An old lady was burning the soil to fertilizes it for the upcoming planting session.
The rest of the village also do the same, they do not have any fertilizer here, so this is the traditional way for them to do it, passdown from generation.
After failing to go to the Pulau Sampadi, we have try our luck to look for boat at another village nearby. And we reach the Rambungan Village, as this is another village with lesser house than the Sampadi village.
But there is a very long jetty, and there is a group of people fishing there. We went ask for direction, but they have no clue at all, as they are from Kuching (just like us). They are here for the sake of fishing only.
Check out the view at the jetty, breathtaking right. Mangrove tress can be seen just right next to the jetty.
Just look at that blue sky... and the island nearby. It would be super good that able to go visit the island. I'm imagining jumping into the sea for a swim, drinking coconut drinks, taking a nap under the tree shade.
Went to the Sampadi Island last Sunday~~well almost there, cause we can't find any boat to sail us over to the island. We can only enjoy the magnificent view of the island on the Sampadi beach.
However, this time I have took a series of HDR photos to share with you guys. Feel free to download it. Cheers
This is the Sampadi village, where only a few houses available here.
A bit disappointed, cause according to the village there, the island is just 15 mins of boat ride. The island is just there in front of us, with no boat available, this will be just a dream.
So beside the Sampadi Island, there are still others small island. One of the island that I visted before are the Talang Satang Island Read it here
Frankly speaking my friends and I are quite disappointed, as we already equipped with our camera, food, drinks. We try our luck again, as we head for another village nearby to ask for more information, ----------------- read on my next blog ------------
I’ve been to this place few years back, and the construction was not yet complete. And today I get to follow my buddy from the Buddhist temple to revisit the place. That day it rain the whole day, if not I would be able to take more outdoor photos.
From Kuching city to Asajaya it took us around an hour of car ride, beliong is a place name. And to get there we need to cross a river, the temple is situated opposite the river. Though the place was build very remotely, but there are still many people came for praying.
While taking photos, I meet a little boy, a little girl and a dog. Running around with the dog, and playing in the rain. Being kids are good, no worries, no burden, just relax and enjoy everyday life.
Here I made a little clips with the photos and video that I’ve shoot that day :D Is gonna be a busy weekend, so I have to go to bed first. Good night.
I played the google earth few months back to check out is there any mount nearby the the Kuching Serian road, and I notice located about 3KM inside the Siburan Village (17th Mile) of the Kuching Serian road, is a mount called the Sentah Mount. Some local guy took a bunch of photos and upload to the google earth. And I was stunt by those photos; this is definitely a place that I wanted to go.
So last Sunday morning I was equipped with my D90, together with 2 of my aunts. We all drove to mount Sentah, they wanted the morning exercise and I wanted the scenery. It was a cloudy morning, and the fogs are all over the woods, which gives a refreshing feeling. Along the way there are a lot of bamboos, while some part of the mount there are also coco trees. The local villages even used the cliff to plant white pepper.
It took us around 50 minutes to get on the very top of the mount, and surprisingly there are people live there. No wonder I saw some local walk to the mount top, at first I tough they are just like us who came for the walk. Never would have guessed that they actually live here! There is also a church on top of the mount, I recall my memory as I had visited a lot of local villages at Kuching, and notice that there are church in almost every villages. This is a good sign as with the power of religion, it can educate the young one on what is moral, which is better than the kids who had never been to church.
My photography trip ends at the top of this beautiful church, I wanted to take more photos but I can’t, because it started to rain few minutes after I reach the top. So I had to RUN down the hill >_<
======================================== Free Wallpaper from Wilson
The beautiful red leaf plant I shoot when I reach the top of mount Sentah. Click to download :) Red Leaf (with watermark)
Indian spices widely use in the India Cuisine, the spices is to add in that unique flavor to the food. The spices are usually grown from herb plant.
The Indian population at Sarawak is not as much as in the Peninsular, the Indian spice can only been seen at Kuching, if other division like Sibu, Sarikei, or Miri non of this can be found there.
I took this photo in a small lane at the India Street opposite the Kuching Waterfront. The owner of the shop are friendly, as before I took this photo, I show him my camera and the sign of taking photos. He smile at me and twist his head left and right (which means go ahead). What a nice guy :)
This is the last photo I took for my India Street photography journey that day. It was draw on the columns in front on one of the shop that sells clothes at India Street. Very creative.
After we had enough photos at The Bishipgate, then my cousin and I went to the India street. My cousin told me that he wanted to revisit the Battery Street. Commonsense told me that it is name after a battery, so no double that the street sells a lot of batteries. You guess so too?
Well we’re all wrong! As my cousin told me that this is the street where the all the first lamppost are, and this street is the first street to have electricity. (scratch my head) this is not connected right, the street name and the background history. After that I did a search on the net, try to add in more details, but found zero result on the Battery Street at Kuching. And plus my cousin he was a tourist guide, so I believe what he says.
What attract me the most are the building structures, as some of it still maintaining that British building concept, all the lampposts are still in use until today. This is a very windy lane as the end of the street is an open road, so geographically when the wind blows in this little lane, it will flow through the entire lane.
Battery Street is just behind the current police station, this little lane has not more that 20 shoplots. The business operates here are like tailor shop, café, trading company, fashion house, goldsmith shop, mobile phone, and an advocates firm. There are new building coming soon behind this little lane, and I double the government will preserve the building structure here, and is only a matter of time for them to tear this place down and build another new building here.
I might as well take as much photos as I can for memories, after a few year its fate will be just like that old Gambir Street :(
This is a street which stored many historical stories of the Kuching city, to catch up with the new generation a lot shop houses had renovate to keep up with time, but though most of the shop lots has been modernize there are few still keeps its original design and structure.
I had my lunch at the food court opposite the Hiang Thian Siang Ti (Deity of the North) Temple, and my cousin are very satisfy with the price of the food, and not to mention the portion of the kolo noodles. He said compare to Singapore this is food from heaven, is cheap, and is delicious.
The food courts offer drinks, noodles, and tofu with meat. I’m not sure whether they are a family but I do know that they had been working together for more than 10 years. There is one female who gave me a deep impression since the first day I ate here few years ago, she’s in her mid 40 as she had sore all over her head. She’s very hardworking and works at the drinking stall.
There is a Chinese opera theater just inside this food court, and it looks new. A restoration work had been carried out for this theater to make sure that it can grow together with the cities for years to come.
After our lunch, we move on to cruise around this historical street. I’ve been drive pass this street for many times, but to walk and enjoy the view maybe the first time. So it’s really surprise me on what you can gain when you stop the rushing life for a while and start to enjoy the view.
My cousin brings me to an old lane which has a very famous shoe maker, there is no brand on his shoes, and one pair maybe will cost around RM200 + or more. According to my brother what is so special about him is that every pair of shoes is purely 100% handmade. You can stay there to watch the process on how he made shoes from the beginning to end. Tailor made to fir your foot, so guaranty comfortable. He uses 100% pure leather so I guess each shoe he sold, the customer will probably only come back for another 3 or 5 years.
Beside the shoe maker’s shop is an old shop, it didn’t use any grill but is wooden gate door. Some of the wood had been attack by termites. We are attracted by a bicycle in front of the shop. It reminds me of my grandpa as he also had one and he will always ride his iron horse to the coffee shop to drink coffee every morning.
We start to take photo of the old bicycle, and an old lady came along. She smile at us, and told us that this is more than 100 years old. The bicycle had a trademark, I can’t see clearly what it is, but the lady said is 3 guns, and this is imported from UK last time. The bicycle belongs to her late husband, and after her husband passed away, it had left there ever since. There are people who intend to buy it from her, but she refuse to sell it.
Old shop, 100 years old bicycle, and an old lady, there must be hundreds of stories happen between her and her husband. I wish she will stay healthy and happy always. And also hope that the heritage along this street can be keep untouched in another hundred years to come. If destroy, this will be a huge lost to the history of the old Kuching Town.
Kampung Mundai is situated at 22nd Mile, a Malay and Native village which is very near to the Tapah Village. I wake up early that morning, and I always wanted to take some village scenery shoots, I think this would be that perfect time. I start my car and drive into junction just 500 meter away from Tapah Village.
I’m driving in a snake like road, as the road has many sharp turn, and driving up and down of hills roads. Along the road site I can see that there are lots of paddy fields, there are also other plantation like papaya, pineapple, bamboo, corn and rambutan.
The Mundai village has a small library, an Omni shop, and a catholic church. There is a water treatment center, this center provide clean water to Tapah Village, Beratok Village, Mundai Village, and the rest of the village in this area (from 21st to 23rd Mile of Kuching Serian Road).
Most of the people who live here have cars, but their main transportation is bike. They can ride heir bike to the paddy field, and carry the crops out easily. Some of the native people which live in a more remote area will usually walk, when the time I drive along the outskirt road I saw a guy carrying a big basket of stuff on his bag while walking to the main road direction.
I keep on driving, and frequently stop by the road site when I see good scene. When I reach the paddy field, the paddy green was greener than the grass. I stop at the junction where I saw a signboard saying Forward Padawan/Borneo Highland, Right Janbu/Karu road. I was a bit shock when notice that this road actually linked to Borneo Highland, and Padawan Town (10th Mile of Kuching Serian Road).
This is where my photography journey ends for that morning, so I took a U-Turn and drive back home. Just when I reach at the green paddy field it started to rain, but it was just drizzling and just before I was second away from the main Kuching Seraian road the rain had stop.
I wonder why is there a big rock in the middle of the field? At Tapah village, there’s also a place where it is full of similar rocks.
The amount paddies at this field are greater than others like the one at the opposite site, from geological point of view the river must have play an important role in helping the paddies to grow.
I like coconut drinks, but here the village boy they just let it drop and no one pick it.
Here is a 135° angle view of the green paddy that I mention. (click the image for full view)
Click to enlarge
The Color of Spices
双龙出海
The Mask of the Death
After we had enough photos at The Bishipgate, then my cousin and I went to the India street. My cousin told me that he wanted to revisit the Battery Street. Commonsense told me that it is name after a battery, so no double that the street sells a lot of batteries. You guess so too?
This is a street which stored many historical stories of the Kuching city, to catch up with the new generation a lot shop houses had renovate to keep up with time, but though most of the shop lots has been modernize there are few still keeps its original design and structure. 
The food courts offer drinks, noodles, and tofu with meat. I’m not sure whether they are a family but I do know that they had been working together for more than 10 years. There is one female who gave me a deep impression since the first day I ate here few years ago, she’s in her mid 40 as she had sore all over her head. She’s very hardworking and works at the drinking stall. 
There is a Chinese opera theater just inside this food court, and it looks new. A restoration work had been carried out for this theater to make sure that it can grow together with the cities for years to come. 
Beside the shoe maker’s shop is an old shop, it didn’t use any grill but is wooden gate door. Some of the wood had been attack by termites. We are attracted by a bicycle in front of the shop. It reminds me of my grandpa as he also had one and he will always ride his iron horse to the coffee shop to drink coffee every morning. 
