As I'm sure you can tell from the picture of the Big Padungan Cat, we're home, in Kuching, Sarawak...

Two days ago, we were still in Istanbul, enjoying our last super-indulgent Mercure buffet breakfast. (Particular highlights over the four days we stayed: Grilled green olives; menemen; tomato relish; olive relish; the salad leaves selection; the cheese selection; cherry compote; quince jam; rose jam; and cinnamon cake...)

The Mercure was a lovely, relaxing place to stay, and rounded our trip off really well.

But that was Day 65. Not only Moving Day but Penultimate Day...

It was also Late Transport Day (we were due at the airport at 1700, for a flight at 2000, and we had to check out at 1200). All of which adds up to Awkward Day. Plus, it was cold and rainy...

We managed a bit of a walk between rain showers:




Having checked out, we went back to Nostalji Books and Coffee, and had the self-same thing as last time. Today the front bit of the shop was full of old guys, putting the world to rights. But our section was quiet:


It was really raining now, scotching any thoughts of an additional walk. So we had one more cafe stop, and spent the rest of the waiting time in the hotel lobby. Which was very comfortable, actually. It's spacious and tranquil, and no-one pesters you to consume anything.

We got the hotel to organize our taxi to the airport, and we made good time, despite the persistent heavy rain.

Then, a bit of drama...

We pay the driver, and get out. The taxi sets off, rapidly gathering speed -- and it's at that point that Nigel realizes his phone is missing... He runs off after the vehicle, arms windmilling. Another taxi driver offers to take up the chase, but Nigel thinks that might not be the wisest move...

He comes back to where I'm guarding the baggage. We ring his phone. Definitely missing. Definitely not concealed anywhere about his person. We look for a number for the hotel. They must know which taxi it is, given they booked it... You'd be surprised how hard it is to find a hotel phone number on the internet...

Then Nigel hears a shout, and notices a taxi-driver waving. Next he sees our taxi-driver. Smart man, he heard the phone ringing on the back seat, realized what had happened, and doubled back round. Wow...

So relieved... We were blown away by how this worked out, given the number of things that could have averted such a happy outcome. Truly, there are many good, honest, and intelligent people in the world.


Anyway, on with the journey...

Istanbul airport is hard work. Definitely not my favourite. Security to get in through the main entrance. All electronics out. Check-in. Immigration. Another security inspection. All electronics out again. Shoes off. Body-scan. Pat-down. They took ages with Nigel, worried about something (don't know what).

Next came a ridiculously expensive snack. And there's apparently a museum in the terminal, but entry is EUR 13 per person -- so, no thanks. Ahh, airports...


Finally, we board. We set off, in that lumbering way that planes have when they're on the ground. And then we wait...

There's "icing", apparently. Icing? But at least they've kept us informed. And it's sorted, reasonably speedily. Good job it wasn't marzipan. That would probably take longer.

Excellent dinner, by plane standards, ticking both the "copious" and "tasty" boxes. Well done, Emirates. Special prize to the lamb and eggplant casserole, and the "Narbar", a pomegranate and nut concoction.

It's just over four hours to Dubai. And by then it was yesterday. Day 66.


With this connection, there are not many spare minutes by the time you've gone through security again. But you can grab an espresso from Fix.

And then you're off again. Second flight of three. The long one. Six-and-a-bit hours. We're on an A380. I know this model has proved a bit of a white elephant for airlines, but as a passenger, I love it. Even in cattle class, you get a fair amount of room (and it wasn't full, which was even better).

So, what with a bit of sleeping, a bit of reading, a bit of audio-book-listening, and a bit of breakfasting, the journey went pretty well. So much more comfortable than the flights going the other way had been. Starting from Istanbul makes all the difference... Or maybe it's easier to travel from west to east...

I wouldn't rave about the last leg, from KL to Kuching, with Batik. We waited ages on the plane in the hot sun while they loaded cargo, and it was all beginning to feel a bit like the bus to Banja Luka... Still, once we were moving, the flight took just over 1.5 hours. And they fed us a Thai green curry, which we weren't expecting.

We were home by 2000, after 23 hours of journeying. This functional, transactional kind of travel is never exactly enjoyable. But it could all have been lots, lots worse.



We started today, the first day of post-journey life, with Sarawak laksa. How could you not?


Liberica coffee was also on the agenda, from Black Bean. As was a mango kefir lassi, from Indah (plus a great catch-up with the folks there).

Chinese New Year (CNY) is on the horizon. It's great to see the decorations, and the temporary extensions the supermarkets have put up to house all the festival goodies. It's nice to hear the traditional songs being played everywhere. I had my hair cut today, to get in before the CNY surcharge (people want their hair done before the new year arrives, because cutting it soon afterwards would involve cutting off their good luck).

And, of course, the cats have dressed up:








I've loved our journey. Really loved it. And I hope there'll be more. But there's no denying this is a nice place to come back to.