13 Nov 2023 – In Memory Of Lawrence
Fri: tkx to Salman/OtakOtakKampung(30/S$27)for accommodating to have someone there@GeylangSeraiMarket&FoodCentre at 0800hrs, 30mins earlier than their normal opening time. From there, bus13 and then changed to bus36 directly to T4 to meet with Leonard.
Have been visiting KCH at least once annually since 2008 and have not been there since Jan2019 ~4yrs ago.
AirAsiaFlight took off on schedule but was taxing on the runway for ~25mins before takeoff on a rather turbulence flight to arr with a delay of 15mins into KCH. Tkx to Chuan for meeting us – checking into the new SheratonHotel/9thFloor is the highest we could have our rooms for now, and anything above that are still under construction, including the pool on 23rd top floor.
One of the best tasted – today’s take away late lunch from 919CoffeeShop fried BeeHoon with eggs,chicken,SayuManis/Manicai/馬尼菜(SauropusAndrogynus),
one of my favourite local veggies besides Midin/FiddleheadFerns(StenochlaenaPalustris) and only can get fresh in this area.
SFA | Potential Risks of Consuming Cekur Manis
BorneoCulturesMuseum – new for me and enjoyed the short afternoon there but would need a whole day to really appreciate&see the artefacts there.
Objects of Desire gallery
Interesting and as beautiful as they are, to my eyes these lamps somehow seem misplaced – oh well, each to their own!
In Harmony With Nature – nicely displayed.
Tasteful gift shop – Sarawak Museum Department
Dinner@TheLemin/TelangUsanHotel and this time round for tasty Dayak foods – their BungaKantan/TorchGinger康坦花(EtlingeraElatior) done both ways, stired-fried and a salad are delicious and would highly recommend this location for their foods.
Tkx to Chuan for the only group pix for this trip.
The last time here@this venue was Jan2019 for a hiking presentation:
Jan2019: appreciations to the KCH-RotaryClubs, the Rotarians, their family&friends for their presence&support@TelangUsanHotel for my talk&PowerPointPresentation: Hiking Norway – my 2nd Home.
Jan2019: tkx to Lawrence&Mabel for sponsoring a scrumptious dinner and to Audrey/owner of this location for a yummy BdayCarrot-cake. The ox-tail here is to die for and AyamPansuh (chicken cooked in bamboo) is excellent.
Lovely evening walk by the river – did not noticed the mosque in the 2019 trip, will check it out tomorrow morning in daylight.
Sat: bright&early up for a cuppa with room view towards the town where TopSpot RoofTopFoodcourt can be seen – the river is conveniently 2mins walk from the hotel.
Idyllic with fond memories&thoughts from 50yrs ago with my 1st trip here where this sculpture-fountain is now but 50yrs ago it was the boat-ramp when Lawrence took us fishing out on the SouthChinaSea on his speedboat then…
Somehow no matter how magnificent&specular a building the SarawakStateLegislativeAssemblyBuilding(Malay: BangunanDewanUndanganNegeriSarawakBaru) for my eyes is so misplaced between the beautiful heritage buildings of the Astana&FortMargherita, thus quite an eyesore in daylight, better to view it in the dark – again each to their own!
MainBazaar still holds some charm and the former KwongLeeBank building still there, now occupied by StarCompany.
Walked to the MasjidIndiaKuching/FloatingMosque – not opened, so unable to see the inside.
Masjid India’s new floating mosque another symbol of Sarawak unity | DayakDaily
Coincidently there was a boatman with his boat who was willing to row me/solo back up the river for MYR20=S$5+well-worth money ever spent, 15mins on the river this early Sat morning.
Picking up some snacks(one of the best ChickenSatay I have so far tasted)+our favourite pineapple-tarts@CheakIng? before heading to Bau.
~50k on the PanBorneoHighway/LebuhrayaPanBorneo to Bau known for the gold mining in the 1800s.
Floating bridge to RoxyTasikBiruResort which was fine to walk on as long as the boats did not zoomed around creating waves giving me motion sickness.
Was most unprepared for this uphill exposed walk to the GoldenHillTemple. No umbrella, nor moozy repellent and not enough water in the tropical mid-day-sun was taxing but worth it to get up there.
Nice view from this newly renovated 200yrs old temple.
The iron extension bridge has a glass bottom at the other end towards where there is a view.
Bau’s newly renovated 200-year-old Golden Hill Temple reopens (theborneopost.com)
Flavourful TenderStewedPigTrotters,ChickenCurry,ManiCai lunch @ChanHong.
StPeter’sColumbarium(1stCatholicColumbarium in Sarawak) to pay my respects to a dearest bro Lawrence who introduced KCH to me exactly 50yrs ago this year, and also is the main purpose of this trip with him in mind. Nephews in KL have donated the elevator here in memory of their father and also a stain glass LastSupper motive to the new church to be completed sometime end 2024.
New St Peter’s Church to be a prominent landmark in Kuching | DayakDaily
Managed to get some real good fresh&crunchy grapes@Koollala for AuntieNgor&Mabel today&tomorrow.
Not much luck with fishing@KampungMuaraTebas but good for coconut water with Chuan’s sketching. Yummy seafood dinner@SinSoonLeeSeafood新順利海鮮
JellyfishSalad,BeeHoon,prawns,squid,fish,midin, blur&forgot to take pix after the squid – hahaha!
Did not have the energy to climb up to ChingSanYenTemple – pix are from the bottom of the hill.
Leonard went to find it locked by the time he got up, good view from there – pix credits to him.
Ching San Yen Temple (Muara Tebas Temple) | KuchingBorneo
Sun: delicious Laksa&KoloMee breakfast@ChoonHui. We ate the Breakfast of the gods, according to AnthonyBourdain. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=877125296024870
One of the must eat food in Sarawak is Sarawak Laksa. One of the best Laksa in Kuching can be found at Choon Hui Cafe at Ban Hock Road. The laksa at Choon Hui Cafe is made famous by the late Anthony Bourdain when he visited twice the laksa at Chong Hui Cafe in 2005 was for Travel Channel’s.
‘Bourdain made Sarawak Laksa known to the world’ (theborneopost.com)
Lunched@KANTIN at The Granary | Facebook
Interesting&good foods – excellent&refreshing 3SourCrush drink. After this KCH trip, will need to fast for a few days, the stomach needs to rest. Appreciations with thanks to Chuan&family for their gracious&kind hospitality – until we meet again for another food-orgy either in KCH or SIN for us foodies.
Mon: thank goodness for a good night sleep last night. Has been time consuming today getting the KCH weekend pix&places in their correct names&order but finally done before the sunset on this public holiday back in SIN.