Today is my eighth job as tourist guide – one day Malacca
tour. Basically, this is a group of local Malaysian’s Malacca Chinese New Year
shopping tour; the goal is to buy Chinese New Year products in Malacca. Malacca
day tour’s tourists are local Malaysian. Since the bus drivers living nearby my
house, in the morning I just direct go to the driver's bus parking place to
meet. Malacca day tour tourists are living in Simpang Renggam comprising teachers and their
families.
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| UNESCO World Heritage Site - Malacca |
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| Malacca River |
6am early morning we depart, about 7am we arrive on the
school to pick up the tourists. Our breakfasts are taken on the Yong Peng
kopitiam. Since all tourists not having their breakfast at the same kopitiam,
bus driver and I had our breakfast at our own expense. After breakfast, we set
off to the first destination - Tangkak brown rice factory. At 9.30am reaching
Tangkak brown rice factory, the staff still haven't heating up their water to
serve the products sample for tourists, we are the first tourists group arrived
there. Tangkak brown rice factory sells all kind of products related to brown
rice. Brown rice products are sold in the type like oat drinks, coffee drinks,
brown rice, brown rice flavor drinks, Sishen brown rice drinks, black gold (mix
of black beans and black rice) and other types of health foods. In the recent
years, scientists and nutritionists committed to research the benefits of brown
rice. They found the elements contained within the brown rice have a magical
effect towards general diseases such as hypertension, heart disease,
rheumatism, diabetes, obesity, cancer genes, etc . As prevention and treatment,
brown rice plays an important role in the diet therapy.
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| A Famosa |
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| St. Paul's Church, Malacca |
After Tangkak brown rice factory, we depart to the city of
Malacca. Our bus take the another road route to avoid entering Ayer Keroh Ayer
Keroh, instead we use Merlimau and Jasin route. This old route has less cars
and traffic lights. Many travel buses from Johor to Malacca using this route.
The only bad thing for this route is road condition not smooth. At 11am we reach
Aeon Jusco shopping mall. Tourists have their shopping here for two hours. Most
of the tourists didn't buy, except for few tourists just buy bottled water
only, not like last year's New Year Malacca trip that purchase a lot of bottle
drinks. This is because the pricing is not much difference at Johor and Malacca
for this time compare to last year. 1pm we go to the nearby Nyonya restaurant -
Atlantic Nyonya restaurants for our lunch. Malacca Nyonya delicacies are
tourists must try's local specialties. Malacca is one of the three Peranakan
community state besides Penang and Singapore. Peranakan community origin can be
traced back to the time when treasure
voyages by the Zheng Ho, the seven Ming-era maritime voyages of the treasure
fleet between 1405 and 1433. Zheng Ho's treasure voyages has diplomatic tie
with Malacca and setup trading post there. Zheng Ho's fleet was stopped here to
trade, purchase the essential food and water, and wait for monsoon change to
continue their voyage. Some of the officials and followers in the fleet remain
and stayed in Malacca and marry local people. Their descendants are called Baba
Nyonya. Peranakan community keep the traditional Chinese culture, and on the
other hand blending the local Malay culture to form a unique "Nyonya
culture" in terms of food, clothing, and architecture construction. In
addition, the Malay Historical records that Princess Hang Li Po and five
hundred followers were married to Malacca Sultan Mansur Shah (reign 1456 Year -
1477). These five hundred followers then married with the locals Malay
community and settled in Bukit Cina. Their descendants, male called Baba,
female called Nyonya.
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| Malacca River Cruise |
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| Trishaw Malacca |
Ater enjoyed delicious Nyonya foods, tourists visit to
Pahlawan Square for a continuous 6 hours shopping spree. They are planned to
visit Jonker Street - Malacca Culture Street from 6pm to 8pm for foods and
drinks before gathered and head back to Johor. Jonker Street is one of the
attractions to tourists and is a must when travelling to Malacca. There are
many local products for tourists to relax and eat and enjoy the local night
market characteristics.
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| Duck Tours, Malacca |
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| UNESCO World Heritage Site, Malacca |
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