Named after the stream originating from Cat's Eye Hill, this city has taken the cat for its mascot, which explains the feline statues on the roundabouts. I've found real cats everywhere too, as they are a very popular pet in Borneo, most having a truncated tail that is a feature of the local breed. This is all fine by me, since cats are not too likely to sneak up behind you and bite a chunk out of your leg! Well, not these cats anyway.

The cities of Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, and Miri in Sarawak didn't get a mention in my blogs, even though I stayed in each for more than one night. That's mainly because there was not much to write home about. That corner of Borneo was badly hit in WWII after the Japanese invasion and subsequent Allied bombings. Sandakan and Jesselton (as KK was known back then) were almost completely destroyed, and were rebuilt in the 1960s in the usual post-war concrete. I didn't even take any photos. However, the towns do try to make up for their looks with some vibrant nightlife and an abundance of beer and music.

Kuching is a breath of fresh air, and has more character in one street than the other cities combined. This was once the control centre for the British in Borneo, and many colonial buildings remain - the courthouse, the shop fronts, the fort, amongst others. An old wooden Indian mosque sits snugly between old shop houses and spice stalls. A wander around the old trading area on Indian Mosque Lane; with smells of incense wafting around, reminds me for the first time in ages that I'm still in Asia.

The weather has finally taken a turn for the better and given me two beautiful sunny days here. This has also turned up the heat and humidity a notch or two, so my jungle walk through Bako National Park today was hard going. I found a small beach to relax in the mid-day sun where I decided that I've had my fill of jungle trekking for a while. It was great to get up close to some proboscis monkeys, and some really unusual creatures that were the shape and size of a black human hand, curling their legs into their bright green leaf-shaped shells as I approached. I realised later, of course they were hermit crabs. Meanwhile at another national park a couple of hours away a rafflesia is in bloom. This is the world's largest (and smelliest) flower, and only blooms for two days per year. I'd love to have seen that too, but since Kuching is sandwiched between two very long bus rides, I couldn't face another one.