Lost and Found in Kuching

Pulau Manukan near Kota Kinabalu

Another of my recent roles that I've failed to tell you about is becoming Mentor rep. for the Sabah Interior Group of mentors. This entails a rep. meeting once a year with all the reps from Sarawak and Sabah and I'm not sure what else for the moment. Anyway the meeting was to be in Kuching and never having visited Sarawak before I was quite excited about my visit despite its very short length. I stayed the night with a friend on Tuesday so that I wouldn't be too rushed getting to the airport in the morning. The taxi came at 8 a.m and much to my horror I only had one shoe outside the house. We had a frantic search and found the other one completely chewed by the puppy at her neighbour"s house. I had no other shoes and no time to buy a pair so off I went in my friend's pair that was only half a size too small!

Descending into Kuching in our small plane

  We got to the meeting at the Hilton, ( I know I have to pinch myself) just in time but sadly didn't benefit from the free lunch, however afternoon tea, scones and sandwiches were on offer. The meeting finished at 5.30 pm and I just had an hour to wander along the waterfront before dusk fell. It is very charming with the sampan boats crossing the river, colonial buildings and an historical Chinatown. It certainly gave me a taste to return again soon All of us reps ate in a lovely restaurant in the evening and in the morning we had an early start back to the airport. I think it was somewhere between Kuching and Kota Kinabalu that I realised that I hadn't my new camera with me. Was it in the hotel room? Yes probably, so I phoned the hotel immediately when I landed. After several phone calls we established that it wasn't there so then I realised that I must have left it in the taxi. Did I know the company, registration? No. I phoned a taxi hotline and I explained my dilemma and in broken English he said he would ask around. By that time I had given up hope and was just trying to come to terms with it.
   This morning I was woken at 6.30 by the taxi driver to tell me that he had my camera. I didn't even think to leave my telephone number so thank goodness for call registers. He left it at the Hilton , then someone from the British Council offices went to collect it and my lovely camera will be returned to me next Wednesday by the Director of projects flying into Kota Kinabalu. I would very sincerely like to thank the dear taxi driver for his honesty - not sure how yet - and talk about the "luck of the Irish"!! The lovely photos of Kuching will be shown next week.

Three gorgeous girls from Preschool