I walked from the hotel to the Mahkota Medical Centre nearby to catch the bus to KLIA LCCT (Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Low Cost Carrier Terminal for those of you who don’t know the acronym). It was somewhat of an early start in order to catch the 0800 bus as the next one would be cutting it a bit fine.
While I enjoyed Melaka, I can’t help thinking that I was more wowed by it my first time around some 14 years ago. I thought there was more to see in the shophouses along Jonkers and Heeren Streets; it seems a bit too touristy now. There were more shops with a lot of antiques – they had lots of charm but antiques (and our heritage) was potentially being sold overseas. With Melaka (and Penang) jointly being accorded the World Heritage status, tourism seems to have taken off. I recall we couldn’t even go up St Paul Hill at that time as it was overgrown (not sure if my memory serves me right).
I’m not sure who initiated the application for World Heritage status. In the eyes of some, there is nothing to treasure. Why would you want to treasure relics from the days when your country was ruled by three successive foreign powers, the last of which brought in en masse immigration of foreigners?
I got to the airport reasonably early. Time passed quickly with lunch, admin, blogging and it was soon time to board for Ho Chi Minh city.
All went smoothly and I met up with Kim at our prebooked hotel in Saigon. It’s nice not under pressure to do anything (including sightseeing). This is our third time in the city and also the country. Combined with the easy hassle-free nature of travelling in this country it will be a time to relax, eat and enjoy … something Vietnam is very good for. One might even call it a holiday … it is a holiday from my adventure.