Sarikei ^29
I felt tired and stayed in Sarikei as I thought I could do with a day of lazing
around. Sarikei didn’t offer much of interest, but it remained an intriguing and
typical Sarawakian town, sporting many old Chinese shophouses from the 1930s.
The area was famous for growing pineapples and pepper, and the city (not
surprisingly) boasted a gigantic pineapple statue.
Located beside the Rajang River, where the river emptied into the South China
Sea, boats operated between Sarikei, Kuching, and Sibu. The riverfront was the
breeziest place and practically all gathered there to chat and have a snack. So
naturally, I followed suit and grabbed a bite to eat while watching the sunset.
Ships moving upstream were surprisingly substantial as I didn’t think the river was
that deep.
Sarikei – Sibu - 70km
A second look at the map revealed a shortcut to Sibu. Instead of 100-odd
kilometres, the distance turned out around 65 or 70 kilometres. Moreover, the
road was surprisingly flat, making for an early arrival in Sibu, a remarkably
modern city alongside the mighty Rajang River.
From Sibu, the Rajang River ran almost 560 kilometres into the heart of Sarawak.
The river was busy, with heaps of cargo ships loading and offloading containers.
Passenger boats lay three deep at the passenger terminal, waiting to ferry
villagers upriver.