So we arrived in the West Kalimantan city of Singkawang on Monday.

Since then, we've been exploring. Mostly on foot, although we sometimes return to base via Grab (the same ride-hailing service that we use at home). It's hot here (of course), but it hasn't rained much since we took up residence, and there's always this wind... I follow the local practice of using an umbrella to guard against the sun, but wrangling your umbrella in a high wind is a mite trying at times...

This is our third full day, and we're still figuring out optimal walking routes. You don't want the big roads. Pavements are rare here, so you're essentially walking in the dust at the edge of the carriageway while the traffic streams past you. People are pretty good at respecting pedestrians (it's less car-dominated than Malaysia, in the sense that cars have to share the road not only with hordes of motorbikes, but also with bicycles, and the occasional mobile stall or pedicab). But still, there's a limit to how much busy road you want. So, bit by bit, you work out which quiet side roads usefully take you places, and where the rare stretches of pavement are to be found. By the time we leave, we'll be experts...

On the upside, there are all manner of eateries and drinkeries when you want a break (there'll be another post on the culinary delights that enliven city walking here). And there's always something to grab your attention, whether it's an impressive building, or a lovely garden, or a gravity-defying motorbike load, or a quirky signboard. It's never dull...

Examples:













Now, when you get to the central part of town, the shops come equipped with the classic five-foot ways. But don't imagine that this provision is designed purely to keep pedestrians dry or out of the sun. No, these passages have many other usages, not all of them compatible with easy walking:



Singkawang is quintessentially Chinese. In case you forget, there's a reminder right outside the door of the hotel:


But I'll put all the Chinese gorgeousness in a separate post.

Here, meanwhile, are some views of the Masjid Raya, which is really beautiful:






In all, we're enjoying readjusting to the Indonesian environment we once knew so well. And that it's Kalimantan-Indonesian, ie, not that far from home, is borne in on us every morning with the breakfast sape music.