Kuching Day and Night
Where we stayed, the Merdeka Palace.
We went for the river cruise on the day we arrived i.e on a Saturday, At RM60.00 per adult, its a good way to be introduced to Kuching. The trip was about 2 hours or so, with refreshments and traditional show thrown in.
After the cruise, we walk a bit along the waterfront (below) while we waited for hubby's cousin to pick us up. They took us for a seafood dinner at what seems to be a very popular place called the TopSpot !
On Sunday, we went to the Cultural Village at Santubong, which is about an hour away from Kuching. Hubby had arranged with the tour company to pick us up and take us there. The van that came was horrible, if you're going there, make sure to insist on a good transportation. Otherwise, it was a really worthwhile trip to take. Entrance fee is RM100.00 per adult. All the dwellings shown were actual life size. A real eye opener for me....
The Santubong Mountain in the background of the Sarawak Cultural Village
The tour starts here....
Pepper plant outside a Chinese Farm House and the Malay House
The Tall Melanau House and the Orang Ulu House
The Penan Dwelling, for simple nomadic indigenouls people
The Iban Long House (Common Area), and their enemies' skulls
The Bidayuh Long House and a Bidayuh Family Room
The Cultural Village trip will take about half a day. There's also a cultural show at their Auditorium. It's quite well equipped as this is home to the World's Forest Music Festival.
After the village tour and culture show was over, we went for lunch. On the way back, our driver was kind enough to take us to a popular 'kek lapis' Sarawak and the ikan terubuk masin & telur ikan terubuk masin. The roe can go up to RM400 a kilo during low season, wah... much like caviar.
Kek Lapis : Testers for you try
The Ikan Terubuk masin and Telur Ikan Terubuk masin
On our last day, hubby had to work... well it was a business trip for him anyway. So I actually had the whole Monday to myself. Morning after breakfast and after hubby had left for his visit, I went to the market to look for Midin, a type of 'pucuk paku' but of course I got a few other things as well. After my trip to the market, I went for a visit to the museum which happened to be just next to the hotel. After checking out and placing my bags with the concierge... I went for souvenir shopping to the shops near the waterfront.
My market trip goodies...
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The museum, there's actually four next to each other (4th one across the road!). I visited two of them. Not bad actually, I find them very interesting.
My walkabout to the waterfront to look at and for souvenirs, I passed by a cathedral, the post office with its lovely old colonial columns...
The rows of shophouses, houses shop after shop selling antiques, masks, souvenirs, pepper sauces, laksa mixes, blow pipes etc. Along the corridors are petty traders selling kek lapis, Sarawak gambir and more souvenirs.
But I leave with lovely memories of Kuching. May one day I get to visit this place again.
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