Sunday, February 26, 2012

Photos: January 7, 2011: Downtown Malacca

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Fei Ling Yap (one of SiowFong's nieces), Lydia, and Tom

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Sign for Durian Cendol

Note:  Durian is the name of a smelly plant that many Malaysians love.  Cendol is a desser drink made with a variety of ingredients.  "The dessert's basic ingredients consist of coconut milk, a worm-like jelly made from rice flour with green food coloring (usually derived from the pandan leaf), shaved ice and palm sugar. Next to these basic recipe, other ingredients such as red beans, glutinous rice, grass jelly, creamed corn, might also be included."  (source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cendol)



 
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Baskets of durian fruit

Note:  "The durian ( /ˈdjʊriən/)[2] is the fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus Durio and the Malvaceae family[1][3] (although some taxonomists place Durio in a distinct family, Durionaceae[1]). Widely known and revered in southeast Asia as the "king of fruits", the durian is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk. The fruit can grow as large as 30 centimetres (12 in) long and 15 centimetres (6 in) in diameter, and it typically weighs one to three kilograms (2 to 7 lb). Its shape ranges from oblong to round, the colour of its husk green to brown, and its flesh pale yellow to red, depending on the species.



The edible flesh emits a distinctive odour, strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact. Some people regard the durian as fragrant; others find the aroma overpowering and offensive. The smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust, and has been described variously as almonds, rotten onions, turpentine and gym socks. The odour has led to the fruit's banishment from certain hotels and public transportation in southeast Asia.

The durian, native to Brunei, Indonesia, Philippines and Malaysia, has been known to the Western world for about 600 years."  (source:   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian)

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Downtown Malacca is a popular tourist destination, particularly for Western visitors.  Bicycle-modified rickshaws are prevalent to give tours.

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Lydia, Fei Ling, and SiowFong are resting outside a restaurant after we ate lunch there.

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Store that exclusively sells Chinese New Year's paraphernalia

Note:  All of these pictures were taken on January 7, 2011 using SiowFong's digital point and shoot, Canon G11 camera.  SiowFong took all the pictures except for IMG_5495.