Melaka

Melaka, a Malaysian town about 2 hours by bus south of Kuala Lumpur, is known as the "cradle of Malay civilization." From here it's a 2-hour ferry ride across the Strait of Malacca to Dumai, Indonesia. Melaka is a wonderful town to visit for a couple of days, exploring the extensive Chinatown area, and taking a sunset boat ride on the Melaka river. Also of interest is the Museum of Enduring Beauty, highlighting oddities such as teeth filing/blackening, lip plates, foot binding, head shaping, neck coils, and other practices of various cultures thought to enhance beauty. I was able to find a decent hotel room in the Chinatown district of Melaka for about $18. For this price there was a rice-paper floor lamp and a house plant included in the room, plus a river view from the hotel terrace (see top 2 photos). That's it for the Malaysia visit, and it's now time to head back home to Manila ...