The last few days in Perth were passed away quietly out at my host’s place in the suburbs, winding down the hours and storing away the time there.  It felt almost like being back in the states and the level of activity was low, though I’ve never scared roos bounding in the woods at dusk at home.  Aside from that, there was little new to share and I was ready to take off for my early morning flight out of Oz.

The flight left me at the terminal for Air Asia in Kuala Lumpur, my home away from home.  This time however I was going to do more than just overnight at the airport food court, and took the shuttle into KL.  On the bus, I chatted with a talkative, pleasant guy who was apparently the former chief of police for KL.  Pretty cool, and he was nice to chat with.  Plus, he gave me accurate directions for finding the Puduraya bus station, which was critical to the next part of my plan.

Having spent time in KL and explored it before, it seemed like visiting a new place was the thing to do.  So I got on a bus bound south for Melaka (or Malacca), an historic port that borders the Strait of Malacca, site of a long-standing trade route between East and West.  The city is piled on with layers of history, particularly a spunky and attractive Chinatown.  So I found myself a guest house, set my bags in a locker, and took to the streets.

The tourist trade has reached Melaka, and the antique shops and restaurants throughout Chinatown all speak English pretty well.  Still, it is low season and midweek, so the crowds are still thin and the going quite pleasant.  There are also a bevy of enjoyable and well-maintained museums in the city, including one set in a rebuilt Portuguese vessel from the old days and a history museum set in the Stadthuys, the seat of the city’s Dutch administration.  They had a gallery here devoted to Zheng He, the Chinese eunuch admiral who led the treasure fleets across the world five hundred years before. 

 Overall the town is a quiet, relaxed feeling.  Unlike Australia, it is delightfully affordable and the food has been great, as to be expected here.  I’ve had multiple chances to speak Mandarin (though the local accent gives me trouble) and even spoke German today with a Swiss couple who have a used bookstore in the center here.  It’s been a wonderful respite between flights and a nice preparation for heading home to Shenzhen.