Aurora - Singapore to Cape Town 2

Sunday 20 March - Malacca, Malaysia

Malacca was our only tender port and it was a 1.2 nautical mile run ashore. It was incredibly hot and humid! OK, I knew to expect this and had packed accordingly with cottons and linens, but it was taking me a while to acclimatise.

Trishaws touting for business by the tender platform

 

My friends led the way to a local market, then on to the fortress, palace (a reconstruction of the original one in a longhouse style on stilts) and forbidden gardens.

 

 

 

 

By then I was wilting so we headed to a café for a cold drink. Somewhat restored, we headed back towards the harbour and more markets, where I bought a batik dress. My friend chose to stay ashore and ended up doing a river cruise. The rest of us headed back to the harbour. There was now a long queue at the dock as only shore tenders were being allowed to operate. We were given cold flannels and chilled water and I watched the fiddler crabs that covered the shoreline.

 

Fiddler crab

Aurora through the heat haze

Local tenders were ferrying us back to Aurora

 

Eventually it was our turn and back on board I showered, and washed my hair. I was wet through anyway from the very high heat and humidity. As we had been late arriving we were given an extra ½ hour ashore but my friend was one of the last to arrive back due to the long queues. There were now eight of us at dinner as another couple joined our table – they were on for the full worldie. We came second in Syndicate Quiz. Bed!