My mom-in-law was dead set at finding authentic handicrafts and “batik” to take home. We were at a loss on where to find native stuff, so we ended up walking around for an hour or two. Tucked away in an old shopping complex was a store selling authentic native handicrafts. We were so lucky to have stumbled upon it. As hubby put it, being there was like an anthropology lesson.
We ended up buying a lot of stuff: about a dozen souvenir shirts, several batik cloths, some handmade jars, keychains, and even a CD of tribal music. Hubby and bro-in-law were fascinated by a Moslem Cris on display, but seeing as it is a weapon, we highly doubted whether we could have gotten customs clearance for it.
We walked around the complex some more and found shops selling native jewelry and even a traditional pharmacy. It was weird seeing dried fins, scales, plants, and what-not on the shelves. I also came face-to-face with a very well-preserved shark, which was a bit creepy. We ended the day happy with our purchases.
The next day was our going-home day. We had a blast. Miri is the type of place where you could have total relaxation. Time seemed to fly by so slowly, and people were going about their business seemingly without following a set schedule. There was simply no rush at all. It was refreshing after being in the hectic urban jungle that is HongKong.
Above is our photo with our favorite driver, Mr. Ting Ming King. See those wide smiles? We definitely had a lot of fun. I’d like to be able to return to Miri someday, if only for the nice roast pork that I tasted. 🙂
Whispers between the Shadow and the Soul 