Santobung

The next stage. Up early to get to Sentral for 7. #1 son was away to JB so it was WH who dropped us off. the check in was very efficient and then we caught the Ekspres to KLIA. J was feeling a bit off - perhaps last night's durian cream puff! I was glad I'd had beer and was therefore exempt.

We had a peppermint tea in the airport and then I said farewell and she went off back south to Melbourne. I caught the bus round to LCCT. Big mistake. It's about to close and things are already shutting down. no elegant food outlets like KLIA, just awful sandwiches and no coffee but i did get an apple.

The flight was delayed by about 40 minutes, probably air traffic control. But it did let me have a close up view of a MAS Airbus 380 taxiing for take off to London. Ahhh!!

Good flight(with coffee) and great views of Santobung Peninsula as we came in to Kuching. Now I've been there I can see where I was staying on that photo but at the tme it was all a surprise.

You have to go through immigration entering Sarawak, more digit pressing. I wonder what they do with all this stuff? Despite what he said Polycarp didn't recognise me but we did find each other and talked Scottish referendum all the way out to Nanga Damai. He's a lawyer and London trained barrister with a daughter in Hackney.

The homestay is ok, not exactly luxury and quite a bit away from anywhere to eat, and up a hill! But my room is comfortable and the views across to the South China Sea are to die for.

Polycarp had arranged to take the young English couple down to Buntal for fish and I tagged along. They'd been climbing the mountain but hadn't made it to the to so are going again tomorrow. The Americans who'd also arrived were taken aback by the remoteness and don't intend to stay. Americans, with Irish passports living in Vienna.

The dinner was excellent - butter prawns, fish, midin ( alocal fern) and a lot of Tiger. back to more Tiger and a bit of chat. Polycarp was in Kuching with old uni friends from KL and HK.

Then bed. Up early tomorrow to go to Semenggoh to see orang utans.