Borneo Paradise - Kuching, Malaysia

I've been here in Kuching, Malaysia for a week.  In such a short time, I already cannot recount all the amazing things I've seen and done.

I am staying at the Secret Sanctuary here in Kuching.  Walk out the front door and you find yourself just moments from the city.  The nearest restaurants, markets, and shopping are just minutes away by foot, or you can dive right into the traffic to go further.

My favorite hammock, conveniently in front of my room.

From inside, however, you cannot tell you are anywhere but in a tropical paradise.  The Sanctuary is difficult to describe.  With the exception of the bedrooms, nearly every space is open to the outside.  Much of it is roofed, but much is not.  The walls are natural walls built of stone, or hanging net, or bamboo lashed together.  There is a fish pond, a fish spa (smaller fish you can soak in the water with), and a pool which includes a full on waterfall.  The bedrooms are interspersed around the premises and feel private despite being right in the middle of things.

The staff of the Sanctuary all seem to live on the premises.  They are friendly, helpful, and thoughtful, and will accommodate any reasonable need or desire.  I felt like they adopted me into their family immediately, and I am more comfortable here than anywhere I have been in the last ten years.

The temperature here is hot and it is humid, but being able to swim whenever you might desire takes the edge off the heat.

I usually work at the low table on the left.

I am comfortable working anywhere on site.  The internet is good (4.5 Mbps down, 3.5 Mbps up),  but latency between here and the United States is terrible.  Video and voice calls with my coworkers, on top of being exactly 12 hours off from their time, has been a challenge.

There has been a powerful haze that has been strengthening since I arrived.  Apparently, burning in the Indonesian part of Borneo has swept across the border to affect Sarawang.  We did get an afternoon of gorgeous clarity after this significant downpour: