Malaysia, Nocturnally

During our weekend excursion to Melaka, we stayed in the Hotel Puri, a tiny boutique inn tucked away in the historic district. Aside from the traditional Peranakan decor (which was gorgeous) and the flocks of birds who had nested in the crown molding, the hotel was largely like any other. The streets surrounding it, too, were sleepy by day. Local families would sit outside their restaurants and shops talking, and the occasional car would drive by. Overall, Melaka was pretty laid-back in the daylight hours.

The night, however, was an entirely different story. Let me relate to you that after 8 or 9 PM, I witnessed a town worthy of an episode of Bourdain's No Reservations. To explain: there is a little side road adjacent to the Hotel Puri, called Jonker Street. Cars and motorbikes use it by day, but after business hours end, the police come and block off the road. Then, hoardes of vendors come and set up tables, selling their wares to a crowd of thousands of locals and tourists just walking up and down the street. This, my friend, is the "Night Market."


It was truly a scene to overwhelm the senses. Between jostling throngs of people, you could find vendors at tables selling... well, basically anything imaginable. Purses, shoes, "exotic" jewelry, touristy t-shirts, and those ubiquitous stands selling keychains, postcards, and those handheld battery-operated fans (which are definitely useful in a tropical climate). There was more, of course, and at affordable prices, it was a great place to find souvenirs for everyone in the family.


Above the heat and the noise, there was also music to be heard. Bars get great business while the Night Market operates, so there's live music everywhere you look. There were also a few places to do karaoke (although they were embarrassingly-public venues), and a little ways down the street, there was a stage set up where a group of people in black shirts were dancing to Enrique Iglesias and the Beastie Boys. I tried to learn the dance they were doing... suffice to say it wasn't pretty.

Anyways, I think the food was definitely my favorite part. A small group of us stopped in this little restaurant off Jonker Street. I ordered the baba rendang, the dish it purports to be famous for, which is chicken stewed in a spicy coconut-curry sauce, served with rice, cucumber, and hard-boiled eggs. YUM. A while afterward, I tried this fried pastry stuffed with sweet red bean paste, and I had a prawn dumpling or two. Oh, and candied fruit on a stick -- that was good as well. If you're a total glutton like me, then the Night Market is the place to go... just follow your nose!

The Night Market runs until the early morning, when vendors pack up and go home. All in all, I'd say that if you're ever anywhere near Melaka, you've got to go walk around there. It was an experience that I'll certainly never forget.

-- Hanna