Hot Wanderings

Wednesday, June 10, 2009--Kuching (Continued)

After resting at the hotel during the hottest part of the afternoon, I went back out. I watched young men practicing in their longboats along the river. I explored some of the shopping centers in town. Mainly, I just walked and looked.

I really couldn't find a restaurant where I wanted to eat, so I went to a supermarket and bought some snacks for the room. Then I returned there and stayed in for the night.

Correction: In my entry for the first half of today, I said that Arne died 10 years ago. Of course, it was 5 years ago. I guess 10 was on my mind due to it being June 10! I have gone back and edited that entry but thought I would write this here for those of you who have already read it and won't be going back there.

Thursday, June 11, 2009--Kuching

I went away from the tourist area to explore other parts of town this morning. I walked far eastward, then turned back toward the river eventually making a big loop. One of the streets that I walked is a Chinese street with block after block of nice Chinese stores, restaurants, etc. I bought a Chinese bun with meat inside to eat as a snack. Then I bought a bag of candy that I like (peanuts and sesame seeds held together by a hard sugar mixture) at one of the shops.

Kuching is associated with cats for some reason. There are several cat sculptures around town. I have found 4 of them and taken photos. There is also a cat museum. Also, some of the manhole plates have cat images on them.

I met a British man on the street about my age. I gave him my copy of the book Europe Central which I wanted to give to someone I thought would read it. He is living here for a year. He has a daughter living in Brunei, and he said he thinks Kuching is pretty, the people are friendly, and that the cost of living is low. He seemed happy to have the book. Now I don't have to worry about the weight of it as I fly AirAsia, a low cost airline with strict weight limits, this weekend to get me back to where I can continue with Star Alliance flights.

I went to the Textile Museum and to the handicrafts shop next door. Both were very nice. Like Brunei, the museums here in Sarawak are free. When I was complaining about the extra cost for foreigners at museums and parks in Sabah, I thought it was probably Malaysia-wide. But I have since read that Sabah and Sarawak entered the Malaysian Federation with certain independent rights preserved. I guess gouging tourists is a right that have that Sabah has decided to take advantage of and that Sarawak has so far passed over. Hurrah or Sarawak and thumbs down for Sabah!

It's now hot afternoon again. After being here at the cyber cafe, I will go to the hotel. Then I will wander out again in the evening. I think I will go back to the Chinese street I found to get dinner tonight. Maybe I will have roast duck, since many of the small places there had it hanging in their display cases.