19 Jan 2018 – KCH Rotary Clubs
Sun: after checking-in and going thru’ immigration@T4, this is my first experience here.
Evolution of the Shop-House Architecture, the Heritage Zone is a six-minute long cultural mini-show that is played on a 10 metre by 6 metre LED screen.
Interesting windows which keep you guessing which one will be opened next and what can be happening behind them…
Most expensive salted-eggs salmon fish-skin@Discover Shop. It was good but was it worth S$17+???
Uneventful AirAsia 1+hr (perfect to nap) flight, with app 1/2 plane of ppl arriving 25mins ahead of schedule to KCH and grateful to Lawrence who was already waiting for me at the airport.
Some of the buildings on the way from the airport to town which I do not recognize – it was 4yrs ago since the last visit!
Yummy pomfret fish dinner in Chinatown across the Cantonese Assoc, KwongWaiSiew where grandfather&granduncle were members there.
Mon: Happy Bday to me! Picked up HongSze from the HiltonHotel and had my only bowl of KCH laksa for this time round.
A drive into the country-side to check out Lawrence’s project for a retirement resident.
Delicious lunch (much too much food!) in good company@the SarawakClub.
Appreciations to the KCH Rotary Clubs, the Rotarian, their family&friends for the overwhelming support (70+ppl)@Telang Usan Hotel for the Nepal talk&Power Point Presentation of my own slides. Pix credits of me to Chuan.
Tkx to Lawrence&Mabel for sponsoring the dinner, to Chuan for his help and to HS for his presence. A good evening was had by all.
Tue: KoloMee breakfast@NoodlesExperts.
Interesting eye-catching display of hair products for a hair salon.
Jalan Reservoir in KCH like 5 Temenggong Rd in SIN are prime properties once owned (no longer now) by the family and both are still green and lovely. Do make it a point to visit saying hello to the trees, hoping and praying that they will be there as long as there is life in me. Whoever owning these locations, plx let them stay as they are.
A drive along Main Bazaar where KwongLeeBank was once located at #30, today Star Company.
Along the RiverWalk with this lovely tree opposite the CourtHouse.
RM35mil DarulHanaBridge at the waterfront – a unique 336metre S-shaped pedestrian bridge is supported by two cables that are 45metres high from two 48-degree outward angled steel towers topped out with stylised hornbills, denoting the emblem of Sarawak.
Astana, (my favourite building in KCH), the official residence of the yang DiPertua Negeri Sarawak and New Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building, beautiful on its own but somehow is misplaced (designed-wise) between the Astana and Fort Margherita.
Like that I can stand in the middle this bridge to take pix of the river in every direction.
Many tkx to Chuan&family for a lovely afternoon and evening – delicious Midin&Galangal (Alpinia officinarum) Chicken, a Teochew dish for lunch@JooHim Cafe. And for the visit to the tuition center, Aurora – good luck to his venture.
Nerf-guns competition, drone-flying, yummy dayak food@AwahCafe for dinner and durians for dessert. Sorry to miss JiaJia who is away for boarding-school. YongDi is now 10 and has stretched!
Wed: FuzhouMee by the river for breakfast, a visit to the handicapped school Perkata. This paper bouquet is made by the students and the shop has crafts, etc donated to be sold with all profits going to the school.
Had to go back to AwahCafe for their soup TiyangDayak (made with local yellow egg-plant, yellow, lemongrass, torch-ginger, etc).
Their Kedondong (Spondias dulcis, known commonly as ambarella, is an equatorial or tropical tree, with edible fruit containing a fibrous pit) juice (mixed with sour-plums) is absolutely refreshing and agrees with my pallet.
Fort Margherita is an old fort constructed in 1879 by Charles Brooke and named after his wife. Charmingly located on a hill and over looking on to the river, it is one of my favourite forts to visit. Unfortunately it is under renovations and is closed today.
Local fruits for T-time hit the spot – who can ask for anything more when the quality of these local tropical fruits at the open-marekt are as fresh as you can get them.
Rubutans (Nephelium lappaceum), for this fruit, have been thoroughly spoilt having grown up with a whole orchard in the garden which also explains why I am good at climbing trees 🙂
Langsat (Lansium parasiticum)
Durians – https://amylamsg.com/2014/07/10/ode-to-durians/
Dinner@TopSpot – undeniably the most well-known seafood eating place in the heart of KCH. How can HS leave without at least stepping foot in this location even just for a tiny bite as we were so filled up! Safe journeys back to SIN for him.
Thu: heavy rains while we were sleeping, still raining when AirAsia took off 0800hrs with views of the scenic mountains. App 1/2ppl on an uneventful flight arr SIN 20mins ahead of schedule in blue sky.
There is not other airport like Changi where efficiency&cleanliness surely make it the world’s best.
Random shots from early breakfast, drives outside the city and in rush-traffic! Tkx to Lawrence&Mabel, Chuan&family for their hospitality, to HS for good company and nice to see Angelina.
To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted – Bill Bryson