Melaka is a city rich with history. It was founded by an exiled prince from Sumatra in 1400. It thrived as a port-of-call to Chinese, Indian and Arabian merchants. In 1511 it fell into the hands of the Portuguese, and then after a fierce battle in 1641 it fell to the Dutch. In 1795 Melaka was given to the British to prevent it falling to the French when the Netherlands was captured during the French Revolution, and changed hands again before it came under the administration of the British East India Company in 1826. Stamford Raffles came here to recuperate and prevented the complete destruction of the fort.
The city still contains reminders of these periods, from the Portuguese fort to the Dutch town hall and the British administrative buildings. That's what I went out to see today.

Unfortunately I had gotten bitten fairly badly during the night. The high windows in my room that led onto a converted balcony could not be closed, and it was from there I expect that the mosquitoes came from, though surprisingly enough I didn't hear the tell-tale buzzing of the little devils. And I should have risen earlier, as it was already very hot by the time I left the hostel, and became increasingly hotter as the day wore on.

The first place on my trip was the Independence Memorial Museum, a British colonial building, now being tastefully renovated (see picture). It used to be known as the Mallacca Club. Somerset Maugham was a guest here and used it and the city as a setting for some his short stories.

Next to the club is the remains of the Famosa, the Portuguese fort. at the time of their conquest, the Portuguese used the labour of 1500 slaves to construct the fortress. Later the Dutch used it as their headquarters. When the British arrived they relocated their HQ to Penang, and almost completely destroyed the fort, in case it should ever be used against them. There is only one gate left. I then climbed the steps to St. Pauls church, on the crest of the hill that dominates the city. The church is now roofless, but still contains many gravestones of the Dutch colonists, including that of the wife of one who went on to found Cape Town.

Alongside the church there is a statue of St. Francis Xaviour, who used to stay in the church when he was in the neighbourhood. On his death in 1553 his body was brought here for burial. It was later transferred to Goa in India.

At the base of the hill, next to the Independence Memorial Museum, is the Sultan's Palace, the Istana Ke Sultanan. Built in the traditional manner, based on descriptions in ancient documents, it now houses the Cultural Museum. It is a replica of the original fifteenth-century istana. In the best Malay architectural tradition, its impressive roof contains no nails.

Nearby, outdoors, was the Transport museum, containing an old aircraft, train and other items. Around the corner was the old Stadthuys, now a historical museum, and associated buildings.

The path around the hill comes to the Dutch Square, containing some building of the Dutch period. The Stadthuys (town hall) is now the Museum of Ethnography. It contains Malay and Chinese ceramics and weaponry, as well as Dutch furniture. The pictures in the upstairs rooms show bloodthirsty scenes from Melakan history, episodes from the many wars involving colonists, local heroes, warriors and pirates. Across the road is Christ Church, built in 1753 by the Dutch.

At lunch-time I went in search of Little India, thinking I might find an Indian restaurant there, but in fact this area was quite small, taking in only about a dozen shops, and there wasn't an Indian restaurant in site. After walking around the narrow streets in that area, I had the by now customary nasi ayam and Sprite in a little family-run Chinese eating-houes. I watched how the Chinese eat--some use only chopsticks, while others use a combination of chopsticks and a spoon. They prefer to eat at round tables, I was told.

After another stroll through this area I headed back to the centre where I took in the Maritime Museum. This is contained in a replica of the Flor De La Mar, a Portuguese treasure ship that deservedly sank off the coast as it tried to make away with treasures seized from Melaka. Then I took a stroll along the quays, until the heat became too overpowering. I took a trishaw back to Sunni's, the sunburn beginning to make itself felt, passing groups of Malaysian schoolgirls dressed like nuns.

Back at Sunni's I found a copy of the local English-language newspaper. A front-page article said that after a drugs swoop in this area on Sunday night 117 people were arrested for having tested positive for drugs.