We reached Kuala Lumpur airport about 7:30am, the flight had a little turbulence but not dramatic. I was happy to find the Maya eSim I had installed activated fine and I was able to report my safe arrival as we taxied to the gate. It was a bus ride to get to Passport Control (queues but not as bad as Heathrow) then on to try and collect baggage. I waited minutes by the carousel not having noticed they had taken my bag off and put it by a different carousel. Oh.
A well-organized guy asked if I was me as I exited the airport system, handed me a thick envelope for my time in Malaysia, and even directed me to a comfort stop as he got the car picking me up to come into position. Audley Travel organised this trip for me and I have been very impressed by their skill.
First of all about Malaysia. It's hotter than back home in the UK. You notice when you leave the air-conditioned space of a hotel. You notice how you sweat after having a hot drink. So I won't mention it's hot every sentence from now on. I did try out some phrases of Bahasa Malaysian without any reaction - most people I dealt with spoke English a million times better than my attempt at their language.
It was an easy drive down until we hit traffic in Malacca which was stagnant in places. They drive on the left like we do in the UK. One couldn't miss seeing the sheer number of palm trees which have seemingly ousted the native trees like a plague. From the plane they were drearily regularly planted.
I was driven to the Liu Men Hotel okay, and registered politely (they did demand 100 ringgit as a security deposit). They made a distinct point that no durians allowed on hotel premises. I almost felt they didn't want any Peter Rootham-Smiths on the premises either as they said they couldn't provide me with a room until 2-3pm! Which was rather awkward as I was hoping to unpack and freshen up and catch up with sleep first! Happily the previous guests checked out early and I was able to get into the room for a welcome pit stop. I did try to catch up on my sleep but a nearby mosque was broadcasting its electric call to prayer, and also a kindly hotel person banged on the door to welcome me with a bowl of fruit. The Liu Men Hotel do not skimp on complimentary supplies to the room including fruit and crisps and water and soup pots and they keep them very well topped up.
First expedition was to the Geographer Cafe which was very acceptable and friendly. A soothing glass of honeydew melon juice, and a Nyonya Sambal Mee Goreng I felt set me up for this evening's excitement. The streets see pedestrians and cars jostling with each other. A mix of cultures walk those streets. On my way to the Geographer Cafe I passed a Mexican restaurant which seemed out of place!
A guide walked me to Kampong Morten starting at 5pm in the first official tour of the holiday. His friend was going to give us a lift but got the day wrong. It's not that far to walk, and I wasn't perspiring to exhaustion by the end. Kampong Morten is an area of 100 old Malay style houses preserved by law against the tide of skyscrapers and high rise hotels surrounding it. The houses are built on stilts (originally the area was marsh) and it is for Malays only. Mosquitoes are an issue there and the government fumigate the area once a day in a way that makes you think there's been a biowarfare attack. More than disconcerting if you're trying to see the place.
The guide showed me the works of one Basir Bin Ali whose hobby is making detailed models of traditional Malay buildings and similar constructs. We saw inside one of the homes, the guide said that the number of steps has to be odd so you enter on the right foot. I had a go at making Malaccan fruit (sweets wrapped in green rice dough), left with a bag of the stuff, tried on a Malay sarong with predictable results. We sampled local snacks before walking back in a light drizzle. I wasn't sure if I should have tipped the people we came across. Kampong Morten originally was marshland but now all of Malacca seems to be concrete based.
Fireworks and drums and Indian temples have joined Muslim prayer calls in Malacca's attempt at 'Nessun Dorma'. It didn't last all night happily.