A VISIT TO KUCHING
After 2 visits to Kuching, I
thought that was my last visit. My first visit was a very long time ago with
MAS Golden holidays. I just remember the hotel and the cheap price we paid.
May be it was before the 80's. Sarawak was not so developed then as it is
today. I also do not remember the date of the second visit but I am sure it
was after 1983. We visited my friend, Hamka, who were with us while in
Bloomington Indiana.
Though from time to time I and
my wife talk about Hamka and his wife, it did nit cross my mind that I would
be making another one. Occasionally my wife told me about what he saw in the
TV. She saw the boat cruise along the Sarawak River and told me it would be
nice if she can ride it.
As I have been talking much
about my Dayton's Visit on the coming May, she was getting worried because I
told her that I would go alone if nobody come with me. Then quietly she rang
up Hamka. Unknowing to us Hamka was suffering from stroke and jus recovered.
His wife was severely ill. So I decided to visit my friend and his wife. As
usual we have to look at all the chores that lie ahead; about our medical
check up, attending the kenduris, my work at my old school. And of course
the availability of the plane ticket.
I went to MAS office at the
air-port and made an inquiry about MAS Golden Holidays to Sarawak. Not too
easy, we need to contact Kuala Lumpur. I asked for any other flight. "What
date ? You must tell me the date," the MAS man said. "Any date after Cinese
New Year." He checked and said the available date was on the 23rd. When I
Oked him he asked me for the return date. "Any." "How about the 26th ?"
I agreed. The cost was RM642 from Alor Setar to Kuching for one person and
return.
In the meantime I was surfed the
internet looking for the hotel. I decided to stay in the Holiday Inn, which
has acquired a new name, Magretta. I send my e-mail to the Holiday Inn. No
reply. On the 23rd we
flew from Alor Setar to Kuala Lumpur. I went to the airport with my 13 year
old Kanchil. The inside part of the roof collapse. I used a tape to
temporarily fix it. When I placed the wheel chair at the back seat, the top
of the chair supported it. I was able to see the rear end. Since the air
condition was not working I opened all the 4 doors. Immediately after
the morning prayer we shot out of the house.
At Kuala Lumpur I saw my wife was talking to a
pilot whom I did not recognized. later she told me he was married to my
neighbors daughter. When boarding the plane my wife was asked to sit at the
first class section. I continued to go to the economy class but the air
hostess called me back. So I was in the First Class. I whispered to my
wife of the food we were going to have. A kampong people like us did not
know to behave at such a seat. The First Class food was fantastic. We
thanked God. On the
plane I talked about the possibility of staying at Holiday Inn. My wife said
'Riverside Hotel'. She continued to repeat 'Riverside'. When we arrived we
went to the booking counter. I mentioned Holiday Inn. She mentioned
Riverside. I paid RM810 for the 3 nights at the Riverside. We paid RM26 from
Kuching Air-port to the hotel. The air-port is huge compared to Alor Setar
and I saw expansion work was going on. Even Kuching itself is developing
very rapidly.
I asked the taxi driver, a
Chinese lady, about 'Sugar Bun'. She said the restaurant is still there but
the taste is not as good as before. We gathered quite enough information
about taxi fares to several locations. When finally we arrived at the hotel,
I did not find it was the same as I stayed before. We checked in. My wife
argued it was a water front hotel. I said no. I left her in the room and
went to do a survey of the nearby area. I have to cross the road to go to
the Water Front. When I came back I told her, the mistake she made.
She was heated up and said she wanted to return to
Malaysia and she rang up the hotel administration saying she wanted to
change the hotel. Finally the man at the air port from whom we made the
booking rang me up saying that we could move to the Magaretta Hotel. After
seeing my wife was cool a little I asked her to get prepared to go Hamka's
House. At about 6 pm,
we took a taxi to Hamka's house. My wife gave the address to the taxi
driver. We were charged RM12, the same price the lady driver had informed us
previously. Hamka was surprise to see me. And was more surprise to see my
wife using a walker. He and his wife were very happy to see us and we chat
about the sickness. Hamka looked different from before. His body a little
slimmer and face a little pale. His wife was much slimmer as compared to
before. I guess she has lost more than half of her former weight.
Hamka was suffering from stoke and the wife from
multiple kind of illnesses, from normal fever to skin affection and swollen
neck. She could not walk for several days and had gone to see all sort of
traditional doctors. Whatever I have to remind Hamka not to forget the
aspirin and those other Western medicine which could prevent blood clot. I
have been consuming aspirin for quite some time too.
Hamka sent us back to the hotel after we went to a
sea food restaurant. We insisted that he should not have sent us there. He
asked me what was the plan for the next day. I said there is a hotel tour
which we might follow, among the package is to see the Orang Utan. He said
he would come and fetch us at 2.30 pm.
On the 24th. morning it was drizzling. After
breakfast i carried two bags with me and crossed the road to Grand Magaretta
checking whether there was any booking made under my name. It was. I was
given the key to my room. It was room 941. I went up and put both of my bags
there. I returned to the Riverside and took the largest luggage and finally
I pushed my wife.
A little later I pushed my
wife to the lobby and waited for the rain to stop. Then I took her to the
Water Front, looking at the river and the people. The Sarawakians are kind
people. Where ever young and old wished us and talked to us, asking us where
we came from, telling us where to buy cheap food. When I reached the said
boat cruise flat form, she read the information about the cruise. The fee is
RM60 per person . There trip would be from 5.30 - 7 pm. But going up the
boat was almost impossible for the wheel chair. She decided not to go.
I pushed her back and arrived at the hotel at about
2 pm. I took a short nap because the pushing job was quite tough. She too
went horizontal. At 2.20 we got ready and waited for Hamka. Hamka too us
around to several places. "We come to see sick people, and the sick people
took us around. This is not right..."We kept on telling Hamka and his wife.
We told them not to take us anywhere on the 25th. We had our own plan.
My wife was happy sleeping and even refused
breakfast. I went down alone and tasted the delicious nasi lemak and the
roti canai and hash brown. After the breakfast I went to several supermarket
around looking for ways which I could take her along. Then I crossed the
river. The boat's charge is fixed by the government 40 cents one way during
the day time and RM1.00 at night. On the other side food stalls still
closed. They opened in the evening and at night. I walked about to look at
houses and the people. Before I returned I bought Mee Mamak and Nasi Goreng
which cost me RM4.00 each.
My wife chose the fried rice and I took the Mee.
The taste of the Mee Mamak was fantastic. My wife said the Fried Rice was
tasty and delicious. True as what people had told us, food are cheaper and
taste better on the side of the river.
Sarawak river is very clean unlike what we are
having in Kedah. With polite and kind people, you won't be surprise to see
the river so very clean.
Food at the hotel is expensive. How expensive ? I tried a fried
rice with my wife. I paid RM38.00 with plain water.
I brought my laptop along with me because I told my
former school to contact with me using the message form of the school web
page in case it has any problem with the printing of the school leaving
certificates. It was the internet cable. But on connecting I need to
purchase the time; RM15 per hour. I had the money but it was too expensive
for the internet time. I wrote a basic program trying to access the school
web page directly but failed. May be I need to learn more about the network
system.
In the evening while watching TV we got an SMS from
Hamka's sister inviting us for dinner. Hamka's sister was formerly a teacher
.So was his brother in-law. But both are retired. So that night we had a
dinner at the same hotel and chit chat until late at night. They not only
treat us with dinner but also presented us with Batik and Sarong.
Or departure date was on the 26th. We told Hamka
not to fetch us to the airport. But he insisted. I had to explain that his
car could not take us because of the luggage and the wheel chair. He agreed
and promised us to meet at the airport. After Friday prayer Hamka and his
wife arrived. Again there were gifts and he went back after seeing the plane
piloted by his son lifted off.
We left Kuching at 4 pm, arriving Kuala Lumpur at
5.30 pm. A little later there was a heavy downpour. The plane was delayed.
Finally we arrive our beloved home at 10.00 pm. From Kuching with love.
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