2011 - NZ To SF - Day 64

Day 64: (16 July 2011):
- Wake up, try a scroll that Matt’s mom baked: she is always baking. Pimento cheese is a Philipino classic.
- Walk: almost to park, realise forgot toothbrushing items, so return to get.
- The warning sign on the presidential residence fence.
- Had breakfast of dosa at the Indian place I saw day before & wanted to eat at.
- Arrive at station with 15 min to spare. Hurried a bit.
- Bus driver & people talking. Rev & sustain engine. Afraid maybe broke down.
- Bus leave. Bus very old-looking. Check which seat I am in. Turns out I sat right in my seat assignment!
- After a while, stop @ border. Quick to exit Singapore. Story of Matt’s mom’s choior member lose passport here after exiting Singapore.
- Over a bridge. No more English on signs. Bus queue.
- Long queue at customs. Many people. Confusion: I had to bring my bags.
- Female officers wear veil to cover hair. Some with berets over veil.
- Bad news: put sticker in passport. Less room. Sticker has rip-off tap for exit.
- Bus ride: Sugar palms. Drainage ditches like stairs. Nap.
- Arrive Melaka & follow instructions to Ringo’s Foyer. Melaka Sentral. Big mall. Releived to see. See 7-11s, hope for ATM. Found ATM in 7-11 in mall. Veiled women, Islamic-looking place. Busy mall. Very close to missing Ocean Plaza stop. Rest oy directions OK, use landmarks to guide.
- Have room available (didn’t book night before, as no more online beds).
- Harry(?) is nice, introduce guests to each other. Remember names & where from. His personal project. Want to sell it for 200kMR, maybe next year, & go travelling. Worked in Aus. before.
- Hungry, as did not have lunch. Almost dinner time, so decide walk & find food.
- Walk to Jonker’s. Busy Street, lots of food/stalls, small shops. No walkways. Common prob in Malaysia.
- Durian shop. Some people sit & eat. Not sure if polite to eat durian at restaurant tables, so did not have.
- People busy setting up or cleaning up.
- Same nice temples & mosques.
 - Jonkers 88: queue. Thought: “no way I can get in there.” Another place: Queue.
- Eat sour laksa at Jonkers 86: looked similar to 88, but much less people.
- Laksa quite good. Some fish like canned tuna, but this seems to be used in a bunch of places.
- Have durian coconut cendol @ Jonker 88. Gula Melaka (?) surprisingly good. 1st time have fresh durian base food in SE Asia. Flavour very strong & good.
- Walk around more. Turns out people are setting up. Now road blocked to cars.
- Have bowl (20 sen less than cup) of refreshing luohan fruit drink. Vendor sells only this. “Uncle ***’s” something.
- Buy fresh grilled otak-otak to break $50PM note. Eat on way back. “Welcome to Melaka” as he hands it to me. Taste better than the one that came with my nasi goreng(?) in Singapore at the empty food court.
- Buy some pastries, gula melaka mix candy(?) & peanut candy.
- Share snacks with people at hostel. Gula in freezer on Harry’s reccommendation. Forgot about them & left in freezer. Peanut candy is hard minty candy. On street, person use chisel & hammer to break from big pan to put in bags.
- Walk around night market. Lots of people. Music performed on stage, some kind of world heritage festival. Street by Café Geographér of bars, screen playing live performance.
- French guy tell us about some famous eateries Herry? Harry? recommended & that he ate at. We all found Malaysia to be surprisingly cheap, especially with food.
- Return. Have beer with French guy at place downstairs. Beer expensive: 10-16 MR (large bottle), due to taxes. Muslim country, discourage drinking. Canadian girl join. Chat.
- Guy from Macau: Some communication difficulties, a bit slow sometimes, but tag along.