Hot Kuching

I was on assignment in Kuching last weekend for a few days and man, the city was HOT!

I'm not just referring to the nice sunny weather there but rather the guys. Ahem Perhaps my eyes played tricks on me but the dudes in Kuching seemed hotter than over here in West Malaysia. No, not all Kuching guys look like Kenny Sia (the local blogger poster child), thank heavens. Most of the ones I encountered in this trip were tanned, lithe and good looking complete with a most friendly and pleasant disposition. And these dudes speak Hokkien like nobody's business! Almost makes me wish I was born in Kuching instead of Klang. Almost, but not quite lar.

"Say, you speak Hokkien. Were you born in Kuching?" asked one dude.

"No, I'm from Klang. We speak Hokkien there, too," I said. Then I decided to thrown in the other name for my beloved hometown, "Pasang people speak Hokkien mar."

The dude and his cute friend blinked in surprise. "Errr, you mean Parkson (the shopping mall) in Klang?"

"No, I mean Pasang. Strange, everyone in Peninsular Malaysia knows that it means Klang. I guess it's not the same in East Malaysia?"

They shook their heads, "Nope, doesn't ring a bell with us folks."

I guess there are some differences between East and West Malaysians after all.

It was not my first time in the city though. But I've never had the opportunity to fully explore the city in my previous trips that mostly comprised of transits, conferences and a music festival.

In those trips, I noted a few things about Kuching: it was clean, well-planned, not much traffic congestion and sadly, not many friendly cats either. In this trip however, the roads were more congested than usual due to the Raya festive season and I met quite a number of friendly cats in a Malay village. Plus I discovered a whole lot of FUN things you can do in Kuching.

Kayak

You can kayak through the beautiful Sungai Sarawak and drink in the sight of the majestic
mountains, forests and rock formations. I can fully identify with the childhood rhyme of "Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream." It's so relaxing just floating down the gentle river, having your cheeks fanned by the soft breeze. How I wish such a place exist in Klang for me to kayak in regularly.

Dolphins

I never knew that you can go dolphin watching in Kuching but apparently you can! These are endangered Irrawaddy dolphins and there are about 71 of them swimming happily in the Santubong river mouth. You can watch them from a kayak or on a cruise. I chose the cruise on a river boat option and it was a joy spotting these shy gray dolphins emerging now and then from the waters. We also saw the rare proboscis monkeys (the ones with the big hook nose) hanging around on some nearby trees. It's such an amazing feeling seeing these animals in their natural habitats rather than being cooped up miserably in some zoo.

The Original Car Wash

This is probably one of the coolest places in Kuching to hang out in. It is both an honest-to-goodness car wash and eatery. The ambiance is funky with a red ferrari and dental chairs decorating the exteriors and red lanterns adorning the interiors. A visit to the washroom is a must to see the unique decor. The food is not bad either and I recommend the Mango Crush (ice-blended mango drink made from fresh mangoes from the owner's farm). You can also purchase the mangoes from the stand in front of the restaurant.

Sampan ride

Forget Venice. This is a low-budget way of enjoying a river front boat ride. For 50 sen per trip (RM1 after 10pm), you'll get to cross the river at the Kuching waterfront in a languid sampan ride. This ride will land you in Kampung Gersik where the cheapest and most delicious Dayang Salhah Kek Lapis shop is located. The Malay food at the local restaurants is also very tasty.

Alas, 4 days and 3 nights were just too short for me to enjoy all that Kuching has to offer. I did not have time to visit the caves, the Bako National Park, Gunung Gading National Park, and a whole lot more of kayaking on its majestic rivers.

Oh well. Some other time perhaps. Will post some pics here later.