14-Nov-2022
Our road trip continues to go well. (For the previous four instalments, start here, and work your way forwards.)
Over the last couple of days (which have been wildly different weather-wise, with one very hot, and one very wet), we've made a number of short excursions from our base in Sibu.
Yesterday's park was Bukit Lima Nature Reserve. This is a very pleasant area, with kilometres of board walks winding through the forest, plus an observation tower offering nice views:
It was Open Day yesterday. Impossible to sneak past the guy with the microphone, unfortunately, but we had a nice little chat with one of the forestry team, which has the massive job of protecting Sarawak's plants and animals.
Today's park was Taman Jubli Bukit Aup. It was a piddly old day, and we were glad we'd brought the big umbrellas. Nevertheless, this is a delightful place for a stroll. Steps and ramps lead to viewing platforms or lakes or little gardens. You're constantly beckoned onwards, with pleasing vistas round every corner.
We noticed offerings placed on poles, but didn't realize until later that these would be for Naga Bari. She is the benevolent spirit of an Iban princess, who readily helps those who call upon her.
Our climate is death on the built environment, and staying on top of the maintenance is a tough task...
The surrounding area has lots of cemeteries, clearly visible from the heights of Bukit Aup:
Our mosque (visited as part of yesterday's expedition into town) was Masjid Al-Qadim. Over 100 years old, it reopened just this year after protracted restoration work.
This is how we saw it in 2018...
... and here's what it looks like now
I was sorry to see, though, that Death Row, as I used to call it, has lost all its warnings of impending doom, and become sadly anodyne:
Of course, we also revisited the river and the main temple, while we were in the centre of town:
Today's temple was gloriously quirky. Sources variously name it the Seven Star Tiger Temple and the Tiger Emperor Temple. Apart from the basics, I can find little information.
It's an artificially constructed cave:
At the front are two tiger guardians:
And inside is a whirlwind of tiger deities:
Having included a mosque and a temple, it felt kind of rude not to feature any of Sibu's Christian heritage:
This is the striking tower of the Sing Ang Tong Methodist Church, which we always seem to pass, no matter where we're going
And I'll round off with our last visit to The Coffee Code, and another "codetail":
Tomorrow we head home...