Kuching is one of those cities I only planned to stay for a couple days before heading back to Thailand.  But a couple days turned into eight and between the food festival, Ramadan markets, friendly people, and nearby National Parks I have found a lot more in Kuching than I ever expected.  I stayed at one of the best hostels I've experienced this entire trip with a few people I had met in Mulu.  We were the only ones in the hostel for much of my stay so it was more like having a private apartment than staying in a hostel and the owner was beyond amazing.

View from a walk along the river in Kuching

After arriving at the hostel Wes, the owner, gave us a very thorough and informative rundown of the city and what events were going on.  Afterwards he was even kind enough to give us a ride to the Kuching food festival.  Out of hundreds of food stalls I chose to sample fried durian, some type of fish cooked in leaves, a sweet bean curd pudding, sticky rice dumplings, and mango pancakes which were my absolute favorite.  They were more like crepes and were filled with homemade cream and delicious ripe mango.  So good.  

Kuching food festival

I spent one of my nights in Kuching camping at Bako National Park.  The park was gorgeous and I enjoyed it even more than I did Gunung in Mulu.  While Mulu did have caves to explore, the park itself was so much more guided that Bako.  While in Bako we were able to trek through the jungle on minimal paths and climb and swim in waterfalls.  The beaches reminded me of the live action Flinstones movie from the 90s with the jungle, vines, and rocks lining the beach.  There were also macaques and wild boars roaming everywhere in the park as well as the occasional proboscis monkey sighting.  

Beach at Bako National Park

Climbed up a gorgeous waterfall in Bako and found a lovely pool to relax in

Unfortunately I also fell ill in Kuching for the first time in my trip.  It was nothing serious, some dehydration and stomach pain, but after two days of not being able to move and barely eat I figured it was time to see a doctor.  I didn't know what to expect going to see a doctor in Malaysia, but after having done so I was frustrated with how much more difficult it is to get healthcare in the US.  In Malaysia, and much of Southeast Asia, hospitals are more for urgent care or emergencies while clinics are for minor illnesses.  I walked into a clinic without an appointment and wrote my name and date of birth on a piece of notebook paper.  Five minutes later I was in the room having my vitals taken by a nurse while talking with a very fluent english speaking doctor about my symptoms.  Twenty minutes later I had a prescription for rehydration salts and pills for stomach pain that I filled at the dispensary next to reception.  My entire visit was about 30 minutes and 20 of that was spent speaking to a licensed doctor.  Total cost for visit and prescriptions was 25 Ringgit or about $8.30 US.  Unbelievable.

I was back on my feet shortly after my trip to the clinic and managed a quiet day of visiting markets and even caught a showing of the Dark Knight later that night.  While I try to avoid most western foods and culture while in Asia, and definitely favor more local entertainment and fares, sometimes I just need a relaxation day.  Especially while still in recovery mode.  

Weekend market

I also managed to make it to another one of Kuching's national parks to see the Rafflesia flower.  The Rafflesia only blooms for 4-6 days every 5 months before dying and can grow up to a meter in diameter.  It also gives off a very pungent odor and looks very much like one of those fleshy plastic props you would find in Knobbies (a party supply store in Omaha). 

Rafflesia

While checking out the Rafflesia one of the girls at my hostel and I met a couple doctors who worked in Kuching.  They offered us a ride back to the city, saving us an hour and a half on a bus, and even took us to dinner and it only served as a reaffirmation of how amazing the people in Malaysia are.  I've never met friendlier and more hospitable people than I have while travelling around Malaysia. It was also fascinating to hear her views on Malaysian healthcare, especially having just gone to the clinic. Later that night we went with one of the doctors to a golf themed karaoke bar for a few drinks and some unfortunate singing on my part. If you're curious as to what a golf themed karaoke bar is, it is simply a karaoke bar (which are very popular here) with pictures of professional golfers and very large portraits of the owner in his golf attire.

One of the doctors we met, a girl from my hostel, and myself singing karaoke
As a favor to the internet I did not include audio