After all the activity of the previous few days it was definitely time for taking things more slowly.  After all, there was laundry to be done!

The 15kg washer and dryer definitely came in handy! I was able to get through a few more pages of my novel before we headed down the street in search of handicrafts and then food. Juliana Native Handwork had been recommended to me as a great place to buy quality crafts – and it was!  Note that it is now in a shop in Jalan Carpenter rather than being located in the Textile Museum (and currently has a stall at Plaza Merdeka).

There is a book, Beads of Borneo, that appears to be the definitive guide to the history, types of beads, and techniques used in Borneo.  One website tells me that Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo has a unique relationship with the beads of Borneo. Although there isn’t any definitive evidence of when exactly the beads came to the region, there is evidence to suggest beads were first used in Borneo by visiting sailors for bartering. Back then, beads were made out of shells, teeth, bones and stones that were perforated and worn as ornaments.  If you’re interested in beadwork, please take a look at the link – the information there is quite comprehensive.  In essence, beadwork has been extremely important to the tribes in the area for many years.  This includes both making the beads and working them into patterns that are used to decorate a large variety of household objects as well as in clothing and other ornamentation.

I bought myself a beaded necklace, and a scarf that was printed in traditional designs including bamboo shoots and jungle ferns.  We have barely scratched the textile and handcraft surface in Sarawak; we just ran out of time!  Other places that could be visited include the Tun Jungah Foundation and Tanoti Crafts.

We found a late lunch at Indah cafe.  Home made vegan ice-cream in my iced coffee, a smoothie bowl full of scrumptious fruits, soba noodles, banana nutella crepe, french toast, ribena spider, and a drink of kedondong juice.  Everything was delicious, and we had a great conversation with the owner (who had been to school in Melbourne and lived there for many years before returning to Kuching).

Unsurprisingly, it rained again.  Not that a bit of rain was a deterrent for Stella.  Although if there is lightning, you do need to get out of the pool!  We were lucky – there wasn’t any.

An unexpected highlight of the evening was the Darul Hana Musical Fountain.  The rain had stopped again, and the air was quite still.  The fountain was opened in late 2018, and really did put on quite a show!  Still photos don’t really capture it – but there are a couple of videos on youtube if you want to take a look.  The show goes for around fifteen minutes, and is a combination of lights, projections, water sprays, and extremely loud music. Combining the elements of music, water and lights to create an amazing sight at night, the beautifully decorated fountain features a nine-foot wall measuring 80 metres in length. Operated using modern technology, it has hundreds of nozzles that shoot water 25 metres upwards.

Apparently the fountain cost RM31million to build, and the project is not without controversy.