We visited the historic town of Melaka on Malaysia’s west coast on Sunday. The town was colonized by the Portuguese, Dutch and British largely because of its strategic location on the Strait of Melacca and the trading of gold, silk, tea, opium, tobacco, perfumes, and spices. Each regime left its mark on the city which is evidenced by the architecture and culture today.

It was very hot but we enjoyed strolling through the town center and Chinatown, which is full of little shops filled with trinkets and antiques. We had a great lunch at a juice bar, which was like a modern oasis in the middle of history. The shopping was really good, especially in the art galleries.

The tourist mode of transportation is via bicycle-rickshaw, we turned down many offers for a ride because we prefer to walk, but it looked like fun. The rickshaws were all decorated differently and were driven by men of all ages. I felt sorry for them when their passengers were a largish couple and they had to go pedal uphill in the heat...

Next time we visit, we will explore some more of the city, especially Little India and the Portuguese section.