N.E.S.W. - East (Kuching, Day 2, Part 4)

Date: 30 October - 1 November 2009, Friday - Sunday
Venue: Kuching, Sarawak
Occasion: Weekend get-away with 2 high school friends


Alas! Here's the last part of the Kuching trip (Day 2). I know, I know, this post has been delayed for half a month *sigh* Time really flies....

Here's to share what you could do & see in Kuching city. All you need is your "bus #11" a.k.a. feet to walk around the whole of Kuching city :)

Carpenter's Street a.k.a. Kuching's Chinatown
Basically, all you can find here are old shophouses, mostly in the carpentry or furniture line (as its name speaks). One of the best Mee Kolo in Kuching city is also found here!

General Post Office, Jalan Haji Abang Openg
One of the older buildings in the city, this building, built in 1931, stands magnificent in the heart of Kuching city. It still functions as a post office 'til today :)

Kuching's Textile Museum, Jalan Haji Abang Openg
Formally known as "The Pavillion", the museum's architecture is a mixture of the English Renaissance and English Colonial. Constructed in 1907 as a medical centre, it later became the headquarters of the Education Department before it was converted into the Textile Museum. It houses and displays authentic local textiles and costumes made by the ethnic community of Sarawak. Admission is free.

Inside the Textile Museum

Kain Songket displayed

Traditional costumes & materials used for making traditional costumes

St Thomas Cathedral, McDougall Road
This Anglican church was founded on 25th August 1849 by Revd. Francis Thomas McDougall, priest and doctor (who later became the first Bishop of the Diocese). More of the church's history can be found here.

Large "Kekabu Tree" in Padang Merdeka, McDougall Road
I was just fascinated with such a tall tree right in the middle of town :P This tree could be easily more than 100 years old! Mighty tree....me like! Read more about it here.
Natural History Museum
We didn't visit this place, but it was around the area of Sarawak's museums. There were at least 4 museums in this area! Admission is free.

Art Museum
Yet another museum that we didn't enter. I reckon it would be interesting to visit this place. Admission is free.

Ethnology Museum
You'll find all sorts of ethnic-related items in this museum; from animals, to buildings, natural resources of Sarawak, & even Sarawak's culture. Admission is free.

Seashell display
Some of the seashells can only be found in the deep sea area of Sarawak. You'll come across some really unique seashells that'll make you go "oooh" & "aahh".

Happy Theng beside a seashell-adorned pillar

Ling beside some whale's skeleton

Another whale's skeleton

Outside Kuching's New Museum
I found this very interesting....just some soil & broken plates/ceramic!

Tun Abdul Razak Hall/New Museum
Nothing much in there....at least not that I did notice :) Admission is free.

Sarawak's Chinese Museum, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman
Right in the middle of town is this small museum (Kuching surely has SO many museums!) that displays items & information of the Chinese community in Sarawak. It's quite interesting to know which dialect of the Chinese descent arrived in Kuching first ;) Admission is free.

In Santubong
We were supposed to go for the Irrawaddy Dolphin Cruise, but it was raining cats & dogs :( Too bad, really. In the end, we were sent back to our hotel *sigh* We really wanted to see the dolphins!

End of Day 2
Here's how I look at the end of the day...the top hand is Ling's, the middle foot is mine, while the bottom left hand is also mine...check out the contrast! I was SOOOOOO burnt :S Beyond recognition! *lol*

It was a really activity-packed day for us...I was tired, burnt, & exhausted (after all the walking!!). Our final day, Day 3, was yet another walk-a-lot day..."nasiblah tak sewa keta" (too bad since we didn't rent a car)...hahahaha...


- Ruth