September 14, 2026 – Kuching, Borneo

Yes, we are back in Borneo. Better flights took us this way, and we looked forward to learning about more Malay culture and having other city experiences. As soon as we landed around 10 pm, we noticed the dense, foggy-looking air.

It is raining in Kuching today.  It rained at about this time yesterday as well.  People here tell us the government is seeding the clouds to wash away the smoke in the air.  This hazardous, smoky air is the worst air quality, they say, since 2019.  Schools are closed.  Boats that ordinarily taxi people and tourists back and forth across the wide Sarawak River are generally moored and not operating.  Major tourist destinations are not in service because the government is recommending limiting outdoor exposure, and there are few tourists here.  I think other tourists knew something we did not bother to check.  Tour companies are providing masks for guests who feel more secure wearing them.  Stan and I opted for no masks on our scheduled walking tour on our first full day here.

Today’s air quality is a serious situation, and it shows no near end.

What a shame!  Burning is still a widely used agricultural practice in this part of the world. As has been done for centuries, rice farmers burn their fields to prepare for the next planting.  Smoke drifts from country to country, blocking the sun and hazing the skies.  While rice field burning continues today, the most impactful culprit nowadays is big palm oil corporations performing slash-and-burn operations to clear and replace jungles with highly profitable palm oil tree plantations.

In our travels around Borneo and Sumatra, the reduction of jungle land is easily seen, but the view from a plane is even more telling.  The jungles of Malaysia, Borneo, and Sumatra are almost gone for the sake of profits for investors and jobs for the people.  It is indeed a conundrum.  Deforestation is bad, but jobs on palm oil plantations provide a good living for rural people. 

People here do worry about the enormous expansion of palm oil plantations; they say their corrupt government rents jungle land to palm oil companies who then cut costs not only by destroying the jungles but also by burning them, filling the skies with dense smoke for miles and miles.    Yes, the air here is badly polluted, but as jungles go by the wayside, so do food and habitat for precious and unique wildlife; medicinal herbs disappear, and fresh air and clean water are diminished.  Deforestation significantly contributes to global warming and the extinction of exotic plants and animals. 

Certainly, though, the practice we see glaring at us here is not totally to blame for our planet’s condition.  Quickly, I think of the impact plastic bottles and bags have had on our lakes, oceans, and countryside.   Mining, petroleum production, transport, and use, chemical farming, and so many more everyday industries and practices continue to contribute to climate change and the destruction of our planet.  And now, in this incredible, super-fast, super accurate digital world we live in, very useful data centers threaten to enter our communities, greedily consuming power and water.  Without doubt, industry, agriculture, and technology have made our lives better, but oh, the long-term price we pay now and that our grandchildren will face in the future.  What are we going to do?

Lord, I wish I had an answer.  For me, I guess it is simple: just live our lives, be aware, become educated and educate others, make changes little by little, and enjoy what we have — while we have it.

A little about Kuching.  It’s the capital of Sarawak, one of the two states in Borneo.  Sabah is the other state where the towns of Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan are located.  The word Kuching means cats in the Malay language, and while we haven’t seen many cats here, Kuching is often called the City of Cats. There are cat statues and cat signs everywhere. There is even a cat museum. 

Kuching is a multicultural city with strong Chinese and Muslim influence, but it is also home to several Malay native tribes.  While Chinese heritage is obvious, it is not the primary culture; instead, we see different groups enjoying each other’s foods, festivals, and social customs.  Malaysia Day, celegrating the formation of Malaysia in 19963, is on September 16, and I cannot wait to see how it is celebrated. We are told there will be music, food, native dress, and of course, fireworks. I hope Stan and I are in the middle of it.

The wide Sarawak River dominates the city as it makes its way to the South China Sea.  A stone promenade lines both sides of the river for a short but very pretty distance.  At night, fountains and lights decorate a large music venue; I hope the air is clear enough for us to be there one night to see this spectacle for ourselves. Maybe on Malaysia Day??? But here is a strange situation: the Sarawak River separates Kuching into two government entities.  Like two city councils successfully managing an urban area, one manages the north side of the river, which has more Malay/Muslim residents, and the other manages the south, which is more Chinese.  Chinatown and its characteristic Chinese gate are naturally on the south side of the river.  Throughout the city, though, there are Mosques, Christian churches, and Buddhist and Hindu temples.  Of the less than 1 million population, most who identify as Malay and some native tribes are predominantly Muslim (41%), 33% are Christian, 24% are Buddhist, and less than 2% are Hindu. Quite a mix right here!

Years ago, small covered penambang boats ferried locals back and forth across the river as they traveled to market, work, or school.  The south bank was where people gathered to shop for fruits and vegetables arriving from farms by the small boats.  It must have been a noisy and bustling place.  Today, it is quiet and peaceful.  People now cross the river either by car or by the beautiful pedestrian Darul Hana bridge.  There’s very little need for the penambang boats any longer, but we tourists still like them.

Wilma was the guide for our walking tour in Kuching.  Although people mistakenly assume she is Chinese, she is from the combined tribes of the indigenous Melanau and Bawang native folk.   She’s a very pretty young mother and is a newbie tour guide, but a good one.  She showed us around, introduced us to her city, and found us a sample taste of Sarawak layer cake. This dessert has many very thin layers of differently colored cake – people tell young men to look for a prospective wife who can make this cake because it indicates that the woman is patient, which might lead to a happy marriage.  Wilma took us for lunch at one of her favorite restaurants where we had chicken and stir-fried fiddlehead fern—delicious stuff!  Wilma is Christian; we look forward to visiting her at the English service at her church this Sunday.

Because the very hot temperatures, high humidity and hazy air remain firmly in place, we sought out indoor things to do. Stan and I visit museums in almost every city we visit. There are a handful of museums here in Kuching; we chose the Borneo Cultures Museum and surprise, suprise, what a magnificent place! So well done, this modern, no costs spared, 5-story museum displays artifacts and information about the heritage of Sarawak’s people as well as others on the greater Borneo island. Great outing!

Now, if only this heat, humidity and smog/haze will dissipate!