Last year, when I was on study leave, we spent about three weeks in Kuching and environs.

Returning was like meeting up with an old friend, and our first walk was an extended conversation:

"Oh, the mosque has made lots of progress. It's looking really good... Was that mural always there?... What are they doing with the old Brooke Dockyard?... Wow, were the cats here always so big and beefy? Not like the svelte cats of the rest of Southeast Asia... Oh, yes, that cafe was just a lunch-time opener. Never mind. Let's try this one. Excellent cake... And good to see that Chinese New Year is firing up nicely..." Etc.







After that initial bubble of excitement, the week settled down into a list of formalities, as we began to inch our way towards completing our MM2H (extended visa) applications. (More on that in the next post.)

But the Orchid Garden provided an incomparable respite between tasks. I have no words. These guys just speak for themselves:









The little refreshment booth sells ice cream sticks (potong) in flavours like durian and black glutinous rice. Perhaps not the best way to get ready for your MM2H medical, but delicious anyway...