By the Malacca River I Sat Down and..

Drank my beer.

Sorry Mr. Coelho.

An ice-cold beer (and a few glasses of rum cola) is the most fitting reward after staying wide-awake and walking the whole day around Melaka.

It's a good thing that Melaka can easily be explored on foot. I was functioning solely on adrenaline and zero sleep, so walking was definitely a great idea. We got a map from the hostel, put our sunglasses on, and braved the hot December weather.

Walking starts at the A Famosa, a Portuguese fortress perched up on a small hill. This area is a mix of historical sites built by the Dutch and Portuguese who once occupied Melaka. It's impossible to miss the red color scheme of the Dutch glaring in the sun.

Christ Church - 18th century Dutch architecture

Melaka Art Gallery - seeing all red

We made another uphill climb that took us to the ruins of St. Paul's Church. The church had no roof, except for the area of the dead and their tombstones. I remember that there was a nice view of the city from the hill but since I was a zombie, I forgot to take photos.

St. Paul's Church

Melaka Town Watch Tower

It must have been the sun or the color red just did not really sit well with me because I just breezed through all the sites without really paying that much attention. But then we crossed the bridge to other side of the river and there I found my favorite part in Melaka! It was the quaint, little part of town and the street brimming with food.

Double cones on a hot December day

You see, I prefer my colors muted.

But I also appreciate the colors that suddenly pop out of the norm and surprise you.

I am delighted with the sight of old, little houses boasting of exquisite things.

From one of the museums along Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lok

And I like streets with character also known as a little bit of chaos.

Jonker Street turns into a multipurpose street at night

After a day of eating our way through Jonker Street, gawking at each house/museum that we found, sampling chocolates, and rummaging through the bazaar, we decided to cool down and sit by the river. We watched the day turn to dusk, occasionally waving back at tourists on the other side of the river.

And this is where I gave in.

I was to drop dead that night but before I went out with a thud, I decided to stuff myself with beer and rum cola until the next thing I could remember is getting into a cab and falling asleep in my bed.

I slept like a baby for 12 hours and woke up the next day with all the energy in the world. Thank you, Melaka!