Journey to Malacca

SATURDAY 18th July

We are on the bus to Melaka, very spacious and cool

This morning has been quite stressy, as we woke up about 11am not realising the time as none of us have watches!! So we were all a bit dopy but packed up having missed breakfast and headed off to the monorail to make our way to the main bus station. We had a long queue for tickets, 1myr to KL central and then had another long queue for a ticket on the kommuter express train to the Busd terminal. Had to wait ages for a train and started getting a little anxious about getting to the terminal in time for our reserved bus at 1:30. Holiday time out here so all seats are booked! We made it with seconds to spare, running around the bus terminal trying to/ find where we have to go. Luckily lots of people speak some English.

Its now about 2:30 and we haave had no breakfast or lunch and I hope I don't need the loo! I think the bus is about 2 hours. So signing off til we get to Melaka

Eventually got to Melaka bus station at about 4 pm after a very slow journey. Then got the local bus 17 and were packed in like sardines to the area where we are staying. We found our guest house easily, The Wayfarer and its right on the river.

We have a 2 storey room with a really nice bathroom amd rain shower downstairs ans upstairs a double, queen ans single with fan and aircon that all works and duvet and sheets. What luxury. Marcus shotgunned the big bed. I/ was just glad I didn't have to lie next to him fidgeting all night, nothing changes from when he was a kid!

We showered and hit the streets, we were starving. We walked down jonker st where the was a great market and half the population of Malaysia. It was crazy. We went to find a restaurant where we were recommended but there was aa huge queue. Our stomachs were not up to waiting. We found some hawker stalls but no seats. Eventually Iwe found Long cafe. About 5 choices. I had Assam Laski. Fish Noodle Soup YUK. The boys like theirs okay but I think we filled up on grape fanta.

We then spent some more time looking at the little trinket stalls and then Dominic wanted to go into this rather posh out door cafe because it looked like it had a good ambience. It was very nice. We had fresh juices, played lots of cards and listened to a lady singing English songs, but We dont think she knew all the words! Afterwards we watched all

the trishaws lit up like a fairground cycling around

We returned to our guesthouse with some more drinks and sat by the river, ate popcorn(all the way from theUK) and had a great laugh partcuarly trying to get all the people up and down the river on boat trips to wave at us as they passes. The gin in my coke cetainly helped!

Went to bed about midnight happy and tired and glad to get in the air con. Its very very very hot here.