Borneo: Part 1

We’ve made it Borneo and Ian is greatly reassured by being back on an island. He doesn’t understand land borders and doesn’t like living in a place that has them. In any event, we’ve arrived and although we haven’t really even done anything yet, this is quickly shaping up to be one of my favourite trips.

We landed in Kuching around lunchtime after a lengthy delay due to crashed computer systems in KL and a bumpy ride over the South China Sea. The airport was full of Malay, Chinese, Sarawak natives and a handful of tired, hardened Western travellers with mud-caked boots and dripping with jungle-gear all getting flights either back to civilization or into deepest, darkest Borneo.

I had fairly high expectations for Kuching, as I had (as always) done my homework before coming. My expectations were further heightened when just days after sorting out the final details of our trip I stumbled upon a massive spread in the NYT about Borneo in which the author (a writer for Lonely Planet) had recently not only done a trip that included our exact itinerary, but also stayed in the same guesthouse that just days before we had booked ourselves into.

After a quick taxi ride in from the airport we arrived at our guesthouse and were greeted by Eric, the now-famed guesthouse proprietor from the NYT article. He set us up asked where we were from and proudly displayed for us the recent article that someone had been kind enough to send him from the States.

Our room was just what we required. Luxurious for having it’s own bathroom and AC, but basic in a thoroughly charming way and an absolute bargain at $25 a night. We are a short walk into town, but far enough away to not attract a lot of backpackers and it is mercifully quiet; more or less an adult hostel.

We set out to explore Kuching and it was instantly a refreshing break from KL. Quiet, clean (as little garbage as I have seen anywhere in Asia, save Japan) and we quickly found that drivers even use turn-signals here. Apparently, you come to Borneo for a bit of civilization.

The waterfront along the Sarawak River is incredibly picturesque. Renovated in 1993 it has a wide cobblestone path that winds along the river where there are a few scattered food-stalls serving satay and fruit juice with plenty of locals milling about chatting and relaxing on park benches. Local boats, that look like canoes with a little roof on them ferry people back and forth across the river, including loads of school children. A few fishermen also dot the river and from nearly every point along the path you have an unimpeded view of the impressive Sarawak state capitol building which not totally incongruously alongside little scatterings of traditional Malay homes built on stilts. At sunset the sky went several shades or pink, purple, yellow and orange and little fairy lights came on, lighting the way along the waterfront.

Sarawak is well-known as a place to buy native hand-crafts. Souvenir shops line the streets behind the waterfront, plenty of them selling corny t-shirts and factory made versions of traditional items. Carry on though and you quickly learn to distinguish the tat from the real deal. There is plenty of cool stuff to be had here, local medicine pots, swords, statues to keep away evil spirits and hand-woven textiles. Even better, you can go into these places and the store clerks don’t stalk you and walk around telling you they’ll give you ‘best discount.’ You can browse in peace.

Which brings me round to the locals themselves; we had been told by friends before coming that the locals everywhere in Borneo are incredibly friendly. We believed them but clearly didn’t grasp just how friendly. People constantly say hello to you, not in a pestering way, but genuinely just to say hello and welcome. Little children who can muster up the courage to overcome their shyness love to say hello and give you a vigorous little wave.

There are of course, as everywhere, plenty of other Westerners about, but on the whole this place feels remarkably un-touristy. No crowds, no queues, no hassle. In many ways it’s like a smaller, quieter Melaka.

The food here is absolutely amazing. Everything has the same name as in peninsular Malaysia, but tastes quiet different. Ian had a beef rendang yesterday that was clearly cooked in the same method – melt in your mouth tender with plenty of coconut milk, but the spicing was completely unlike anything we’d had before. We also had the best Kway Teow (which is essentially the Malaysian version of pad-Thai) that we’ve had yet and even our chicken satay was just that little bit different. Perhaps best of all, an ice cold can of Tiger will only set you back about $1.50.