WEEK 13: Kuching - Miri Marina, Sarawak, Borneo

Saturday 9 July - Kuching
We got to the Rain Forest Music Festival in time for the first workshop and the crew went to the accordion and squeeze box one. I know that sounds a bit daggy but it was fantastic. Imagine seven totally different kinds of squeezeboxes jamming together! Anyway it was great. The others went to the bagpipes one and didn’t enjoy it as much. We caught the fretted instruments one and the voice combined. We had bought chairs to sit on and bagsed a spot on the hill. A group called Shin from Georgia were on first and to us they were the absolute highlight of the festival. Pacific Curls (NZ) were really good, Latvia ok, Paddy Keenan (Ireland) disappointing, Warsaw Village band – just plain angry!! Dominican Republic and USA bought up the end. We stayed for the start of USA and then went home. Its a very long day when you get there early for the workshops as well. The buses were extremely well organised – no waiting at all and the whole thing was well organised – food stalls, beer, wine etc. It was packed but the crowd were orderly. If they got drunk they just went to sleep!

Sunday 10 July – Kuching
Festivalled out, we gave the last day a miss and went to the Sarawak Museum which was excellent and did some shopping then took a local boat across the river and went to see the fort. There was a bag of skulls hanging in a room in the fort – not sure whose but it used to be a jail. We gave our Rainforest tickets to a bloke there so we hope he went and enjoyed it. Would like to have gone but were feeling tired and the one hour to get there and back again a bit wearing. Had a nice meal with Cilantro and an early night.

Monday 11 July – Kuching to Miri
Retrieved our laundry, had another yummy $2 breakfast (for 2), met Cilantro and took a taxi to the airport. Arrived back in Miri and Simon met us with his car and we were back at the marina around 2ish. A few cruisers walked to the restaurant. Had a good meal with good company.

Tuesday 12 July – Miri Marina
The skipper went to town to get our internet sorted – have gone over to DiGi which seems to work better than Hotlink. Just a boat day and ate on board.

Wednesday 13 July – Miri Marina
Happy fourth birthday Jessie – miss you
Walked to town – an interesting street had shops with foot and hand pedal sewing machines, cottons, buttons and everything you could think of to sew (except dress patterns – seems they don’t use them). We walked for ages exploring the place and went to the market where we bought lots of fruit and veges – they had small pineapples two for 33 cents!!! Bought some interesting bananas – they are a blackish green colour when green and turn red when ripe and have thick skins so keep well. Really nice.

Thursday 14 July
The skipper checked the engine and found the alternator arm bracket had cracked in two and the bolt was stripped. He took the bracket to Tim off Rubicon Star and he was able to weld it together as good as new. Put another bolt in but not that happy with it. We emailed Jim from Booker Marine in Scarborough and he gave a few options about the problem with the oil gauge. The skipper went to town and got genuine Yanmar oil filters and different oil but it made no difference which means that it is the oil pressure sender unit which will have to wait till we come home to get another one (in a few months). The marina is totally full and excitement is growing for the Borneo International Yachting Challenge (BIYC) which starts on Sunday. One of the boats had organised a cocktail party on C arm of the Marina so lots of people made some very interesting concoctions and we all took something to eat. At one stage we all had to move as the dock was about four inches from the water with way too many people standing in the one place!!! Was a really good night.

Friday 15 July – Miri Marina
Went to register for the BIYC and get our racing shirts. The marina is very colourful with flags everywhere and some people have dressed their boats. There are about five serious racers and the rest are us cruisers! The racers have been working on their boats for ages. We went to town with Cilantro to go to the market again. Sasli turned up in the afternoon to tell us about the next leg of the rally and some people had prepared pot luck meals. We just bought some nibblies as we were all a bit tired after the cocktail party last night so didn’t stay long – its a tough life!! Race day is Sunday!!!!
Borneo is certainly an interesting (and busy) place. Take care

Love
Dell and Peter