onsdag 30 november 2011

From Sabah to Brunei (And the passport stamp marathon)
Batu Niah caves Sarawak




About one month spent in Sabah Malaysia..! Travelling around, east, west, north, up, down, here, there. When time to leave after great time spent I headed for Brunei.. I had already hitched the road before, almost all way to the border.. Same road, i even ate in the same places.. First, border to Sarawak, Malaysia.. Same country but something is different.. Cant put my finger on it. Lawas.. Im going with a man heading for the TV-repairman in Lawas, as we go fast on the bumpy road the TV bounces back n forth in the backseat. (well its broken anyway right). Walking walking lah! Along the road, allready afternoon.. The rain have caught up with e few times but i always seem to get a ride before it gets really bad. The dark clouds heading southwest just like me.

Before the border to Brunei I get a ride with a Chinese man to his Timber factory in Brunei and he invites me to stay the night. Eating well with his family.. Truck from there in the morning.. This is in the eastern province of Brunei and the city is called Bangar.. Walking walking lah. Sun is hot but i feel like walking. A couple of hours just to see if anyone stops without me hitchhiking. Suddently I arrive at the border. get my exit stamp and see a car has stopped for me, young Chinese man,
- Wanna come with me to Bandar Seri Begawan?
- Sure do, thanks!
Brunei, 3000 Brunei dollar = 2340 USD

Into Sarawak again, Into Brunei again, my passport getting smashed with stamps! Bandar Seri Begawan.. a few hours.. My new-found friend takes me to the museum of the Sultan. In cold aircondition we walk around and look at different pictures of the sultan. Gifts from other countries. This n that. Few more hours a bit of food and i leave BSB. Walking again lah! Brunei is easy for hitchhike, however its just a little bit complicated cause the roads kind of looks like in western europe, there are sidewalks and the roads are narrow and fast. So i cannot find a safe place for cars to stop. Doesn't matter.. As long as someone stops before dark(or before the rain starts again). Finally getting some rides out of the city, get treated with some Bruneian hospitality in a restaurant(Im eating some kind porridge which im not sure what it contained, tastes funny eh) That night i sleep on the beach(or i actually never see the beach but i was told it was a beach)
Mosque in Bandar Seri Begawan


Next morning i hitch from the highway, almost first car stops, even if going fast fast. A young girl with long black hair. Short ride, conversation goes something like this(good example of a short conversation while hitchhiking in Brunei,Sarawak,Sabah,Indonesia where the concept of hitchhiking, getting a ride for free hardly exist):
- Hi, are you heading South, towards Seria?
- Noo Seeeeria, its faaaaaar (its about 60 - 70 km but ofcourse far cause across the whole country), You have to take a taxi, or a bus.
- Im travelling by hitchhiking,(trying to explain hitchhiking but there is no word in melay, closest is "Tumpang" but is not the same thing)
Quiet moment, - Ah ok!
Moments later
- So i drop you here, you can take a bus from here to Seria!
- Oh.... ok....., Thanks alot!
(Leaving the car going out to the road again to catch another ride)
Contractor getting free fuel from his constructing site.. Diesel costs 0.32 BND per liter in Brunei($0.25 (1.6 SEK))

Sarawak, Malaysia

I make it to the border with few cars.. Into Sarawak again, heading south south, A driver told me about some caves I JUST HAVE TO visit, so I do. Batu Niah caves.. nice! I spend the night in my tent at the start point to walk to the caves. I've found out my newly Indonesian $15 tent is not as waterproof as i hoped so i usually try to find some kind of roof when setting up the tent. Here i didnt find and i was luckylucky, no rain that night.. Nice caves, nice walk.

Bla bla bla bal bla bla bla bla bal alalal bala balaballlalallaa lalala hehe haha lala.

I end up on a rest area in middle of nowhere. Gets late and I get stuck. Tired, im offered to sleep in a room above the restaurant, great sleep! The longest i've waited in Asia to get a ride but in the morning a driver comes up to me and offers e ride almost to Kuching! Yahoow. All day we go! until 2 hours before Kuching where he lives. Invites me to his home but im in little bit rush and wanna go to Kuching. Arrive in the evening. Look around, nice! Yah really, nice city. So different from other malaysian cities ive seen! I sleep in a strange place, i dont even know what it is myself its so strange. Lets just say its kind of benches for outdoor theater or something(Pls someone tell me what it is if you know, i'll send u a candy from Indonesia)
Sleeping sleeping lah, This spot behind a building in Serian, Sarawak also worked as a studio for painting a t-shirt.


Indonesia satu lagi kali

Leave Kuching. Slow short rides. Finally ride with policeman to Serian where i sleep behind a shop and meet an kind of constantly talking hobo, but that story is just too long to write here(or write anywhere acually). Again short rides to the border. Easy border crossing $25 Visa On Arrival, indonesian 1 month visa. Walking walking lah! End up in perfect place truck stop in Entikong. All trucks is going to Pontianak in the afternoon after loading barang barang from Malaysia. Get a ride with friendly man in heavy rain we go all evening into the night, sleep, up 5 arrive 8 in Pontianak.

Last night a friendly man from the harbor hosted me in his house and tonight im taking a 36 h ferry to Jakarta, hah!

(My plan was to take a boat to p.Riau, south of singapore but the boat leaves in 10 days so bah! And i've tried to ask my harbor friend about cargo ships but no no on that one. Where's my cargo ship captain friend from Surabaya when i need him?!)


One foot in the Southern hemisphere on in the northern.. THE EQUATOR, Pontianak Kalimantan Barat, INDONESIA






1 kommentar:

tn.alamsyah sa...

welcome back to indonesia mister! best wishes for your next next hitchhikes things..walking walking lah! heheheee