etwas interessant

Warning: This is a (delayed) and a very long post.

Our plane: Getting ready

In this post, I will let the pictures paint a thousand words. Firstly because I have so many pictures; it took me ages to select and 'process' them, and secondly, I sort of like lacking the time for a super long post.

Had in-flight lunches (on the return trip; but posted earlier for relevancy's sake). I said lunches; these below and some others more. I specifically chose those on the menu, which were depicted as graphically appetising. I purposely saved spaces in tummy to try out Air Asia's in-flight meals as tried and tested impressively by Kenny Sia. Not quite so true though..

Smoked chicken focaccia

Pak Nasser's Nasi Lemak (Uncle Nasser's coconut milk rice):
It definitely looked very different from the picture on the flight menu..

It really did look nicer here..

Heavenly sights from the skies. You can see Mount Santubong clearly from here.

Look at the river, isn't it pretty?

Towns and more towns..

After touch down and checking-in, lunch hunting was in-line. According to Kenny Sia, Madam Tang's was one of the good eateries for authentic Sarawak Laksa. Earlier on, I somewhat did some "researches" with regards to popular Sarawakian foods and restaurants around town. Knowing he is a local, I particular popped in his blog. Located along Jalan Petanak (Petanak Street), it was in the middle of a long row of shops. They had 2 types: the normal one and the special one.

Normal Sarawak Laksa.

Special Sarawak Laksa with giant prawns.

The laksas will taste nothing exceptional until you add in the normal-looking sambal sauce (dry curry paste) with lime. It was magnificent and lovely but not too spicy! Also, *wink* if you have a thing for ladyboys, the waitresses there were eye candies until they opened their mouths.

Other than the laksas, they also served nasi lemak (coconut milk rice) with chicken rendang (dried curry).

And for dinner, the Magenta Restaurant along Jalan Nanas (Nanas Street) was looked up. It was not easy to find if your cab driver is not an experienced one.

Hailing a cab in Kuching is hard, especially after dusk. Very, very hard. It's best to ask your hotel to call one for you.

It might be also because the Magenta's signboard was not brightly lit enough. But a useful landmark was the BBQ restaurant next to it..heh.

The restaurant was actually one serving Nyonya food here but converted to one serving Western-fusion fine dining instead here. You will notice this when you see the restaurant-house fully decorated in its original Nyonya-styled theme.

The food tasted great and the prices were comparatively similar to other fine dining restaurants. The only inconvenience and annoyance was the long, long wait. You have to be very patient here as their customers come in throngs after throngs. And they only have ala cartes with limited helpers; imagine the preparation time.

Soft-shelled crab salad.

Really cheesy pasta..delicious.

Lemongrass-flavoured spaghetti..something 'successfully' different.

The only specialty that I missed on this trip was the iced milo dinosaur, which caught my eye on Kenny's blog.

There were actually a few places, which I had wanted to visit on this trip. And yes, they involved animals.

First up, it was the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre in Padungan, some 25 kilometres from Kuching town, about 30 minutes by cab ride. The centre, which was established back in 1975 is a wildlife rehabilitation centre to rehabilitate injured and orphaned wild animals illegally captured from jungles all over Sarawak and release them back into the wild, in particular the orang utan or more popularly known as the 'Man-of-the-Wild' (Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus).

I arrived just in time for the first orang utan feeding time at 9am, after paying the entrance fee of RM6. Visitors gathered around the head ranger for a welcome and a strict dos' and don'ts' briefing before the session. If you are going by cab, your cab driver can wait for you at a designated parking area and you have to explore the park on foot.

We were briefed about the 'not-guaranteed' sightings and not to go too close to them if we were lucky enough on that day. This was because sightings would be scarce during local fruit seasons as they would not depend on the extra food anymore. But these are good signs that they have adapted to living in the wild again. Orang utans can live up to 50 years in the wild. There are a few trails leading to the feeding areas and if any orang utans were sighted, rangers on walkie-talkies would inform the visitors to hurry to the specific spots.

Briefing before we start.

On foot to the feeding area with orang hutan sighting.

On the Masing trail.

Lucky: Two young ones sighted.

Playful antics.

Looked sulky to me.

Still sulking.

And..more.

Hey, good looking.

Mother and baby..this sighting is 'priceless'

And what happens if one got too close to an orang utan, you may ask? Here's what will happen:
http://www.etravelblackboardasia.com/article.asp?id=48873&nav=109

Please adhere to these important guidelines if you wish to visit later:

Do not bring food and drinks.
Do not litter.
Do not go near the orang utans. They are strong and they are able to drag you up a tree and throw you down, just for fun. And yes, they get bored easily.
Do not pick up 'souvenirs' from the park.

Besides the orang hutan, the centre also rehabilitates small mammals and birds. The centre surroundings also houses a an arboretum, a botanical research centre, forest nursery and trial plantations and experimental plots. For more information, please go to: http://www.forestry.sarawak.gov.my/forweb/wildlife/center/semeng/rcenter.htm

Nearby the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, some 4 kilometres away is the Jong's Crocodile Farm. It is a crocodile breeding farm cum mini zoo. In this one of the largest farms in the country, you can see salt water crocodiles (crocodylus porosus) that range from tiny babies to adult reptiles. There are also exciting crocodile shows during feeding times at 11 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon respectively. The adult reptiles are trained to jump for food pegged onto lines hang across a pond.

Apart from the main attraction, the animals displayed in the mini zoo include giant arapaimas, piranhas, otters, porcupines, long-tailed macaques, hawks, peacocks, wild boars, cassowary birds, sun bears, bear cats, terrapins and monitor lizards. Meanwhile in the petting zoo section, there are mandarin ducks, cuddly bunnies, goats, geese and chickens.

If you think that these are worth your time, you may extend the journey for the visit as the entrance fees are more pricey for non-locals compare to locals.

'Real' displays at the mini exhibition corner.

Baby crocodiles

Young adults

Tailless

Crooked snout

Adult crocs waiting to be fed

A fast croc jumping to snatch chicken entrails, the juicy prize.

Sun bears

Green iguanas of South America (iguana iguana)

A lucky terrapin?

Porcupines

Ahh..my favourite, a shy bear cat.

So adorable, cuddly fur ball.

Not far in Siburan, popular dishes like the kolok mee and the vegetables dumplings were found. I was just in time for lunch.

The skins were quite thick and hard though.

Doesn't look like kolok mee but wan tan mee? Don't get fool.
It seems Sarawakian hawkers thought West Malaysians did
not like the original kolok mee. Wonder how they got the idea?

Actually, we prefer the real 'thing' and were hunting
high and low for it. The red colour actually
comes from a appetising palm oil sauce.

For orchid lovers out there, there is also a pitcher plant and wild orchid garden at Kota Padawan. Although the entrance fee is just a mere RM2, don't get your hopes too high as it might still be in the midst of upgrading works commencing June 2009 and expected to continue for the next 3 years. Upon the completion of the renovations, it will be renamed as the Padawan Pitcher Plant and Wild Orchid Conservation Centre and visitors can enjoy more new landscaping features and more species of pitcher plants and orchids.

Meanwhile back at the city centre, a historical site should not be missed out. It is the Fort Margherita. Built in 1879 on a hill overlooking the Sarawak river, it was named after Ranee Margaret, the wife of Rajah Charles Brooke. (The Rajah and Ranee titles refer to royal rulers in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.) It functioned to protect Kuching from the then riverine invasions but was turned into a police museum in 1971.

A miniature model of the fort

The 3-storey tower block includes a watching post and a courtyard surrounded by high walls with openings for the firing cannons.

And climbing up the tower..

Although it may seem fine on the outside, internally it might need some preservation works as well as up keep together with proper pathways leading to the site.

You will need comfy walking shoes for the 15-minute walk after the short river cruise from Pangkalan Batu, in front of the Main Bazaar at Kuching Waterfront. Alternatively, you can take a 15-minute drive along Petra Jaya. However, the short, enjoyable motorised cruise is highly recommended. Just 40 cents per passenger.

The nearby magnificent looking State Legislative Council.

To savour a scrumptious meal of local cookings, you should try the Top Spot Foodcourt on the 6th floor of Taman Kereta (an indoor parking), which is just a stroll pass the Cat Monument on the East end of Kuching Waterfront. This is the busiest food centre that boasts great dishes like chilli crabs and sweet and sour fish. Every stall almost looked the same and offering the same dishes especially those that had seafood on the menu.

The fully-packed food court at dinner time.
It would help if you come a bit early.

Most of the dishes tasted bland and same to me. Nevertheless, there were a few recommendable items on the menu.

A different variety of the deep-fried oyster pancake
compared to those you have seen in West Malaysia.
Crispy, delicious, dipped in chilli sauce.

Stir-fried durian flowers in belacan (shrimp paste)

The before picture.

If you are in Kuching over a weekend, then you will be in luck for the Sunday Market. Stories have it that you will find fat, squirming grubs on sale here. But no, no such luck.

Besides that and a vegetable market , the market is also a popular venue to buy trinkets and souvenirs.

Fresh gula apong? I wonder what could that be..
Ohh, it is the sugar made from the sap of the palm trees.
It is used in local delicacies and as flavourings in dishes.