I thought it would be difficult to navigate through Tapah ‘residential’ area since I had never been there before. Well, an ‘adventure’ is not an adventure if we’re going to stick by the main road.
I don’t mind going into any kind of roads as long as my four little wheels can bring me in and out safely. This long… long road was one I took in Tapah. I didn’t know where it was leading me but hey, as long as there’s a road there’s civilisation 
I found a few of these old wooden houses still being occupied along with their neighbours who had built sturdy brick houses next door.
Note of caution: When you come to these small town areas, residents may not like you taking pictures. Be very discreet if you have to.
I was making day trips out of Kuching again last week and yesterday (work, work, work!). Yesterday I decided to venture out a little bit more from my usual visits to Siburan.
Siburan is another small town 17th mile out of Kuching. If you drive further on from Siburan (same road as going to Serian), you’ll first pass by Baratok (much smaller town) then you’ll reach Tapah (slightly bigger than Baratok but smaller than Siburan). Tapah town is about 24 miles from Kuching.
The reason I used ‘miles’ is because most of these old towns were named according to how far it is located from Kuching, e.g. they were called ‘17th mile kampung (village)’ or ‘24th mile kampung‘ Serian Road long time ago.
I actually passed by Tapah a few times on my way to Serian or Bintulu or Miri and I always noticed this park by the road side shaded by trees. We didn’t find any reason to have an early pit-stop so I didn’t have the chance to check out Tapah.
Yesterday was one of those days that I follow ‘where the wind blows’… (of course before my assignment starts in Siburan).
I always like old wooden shophouses like these… more or less like those in Siniawan or Tondong. Locals told me this row (the only wooden shophouses left) is about 20 years old.
Opposite the wooden shophouses are the more modern brick shoplots.
And I believe this row was once upon a time canteens pit-stop for truckers plying the trans Borneo highway.
The delicious kongpiah with minced meat cooked in soy sauce. This one I had was sweet, I think the mince meat was cooked with sweet sauce! Regardless sweet or savoury, I love it!
It has been hot, hot, hot the last few days (of course followed by freak thunder storm in the late afternoons). We definitely need to cool down our body system… drink lots of H2O, liangteh (herbal tea) and this…
It’s sugar cane juice and coconut juice mixed! It quenches your thirst, it cools down your body (yang element) and it tastes so so so yummy! This is Sarawak’s speciality along side chianchow-sarsi cocktail
I thought I was in for a treat of rugby game at the rugby field beside Song Kheng Hai market this afternoon.
Instead there was a school sports day or sort going… more like inter-schools competition. I really couldn’t remember if we had this sport in my school days so I couldn’t tell you what game they were playing 
They had 2 groups on opposite sides. One guy from team ‘A’ will go up to team ‘B’ and tackle one of the fellows. Then the whole team ‘B’ will ‘attack’ the team ‘A’ fella until he/she fell to the ground!!
I don’t know the name of this game but it sure looked like mud wrestling to me!!
Don’t worry these girls weren’t waiting to be tackled by the boys! It was a game where guys play against guys and girls against girls!
Might as well I took a picture of the newest hotel in town which is still under construction!!
