Labour's day is always marked with a sense of thanksgiving within the working-class group. Thank God, it is a daybreak from having to rush to the office, zig zagging some clueless roadsters as we are already late to the office. Thank God for keeping myself from having to swear another motorist for being another person like me on the road. Thank God that I spend the day, entirely with my family.
A picnic to a beach would be good to spend quality and productive time with the family. A picnic?! I have not done that in a long, long time - especially in this town - now a city since 1988. It has been an unheard word. A word full of bliss memories attached. Typically, a picnic would mean going to Damai Beach, Damai Puri, Pasir Panjang in Lundu or may be to Ranchan Pool in Serian.
Nah, we aren't going to neither. We are heading for Pasir Pandak - a midway point between Kuching and Santubong.
Pasir Pandak used to be a hidden gem in Kuching. But that perspective soon changed upon reaching there. Lots of structural improvement were seen. There used to be nothing on the beach - just the plain but clean pristine beach. A few houses of the locales peeped among the coconut trees and native seaside bushes. Picnic in those days used to be a quiet affair.
As I can see, a commercial establishment stood in the middle of the enclave, on the rocky part of the beach, giving just adequate space for beach goers. It tried to look contemporary with its crescent shape. Otherwise, the structure is just a plain mortar sealed bricks without flavour.
Not too far away from it, a row of stalls - shoddy and gloomy - stood u unwelcoming in contrast of the beauty of the whole area. The back of the stalls was quite dirty and unkempt. Used packet drinks and coconut husk were littered at the back of the stalls. The sands there soggy and black with putrefied materials.
It was very unfortunate that the place has come to this. Youngsters and children were having fun nearby the dump site. What could easily be done was to put all rubbish into a bag for later disposal - not creating a dump site at your own peril! I reckon the Japanese have a better sense of responsibility towards the environment than us.
Just next to the crescent shaped storefront, terraced rooms were available for rent. It looked like a mini resort, with a pool in front of the rooms. The mini resort is off bound to non-guests.
The nice part of Pasir Pandak is its clean beach. It sits in an enclave, protecting itself form the harsh waves of the South China sea. The wave rolls in gently, which was just nice for children to hang out at the fringes of the waters. Although it may not be very blue, the bluish tinge against the yellow reflection from the base of the seabed may indicate that the beach is acceptably clean. The mangrove near the surrounding area may have filtered the mud before it silts in the area.
More people filled the beach approaching noon. Families, teenagers and friends just hung out, soaking the pleasures of the moment. Cars made their way right to the sandy fringes, parking in the shades provided by the trees.
The serenity of the place was disturbed temporarily. A pickup, tried to squeeze between cars to get the best spot under the tree. Two groups of families were just sitting nearby. Though the driver thinks that he may be careful, accidents can happen. A certain boundary should be erected to limit the movement of cars to the beach. Despite having improved facilities, it is a wonder how basic things like a parking space can be missed. A proper parking space prevents haphazard parking of vehicles - thus reducing the risks for any untoward accidents.
The trip was nice. We headed home just before noon. We stopped by a fish stall on our way to the junction meeting the main Kuching - Santubong road.
