Melaka - A Road Trip

We took a 2 hour bus ride north to spend 3 nights in Melaka (or Malacca).  We booked into the Jonker Boutique Hotel right in the heart of Chinatown.  We had a nice room with A/C and private bathtub for soaking that overlooked the famous performing stage on Jonker Walk.

 

In the heart of Melaka is a long narrow five hundred meter street flanked by old houses dating back to 17th century. It was merely a row of shacks when it started on the Western bank of Melaka River. The servants and subordinates of Dutch masters used to live at nearby Heeren Street. However, as soon as Dutch left, it became noblemen's street! Rich Babas and Bibiks started to live and trade here giving the street a deep-rooted ethnic and cultural flavor. Now officially named as Jalan Hang Jebat, it is popularly known as the Jonker Walk. Due to availability of collectible items dating back to medieval times at many shops, it is also referred as the Antique Street. Due to Chinese influences, its also referred as the China Town of Melaka. 

 

During Dutch Period, it was known as rich men's street as rich Baba Nyonya had by that time established their businesses here!

 

Whatever the name, it really appears to be a living museum and is a must-see place for anyone visiting Melaka. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, the street is closed for motor vehicles from 6 pm to midnight and roadside stalls are installed by street vendors selling gift items and souvenirs for the visitors of Melaka.  We arrived on Sunday morning, so we could enjoy one noisy night from the revelry outside our window and then have two quiet nights.

 

Strolling along the Jonker Walk gives impression of Carnival-like atmosphere. There are many shops selling collectable items or 'antiques' as old as few hundred years. However, most of these 'antique' shops are either closing or are already closed in the evening time. The artifacts from the Portuguese, Dutch and British colonial periods can be found in many shops.

 

One can also bargain for invaluable antique furniture from China, centuries-old Javanese and Sumatran wood carvings, intricately carved Chinese rosewood furniture inlaid with mother-of-pearl, Indian brassware and tapestry items, porcelain items dating back to the Sung, the Ming and the Ching Dynasties, Dutch hanging kerosene lamps and other curios. Enthusiasts of numismatics can find interesting coins and banknotes as well. Visitors with eagle-eyed looks can even find items made of banned ivory and statues of Buddha! Many reflect the influence Chinese immigrants who sailed to Melaka with Muslim Chinese Admiral Cheng Ho in the 15th century, Straits Chinese and later Chinese immigrants to the then Malaya. 

 

We found a few shops still making the famous beaded shoes.  Nyonya Melaka beaded shoes, also known as ‘kasot manek’, literally meaning shoe beads, is a type of shoe that dates back to the early 20th century. It refers to beaded shoes worn by a nyonya to complete her Sarong Kebaya outfit, together with chained brooches (kerosang rangkai) and a silver belt (pending). The shoes are made of Nyonya cut beads (manek potong), which are treasured as these beads are no longer available.

Vintage kasot manek are intricate and finely stitched, a testimony to the fine workmanship of yesteryears. The intricacy and fine workmanship of a pair of beaded slipper is also a hallmark of highly accomplished Peranakan women, also known as nyonyas, whose skills in embroidery and beadwork are highly valued.

The beaded slippers were worn by both the Peranakan males (baba) and females (nyonya) and were popular in the 1930s. Nowadays, the beaded slippers are more commonly worn by women only. The beaded slippers were made for two types of occasions. For happy occasions, like the Chinese New Year or birthdays, these beaded slippers used colorful beads with intricate patterns. For sad occasions, the beads used were likely to be in black, white or blue colors (Chinese mourning colors), and the patterns were simple. The beaded slippers were either opened face (peep-toe) or covered face. The popular motifs used for the patterns were flowers, birds, butterflies, and fruits. These motifs, likely to appeal to the feminity of the Peranakan women, had both European and Chinese influence. The sample patterns were likely to be cross-stitched, with each stitch representing a bead. The beads were then used in the actual beading of the slippers. The Peranakan pattern for the beaded slipper is unique in that even the background is quite ornate resulting in a colorful patterned mosaic with a well-defined border. To sew the pattern, a laced-up wooden frame (pidangan) is used to provide the right tension for the beading. The beading process starts from the center of the pattern, moving to the right then left. The main motif of the pattern is first beaded, followed by the background and then the border. The border may have a smooth or scallop-edge. When the beaded pattern is completed, it would be sent to the cobbler to be made into slippers. Leather is usually the preferred material for the beaded slippers, and may be either made with low or high heels.  At over $130 US per shoe, we decided to leave with only the memory and a few photos.

Wonderful variety of local and ethnic traditional cuisine, beverages, desserts and Baba Nyonya delicacies can be found in the shops and cafes of the Jonker Street.

 

We tried the Chicken Rice Ball, a Melakan specialty made by boiling rice in chicken stock, some chicken oil and salt and flavored with garlic, ginger and shallot. The rice thus cooked is shaped into balls and served with boiled chicken pieces, garnished with cucumber, spring onion, and chili sauce.

Spring roll, called 'Popiah' can be found here and there in the Jonker Street. Mostly both wet and deep fried varieties are available. Traditionally the contents include scrambled egg, fried onion, lettuce, turnip, bean sprout. The contents of popiah at Jonker Street may include fried pork fat as well. Chili paste and sweet sauce is provided with popiah.  We also sampled spiral cut potatoes deep fried as we walked up the road.

 

Chendol or cendol is one of the popular desserts in Melaka and it was so strange, of course we tried it. It consists of a big pile of shaved ice and white coconut milk, Gula Melaka (palm sugar) and sweet fruit juices like mango are poured over it and sometimes corn is added.  After you eat the sweetly flavored ice, you find surprise items underneath.   I found thin worm-like, pandan-flavoured, green-colored pea flour noodles and red beans, pieces of glutinous rice, grass jelly and even a few peanuts... really interesting.  Kim and Emily only tasted mine once, but I ordered it several times here in Malaysia and find it surprisingly refreshing!

We enjoyed the food, toured several Chinese temples and took a ride on the 3 wheeled bicycle powered carts.  It was pleasant to be away from the boat and the job list for a few days.

Tom