Morning Jog along Malacca River in Malaysia

With the pandemic behind us, many people have scaled down on exercising and the same goes for me too although I did try to cater for some exercises whenever I am overseas. For me, the best exercise is to jog so that I can soak in the unique sights outside of Singapore.

Listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Melaka (or Malacca) is no stranger to Singaporeans. However, my last visit was in 2018 and even then, my stay at Hatten Hotel was still quite a distance from the main historical district. 

The Church of St. Francis Xavier; built in 1849, it was under renovation back when I took the picture in October 2023. I forgot to mention that my jog was indeed about five months ago and the time was about 7.20 am. 

Insomnia is a bitch and since my eyes can't shut until night falls, I figured it would be more productive for me to jog to start the day. I didn't regret as the streets and pavements were devoid of people! 

Christ Church Melaka - Malaysia's oldest functioning Protestant church that was completed in 1753. See that "I Love Melaka" sign? Would you deem that a modern eyesore given the surroundings that was steeped in history?

Red Square - the literal icon for Melaka! 

And the rising ball of fire adding to the charm.

It was still the zodiac year of the rabbit back in October 2023. Should I revisit Melaka again next month to check if this gigantic animal has been changed to the current zodiac anima; the dragon?

Surprisingly quiet Jonker Street. Surprise as many Singaporeans would come by Melaka on weekends; to be frank, the famous street isn't as crowded on weekdays, except on Friday, when the night market cease to operate.

San Shu Gong - the brand that visitors would go for whenever they need to purchase food souvenirs from Melaka! If you couldn't decide what to buy, ask for samples! 

Jonker Street's Chinese name is literally translated as Chicken Factory Street. Why!? What I do know is that the parallel Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock is known as the millionaire street; so contrasting.

Jogging along Malacca River, with heritage buildings flanking me on both sides. I was mindful to be careful as a slip of the feet means a direct soak in the river! 

Sighting of wildlife; Malayan Water Monitor! 

Twin spires from the Church of St. Francis Xavier, and the rising sun. According to Wikipedia, the design of the church was "modeled after the Cathedral of St. Peter in Montpellier, Southern France".

A short section of the 40-kilometer long Malacca River! 

Ahead was 163-meter tall The Shore Sky Tower.

Striking pottery blue building! Housing an eatery known as Baba Kaya, I actually bookmarked this as a potential venue for food but we simply had too many choices in Malacca! Next time! 

Continuing my jog along the back alley of the historical buildings. Long time ago, this promenade was non-existent, with serious water pollution. Glad to see so much improvement over the past one or two decades! 

The same Malayan Water Monitor? 

"Rainbow" under the Hang Tuah bridge. Given the LGBT references and the sensitivity in the Muslim-majority country, I am wondering if the undercarriage of this bridge had since been repainted.  

Abandoned building in Malacca; with its prominent position as a tourist attraction, this was such a waste of land! Imagine using it to build a bed & breakfast or even a cafe to earn tourist dollars! 

Old Bus Station Bridge; quite an interesting design as it seemed more like a row of houses that was built across the Malacca River.

A Ferris wheel in a small amusement park that's no longer operational.

I was wondering about the track and asked my sister about it; turned out it was supposed to be for a monorail which was opened in 2010, and had been suspended since 2020. 

Must have been my lucky day; third occurrence with the Malayan Water Monitor although I am unsure if they were the same one! Anyway, I had to slowly jog past it, but with the alertness to sprint should it suddenly charge towards me! 

Looping and jogging back to the Old Bus Station Bridge.

More photographs of the bridge. Should it have a roof, I am guessing that those homeless may consider sleeping there at night. 

Pretty view of the buildings alongside the river promenade. With some painted with murals, it's hard to take photographs given the narrow pathway.

There's a remedy! Station the photographer across the river and shoot the photo from there! Try to visit early in the morning so that there aren't too many people. 

Continuing my jog! 

Finally about to reach my hotel for the visit in October 2023; ibis Melaka. Located in the Little India of Malacca, the hotel is also not that far from Jonker Street, which is just about 600 meters away.