After spending some time in Christ Church and the Stadthuys, we then started to proceed to our next destination: the St. Paul’s Church ruins. We are using a map that we got from Hotel Puri, and the map looks very simple and easy to follow. But somehow, locating where the St. Paul’s Church ruins is very tricky. This is how it looks like:
St. Paul’s Church ruins map
We can’t figure out just how to get to St. Paul’s Church. There seems to be no roads leading to it, and we tried circling it and through Jalan Kota, but it doesn’t seem like we’re going the right direction. We’re getting a little frustrated already. We came across the Fort of Malacca or A’Famosa. We decided to check it out and rest there a bit while figuring the map out. My first reaction is it looks like Fort Santiago, but mini size. The red-brick color theme is still in place. I kinda love how this area is really sticking to this red-brick theme. There were a bunch of tourists taking photos. I also saw a couple wearing traditional Malaysian wedding dress having their prenup photos taken in the fort. Sa Pilipinas pagandahan ng gowns na kung sino sinong designers ang gumawa, pero dito traditional clothes lang okay na. Mas maganda pa nga eh saka mas true to their roots. I watched them for a while before I went at the back of the fort, where there’s a river.
We are facing the river with our back at the wall of Fort of Malacca (A’Famosa). Notice the canons at the top?
Structure of A’Famosa (Fort of Malacca)
In the 16th century A’Famosa housed the entire Portuguese administration, including its hospitals, five churches, elongated stockades and four key towers. One tower was a four-storey keep; the others were an ammunition storage room, captain’s residence and an officer’s quarters. The rest of the bastion comprised of townhouses clustered inside the fortress walls. The fort was expanded in 1586 to accommodate Malacca’s growing population.
A’Famosa is more than just quick photo stop opportunity for tourists. Built in 1511, the settlement used to sprawl across a whole hillside but now only a lone gate (Porta de Santiago) remains. One of the oldest surviving European architectural remains in Asia; it is set beside the Istana ke Sultanan on Jalan Kota. A’Famosa is perhaps Malacca’s best known sightseeing spot. – Malacca Attractions
Fort of Malacca
We were busy taking pictures when I find myself looking at the top of the red-brick wall where the canons are located. I was telling Jobetha to make sure that the canons are included in our pictures. I looked up and I noticed someone sitting just above one of the canons. Then an idea came to my mind, why not go there and have my picture taken while I’m at the top? That would be cool and would have a good view of the Fort of Malacca. So I went around the corner and went up the wall. To my surprise, the guy I saw sitting there is already smiling at me when I got near the canons. It’s like he already expect that I’m going there. Tapos ang hirap pala umkyat mismo sa taas ng wall kung nasaan yung mga canons. Medyo mataas sya. The guy saw me having a little difficulty and offered his hand. Ayun, salamat kuya, nakaakyat na ako. We then took pictures. I told him to accompany me in the pictures like we’re friends. Here are our shots:
With my new friend
We are the canon buddies
So we introduced ourselves. His name is Baburam or Babu for short. I call him Babu because I am feeling close. hahaha. He is not Malaysian. He is from Nepal who works in Melaka. He seems friendly. He said he always hang out in Fort of Malacca when he’s off work. So what to do with a new friend who lives in Melaka? Ask for directions! We asked him how to go to the St. Paul’s Church Ruins. Of course, he knows it. And the best part is that he offers to accompany us there. Ang bait naman ni Babu. 
We started following Babu to the ruins. Susme, kaya naman pala hindi namin ma figure out kung paano pumunta sa ruins eh hindi naman pala sa main road ang daan. You need to go inside pa sa compound ng parang museum ba yun or church. The pathway is uphill. Looban talaga sya pero ang ganda ng view. Kitang kita mo ang Dutch Square where we came from. At this point, since wala ako idea kung nasaan kami, medyo I felt uneasy. Kasi naman sa Manila kapag ganito eh mag-iisip ka talaga ng masama. Baka holdaper si Babu or baka dalin kami somewhere not safe. Or scam sya tapos singilin kami ng pera? A lot of bad things are running in my mind, the paranoia! Naisip ko na lang na mas malaki naman ako sa kanya so pwede labanan. LMAO.
Babu leading us to the St. Paul’s Church ruins. Notice the pathway, off-road na sya at wala na tao. Kaya na paranoid ako! But the view and the surroundings are very relaxing
All my paranoia and ill thoughts disappeared when I finally saw St. Paul’s Church from afar. I’m so sorry, Babu, for thinking you’re a bad person when all those times, you’re just trying to help us. All that aside, don’t you just love it when you meet someone new in a foreign country? We have different cultures, but it’s nice that we can also work together and be friends. Kaya nga after nito, when I’m back home in the Philippines and there’s tourists asking for help, I would be more than willing to help them and hopefully, be their own Babu, a new friend.
Me and Babu later in the ruins
Even later that night, we’re having dinner with our new friend
