distinctly vary.
About the Author: Nicholas Klar (http://klarbooks.com) is a forty-something writer and teacher from Adelaide, Australia. His most recent incarnation is as the Senior Head of House at a private international college in Shanghai, China where he lives with his family. He has had several stories, travelogues, articles and essays published previously in various media.
Source: www.isnare.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Some
Frequent Keywords leading to this site: airlines singapore,airline network,alaska
airlines,us airways,american airline,malaysian airlines,malaysia airlines,air
canada airlines,charter airlines,sas airlines,airlines,flights airlines,air
lines,flights to orlando,airlines american,flights to goa,turkish airlines,delta
airlines,thai airways,easyjet flights,scandinavian airlines,cathay pacific,flights
to bangkok,thai airlines,flights new york,emirates airlines,flight status,business
class,klm flights,flights to new york,flights usa,flights to belfast,flights
to nice,cheap flights to new york,qatar airlines,british airlines,flights to
egypt,cathay pacific airlines,cheap flights to south africa,charter flights,flights
to geneva,thompson flights,flights to south africa,flights to usa,flights to
glasgow,flights to dublin,flights to venice,flights to cork,flights to madrid,airlines
schedules,flight airlines,air france airlines,cheap flights to usa,airlines
reservation,airways airlines,flights to prague,express airlines,america airlines,flights
to jersey,flights to valencia,internal flights,flights from bristol,flights
from belfast,flights to edinburgh,emirates airline,air canada,flights edinburgh,cheap
flights to dublin,flights to london,flights to thailand,flights to rome,flights
from glasgow,airlines fares,flights to budapest,flights to majorca,flights from
edinburgh,gulf air,airlines tickets,cheap flights to thailand,flights to paris,flights
to manchester,cheap flights to london,flights to palma,flights,air india,air
flights,flights to sydney,flights from birmingham,flights to athens,flights
to ireland,airtran airlines,flights to india,flights from newcastle,flights
from cardiff,business class airlines,travel airlines,flights from southampton,america
west,flights from manchester,flights to canada,flights to new zealand,cheap
flights to prague,iberia airlines,cheap flights to india,klm airlines,flights
to toronto,airlines flight schedule,phone number,domestic flights,cheap flights
to paris,flights to faro,flights australia,flights from gatwick,cheap flights
to canada,flights to greece,flights to australia,flights to crete,schedule airlines,cheap
flights to australia,cheap airlines,flights to naples,flights to america,cheap
flights to faro,cheap flights,flights to malta,flights to dubai,airlines ticket,flights
to portugal,low cost airlines,flights to italy,flights to barcelona,flights
only,airlines flight schedules,direct flights,flights to france,flights to lanzarote,flights
to germany,cheap flights to dubai,uk flights,florida flights,cheep flights,cheap
flights to florida,low cost flights,flights to alicante,flights to murcia,flights
to ibiza,budget airlines,flights to florida,china airlines,cheap flights to
alicante,flights to cyprus,czech airlines,cyprus flights,flights to gran canaria,flights
to dalaman,flights to malaga,flights malaga,flights tenerife,airlines offices,flights
to bulgaria,flights to tenerife,budget flights,cheap flights to barcelona,cheap
flights to tenerife,air travel,flights to spain,cheapest flights,bangkok airlines,cheap
flights to malaga,cheap flights uk,flights to jamaica,cheap flights to rome,cheap
flights to cyprus,flights to paphos,discount airlines,flight schedule,cheap
flights to spain,bargain flights,airline tickets,airlines timetable,flights
to turkey,flight schedules,america west airlines,aeroflot airlines,zoom airlines,air
india airlines,cheap flights to turkey,cargo airlines,airlines fare,passenger
airlines,airlines booking,domestic airlines,gulf air airlines,air france,flight
information,dubai airlines,spirit airlines,airlines fleet,frontier airlines,airlines,delta
airlines,emirates airlines,klm airlines,thai airlines,british airlines,china
airlines,flights,flight airlines,schedule airlines,cargo airlines,flights airlines,travel
airlines,airlines american,airlines ticket,iberia airlines,malaysian airlines,sas
airlines,airways airlines,domestic airlines,airlines fares,airlines singapore,american
airline,charter airlines,discount airlines,airlines booking,bangkok airlines,dubai
airlines,aeroflot airlines,america airlines,gulf air,airline tickets,airtran
airlines,air india,gulf air airlines,spirit airlines,air india airlines,passenger
airlines,cheap flights,air france airlines,business class airlines,cathay pacific,thai
airways,airlines tickets,air france,cathay pacific airlines,air canada,flight
information,air canada airlines,airlines reservation,us airways,flight schedules,air
lines,airlines fare,air travel,airlines routes,express airlines,alaska airlines,america
west airlines,flight status,airline network,flight schedule,airlines departure,cheapest
flights,flights to australia,flights to new york,airlines schedules,flights
to malaga,flights to tenerife,flights to cyprus,business class,flights to dublin,frontier
airlines,flights to spain,charter flights,flights to alicante,america west,flights
to canada,flights to barcelona,flights to paris,budget airlines,low cost airlines,cheap
flights to new york,turkish airlines,flights to florida,cheap flights to malaga,airlines
fleet,flights to faro,flights to turkey,cheap airlines,flights to prague,cheap
flights to australia,flights to orlando,airlines timetable,uk flights,flights
to dubai,flights to rome,flights to india,flights to usa,cheap flights to tenerife,flights
to lanzarote,flights to thailand,cheap flights to spain,flights to new zealand,airlines
flight schedules,cheep flights,flights to south africa,air flights,flights to
edinburgh,zoom airlines,czech airlines,flights from manchester,flights to malta,cheap
flights to cyprus,flights to america,low cost flights,flights to london,cheap
flights to alicante,malaysia airlines,flights to nice,flights australia,flights
to ibiza,flights to palma,emirates airline,phone number,thompson flights,cheap
flights to dublin,flights to jersey,airlines flight schedule,flights from bristol,budget
flights,flights to belfast,flights to goa,flights to murcia,scandinavian airlines,cheap
flights to barcelona,easyjet flights,flights from birmingham,direct flights,flights
to bangkok,cheap flights to paris,flights new york,cheap flights to canada,flights
to ireland,airlines offices,cheap flights uk,flights to paphos,flights to glasgow,flights
to portugal,internal flights,flights to dalaman,flights to italy,flights to
athens,flights to bulgaria,cheap flights to india,flights to geneva,flights
from newcastle,flights to france,flights tenerife,flights to crete,flights from
edinburgh,flights from glasgow,flights usa,flights to madrid,cheap flights to
turkey,flights to manchester,flights to venice,cheap flights to prague,cheap
flights to usa,bargain flights,flights to egypt,flights to toronto,flights to
gran canaria,cyprus flights,flights to jamaica,flights from southampton,domestic
flights,flights to naples,cheap flights to faro,flights to greece,cheap flights
to dubai,flights to sydney,florida flights,flights malaga,flights to majorca,flights
edinburgh,flights to valencia,flights from belfast,cheap flights to rome,flights
only,flights to germany,cheap flights to florida,cheap flights to south africa,flights
from cardiff,flights to cork,cheap flights to london,cheap flights to thailand,flights
from gatwick,klm flights,qatar airlines,flights to budapest