2006-07-25 - 19:49
We visited Melaka for a day. It's on the coast and is trying to become a world heritage site. There's remains of the Portuguese fort that was built in the 1600's and it was pretty cool to think about being in a place we only knew about in 4th grade because of the map in our social studies book on the spice trade. There's also a living museum near the river-a traditional Malay house on stilts where the family that lives there opens the home and gives tours. The layout is a central courtyard that's open to the sky and then rooms around, windows without glass or screens, beautiful wood floors that you take your shoes off for when you enter and collections of rattan and wood furniture. The little old lady who showed us around explained her family photos (9th of 14 children) and showed her wooden cookie molds. I asked questions about her biscuit mold so she got some biscuits out of a jar for me to try. Greasy but really good (coconut and poppy seeds). It was like going to my Malay grandma's house!
