Category: Malaysia

On our first morning in Kuching (first morning in Borneo, in fact) we saw the headlines of a local newspaper saying that a fire during the night had destroyed 7 shops. A couple of hours later, we followed the smoke column to a row of shops on the river, just beyond the area we’d walked… Continue reading Fire

I was checking out a Blue-ray movie (Ice Age 3 if you must know) in a shopping centre in Miri when I felt something on the back of my knee. I haven’t dwelled on it much yet, but I’m getting eaten by insects here. I have welts all over and nothing I do stops them… Continue reading Watching Movies

We’ve seen a few markets in the cities we’ve visited in Sarawak. They carry the usual stock of fruit, vegies, fish and live chickens. One stall that stood out to me had a pile of roosters wrapped in tubes of paper with their crests all neatly aligned at one end. An occasional twitching claw was… Continue reading Markets

I sat in a park for an hour today. It was the first large public park I’d seen in Borneo, but it was hardly used. Admittedly it was a weekday, but I thought more mums with kids would be about. And it wasn’t as if they’d done a poor job on it. There was a… Continue reading Malaysian Parks

I’m falling into the habit of writing a diary instead of cultural anecdotes again. I may have to come back and do some editing. In the meantime, I’ll try to get it right starting here. I’ve found that the Malaysians have a large tolerance for temperatures. When I’m sweating buckets in the outdoor heat, or… Continue reading Wild Thermostats

We missed the afternoon ferry to Sibu yesterday because it doesn’t run any more. Serves us right for relying on a guidebook – especially one other than the LP. That gave us the afternoon free to wander the riverside and get more involved in daily life. I spent a couple of hours talking to a… Continue reading Riverboat

You can only get to the Bako National Park by boat and it was a rough ride. The rain and sea spray got under my gortex to mingle with the sweat from the warm breeze. Even with my sunglasses on, the rain stung my eyes so much I could barely see. I missed all the… Continue reading Humidity wins

We’re staying on the top story of a ‘long house style’ (not yet sure what this means) hostel. Last night we listened to the pattering of rain on the roof all night, punctuated by long loud rumbles of thunder. Apparently it’s the beginning of the rainy season in Borneo. Strange, since the rainy season is… Continue reading Sweltering in the Jungle

I arrived in KL last night with my mother. We’ll meet up with my brother this morning and head off to Kuching today. Stupidly, I forgot my camera after buying a spare memory card and battery, but I’ll borrow the others’ and hope to get some good shots of Christmas and New Year Borneo Style… Continue reading Off to Borneo

Kuala Lumpur seems to me one of the more run down Japanese cities, Saga perhaps. On the one hand, there are buildings like the twin towers that look 20 years ahead of their time and, at over 500m tall, high enough to cause altitude sickness from taking the lift. On the other, the streets are… Continue reading I Am Legend