Typical of our 600 km journey from Bintulu to Kuching today were the cloudy skies, rural countryside with paddy fields glowing in colours of gold and ochre. It's harvesting time. We encountered only two spots of isolated rain after the town of Sibu and Sri Aman and there again only for very short spells. We left Bintulu at 9.30 am and arrived Kuching at 8.00 pm after two pit stops at Sibu and Sri Aman rest area.Sibu Sights (and surprises )
We had lunch at Sibu, after a 3 hours journey from Bintulu, and parked our car at the multi-storey car park above which resembled more like a corporate building or a bank. First surprise.
Sibu is the only town where poultry are wrapped in newspapers and tied with raffia strings to enable easy weighing. And to the farthest end of the picture, ducks included. Surprise no.2.
This human powered vehicle is called a rickshaw. Yes, it's not for show. You can take a ride around Sibu town with it. Such antiques are absent from the streets of Bintulu or Kuching. Third surprise.
I think Sibu has the most express boats, pontoon wharves, speed boats and motor launches in Sarawak. There's no doubt about it. Express boats are highly powered and lenghty metal boats ( left of picture) that can carry 40-50 passengers and are used to travel upriver destinations where the engine power must be sufficient enough to go against the fast river currents. Years of experience have made Sibu express boat makers the preferred choice of river transportation operators from Brazil to China. Sibu exports express boats. Fourth surprise.Well, there be more surprises in store. In the meantime, Kuching here we come!.
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