Breakfast covers a wide range at the Liu Men Hotel. I can’t recommend all the English breakfast which covers mushroom stalks and spicy potato. Also I sweated badly after a hot coffee, another bad idea. Tomorrow morning I’ll try to be more selective. Tomorrow morning I’ll try to have breakfast later as someone came to do my room just after I had breakfast. He seemed to leave a feather brush and a card in the power slot behind but I didn’t dob on him to reception. Workers of the world unite! Wait I’m retired.

This morning went and saw the Baba and Nyonya Museum a rich Chinese house in Malacca frozen in time. Nyonya seems to mean unmarried girl who was kept indoors out of sight. Here as elsewhere one had to take shoes off. Another reminder of how much Malacca is a mix of complex cultures. I got a coaster as a souvenir.

I walked over the bridge and saw pink red Christ Church where hideous tuk-tuks were giving rides to Chinese tourists. My Malay guide last night felt the Chinese tourists lowered the tone of Malacca. I reconnoitred the Malacca River Cruise for this evening, and saw a Maritime Museum including a wooden Dutch (I assume) ship. Other tourists were out in force including me. Walking or motorcycle is surely the quickest way to travel central Malacca.

Lunch was a surfeit of croissants at the Butter and Bubble Tea cafe close to the hotel. I didn’t want much for lunch but ended up spending twice what I spent at the Geographer Cafe yesterday! It’s good that food at least is cheap in Malaysia by British standards. A pleasant enough newish place which wasn’t packed out - Malacca was heaving.

I had an early evening meal at the Calanthe Art Cafe which boasts 13 different coffees from different Malaysian provinces. I settled for a pot chicken and a cold coconut panyan drink more for its appearance than flavour. I spotted a thin lizard scuttling around, blending with the grey floor, one of the many things surviving in the gaps that man has left. You needed a smartphone here as there was a QR code to see the menu!

Last bit of tourism in Malacca was doing the river cruise at night. The garish tuk-tuks are even more obnoxious in the dark. I was lucky enough to be first on one boat so sat by the edge of the boat and could see clearly the colourful and artificial beauty of Malacca at night. I wasn’t however deprived of the companionship of screaming children - the cruise is very popular with families. The cruise is best at night but most popular at night too. The river has been cleaned up not that long ago, before it was awful and unmentionable. Along the river winds a monorail which was built but never put into operation due to defects. It’s a smooth ride except when you cross the wakes of other boats. The bridges and other places have been adorned with neon lights for your benefit. I felt bad (a little) about not buying the picture they took me against a green screen before boarding.

On the way back to the hotel I passed through the Jonkers Street night market, reminiscent of night markets elsewhere in the world.