Tamu Pekan Kota Belud

Mee Sup was still warm and looking for a place to settle down when my sumandak was already leading me towards the Tamu. Tamu is a weekend market where you can find almost anything and everything but mainly produce of the land. Very much like the pasar malam or pasar tani that we find in Semenanjung but different.

I, the tourist took many a potshots at the local sellers and their wares. I wasn't looking for something to buy but i couldn't help myself. Curiousity took the best of me and i ended up buying some local kueh amongst other things.

Kueh Jagung & Ginarung

This is within the council-built tamu enclosure which is paved and has some raised platforms built by the local council for rent to the farmers.

This is outside the council-built tamu enclosure and has a character of it's own. A more rustic and local feel to it. The people are generally very friendly and they will tell you and even willing to show you how certain things are eaten etc even though you don't buy from them. They are very relaxed unlike Semenajung's Pasar Malam sellers who pressure you to buy. At the tamu i experience a certain calmness among the sellers and there is no pressure for one to buy.

I experience an openess in their demeanor. Much like we are invited guest and they allow us to touch, feel, inquire and demonstrate their wares without the pressure to buy. I and the ang moh's around were not harrased to buy unlike at the Semenanjung markets where a tourist or even locals are treated as if lambs waiting to be slaughtered.

At the Tamu I felt like a guest.