Frankly this is not the first time I set foot on Melaka but because each trip was just a short stay so I still continue to discover new thing every time I was here. This round no exception.
First discovery of the day: without a doubt, this self-service shop called Jonker Dessert 88 (address: 88, Jalan Hang Jebat,75200 Melaka) will be my new favorite stop-by in future, their local delicacies such as ABC and Cendol mix with generous serving of thick gula melaka(palm sugar), Baba Laksa(noodle in sweet coconut milk curry, cucumber, onion slices, tofu pok and tuna) and their fresh fruit juices are all worth recommending. I can swear with statutory declaration and won't go missing this time.
Below were snapshot of other menu items, to me it serves dual purpose, one is to show what else we have not tried and secondly to serve as future inflation benchmark.
To further prove that commission play no part in praising their food to heaven, without fear or favor, here was our scientific finding of their fish cake and lobak (pic below) -- eat in bunch this food can potentially act as your high blood pressure inducer or short cut to heaven -- in layman term too salty to our liking. Moral of the eating was, to bring along sphygmomanometer while eating? No no no, it should be -- can't judge the food by it cover until it is in your mouth :)
Another pleasant discovery was a building located behind the Jonker Street:- Does the building outlook below looks adorable to you? This Hotel Puri is tastefully converted from a heritage house, but too bad it's full house when we tried to make booking.
Contrary to many good reviews and despite waiting in long queue with high expectation, the popular chicken rice ball failed to arouse my appetite. So you will not hear me introduce this place in this write-ups.
In a bid to digest what went into the stomach, we revisited St Paul's church(disclaimer: your journey to Malacca should declare null if never been to this place), sometimes I wonder why no effort taken to protect the priceless tombstones either with laminated plastic or glass, as if caretaker care less about the writing getting washed off with many curious human touches and constant exposure to harsh tropical weather.
时代是残酷的，不去保护一些文物会慢慢被一些东西取代，甚至被环境糟蹋
Unlike my first visit 20+ years ago, to me this heritage city gradually lost his old historical charm since they allowed modern developments sprouting around the area, too artificial to my liking, look at the A famosa's picture below, instead of being a distinct landmark it's now just like an abandoned building at odd with the surrounding akin killing the goose that lay the golden eggs. May be that is the least of their concern thinking that they may not live that long anyway @#$%^
希望人的贪心、人的欲望不要去毁灭这个都市
小楼昨夜又东风 不堪回首月明中
When the sunset ...
that was when next action began at Jonker Walk which display a different facet at night during weekend, this actually was our main agenda for this trip.
Welcome to Jonker Street/Jonker Walk/Jalan Hang Jebat -- Antique Street by day turn into lively night market by night.
Take a look at the many foods that we sampled or rather our stimulus package for the night.
When the taste was nothing memorable then it became the experience that matter.
My personal take is that, this Jonker street is much better than Petaling Street in 3 aspects (i) traders mainly are local souls and you don't feel like alien (ii) hardly see any pirated DVD/CD stall and (iii) ambiance wise also more toward 'cultural/art' oriented, along the way we watched members from those associations practiced singing, playing musical instruments or line dancing ... a refreshing scene I would say and not all about money.
Another example: one stall set up by a disable calligrapher which easily put my handwriting to shame, yours too I reckon :D
For photo bug, can't help but collecting the eyes pleasing colorful building as we passed by. That were what I had seen and I'm sure there are still a lot I haven't seen ... and awaiting my discovery.
雕栏玉砌应犹在，只是朱颜改。问君能有几多愁，恰似一江春水向东流。
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