The Adventures of Bruce and Ian

We had an impressive list of historical sites to hit up during our visit to the famed colonial city of Malacca. Thankfully, Malacca’s old city square is much as it was hundreds of years ago, with most of its attractions within spitting distance of each other. Our feet were happy when we informed them of how little traveling we’d need to do that day.

Malacca was colonized by European powers no less than three times between its founding in the fifteenth century and Malaysian Independence: by the Portugese, Dutch and British. Unlike much of Malaysia, the architectural remnants of those colonial periods are still prominent in Malacca, making it the ideal place to literally walk though Malaysia’s history.

Sitting in the picturesque Town Square, the famous Christ Church is the oldest Protestant church in Malaysia, and still offers daily services. There were plenty of other older buildings in the colonial style in the square, along with a replica of the water wheels used to fuel Malacca’s booming port trade in centuries past…although I don’t know how the vendors selling toy ray guns and cowboy hats to children fit into Malaysia’s intricate historical framework. I’m sure it’s a rich tapestry.

Just up the hill from the square sit the ruins of St. Paul’s Church, famed for being the home of St. Francis Xavier. Dozens of intricate tombstones of colonists from centuries past were set up along the inner walls of the church, giving us a vivid illustration of just how far back Malaccan history stretches.

The nearby ruins of the Portugese A Famosa fort, built in 1511, were a similar reminder of Malacca’s strategic importance as a port during the initial explosion of Asian colonization.

Malacca isn’t just all about history, though, it’s also about some fantastic regional fusion cuisine, as we were about to find out…

Langkawi’s many islands are ringed with countless stretches of beach. Some have white sand, some have golden. Some are hotspots for watersports, some are secluded getaways. Some are located along the most luxurious resorts imaginable, others appeal to backpackers on a budget. We couldn’t hope to experience anything resembling a representative sample of the full scope of Langkawi’s beach life in a single afternoon, so we made the decision to check out two very different beaches: the popular Pantai Cenang strip, and the serene Pantai Kok.

Pantai Cenang is lined with dozens of restaurants, with most offering seafood freshly caught from Langkawi’s waters. Shops offer everything from trinkets and souvenirs, to sandals and swimsuits (for those who forgot their own at home). Most of the resorts sit right on the shore, allowing vacationers to walk straight from their rooms right onto the white sand. We noticed plenty of families at Pantai Cenang, with children splashing in the blue waters while parents relaxed under palm trees. Stalls sold drinks and rented out equipment for the more adventurous – we saw plenty of people jet skiing and a few trying their hands at parasailing – with mixed results.

The sun was starting to go down and so we headed for Pantai Kok on the northwest coast of Langkawi. There was barely anyone about, just a few couples slowly walking along the sand as the water gently lapped against it. We’d planned on eating the market food back at the resort, but the scene at Pantai Kok, with its calm waters and wide open sky, was too tranquil and relaxing to pass up. We decided to have a picnic on the beach and watch the sun set.

We had a feast of bihun (fried noodles with veggies), char kway teow (noodles, chili puti and bean sprouts), nasi kandar (curried chicken on rice), murtabak (meat, curry and cabbage rolled in a light pastry) and putu mayang (rice flour pressed into fine threads and eaten with shredded coconut and brown sugar) and soft tofu with gula mulaka (the palm sugar syrup we’d slowly been growing accustomed to) for dessert. Ian liked the savory flavour of the murtabak the best, while I, being a sucker for anything with coconut, was particularly taken with the puta mayang.

Watching the sky turn a magnificent shade of pink as the sun fell beneath the waters at our feet was breathtaking: we’d arrived at the beach just in time to be treated to a magnificent display of Malaysia’s natural beauty, prompting us to wax rhapsodical about our trip thus far: