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| Ugly mother, isn't he? |
The air was super heavy and the temperatures were already pretty hot, so I decided to shoot for four miles. Melaka has a great walk running on both sides of the river that started right outside the hotel, making it an obvious choice for the run. We had taken a river cruise the night before, so I was familiar enough with the sites to know where I was and what I should be seeing along the run. That is until this gila monster/crocodile looking lizard starts splashing around in the water relatively close to where I was on the walk and very close to a set of stairs out of the water. He (who actually turned out to be a monitor lizard...had to look him up) looked hungry, but not as hungry as the swarm of his buddies I saw in the water below the elevated wooden pathway just about half a mile later. Yeah, those things were something else and boy did they change the pace of my run. What else did I learn about these critters? They also can be quite fast, and while not really attracted to human flesh, they do like chickens and eggs.
Anyway, aside from the unwelcome intrusion and the super heat which had me dripping sweat, the run was rather pleasant. Along the walk are some fantastic historic sites like Christ Church and St. Francis Xavier Church, Jonker Street, the murals which tell the history of Melaka, a view into Malaysian poverty and so much more. It's really a great opportunity to feel the city. On my way back to the hotel I was halted by the sounds of a morning tai chi practice that I watched a few minutes. I also cruised past the tall ship museum. All in all, a great excursion...and the rain held off until after 9am, at which time it POURED. So goes Malaysia. Happy trails!!!
Stats -
Miles: 4.03
Time: 36:34 (average pace of 9:04 per mile)
Location: Melaka River Walk
Feeling: Hot, which makes me sluggish, but the rest of the body was super
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