*Miao...*

33°C

Current: Mostly Cloudy
Wind: SW at 6 km/h
Humidity: 89%

The weather in Kuching is very hot and humid, but the sky is so beautiful that I'm in love with the skies of Kuching.

My flight to Kuching was delayed for 45 minutes, shucks, not enough delay time to get AA to compensate my wasted time. By the time I reached Kuching it was already 9pm and the first thing I did when I reached was to eat of course! We went to this place called 3-Point. My my, I must tell you, the best dish that I've eaten is the sauteed Midin in red wine. Midin is a kind of fern popular amongst the locals in East Malaysia. It's tender and crunchy at the same time. I just love that dish. The closest thing we have here is Pucuk (also another type of fern), but Pucuk is not as tasty as Midin.

Laksa Lemak, Laksa Asam, Laksa Penang, Laksa Johor. Which one you like best?

I've heard so much about Laksa Sarawak and I really do wonder whether it's any better than Laksa Penang. To my surprise, it turns out to be really good, no wonder Sarawakians don't like Laksa Lemak nor Laksa Penang. You cannot compare Laksa Lemak to Laksa Sarawak, it's just different, even though it may looks like Laksa Lemak but it's not. There's coconut milk in the soup but the herbs they used is different so it gives you a different kick and tastes so much better than a normal Laksa Lemak. 

Who said food in Kuching is not good? They're good! The Popiah is very different than the ones we're used to but it's also very nice. Though the skin is thicker but the special crunchy peanut sauce gives it a very pleasant twist to it and pair it with the sauce (sweet sauce+ grounded chilli) you just cannot have enough of it. 

Then off to Santubong we go. Look at the sky and the river, it's so beautiful.

What's interesting in Santubong? The non existing beach (but amazing sea view) and a Cultural Village. I find RM60 a little bit expensive for the entry ticket but it's quite worth going. You get to see the different ethnic houses and their cultural lifestyles. They even showcase 45 minutes of different cultural dances twice daily. 

It's very cool to see the long houses, the Melanau Tall House, the Ulu House, the Penan Hut, the sword making, how to use a blowpipe, traditional food and crafts making and listen to their traditional music and watch them dance. So don't miss it.

After the Cultural Village it's time for lunch!

We went to a nearby fish village and had this Seafood Bihun Soup. Initially I thought the portion was a little bit too big and the weather is too hot for a piping hot seafood soup. But I WAS WRONG.

No, I did not just got out of jail but this seafood soup is really tasty, the soup is naturally sweet due to the freshness of the seafood and the portion is just nice and now I'm forever hooked onto this seafood soup and will not be able to taste anything as good as this unless I fly to Kuching and drive towards Santubong, best part is it's only RM5.

The weather is really hot, really really hot, I have no idea how much sweat I produced, so daily dosage of ice cold dessert is a must. The ABC in Kuching is slightly different, there's only evaporated milk, syrup, jelly and corn  but it doesn't matter, because it tastes just as good as any ABC. 

Then I was introduced to Belacan Bihun.

Frankly, I couldn't stand the smell because of the Belacan soup but when you taste it. Hahahaa....it's quite surprisingly nice. All they put is bean sprouts, sliced cucumber and the noodles but I think they put significant amount of asam in the soup that's why it's sweet and sour and very appetizing. 

The next day, I went around  visiting cat statues, cat museums, state museums, temples, old town, river front, around town and about to get to know Kuching a little bit better.

I like Kuching very much, I think it's a very peaceful yet fully equip and clean. People used to say that Kuching is very backdated but with the recent development, I think Kuching is just as good as any town if not better.

Luicha -  Hakka Dish.

To all the meat lovers out there, this is probably the worst punishment when it comes to food.

There's NO meat in the concoction, only vegetables, beans, spring onions, taukuah, leaves, pickles and peanuts and the soup consists of mint, basil and more leaves and herbs.  But for all the vege lovers out there, this dish is a must try. I love it so much, I had it two days in a row. To eat it, you have to mix all the ingredients together (with or without rice) and add the soup into the bowl. The soup can be a tad bitter but mix it with the veges it somehow neutralizes the bitter taste and gives it a pleasant minty green taste to it. Definitely a must try dish when you visit Kuching. Then again, this is an acquired taste and most people find it hard to accept it on their first try.

Another famous dish in Kuching is Kolok Mee.

People in Kuching eat early, by the time I reached the place at 9.30am, everything was sold out. So I had to eat it differently. Ended up eating a completely different noodle that reminds me of Pork Noodle, however, it was still a good breakfast.

More ABC to counter the heat and rojak to snack. :) 

Saturday is their Local Market for the natives and I just had to go.

Everything is fresh, succulent and cheap.

The seafood, you just feel like packing everything up and ship them home.

The local veges, you just wish you could buy a year's supply. 

The orchids, you wish they belonged in your garden.

My base camp for the 3 days I was in Kuching.

These flowers are from her lovely garden.

Not only the flowers are beautiful there are also various fruit trees, just that the season is not right to savour them.

I had a great trip to Kuching, I really do love this little town very much, most of all, I had a really great host - my aunt and her family. I would definitely visit them again in the future.

I'm glad for the family that I have. *love love love*