SS Quah's Anything Goes: A Kuching break

Kuching isn't just about the Rainforest World Music Festival. There are so many other wonderful things to do here, which is why Sarawak remains one of our favourite places to visit. Despite the distance from Penang, we've been to Sarawak several times. I suppose part of the allure is that my paternal grandmother was from Sarawak. She married my grandfather, a home-grown Penangite, and moved to Penang, but she would go back to Kuching for visits. I still remember, as a kid, waiting at Swettenham Pier for her ship to arrive from Borneo. Back then, that was the main way people travelled between Penang and Borneo—by ship. I probably still have relatives in Kuching; the last I heard, they lived in Kenyalang Park. However, my last few attempts to track them down amounted to nought, so I've given up on reconnecting with them.

During this latest trip to Kuching, we didn't venture beyond Santubong, where the music festival was held. On our arrival day, we caught up with a friend at one of Kuching's best-known spots: Kantin at The Granary. This modern, open warehouse-style restaurant, located near the waterfront, offered a fusion of Western and local dishes. The food was fresh and tasty, with the pasta and rainforest rice standing out from the menu. The only downside was the online ordering system, which was a hassle for someone like me. Despite that, we were up for the challenge. After dinner, we took a leisurely stroll along the waterfront, soaking in the night air and enjoying the fountain show from across the Sarawak River. The illuminated Legislative Assembly building added a calming touch to our evening.

We spent the morning of the second day exploring the streets of Kuching's old Chinatown. Very little has changed since we were last here five years ago. Down we went along Ewe Hai Street to order a kolo mee breakfast at the Kim Joo coffee shop. There was just a small crowd when we arrived but by the time the food came, the place was packed. We must have brought in the crowd. Later as we strolled down Carpenter Street, a continuation of Ewe Hai Street but with a different name, what struck us was that Kuching, or at least this road, still retained much of its old world charm. Time almost standing still. At best, time was strolling along slowly, like us. Along both sides of this road, as well as the feeder roads, were countless old proprietary or family businesses such as the chhai tiam-ah or sundry shops, kay-see tiam or furniture shops, kim tiam or goldsmith shops, t'ng tiam or pawn shops, kah-chhia tiam or bicycle shops, teh-hiok tiam or tea merchants and t'ng-lang iok tiam or Chinese medicinal shops. Dotted among them were the traditional kopi tiam or coffee shops, modern coffee joints, Chinese tradesman associations and temples. Heck, we even saw a kua-chhar tiam or coffin shop tucked in there. Eventually, we reached the Lau Ya Keng food court and found the koay chhap irresistible. With our shopping, eating and exploring behind us, it was time to head back to the hotel and prepare ourselves for the bus ride to Santubong.

The morning of the third day was all a hectic rush. Absolutely no time to wander around Kuching again. Hastily repacking our luggage and the Buddha statue, we then grabbed a ride to the Kuching international airport for the next leg of our short holiday to rendezvous with our daughter in Kuala Lumpur.

Kantin at The Granary