The Haze Destroying Malaysia

Last summer, Sarah and James experienced perhaps the worst part of living in Malaysia, a month of choking haze blanketing the city. We're talking vintage 1970s LA smog level brown mist. Not fun.

The haze is the fallout of burning palm oil plantations and clearing jungle for new plantations, mostly in a few areas of Indonesia. Plantation owners need to clear land and expand their operations and illegally burn everything in their sight. The result, the prevailing winds take the smoke and ash over to both mainland and East (Borneo) Malaysia, making life miserable for everyone there.

Kuching is a city in Sarawak, Borneo and during the height of the haze mess, sometimes had the worst Air Quality Index number in the world. Glad we got to visit to, cough, cough, witness and experience it.

Looking across the river toward the state legislative building. This image and the following images were taken around sunset, what should be a golden hour of beauty.

The view from inside a hotel. Not inviting. Temple and modern building background of haze.

Navigating the mess.

Colorful buildings, failing to shine in the layer of soot.

Back at the river, no view.

The haze doesn't last forever. Once rainy season hits in October and extinguishes the fires, the sky goes blue again. The memory leaves a bad taste in one's mouth (and eyes, throat, car, etc...) and a bitter reminder of the cost of human development.

Hotel Pool, Kuching

Ahh, the urban resort. Good for city business, good for weekend relaxing. If only. For many properties of a certain age in the downtowns of Malaysian cities, the pool area can seem a little rough around the resort edges.

For example, a pool area at a hotel in Kuching. All concrete jungle beyond the clumps of flora.

The view, more manmade monoliths.

Pool loungers, all lined up, no padding, no people.

Other areas, quietly abandoned, a stump of an umbrella stand and a lonely waterfall feature. Another looming hotel in the distance.

Best idea, head for the exit?

Kuching At Night

Kuching is hopping at night - for a small town - mainly due to a riverfront promenade. It's a natural gathering place, full of food and strolling opportunities.

The town's focal point, the main Sarawak legislative building, across the river from downtown Kuching. At night, a dancing water fountain light show.

The newly rebuilt Indian mosque, levitating on the river. Kuching means "cat" in Malay and there are plenty of feline statues scattered around the city. Presenting, metal feline in blue.

Plenty of Malaysian Chinese live in Kuching and they come out for the mooncake festival every September.

Eerie flora, lit by color, lit by hotel blast.

Instagram spot. A giant, colorful Kuching sign is located along the promenade. No way to forget where you are.

Overgrown In Kuching

If you leave a lot empty in the tropics of Borneo, flora will move in and take over. Around Kuching, the jungle is never far away.

Grass invasion.

Grass, vine, everything invasion. Brand new building next to old overgrowth.

Down by the river, a pier fights with nature for waterfront space.

More buildings next to not so empty lots.

Everything is growing. New construction in the distance, runaway field in the foreground.

The Concrete Jungle Of Kuching

Kuching, in Sarawak, in Malaysian Borneo, has a nice riverside promenade and a section of old Chinese shophouses. It also has a cluster of 1960s-1980s concrete boxes, all showing their age. Welcome to the concrete jungle.

Buildings, car parks and a river of concrete.

Ode to the Guggenheim. Pedestrian bridge entrance.

Stairway maze, designed by Escher.

Classic tropical concrete facades from an earlier era.
The usual accessory, air conditioning condenser units.

Bintulu's Tua Pek Kong Temple

Right smack in downtown Bintulu sits a nice Chinese temple, Tua Pek Kong. It belongs to a long-established community that first built a temple on the site in the 1890s. The present building dates to 1976, rebuilt after a fire.

Classic temple architecture, red theme, curved pavilions and carved stonework.

Offerings, real fruit and fake glass pineapples in the form of candles.

The main altar, understated.

Stonework, carvy. Wise Chinese god with thick beard plugs.

The best feature at the temple, some sort of numbers gizmo that will tell you the time, date, temperature, lucky numbers, whatever.

The Main Market In Bintulu

Every city in Malaysia still has at least one local market and Bintulu has a nice example. Come for the veggies, meats, some dry goods. Stay for lunch. The life of the city is in the market.

Stepping inside the pretty pavilion.

Vegetable seller. Fish, delicately wrapped.

Chickens are in.

Alas, the meat counter was closed. Maybe you need a broom with a little bling?

Now we're getting local in Bintulu. Grubs, sago palm larvae for sale. Yummy?

An Islamic Cemetery In Miri

Every religion seems to have its own architectural style. In Miri, an Islamic cemetery sits right next to a Chinese cemetery and their styles offer a nice contrast to each other. Same kind of place, for the same reason, different looks.

The Islamic cemetery is the more humble of the two graveyards, more about small headstones.

The cemetery sits right on the Sungai Baong inlet, a working river off the South China Sea.

What passes for a family compound. Delicate.

Old school graves, simple wood, now rotting, stuck in sandy soil. Some of the small headstones have been wrapped.

Another look at the motley, understated layout of an Islamic cemetery.