Kuching - Borneo - Malaysia

April 25th - 28th, 2016

Our first stop in SE Asia, Kuching seems a city trying to catch up with itself. Although the people have all the modern day gadgets, smartphones, tablets etc, it seems stuck in an era where sanitation and hygiene are secondary to making a living. There are fantastic, almost futuristic buildings built for government use, and yet people still ply their wares along the streets which are filled with potholes and poor drainage. Efficient air conditioning units sit outside dilapidated buildings and teams of workers pluck and chop chicken carcasses and fish outside in the humidity with nothing to cool them or keep the flies at bay. Despite this we've found it a charming place, friendly smiles greet you as you walk down the street, most people are eager to help if you need it and so far none of the food has made us sick!

We arrived in Kuching after our 16 hour journey from Melbourne (we had a long layover in KL) and stepping out of the airport the heat and humidity assaulted us. Our taxi ride into town was enhanced by a fantastic sunset that gave the city a warm glow as several of the buildings are gold roofed and the reflected light was stunning. Andy was very excited to be staying in Hero Hostel, which is adorned with hand painted superheroes on the walls and a cabinet full of figures and artefacts....I was just happy that it was clean, the air con worked and the bed was firm!

That evening we took a tambang, a small boat, across the river to Campong Boyan, an outdoor food court with a huge tent like roof frequented mostly by locals and the odd adventurous tourist. After choosing from the many stalls we were eventually sat awaiting our food when we realised why Kuching is known as the City of Cats...they're everywhere! They are generally tolerated and occasionally fussed over as they weave in and out of the tables looking for leftovers or indulgent patrons who can't resist their big eyes watching them eat. We were hungry so although we had several 'friends' they went away disappointed. As well as the actual cats roaming around there are also a few cat statues dotted throughout the city making interesting roundabouts or climbing frames depending on your take on things and of course every piece of tourist tat is adorned with their feline poses too.

We rose early the next day and after finding some breakfast (local coffee and barely toasted bread with kaya) set off to explore the city. With a vague plan in mind we found ourselves back by the waterfront and in daylight were able to enjoy the vibrancy of colours to be found on the buildings making up the Main Bazaar, the street that runs parallel to the river. After a brief look at some of the interesting things for sale we took another tambang across the river, landing between 'Astana' the Governers's residence, a sprawling white palace originally built by the White Rajah Charles Brooke and the Sarawak State Assembly building, a magnificent golden topped building that somewhat resembles a thistle and which unfortunately you aren't allowed to enter. Between these two rather imposing buildings lies a road leading to the National Orchid Gardens a short walk away. These were free to enter and practically deserted despite being absolutely stunning! A really relaxing place, filled with a hugely diverse range of orchids, I especially liked the use of hanging baskets to create walkways under the pergolas and we spent an hour or two wandering around before heading back.

An approaching rain cloud drove us to find lunch under cover and then to head back to the hostel for a siesta, the humidity is really draining and we were still getting over our long journey from the day before. Once the rain and the heat of the day had passed we made our way out and looked round the rest of the town, finding interesting streets, a beautiful Mosque and a place for dinner...fresh fish (choose your own) fried in garlic and ginger, steamed vegetables with soy and fluffy white rice...it was delicious!

The next day we set our alarms even earlier to catch the 7.20am bus to the Semengoh Nature Reserve, a rehabilitation unit for Orang-utans released into the wild. The bus journey took about an hour and gave us the opportunity to see the outskirts of the city and the more day to day lives of the locals. Arriving at the reserve we bought our tickets (double the price for Non-Malaysians!) and proceeded to walk the kilometre or so to the feeding stations where we encountered more tourists than we had seen anywhere in Kuching...about 20 or so, it's clearly not tourist season at the moment...just the way we like it. The rangers gave us a short talk on how the park was formed and how many orang-utans lived in its 440 hectares (26) so not to expect too much. The idea of the feeding times is to help the orang-utans survive in the wild, not to be their only source of food and mostly this seems to work, in the fruiting season they are barely seen, but we were lucky enough to come when there is little food around and so had a higher chance of having some come down for breakfast! We followed the cheerful ranger to one of the feeding platforms where we could already hear his colleague 'calling' to let the orang-utans know their was food available and waited with baited breath. Eventually, movement, a tree rustling, a flash of orange/brown hair flitting amongst the boughs in the distance. Soon enough we were delighted to see a mother orang-utan and her baby come steadily towards the platform via a network of ropes rigged in the trees. We spent 20 minutes or so watching them help themselves to the fruits spread out below them, each time taking a handful then retreating to the safety of the ropes to eat, the dexterity with which they peeled and ate the bananas just with their lips was incredible to watch as was the playful youngster who after hanging for a while would get tired and stop for a rest on mum before demanding she go back for more fruit. At one point she took a coconut offered by the ranger and proceeded to tear the husk away with her teeth before smashing it against the tree to crack it open...makes you remember how strong these creatures are the ease with which the task was accomplished. Then the most magical moment...a large stately shape emerged from the forest floor and proceeded up to the platform...a huge male orang-utan, 35 years old and apparently 'getting fat and lazy' according to the ranger, who beat a hasty retreat after spreading the rest of his wares for the new arrival. The rangers have a healthy respect for the animals they look out for and know that these creatures are wild and can be unpredictable and dangerous...a blow from the male could easily kill a man and as such they don't take any unnecessary risks. The mother and baby also knew to keep their distance and after grabbing a last handful of fruit fled up the ropes to enjoy their meal, wary of the mood of the male below, but knowing it very unlikely he would pursue them off the forest floor, his age and immense weight being prohibitive to all but the most essential uses of energy. After a wonderful half an hour or so watching these wondrous creatures, they slowly made their way back into the forest without a backward glance, leaving the platform bare and our memories full. We headed back to the bus stop and didnt have to wait long for it to arrive to take us back into town.

After another afternoon siesta to escape the heat we once again ventured to the other side of the river to walk along a newish board walk that extends along the riverside to the State Assembly Building. Having decided to come back later as it was potentially a good spot to watch the sunset, we made our way up between some houses on the hill to the 1879 Fort Margherita, originally built to prevent marauding pirates attacking the town and now home to the Police Museum. We were too late to gain entrance but instead satisfied ourselves with a walk through the gardens and a rest stop overlooking the river before making our way back to our sunset spot....unfortunately the mass of thunderclouds gathering overhead prevented any notable sunset viewing and so we wandered over to the Campong Boyan food court once again for dinner. Whilst we were eating, the heavens opened and after watching the little boats get blown sideways across the river, it was with some trepidation that we made the crossing ourselves. Luckily it was still warm despite the weather and our soggy walk back to the hostel did not ruin our last day in Kuching.