Day 8 - Saturday 14 January 2017

Tioman departure........I’m awake at 3.30am and it’s not because I’m anxious not to oversleep. Sores have intensified reaching most parts of my body but particularly on the legs. There are mosquitoes here but my legs are covered at night. The sores are mostly from midges that cluster around the shoreline. I’m itching like mad and have to get up. I do manage to sleep before then as I polished off the rum and coke but now it’s impossible. Fortunately I need to wake early anyway and by 5am I’m packed and ready to depart. The suggested collection time is 5.15am but it’s not long before 6am when the driver arrives and 6am is the recommended time to register for the 7pm ferry departure. However, the journey over the mountain to Tekek doesn't take long in the moonlight and arriving at the quay, there’s no queue at all. The ferry departs on time and, as on the outward journey, I know little about it.
Mersing departure........In Mersing I have to take a taxi; the relatively short distance is walkable but not with luggage. At the bus terminal I order tickets to Malacca (Melaka in Malay) from the S&S International counter but I already know there will be a long wait. There’s no bus now till 1.15pm, nearly four hours from now. We take breakfast and dinner together but after that, the time just drags on as we wait in the hot bus terminal. Finally there is an S&S bus waiting but I’m confused; its destination is Kluang but the driver just nods as we show the ticket. For the most part I’m asleep again as we pass through more palm plantations. At 3.45pm we’re in Kluang Google Map. One thing I have to adjust to is the fact that Malay’s are not the best communicators. As strangers you’re in a need to know situation but Malays tend not to bother to tell you what you need to know. Either the clerk at the ticket office or the driver could have mentioned that we need to change busses at Kluang. There are not many words in such a sentence which takes about 5 seconds to say. It takes the driver of another bus to take on that duty.

Malacca arrival........At Kluang there is little delay and the second bus departs hardly full. Again I’m back asleep until we reach Maur which is on the coast south of Malacca. Most of the passengers get off here till there are only a few left. It’s now after 5pm. The final 40 kms seems to take ages as there are traffic lights at almost every intersection. Finally the bus pulls into Melaka Sentral just before 6pm Google Map. Outside the terminal is a taxi counter. There seems to be a standard 20 ringgit fare to go into the city but at least the process is straightforward. Soon we find ourselves in the narrow streets of downtown Malacca.

V’la Heritage Hotel........Google Map. Passing some of the new tower block hotels advertising rates less than 100 ringgit per night we find ourselves in old Malacca. Near to this famous UNESCO World Heritage Site is where I chose to be but I didn’t really expect to be part of it. As the taxi enters the narrow streets I see the famous Jonker Street Google Map, a narrow walking street, then just 100 metres away the taxi stops outside the hotel (right), a narrow fronted building dating from ages past but in part of the old city. I don’t know quite what I’m in for here. Inside there is a small reception area then to the left, a long corridor with rooms leading off that. On the upper floor there are dormitories. Yes this is the backpackers’ area where I take off my backpack and settle up for three night’s stay. It works out just over 110 per night. The owner/manager is anxious to tell us what we need to know and maybe what we can easily find out for ourselves. As with all other accommodation we’ve stayed in there’s no breakfast included but for some reason, we are offered breakfast at no extra charge, It’s time to look at the room. Unlike the front of the building, the rest is modern. The room is a bit small and doesn’t have a fridge or kettle to make coffee, both of which I will miss but there is a restaurant at the rear and what a restaurant! It’s the hotel’s answer to Singapore’s Clarke Quay. Here the narrow river is lined on both sides with restaurants. There’s a flavour of Amsterdam or Venice here too. This is exactly what people come here to do and why this is a UNESCO world heritage site. However it’s still not dark and we decide to wonder out....more.

Jonker Street........Jonker Street is a narrow walking street right in the old town, now supporting street stalls selling just about everything from souvenirs to exotic goods while boutiques, cafes and restaurants do brisk business. The area is jammed to tourists, as you’d expect and there’s a carnival atmosphere to the place with Chinese New Year approaching. By now we’re quite hungry but don’t make it back to the hotel before we eat something more substantial than we’ve been used to in one of the side streets. Back at the room, I’ve really no regrets and for once I’ve chosen wisely. There’s no need to travel too far from this location in the two full days I’ll be staying here. Next Page.