MELAKA RIVER REVISITED

Please excuse me for posting again about my Melaka River. The last time I wrote was when I visited her at night. Then the other day, I visited her again with my friends at daylight. Notwithstanding the state of the water (which we did not see at night), our group was oohhs and aahhs at the development being done on the banks of the river. Some of us did not even realise that such and such existed because most of the time we are landlubbers. Thus the boat ride opened our eyes and made us proud to be Malaccans. Let the pictures below tell their own stories :

At night it looked like a haunted house! Now under renovation, soon it will be a boutique hotel. The facade and the tiled roofing will be maintained. Many more such hotels are being planned along the river, also little cafes and dining houses.

Hey, we didn't notice that before! Narrow horizontal bricks from Holland were imported to add to the nostalgia of the place. So are the laterite blocks below, well not from Portugal, but from several off-shore islands near Melaka. The Portuguese had the blocks cut and brought to shore to build their fortress with. Now it's part of the Melaka River bank.

Notice the neat little cafe above?

I like this one. These 3 facades represent eras from the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British.

The grand Majestic Hotel, not unlike the Raffles Hotel in Singapore, recently renovated into a 5-star hotel. It was once a favourite meeting place for the British planters and soldiers. My former Australian hosts also liked to stay at the Majestic when they were a-visiting. The hotel was closed for more than 20 years I think and only recently taken over by the YTL group. The front part was retained, however I have yet to see the interior! The wetlands replanted with mangrove trees (pokok bakau) for nature conservation also preserving marine life here. There's a 'board-walk' all the way connecting the pavements by the river bank. It's pleasant to walk here in the mornings and evenings too.

The huge 'flame of the forest' offer shade to the open-air restaurant below it. We Malaysians love to eat out, don't we? Especially under canvas tents overlooking the river, watching the boats cruising by . . .

The houses in the Malay settlement were also a delight to behold. The Malays are well-known for keeping their houses well-kept especially the compound area - the area surrounding the house. It is always swept and decorated with potted plants and trees. Windows too are many and curtained. Some enthusiasts also were seen decorating the roofs with the national flag and "Merdeka" to commemorate the recent independence celebrations.

Yes, there are many interesting sights to see and be proud of. In actual fact, the face lift of the river from a sluggish, murky, polluted one with unsightly buildings to what it is today is mooted by the Chief Minister of Melaka. He was inspired by the sight and transformation of the San Antonio River in Texas. Good for him!

And then . . . more development is taking place. By 2010, we should see a much improved make-up of the river, hopefully attracting more visitors to this historical city. Below are some of them :

This area near the mouth of the river is being designed to house the Immigration Department Complex.

The mouth of the river has been closed in an effort to control and maintain the water-level. Now boats from outside cannot enter the Melaka River. Oh, how I miss the barges and fishing boats of yesteryears . . . .

And what about something exotic, eh? Well . . . what about a water-mill . . something like in Syrian style . . hmmm . . . wait and see lah.