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50km charity ride for Sarawak Autistic Assaciation was organised by the mountain bikers of kuching on 11th november 2007. About 170 riders joined together with quite a few children. Here are some of the photos. By the way we raised rm56,000 for them. Thankyou very much for the generous sponsors. We salute you!!

Busy Months

Has been a long time since my last post. Been very busy with work lately.

Went holiday with family during the gawai holidays to NZ south island and Brisbane visiting Nelson and Sherrina. Had such a good time there that I wonder what would it be like if I like them had migrated there!! After thinking of the question for a few days I think the question should be 'what would I be able to contribute there?' And the answer then is obvious to me....

Though I enjoyed everything there is to offer there, my calling is be able to make a difference here in a small little town of Kuching and Sarawak in general. Having seeing the happy faces that I worked for makes me feel that my destiny is here.

Some photos taken on the trips enclosed here!! Will try catching up with the blog soon!!

Samuel in freezing water at Byron Beach

Picture taken in Christchurch.

Samantha in full surfing attire!!Kids having their fun time at the playground with Geraldine.

Father's Day Ride

How did you spend your sunday? Well for me, I wake up 5.45am bright and early yesterday. After packing cloths and drinks + my bike, off I went for breakfast at 3rd mile together with my biking buddies. A friend was suppose to join me but he chicken out the last minute. Feels like it has been a while since my last ride and before the breakfast was finished I told vincent and ah wee from the timberwolves that it should be a 50km ride.......

Started driving around 7 and arrived at selayan at 8am. Weather was perfect, cool and breezy. There was 7 of us, crazy mike, huat, vincent, yung sin, wee, vincent's cousin and bee king. 1st hour of riding was quite good as we ride on sandy open track. The going gets bit tough as we started to climb some hills. Though I have remain active the last couple of months without much cycling, I still find climbing the hills tough. Riding pass single track, suspended bridges, rubber plantations, streams before getting lost in the oil palm plantation for an hour. Luckily ah wee was able to find a track out and we finish around 3pm.

It was a fun day overall and I look forward for our next ride again.

Night ride & Evening kayak

16th May 07 night at 7.30pm, together with mike, huat, ah tat and me, setting off from hero's memorial on a cool night heading towards Santubong on our mountain bike. Cycling thru waterfront, petanak, ang cheng ho road, toll bridge, kgs, semariang then Santubong bridge. Enjoyed the cool breeze when standing on the top of bridge while looking at the city skyline far away. After some persuasion we heads towards Santubong. Surprise to meet Richard on his bike when we reach Buntal. Then together we cycle all the way to Damai Holiday Inn. Riding down one of the hill, I think I must have reach 60km/hr. Wa la.....

The purity, cool and freshness of the air is something that always bring me to cycle this part of the road time and time again. We set off from Damai around 10:45pm back towards Kuching. Spent some time resting on Santubong bridge again and I promise to myself that I will definitely do this again. The last 15km of the ride is really a struggle. Mike took a nap on the grass under Dbku building. We managed to reach open air market around 12:50am. Total distance covered 70km. Had "bak moi" with 2 eggs. Yummy!!



Went kayaking with Richard on 17th May around 5pm from Santubong towards "pek mo" island. Took us 35mins to kayak the distance against current. The view of the majestic Mt Santubong, with blue sky and perfect weather was awesome. We rested and waited for the sun to set and kayak back to Richard's house. The stunning view of the sun set was beyond words. Now I know, there is more to Kuching than Laksa and kolo mee!!! Drop me a line if you are interested, I will bring you to Heaven in Kuching.

Mt kk

I had the pleasure of climbing Mt kk, the tallest mountain in South East Asia on 19th April 2007 with Brian, 2 of Brian's friend from Singapore, Penghulu Lim, and about 10+ hashers from padawan. It was my first ever attempt on a mountain of this height. I remembered a few years ago when Richard ask me to climb Mt Santubong I have to always excuse myself, citing reasons of time, fitness, family, etc etc.

This trip was not really a "planned" one as I only confirm with CV penghulu Lim about 2 months before the actual climb and there was a mix up that in the end 5 of us end up without a bed to sleep on at the base camp.

We fly into kk by AA on 16th April morning. We took a van up to the mountain and checked into Rose Cabin Lodge. It was simple accommodation with basic amenities but we do enjoy the veg garden and flowers around the lodge. We tried to hitch a hike to a town further down the hills with some of the guys trying to show their thigh to would be good Samaritans to entice them to take us but without success. In the end we just hired another van. Along the way we were captivated by the imposing peaks of the mountain. I went to bed early after drinking a bottle of Guinness.

Woke up early Tuesday to enjoy the sunrise and manage to take some very nice pictures. For those who have not climb mt kk before, there are 2 tracks up to Laban Rata, Masilau and Timperhon. We took the longer Masilau tracks, starting off at 8.45am. I decided not to try to take my backpack (weighing 8kg) myself but pass it to a porter. I think he carried around 25kgs. Some of our fellow climber tried carying their packs up themselves only to pass it to the porter after struggling half way thru, but penghulu did carry his all the way up.

The view going up Masilau track was fantastic as the vegetation change from tall rain forest trees to "bonsai" with hair growing on the branches. We pass thru suspension bridges, creeks, up and down hills with temperature getting cooler and clouds appearing and disappearing very fast. Luckily we were blessed as there was no rain. I walk at my own pace, only resting for very short period of time. When I feel tired I just walk in smaller steps and slower pace, others were rushing as if they are doing their weekly hash. I managed to reach LR, the base camp at 2:15pm. With legs very tired, hungry and thirsty after five and half a hour climb. Rushed into cafe to order some food Aaaaaaa.

I was feeling very tired and was looking and waiting for a place to rest. As I do not have a bed available, I have to sleep on the floor with sleeping bag. Meanwhile trying to get myself a shower only to find out that they have run out of hot water. So only wash my face and wipe myself with freezing water. %$#^&@. Luckily I found a good spot to sleep, rather than sleeping in between 10 guys on bunk beds, all sweaty and tired cramp into rooms with boots after the climb.

Crash out early that night and woke up around 2am the next day. Hashers were a noisy early bunch. I had some light breakfast, pop in 2 panadols (for altitude sickness) and off we went to tackle the summit at 2.45am. There were so many climbers that there was jam at the initial climb, with lights illuminated by the torches it looked interesting. Again climb slowly but consistently in small steps while breathing deeply. I managed to get to the top at around 5:40am, just in time to see the sunrise. Ye Ha ................... I finally made it.

The view of the sunrise was just amazing. The orange and yellow of the sunrise was as usual, but the blue's was just awesome. With the colours changing rapidly, I managed to take some good shots.

The first person to reach the top was a monk from China Fuzian province, and he even carry his back pack up the summit, weighing 20 over kg. I had the pleasure getting him to pose for me for a photos on top of mt kk.

For those of you who could never imagine climbing it, an advice from me, "you can if you set your mind onto it". I am already thinking of climbing it again soon.

The trip down the mountain was not as smooth for me as my right thigh starts to stiffen up. I managed to reach the bottom via Timperhon trail the last (among my group). Exhausted, we go directly to kk after checking out the lodge.

Surprisingly my legs was ok, not like some previous climber's description of pain and sufferings after the climb. We took a flight the next day back to Kuching and was really glad that I have done my 1st climb of Mt. Kota Kinabalu, the highest peak in SEA.

Hot hot mtb

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Wake up 45 mins late today at 6.40am. Rush to get things ready for mtb riding together with the Pbds group at Kampung Stungkor, 50km from Kuching Lundu road. Managed to have breakfast with the Explorers at 3rd mile corner kopitiam before driving there.

When we arrived there were already quite a few riders and soon more arrived. Some with bikes hang behind their sedans and some behind their double cabs. We started off slightly late at 8:50am. The whole group consisting of different races, malays, ibans, dayaks, chinese and 1 "ang mo" went rumbling down, all in all counted to be 55 riders.

Its has been about 2 months since my last ride and I thought after going on hiking and climbing mountain I thought it would be a breeze to ride again but I soon found that I have to struggle to catch up and at one point the sky looks "o te am tae".

After trying out hiking, road biking, kayaking and climbing I still find mtb to be one that I like best as the terrain is unpredictable, the weather can be challenging and mtb bikers are a fun lot to struggle with.

Kayaking

My first kayaking experience was when we went camping with Richard, Ken and Ainsly with wifes and children and all together also with Chuan and Chee Sing who didn't spend the night, at Satang Island over the gawai holidays last year. We hauled along 2 orange kayak with speed boat. We pedalled around with the kayak, then Richard with nat and me with sam and sabrina went pedaling according to Richard "its just around the corner". And we pedalled until we reach the same spot, all the way around the island..... Dam exhausted, I kissed the island when I step foot back on it.





One week after that on my birthday, I was given a surprise that one of the kayak actually belongs to me! An early birthday present...... I was not too enthusiast ed then as I was not into it. A few weeks later we (my friends at countryvale) were invited to a rafting trip from kampong Danu to kampung Git. It was interesting as the water was shallow and crystal clear and inches deep at some places. We went for a trial run, and on the actual rafting competition. I brought along my kayak, together with my other friends. We had a really fun time....





We, had many trips up river after that. One trip during a rainy day with Megan, Jinny, crazy Mike, Richard and Me all the way from Ana Rais to Samadang, where it was the very first time we try on the route. Not knowing what to expect, we thought we will finish the trip in 3 to 4 hours. We left mike's car downstream at Samadang then drove up to Ana Rais with our 3 kayaks. The stream upriver was quite small, fast flowing and many fallen bamboo blocking the way. Mike found it difficult as he kept on overturning and unable to get back on his kayak. So I swap my kayak with him as mine is a 2 person kayak and is more stable. We had a scary moment when mike with the double kayak almost went under the bamboo in the fast flowing current. We had quite a few fun, exciting and scary moments when going down a few rapids, one where every kayak overturned. We finally reach Samadang 6 hours later. After getting the kayak up the banks, mike gave us a "good" news that he left his bloody keys in my car at Ana Rais..... Ha. (well who can blame him, that young fella is only 28 years old). Luckily we managed to get someone to drive us up stream for a small fee....








Few weeks after that my parents, sisters and inlaws and I went on a short trip, renting kayak from Francis, pedalled from Bengoh to Samadang. Was fun to see that my mum and dad and everyone enjoyed the trip.


Since then I have bought myself 2 more kayaks. One perception double in lime green and another is a sit in sea kayak and have gone on many trips to see dolphins, sunset kayak from boat club to Santubong etc...





After I started mountain biking and kayaking, there seems never enough time within a week, especially holiday and Sunday. Recently I have also started climbing mountain, hiking and some hashing, but that's another story!!