Malacca existed way before the British came into Malaya. Before the Portuguese and the Dutch, a couple of Sumatran kings had already built an empire around Malacca. Trade was definitely bustling and indirectly created the attention of the European Colonist. It was only in 1826 that the British came and founded the Straits Settlement. It got faded out as Penang and Singapore got ahead in terms of trade. However, Malacca never lost its charm and serenity.

We woke up at 9am in the morning and quickly went out for a walk. It was a Saturday morning and most of the shops weren't opened. Went out of Chinatown and witness a Chinese procession honouring Ma Zu (goddess of the sea) along Jalan Laksamana. After brunch of Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls, we left Chong Hoe Hotel and shifted to Century Mahkota Hotel, a local 4-star hotel in downtown Malacca. Please don't be mistaken in thinking I had forsaken my backpacker's roots. I stayed there because my company had a deal with Century Mahkota: I was able to claim S$50 per night's stay. It proved to be a mistake as it was too far away from Chinatown, although it was just beside the Mahkota Parade Shopping Center. When the bags were dumped in the new room, we visited the town square that consists of "Kota Meleka" (the Dutch and Portuguese Fort) and a couple of museums (UMNO and Architectural museums). Locals and tourists alike, there were alot of people on the hill trying to find a shady spot for a good view of Malacca seafront. Not to mention about lovers cuddling up for an afternoon hug.

We decided dinner was to try out another specialty of Malacca: Satay Celup (Skewers of meat and vegetables dipped into a boiling sweet peanut sauce). Between dinner was another walk along Jalan Tan Cheng Lock to Jalan Ong Kim Wee. It took 30 minutes.