Marvellous Melaka

We absolutely loved Melaka, it was our first day off and we certainly made the most of it.  We booked into a niceish hotel, got some washing done, went for coffee and donuts (first coffee since Singapore!) and a few touristy things as well.  Melaka is a real tourist town and has been for the last 600 years or so.  Apparently a young prince founded the city and it grew into an important and wealthy trading port and we all know what happens to important and wealthy trading ports.  So first came the Portuguese to conquer, then the Dutch and finally the Brits - they were the funniest because for the first 100 years or so they decided they didn't really want it - pretty much ignored it - while they concentrated on Singapore.  Well maybe that's a bit simplistic and I think the Portuguese might have been attacked first and the Brits only went in because the Dutch had a monopoly going.... But the upshot today is an amazing city with heaps of history.  We went aboard a replica dutch cargo ship and wandered around the old town.  There is so much development going on there masses and masses of shopping centres, housing estates, new marina.  You wonder who is going to fill them.  There was one new mall just for IT shops.  The food - as usual was delicious - the best we've had so far!!!  We always say that!  We were a bit apprehesive about leaving Melaka though as our nice neatish 50km spacing between towns was starting to unravel.  The next big town was only 15km away or a whopping (according to Google Earth) 94km.  What to do!  We thought we would just play it by ear.  Michael was having kittens - i can't ride that far....