Spice world

Kanye West’s Love Lockdown blasted from the speakers as I, reeking of sunblock, took my seat and readied my camera. It’s lunch time and the air-conditioned viewing cabin of Menara Taming Sari (Jalan Merdeka) is a temporary sanctuary from the unbelievable heat. As the first tower in Malaysia to have a fully revolving structure, the four-year-old attraction offers a bird’s eye view — as far as five kilometers from a height of 80 meters — of the Strait of Malacca and the UNESCO World Heritage Site below.

Of course, there’s more than one way to get one’s bearings in this fascinating port, a couple of hours southwards out of Kuala Lumpur via the North-South Expressway. A cruise on the Melaka River yields a few surprises, foremost of which is a history lesson for next to nothing. From its role as a meeting point between the East and West in the 16th century, the body of water that proved so attractive to Portuguese, Dutch and British invaders is now a modern waterfront with gardens, bridges, a fountain, performance stages and clean walkways. On its banks lie examples of the country’s multicultural make-up, from churches, mosques and temples to clan houses and warehouses that have wisely been converted into charming restaurants and cafés. A must-see is Kampung Morten, a living, breathing 1920s Malay village. 

Monkey see, monkey do: The Orangutan House was set up in 1992 as the studio-gallery of Charles Cham.  

Getting The Lay Of The Land

But from my experience, the best way to get the lay of the land is on foot. Based on the hordes of umbrella-toting Japanese tourists jostling to take its picture, the Stadthuys (Jalan Gereja) — built by the Dutch in 1650 as the office of the governor — was indeed a great place to start.

As Melaka’s storied core is located near the old coastline, it’s possible to see most of the city’s colonial-era superstars from this relative position. Aside from the Stadthuys, the Malacca Museum Complex includes Christ Church, supposedly the oldest surviving Dutch building in Asia; A’Famosa, the remnants of a Portuguese fortress that changed owners in the early 19th century (when the Dutch handed it over to the British to prevent it from falling into the hands of the French); and St. Paul’s Church, which sits at the top of St. Paul’s Hill and once served as the final resting place of St. Francis Xavier in 1553, before his body was moved to Goa, India. Those with a taste for Vampire Diaries-style goth should stop by the Dutch Graveyard. When the British took over in 1795, they initially used St. Paul’s Hill as their burial ground but eventually made use of this all-white cemetery nestled at its foot — a national monument under the Antiquities Act of 1976 — between 1818 and 1838. Oddly enough, another type of graveyard — for dead motorcycles — is across from it.

Smoothies and sandwiches: Limau Limau Café extends through several rooms and a pleasant interior courtyard.

Melaka’s famed trishaws, festooned with plastic flowers, twinkling lights and other RuPaul-esque gewgaws, are on standby in case you become too tired, dehydrated or sunburned to carry on with your walking tour. Be warned, though: The odds of you being pedaled around town with Michael Bolton or Mariah Carey booming from the makeshift subwoofers are frighteningly high. Embrace it, ham it up, puzzle the locals and enjoy the ride!

Rewards For The Casual Visitor

I was fortunate that the lively Jonker St. was only a few steps away from my room at Casa Del Rio (88 Jalan Kota Laksamana), a Southern European-flavored boutique hotel by the Melaka River. Visitors from all over flock to this bustling area famed for its mix of Portuguese, Dutch and Chinese architecture. If browsing for antiques or art objects is your thing, you can spend hours here. I roadtested my bargaining skills at The Clay House (18 Jalan Tukang Emas) and came home with hand-thrown footed bowls perfect for cherries and a small ceramic mask I intend to employ as a Christmas tree ornament. The workshop in the back, open to the curious, is where owner Leong Chee Hsiung conducts pottery classes.

I also stumbled upon The Orangutan House (59 Lorong Hang Jebat), a shop and gallery owned by local artist Charles Cham, who studied in France. While the t-shirts on sale were a bit touristy for my taste, his primitive, Basquiat-esque artwork was right up my alley. According to the New York Times, Cham — whose canvases appeal more to the Western eye — has managed to stay away from what seems to sell best in Malaysia: “kittens and still lifes and swaying coconut trees.”

Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking: Taking to the streets of Melaka by trishaw is a popular tourist option.

As far as food is concerned, Melaka rewards the casual visitor with eats unique to this side of the world. I pulled up to the table at Hoe Kee Chicken Rice (468 Jalan Hang Jebat) to try their ball-shaped Hainanese chicken rice, smooth steeped chicken and asam pedas, or fish in a hot and sour curry gravy. I wasn’t disappointed. I likewise gave Restoran Ole Sayang (12 Jalan Meraka Raya) the good old college try and discovered why it’s one of the most popular restaurants serving Nyonya-Baba food, a creole cuisine thought to have originated from the Peranakan (Straits Chinese) of Malacca.

Old Structures, New Uses

Melaka is one of Malaysia’s best-preserved cities for good reason. On the one hand, there’s the easily missed No. 8 Heeren Street (8 Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock). A fine example of a typical shophouse built during the Dutch period, the two-storey building has been restored to high levels of authenticity, thanks to funding from the US Embassy in Malaysia. With only a small plaque to usher you in, it has a shop on the ground floor and a residence above with simple plaster walls, an overhanging roof and a tile-roofed porch. The goal of this model project is to reverse the passage of time in the conservation zone of Melaka.

The ruins of St. Paul’s Church, built in 1521, stand at the summit of St. Paul’s Hill. On display are tombstones written in old Portuguese, Dutch or Latin. 

On the other hand, old residences can also be adapted to suit modern life. Musang Lena, a brainchild of Kuala Lumpur-based stylist David Chang and art director Soon Lum, includes two nattily overhauled buildings in the heart of Melaka. The Stable (No. D Jalan Hang Kasturi), nestled between Heeren and Jongker Streets, is a one-bedroom two-storey lodging that showcases “a brilliant collision of influences”: modern, baroque and Peranakan.

45 Lekiu (45 Jalan Hang Lekiu) shares the same design DNA, but is slightly more indulgent. Chang and Lum have turned the long and narrow three-storey house, built in 1941, into the epitome of youthful luxe, tossing in a clutch of 19th century Chinese and mid-20th century European furniture, a small lap pool, timber beams and exposed brick walls. Lum’s wife Sharen Kiu, who runs the nearby Limau Limau Café (49 Jalan Hang Jebat), is a terrific storyteller who explains that while Melaka is known for its links to the past, there are parts of it that are perfectly at home in the present.

* * *

Special thanks to Bea Totanes and Bianca Tamayo of Tourism Malaysia; and Vinnie Low. For more information about Melaka and other destinations, visit www.tourism.gov.my.

* * *

ginobambino.tumblr.com

Potter more: The Clay House offers bowls, mugs and pots, all handmade by owner Leong Chee Hsiung.