30 November 2015. Cat Museum and Semenggok

I planned to go to Semenggok this morning, hopefully to see the the semi-wild orangutans at their afternoon feeding time. I had planned to get the 09.50 bus and stay the rest of the day. However, I got to the bus stop soon after the bus had departed - early. Also, it transpired that the Reserve might not be open through the day but instead close between 11.00 and 2.00. I'm still not really clear! Anyway, I now had three hours until the 1.00 bus.  Not wanting to waste the time away, I caught a bus to the cat museum. When I was dropped off, I couldn't believe the building I was pointed to. It was cathedral like in its size and approached up a road with a beautifully cultivated verge.  When I got there, it transpired that the building also housed the regional government and the Cat Museum was just a part of it. Being on a slight hill, it afforded great views back to Kuching.

The museum is still an absolute haven for cat lovers. It houses many collections of all sorts of different cats - porcelain, pictures, the works. There must be thousands of items. There are also interesting explanations of different aspects of cats, such as the Egyptians' worship of cats, cat funeral ceremonies, and the significance of whiskers and purring. I must confess I took in as much as I wanted pretty speedily  but I imagine some people - including my late mother and her sister - could make a day of it.

Once I was done, I went back to the bus stop and waited a while, at which point a kind couple in a car pulled up and offered me a lift into town. Not the sort of helpfulness we are used to in England!


They dropped me off at the Merdeka Place and advised me to take a look at one of the trees. This I duly did and read the plaque beneath it.

Back in Kuching, I got on the bus to Semenggok half an hour early to make use of the cooling system and the bus quickly filled up. I could see why the one I missed had left early. The driver sold the tickets and immediately after a lady walked down the bus to cancel them. It didn't seem the most efficient system but who am I to judge?

The trip to Semenggok is not the most uplifting and takes about 45 minutes. Once at the park, there is a 15-minute walk to the main area where the feeding takes place. The walk is pleasant with nice vistas of forest either side.

However, most of the treks seemed closed and it seems that the Reserve is more for people to come and watch the feeding than to have a day out.

People were assembled in a 'shed' and nearby the was a lonesome and rather smelly crocodile. I'm not sure how he fitted in.

A bit before three o'clock, one of the rangers briefed us on the feeding procedure and told us we might well not see any orangutan because now is the season when they can get plenty of fruit on the forest without coming for a free meal. And

so it turned out.

About twenty of us watched and waited - but no-one came for a meal.


Somewhat disappointed we made out ways back to the 4 o'clock bus and back to Kuching. On the way back to the hotel a solitary turtle outside a temple caught my eye as the token wildlife for the day!

In the evening, it absolutely lashed it down and I got soaked going back to Carpenter Street to eat. A lot of eateries seem to close early, catering more for the daytime trade but I got some duck and noodles at the Chinese stall washed down by a beer and the kind beer man gave me the cardboard tray to hold on my head as protection against the rain. Luckily the rain had stopped by the time it came to make my way back to the hotel and I was able to discard this present.