Two highlights, both today.

The first was our "peninsula" walk. It's not a peninsula really. It's the sticky-out bit of land formed by a big bend in the river. But it's a nice walk, and we hadn't done it for AGES.

There's a bit of new building happening on one stretch. But otherwise it's gloriously the same. Squirrels? Tick. Cats? Tick. Chickens? Tick.

We were also able to check out the Datuk Amar Juma'ani Bridge. This has been a VERY long while in the making, but it was officially opened on 5 August, and today was our first visit. We're not totally sure why it has to be quite so imposing... Its predecessor was much smaller, and the waterway it crosses is far from vast. But hey, if you're going to build a bridge, you might as well make a mark...





Then on into town...



We had a particular breakfast in mind, but Carpenter Street and environs were full of people wearing "Infinite Youth" T-shirts... They're all part of an international Qigong festival, it seems. As usual these days, we're in the dark...

But Nam Sen, down near the Brooke Dockyard, provided a stupendous kolo mee:



And Moon and Sun were on hand for a delicious coconut coffee:


Today also offered a really interesting talk in the new series organized by Friends of Sarawak Museum. Dr Louise Macul guided us through the story of the 40 painted panels that (with 20 others that didn't survive) used to grace the ceiling of the Supreme Court in Kuching. Commissioned by Tom Harrisson, curator of the Sarawak Museum from 1947 to 1966, who was anxious to protect local art against the encroachments of modernity, they were executed by Orang Ulu craftsmen. When the Court House was renovated, they ended up in a museum backroom, until Macul started to make enquiries...







The fascinating thing about these pictures is that they're reversed out, as it were. The artist starts with the plain background, and draws the outline of -- say -- a dragon. Then, rather that painting the dragon, he paints what's NOT the dragon, so that the figure is not so much portrayed as revealed.



Harrisson, Macul explained, wasn't always a fan of the way the British administered Sarawak in that brief period of direct colonial rule. In a 1956 edition of the Sarawak Gazette, he comments: "Those panels gaze quietly down on the robed judges below upon their tribunal, with a sort of uncomprehending kindliness which must, indeed, be very embarrassing..."

So, that was a good Sunday.

What else? Well, it has been a notable week for thunder... Not just any old thunder, but thunder in the middle of the night... Three nights out of the last seven, we've been woken by thunderclaps. Not complaining about the rain, which cools things down, and keeps the air fresh. But we could do with an adjustment to the timing.

The rest really goes under two headings: Greenery and food...















Meanwhile, the pre-travel jobs trundle on. I'm not sure we're totally on schedule, but we're too not far behind.

Hah! Hope that won't be a case of famous last words...