sethsp.com » Sarawak

Wong Merah Waterfalls

seth — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:01:25 +0000

It’s been a while since i have post anything to my blog… My laptop got fried… was so sad it happened….

Anyway, I got a new PC now, and as i was browsing tru my photo’s, I found pictures taken at this place called “Wong Merah” in Lubok Antu. I went there with Sim and some friends. Place was awesome!

Pesta Benak 2010 (Tidal Bore Carnival)

seth — Sun, 02 May 2010 11:27:15 +0000

The Batang Lupar flows 200km from its source in the Kapuas Mountains to the Teluk Datu of the South China Sea. At its mouth the river forms the broadest estuary in Sarawak, as well as accommodating the largest of the four benak’s that occur in Sarawak.

Tidal bore or locally known as benak, occurs everyday with different wavelengths and heights. However, during spring tide, normally on the third and eighteen day of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, tidal bores with high magnitude can be observed clearly. The ‘benak’ continues its journey another 30 km inland, ending near the small village of Engkilili.

Pesta Benak (Tidal Bore Carnival) in Sri Aman is one of the yearly activities in the Sarawak tourism calendar. The objective of Pesta Benak Sri Aman is to introduce Sri Aman town through tourism and encourage tourist from in and outside the country to visit Sri Aman. Apart from it, Pesta Benak is also to promote harmony among local community.

In conjunction with this phenomenon, many events were organized such as exhibition, food fair, karaoke competition, culture and art performances and others. Tidal wave festival has made the area a popular spot in Sarawak for visitors; you can join in the fun and hitch a ride with the longboats or just watch the boatman braving the waves. You can even immerse yourself with the local culture at the food fair, good music and dance performances that are part and parcel of the festival.

I love sunset….

seth — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:08:50 +0000

I’ve bee going around taking photo of sunsets…. Loving it now…

Wild Weekend

seth — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:51:41 +0000

Last weekend really had a great time with the OZ boyz. They were so crazy at the beginning of the trip but when we reach the outskirts of Kuching, they were stunned. I never seen anyone would rub soiled rocks on their body, posed in the river like a warrior, and best of all, being more crazy then they have been since they came 3 weeks ago.

Here are some photo’s of them at Ana Rais Village…

Hope to have more outing with these guys again. Perhaps this time stay a night in the jungle.

I wonder…

seth — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:24:27 +0000

One day when I was driving down to town, and i saw this small little propeller behind a 4×4, I kept on wondering if this car was really able to float on water and move…

Eating Place in Miri

seth — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:21:11 +0000

Miri: A one, place well know for it’s Kolo Mee (that’s what I heard) but 1st time ever I see “Fried Lau Shu Hoon” means Fried Rat Hoon (rice noodle) and the sign “DO NOT SPLIT”.

By the way, this place also do have real BIG RATS running around the shop… hahahaha… and that’s for real…

Surfing In Batang Lupar River 16th October 2009

seth — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 03:02:40 +0000

Every river has its legends, and the local legend which personifies the creation of the Batang Lupar benak is as imaginative as any, highlighting the conflict between the boatman and the great natural phenomenon.

It has only been as a result of the Komori report of 1979, for the Malaysia Drainage and Irrigation department, that the four Sarawak benaks have been documented. However, much earlier, in 1949, the British writer, Somerset Maugham actually experienced the benak on the Batang Lupar, and narrowly avoided drowning.

A tidal bore, locally known as “Benak”, usually occurs during the third day and eighteenth day of the Chinese Lunar calendar month and when the high tide is rushing up the Batang Lupar.

The tidal bore is created when the force of the tide water rush up the river causes the river to reverse its flow. The height of the tidal bore depends on the time of the year, wather adn phase of the moon. The tidal action is significant for the speed in which a large volume of water fills the rive channel.

The tidal bore in the Batang Lupar reaches its height at the river in front of the Sri Aman Town, which is about 28 kilometres from its mouth. The tidal bore travels further up river for another 30 kilometres to reach Engkilili, a total of 68 kilometres from the sea.

The Legend of the Benak

A local legend states that once upon a time, Benak, his wife and their son were strolling along the Batang Lupar, in the Sri Aman division of Sarawak, when they accidentally hit and capsized a native, spilling him into the Batang Lupar. Angered by this, the native, a local Iban man, vowed to avenge his misfortue and kill Benak and his family. The next morning, the Iban man hid himself on the Batang Lupar to await the arrival of Benak and his family. Unaware that he was waiting for them, Benak and his family were unexpectedly attacked by the local, and Benak was slain. But, his wife and child managed to escape, and every day since they stroll the Batang Lupar with great ferocity, and no compassion for the local boatmen that frequent the waters.

Anyway, The article im gonna post here is taken from someone’s blog about this guy surfing in this river which is well known for being infested by CROCODILE…

First Surf Attempt

Taken from http://www.nadai.name

Antony was all set to surf the Batang Lupar Tidal Bore or popularly known as Benak in Sarawak. It also goes by the name of Ben in Nadai Nama Nama. It was Antony’s first attempt on 16th October 2009. The Benak was expected to come at 3:00 pm and we were already assembled at the Sri Aman Wharf, near the Chinese Temple.

One of Antony’s worry was the presence of crocodiles which was aplenty on the banks of Batang Lupar River. He came across this one (above in the picture) during his recce along the river on 15th October 2009 at Sekera, Sri Aman. One of the questions he asked me was the statistics of fatal crocodile attacks here so that he can be more careful in identifying which areas have crocs during the recce. Yikes! I thought….here was someone who would change my perspective of crocodiles in Batang Lupar. He says if he know a certain area is populated by the creature he would just avoid surfing in the area. To me, just a sight of that creature would make me scurry a hundred miles away from the river.

Cruising along the river waiting for the Benak along the Batang Lupar River was not as simple as it seems. Reason being some areas are just knee deep and the boat tends to get stuck. The only way to fix this was to get off the boat and push…..that’s the fear factor part….where you hope to feel sand underneath and nothing else. Anything that looks like or feels different- say a log, just jump into the boat as quick as you can.

So as the Benak approached Antony waited for a good wave and quickly jumped out of the boat, shouting “YEEHAAA” into the raging waters. It was his first taste of Batang Lupar water and he never looked back as he rose and surfed making it look easy. I was watching history in the making as this is the first time that someone is attempting to surf the Benak on a surf board. Sacre Bleu…the French will say.

In deeper section of the river the Benak sinks and the force of the wave is lost, only to resurface again in shallower areas. So there was Antony, surfing and when the Benak disappear for a while, he would go back on the other boat and chase the Benak again and when it emerges again he would jump in. Our main worry at first was that when he loses the wave and momentum he would fall behind and we would have to quickly pull him out of the water. That’s the dicey part as the remnant waves of the actual Benak is risky for our boat. There were times when we almost overturned.

There was a stretch along the Batang Lupar which saw the Benak travelling quite a distance and Antony was there again to conquer that stretch. The people of Sri Aman had gathered along the Batang Lupar Tidal Bore Observation Station and Riverine Park to watch this courageous Frenchman as they clapped their hands and cheered him on.

Below are some clearer photos taken from Antony’s camera which shows him surfing the Benak wave. Yeehaa! He wants me to show this in this Blog to show that Benak surfing can be done. Its like Kacang (eating peanuts).

Proud To Be Sarawakian

seth — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 06:05:00 +0000

IGNORANT fellas asking STOOOPID questions about SARAWAK.

sarawak flag

our symbol, hornbill bird

Q: Oh, you are from Sarawak ! *eyes wide with excitement* So far away! How you people come here ah?
A: See this?

everyone can fly.

Q: Oh, like that! So back home, you people live in trees ar?
A: I live on trees. Not in trees.

my house

Q: You guys have electricity or not?
A: SESCO, mind you.

SESCO building in Kuching

Dumb head. do we have electricity?

Q: Kuching got airport or you use boat go Johor?
A: I use BUS

Miri Airport

do we have airport?. Kuching International Airport

Q: How long if I take bus from Singapore to Kuching?
A: Serious?! You’re one hell of a stupid idiot!

Go la. Use your bus to cross South China Sea

Q: Over there got what car?
A: View below

which car you want?

Q: Got road or not?
A: What??

do we? do we? have road? hahahaha..

Q: Sarawak inside Sabah , right?
A: You fail Geography ka?

Q: Eh? Sabah Sarawak not the same meh?
A: You really stupid in Geography

Q: Kuching how big ar?
A:You really need to learn Geography

Q: Kuching got a lot of cats hoh?
A: Idiots. Do you have common sense? Kuala LUMPUR , a lot LUMPUR lahhh!

Q: Sarawak got Malay?
A: I wanna KILL you. You learn HISTORY?

our great CHIEF MINISTER

Q: Sarawak people can speak English?
A: If not, how am I going to answer YOU, YOU Idiot?

Q: You people from Sarawak use Ringgit?
A: No. We used Barter System.

we practice that. FUCK if you believe it!

I’m proud to be a Sarawakians. I hope I’ve just cleared the shadow and shallow mind of some IGNORANT fellas.