Kuching!

We are in Kuching, in Sarawak, Malaysia, Borneo. Would love to write how amazing of a time we are having but frankly, we're both a bit culture shocked and homesick and disoriented. It feels like the compass needle in my gut is flipping around very confused about which way to point and why I am so far from home. However, walking along the river in the evening and interacting with the locals who are out enjoying thier city helps! Malay is easy to learn and people love it when you can use a few words. We had breakfast in a very busy kedai kopi (coffee shop, which means noodles, noodle soups, satay, fish, and roti, as well as coffee with sweetened condensed milk) where the waiter was very happy to help out two confused westerners. We were the only westerners in this very busy place, and got a lot of smiles. Kuching is an amazing mix of Jungle in the city, cosmopolitan city in the rainforest, Chinese, indigenous, and Malay peoples of Buddhist, Muslim, animist and Hindu Faiths. The city is along a river, and easy to navigate. Coffee, noodles and water costs about 3 dollars, and people here are very proud of their country and of Borneo. After we get our feet under us a bit, we'll head off to see orangutans, do some hiking and kayaking, and visit some temples and mosques. This morning after the breakfast we visited the weekend market with countless rows of vegetables, meats and fish, as well as snacks! from nearby farmers and indigenous families. Okay, okay, we're having a good time! haven't figured out how to post photos yet though. soon soon!