Kuching, Malaysia

We arrived in Kuching, Malaysia for the World Interhash. This is the view from our hotel window. Kuching is a small riverfront town surrounded by jungle. We were woken each morning at 5am to the Muslim “call to prayer.” The town is much like Kuala Lumpar in that it is a blend of Indian, Chinese and Malay cultures.

We arrived just in time to do the Red Dress Run. Men and women alike wear red dresses. This event is run all over the world and proceeds go to charity. Moments after taking this picture a curtain of rain came across the field…and it poured for the next hour. We ran a 5K through the middle of town dripping wet with water up to our ankles! The locals got a good laugh!

The next day we headed to an orangutan sanctuary. These monkeys were rescued and are going through rehabilitation. At some point they would be put back into the wild. Currently they are free…no fences….They are fed bananas, coconuts and other fruits to supplement their diets AND to allow the tourists to view them. This orangutan wanted to see how many bananas she could fit in her mouth!

There were two tiny babies. This one was playing with a plastic water bottle. Just like human babies with pots and pans...it doesn't take much to entertain them!

This was the “cranky” momma…her baby is clinging to her. She decided to move over to the other feeding station. The handlers were telling the tourists to get OUT of the way…and quick. Our friend Michael is the one in the yellow shirt front and center that cranky momma is giving the eye to.

Interhash! Free beer, transportation (that got us lost every time), dinner buffets, nightly entertainment (dancing, music), three porta-potties for EACH sex (yes…six total)…all for 5000 people. Yes…it was a mass chaos. We are just happy to be with good friends and getting some great runs in.

We had a traditional breakfast of Laksa…called the “Borneo breakfast.” It is a bowl of noodles with a coconut gravy, shrimp, chicken, bean sprouts, lime, and cilantro on top. Delicious! Oh, and by the way…I am happy to report that our stomachs have adapted. We are the only tourists not popping Imodium.

We took a riverboat cruise on our last night in Kuching. Dean and I (after traveling In SE Asia) expected a rickety putt-putt boat. We were pleasantly surprised…nice boat, cold beer, and traditional dancing.

I just like this picture….the bride and groom look so out of place! Rickety bridge and fishing boat...hmmmm. On to a whirlwind tour of Singapore!