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Saturday 20th 0ctober
We have been in Kuching for 3 days and back in the same hotel and same room again. It's a fantastic big room with large windows and an Impressive view of Kuching City, Santubong Mountain and the Peak of Serapi Mountain, we can see across the Sungai River and enjoy watching the fishing boats chug up and down the river. The last time we stayed here it was very overcast and we didn't notice these mountains before, but now the view is spectacular. The point in which we are situated by the river is hotels, banks and small industrial units, but when you look across the river it's a town full of houses with corrugated roofs and small jetties from where the boats cross many times a day.
Today we decided to visit Serikin Market on the border of Sarawak and Indonesia, we booked it though a tour in the hotel and although it was a bit expensive thought it must have something worthwhile for the price they were charging. When the driver picked us up I think he was surprised that we were English. He asked did we know anything about the market and said we just knew what was written about it on the tour itinerary. We both looked at each other and thought s*** did either of us read anything about it. GULP! So the driver proceeded to tell us that the market was really for Malaysian and Indonesians as it mainly just sold cheap clothes, bags and nic nacs. It was about an hours drive and the scenery was lovely made a change not to see miles of Palm Oil Trees. Our driver Jaye was very knowledgeable, we had a history and geography lesson during the drive and he enjoyed telling us stories that we hadn't got a clue what he was talking about so we did our usual replies, nodded our head as if we understood what he was talking about. We arrived at a very busy market and it was pretty evident straight away that we was going to stick out like a sore thumb. Anyway we was here for a while so we just enjoyed a stroll along the stalls making out we was interested in what they were selling. As usual I wanted to go to the loo and was dreading finding somewhere as I knew it wasn't going to be pleasant. Anyway I saw a sign that Tandas 50c so went behind this building not sure where it was there was also 2 other woman looking when a woman from the stalls came over and said to me "you pay 50c and wait here" then pointed to a door, then she took the other two off. I went to the door and opened and as usual it was a dirty squat toilet with a soaking wet floor, and these are the times when I want to cry. So I went then came out and Lee handed me the usual hand gel, and tissues to wipe my feet. Where these girls went to I don't know, I said to Lee i think they were whisked off to some luxury loo.
We met our driver at the end of market which was selling all sorts of unusual fruit and veg and asked him to explain what they were he then said he would take us to another market so we got into the van and off we went.
We arrived at a local fruit and veg market situated on the side of the road, and I can honestly say it was the most fascinating 20 minutes I have spent whilst we was taken to different stalls and he explained and showed us different fruits and veg, what they were used for in cooking what they tasted like, whether they were sweet or sour. He then showed us a washing up bowl with what looked like saw dust In but it was moving, as he moved the dust out the way there was big fat maggots In. He explained that they fed off parts of a tree then they remove the maggots when they are fat and eat them, they bite into the middle and a milky juice comes outs of them. They looked like something from "I'm a Celeb" Fortunatly he didn't ask us would we like to try them. We did try a strange looking juice which was in a large bucket it was the most tastiest coconut juice we have had since our travels. We also tried some sticky rice with fish paste and prawns wrapped in a banana leaf.
It probably was the most expensive market trip we have done in terms of not actually buying anything but the experience was amazing.
The driver then took us to the town of Bau, meaning smelly, which was once a gold mining town. We parked up by a lake where the annual Kuching Power Boat Competetion was being held. Jaye took us around and we was introduced and greeted like celebrities I don't think we have ever had such warm welcomes. I think they thought we had come from England just to see their boat race. So we stood and watched as these remote control power boats teared around this lake, it was so entertaining but unfortunately we had arrived at the end of the races.
So we called it a day and headed back to our hotel.
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