Kuching museums and cuisine

'How was your flight?' Which means 'How sick did you get this time?'

Not sick at all!

I didn't sleep well on the overnight from Sydney to Singapore, but I simply loved the morning flight from Singapore to Kuching. A window seat, a full moon, a sunrise, and amazing cloud formations. Unfortunately the photos just don't do it justice.

Then we flew over the mountainous terrain and rivers of Sarawak.

My grab driver was a young Chinese man whose family came here during the Rajah's reign (museum number 1) and who spoke 4 or 5 languages. 

Then what a joy to meet up with Hamish, have breakfast and a shower and start our adventure. 

Walking along the waterfront we talked travel, history, culture and politics, and admired the skill of the boatmen clearing the river. 

Museum number 1 - The Brooke Gallery in Fort Marguerite. 

James Brooke was a rich English adventurer who bought an old Navy battleship in the 1840s and forced the Sultan of Brunei to make him Rajah of Sarawak. He and two of his descendants then managed to keep enough of the indigenous tribes on their side rule over, or rule for the benefit of, the indigenous and Chinese population (depending on your perspective) for over 100 years. Finally the third White Rajah handed it to the British Empire in 1946. With plenty of memorabilia from the Brooke family, the story was told from a very rosy perspective, creating plenty of conversation for Hamish and me. Having never heard of the White Rajahs until a month ago and then spending many hours listening to podcasts about them, I really enjoyed the museum. 

(James Brooke's ceremonial sword)

A quick run through a downpour and we had a delicious lunch at the 'English Tea House' on the river. The food was anything but English! 

Museum number 2 - the Borneo Cultures Museum

I had heard that this new museum was world class and they were not wrong! Fantastic exhibits about the different settings (coastal, rainforests and highlands) and cultures of the various indigenous groups of Sarawak, plus a journey through time beginning with a skull over 35,000 years old. 

Some highlights:

A replica headhunters ceremonial house (a Baruk) look closely!

A Book of Common Prayer translated into the local language in 1857 with a dedication from the Anglican bishop. It was found in Melbourne years later and donated to the museum.

A monument to the Australian paratroopers dropped behind Japanese lines and aided by the Kelabit people who had been influenced and educated by Australian missionaries from the 1920s. (Btw the Australian campaign in Borneo in 1945 was bigger than Gallipoli (75000 troops) - and I had never heard of it till a month ago!)

And a low light - the man selling the tickets to the museum looked at Hamish and asked him if he was a student. Then he looked at me and asked how old I was. I thanked him for asking, assuming he thought I might be a student as well, but Hamish helped me to realise that he was checking whether I should be offered the seniors' rate!

How to round off a great first day? After some down time, we enjoyed a delicious indigenous cuisine-inspired meal at Lepau Restaurant - featured on a tv show about Sarawak cuisine which Danielle and I watched and recommended by Hamish's Grab (uber) driver. 

Cant wait for day 2!