Friday 30 December 2022

Border Crossing from Miri to Brunei (Sungai Tujuh Imigresion)

The crossing was the easiest crossing I have ever done with Bluey thoughout my journey in South East Asia. Following Rider ChrissBlogpost,I got the weblink for brunei Vehicle Entry Pass and from there just filled up the form online a few days in advance and within minutes I got the 2D barcode for vehicle entry.

I rock up the Malaysian Border and they just stamp me out barely giving me any notice and then I rock up the Brunei Immigration which was also a few second checks before a stamp in was approved for 30 days.

Border Crossing - Malaysia to Brunei - Sungai Tujuh Immigration 

Next was customs and ride up to the booth, took out the printed 2D barcode and scan it and I was good to go. Easy ... too easy that I worry I missed some important step. Felt so unreal that it was too easy.

One custom officer saw my bike and with a smile asked me to move forward and park to the side. I thought yea ok, this will be the customs checks and I had some tobacco with me as well so I wanted to declare and be upfront first abiding with all their rules. He asked some standard questions like what I was carrying and I was more than eager to show him my camping gear stash in the box while he left my bag untouched.

Crossed in to Brunei - Waiting for Rain to Stop

Ciggarattes is a no no .... pay tax ... but for the ammount i was carrying, he said sure its ok.

Then he saw the flag I stuck on Bluey, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos. A big smile on his face and we started chatting as he was also an adventure biker who has ride all the way up to Guangzhou China.

I ended up chatting with him for nearly an hour exhanging stories on customs clearence, budgets, tackling bribes with local police while on the journey etc. Etc and then the rain came ... so I had to wait another hour and we talk more with the custom officer excusing himself from time to time to see to work but as it was a quiet border and not much people were crossing on a tuesday morning, it was a barrage of adventure stories exchanged.

At one point I even forgot that I was talking to a customs officer and we were exchanging stories of all the hassle to get the bikes into other countries for touring including backdoors connections, bribing, getting a carnet without putting down the heavy deposit, some side money after settling all the customs paperwork and the things we do slightly illegally just to be touring in another country legally.

It was a great start to Brunei, and somehow I know that this will be a very friendly and happy country.

The Start of Brunei Adventure

Traveled on: Aug 2019

Sunday 25 December 2022

Miri the Black Hole.

Always there will be a place thoughout my travels where I call it the black hole and for me in Sarawak, that was Miri. I stayed a total of 5 nights in Miri doing almost nothing, watching movies, seeing sunset, a few museum here and there but the bulk of the time, sleeping and just aimless scrolling on google.

Heck, the fact that I even missed updating my journal the whole 6 days I was in Miri doing nothing was a defination of Black Hole. (Somehow ending up staying longer without knowing why – the black hole – sucking you up and compelling you to stay)

Miri has a charm I could not explain, just the right time right place right chill type of vibe to go around for the tired long term traveller is what I would call it. My favaruite passtime was watching the sunset in Miri.

Sunset at Coco Cabana - Miri 

Sunset at Coco Cabana - Miri

Sunset at Coco Cabana - Miri

A few things to do in Miri was the historic Grand Old Lady Well No.1 Up on a hill with a view point of the coast of Miri town. The other was drinking. I found quite a few niche watering hole in Miri and in a way it makes sense with the proximity to Brunei where drinking is no fun. 

The Grand Lady Well No.1 - Miri 

Miri City 

Watering Holes in Miri - Alice in Borneoland 

I did manage to make a daytrip to Tusan Beach to see the natural formation of a cliff that looks like a horse drinking water from the sea. It was reported to be collapsed in 2020 so I was fortunate to see it at all.

Tusan Beach is also famous to see the Blue Luminesanse plankton which gives off the natural Blue Tears Phenomenon ... although ... there is some luck required to actually see it dependent on time, clouds, microorganism etc ... I did not stay to try and see it as the roads were not lighted at night for a motorbike ride.

Iconic Horse Drinking Water at Tusan Beach - Collapse in 2020

Tusan Beach Monument - Guess they have to change it now 

A large part of Miri was also spend debating with Audrey as she was also sucked into the black hole of Miri, we talked alot about a lot of thing, philosophically mostly. Audrey expected me to understand her view point of why the people think the orang utan needs saving, that the palm oil is a bad industry and that the laws in Brunei where gays are to be a death sentance is inhumane.

I used many ways to explained but basicly told her that in this part of the world, in their eyes, the westerners are the crazy one, thinking that gay is normal, that forest are being chop for palm oil is pure nonsense. Forest is being chopped for timber, and then after for plantation which so happen to be palm oil. Why single out palm oil? Enviromental ? Bah. I dont belived it to be that simple.

The western forget that they have already destroyed their own natural ecology and fully cultivate their land. What the people here in Asia now is doing the same thing to strive to get out of poverty but while we harvest the land for the spoils, we have desinagted forest reserved for the habitat.

I always find that the ideology of the young western people are so fragile, easily influence by the media, the sad stories and in this generation, the peer pressure to be a good enviromental friendly human. Sure we may be destroying rainforest for palm oil, but frankly I truly belived that the ones destroying the world are those trying to impose what they think is right onto other peoples minds.

How do you know you are wrong if you belive that you are right !

The dificulty of changing a point of view is like asking someone to change his religon ....

Miri Mascot The Sea Horse at Coco Cabana Beach - Miri

Miri Old Town. 

Traveled On: Aug 2019

Sunday 6 November 2022

Camping at Gua Niah

Bintulu to Niah cave was a simple ride and I reach Niah nice and early around 3pm. Pitch a tent for RM5 a night at the national park camping ground and just wait around for nightfall so I can sleep and explore the caves the next day.

Niah National Park - Gua Niah Sarawak

With me camping that night was Michal, a backpacker from Czech Republic and I offered him a ride to the nearby Niah town for dinner. Next morning, I gave him a ride to the Pan Borneo Junction so he could get a bus to Miri. Apparently there is no public transport from the junction to Niah National Park and taxi shuttles cost around RM 25 one way.

I thought I would help a fellow traveler out but at the same time felt a little sorry for the loss in livelihood of my fellow Malaysian unable to earn that RM 25 for the day.

I also arranged with Audrey the day before, since she was at Miri and she agreed to come do the hike to Niah caves together. Perfect timing in a way since I sent Michal out to the junction in the morning, I was able to pick up Audrey from the same spot back to the national park.

OK so the fact is that I deprived the locals that day of a total RM 75 earnings.

Niah caves is one of the most amazing, elaborate and beautiful caves I have ever seen in the whole South East Asia journey. Chiang Dao caves does not even compare, the Budda Caves in Trang was beautifully lighted up with Buddha sculpture placed strategically, but Niah caves outshine it in shear natural beauty.

Boardwalk trial to the Niah Caves 

Trades Caves - Niah

Traders Caves - Niah

Traders caves, Great Caves, Dark Caves and the Caves Painting. I would say that Niah National Park was worth every bit of money to explore as it was not something extremely costly and easily done without a guide but not so simple that one might just glimpse by too fast. The whole hike took 4 hours return journey and I was really exhausted by the end of exploring Gua Niah. I send Audrey back to the junction and returned to Niah National Park to camp another night for it was too much to ride to Miri on the same day after the hike.

The Great Caves - Niah 

View Looking out from the Great Caves - Niah

Pockets of sunlight through the Great Caves - Niah

Pitch Dark Area Through the Great Caves - Niah

The other end of Great Caves Past the Dark Area - Niah

Looking Back to the Great Caves and Dark Area - Niah

Niah Caves Prehistoric Drawings - Niah 

The second night, it rained. First time for me camping that it rained and I was wondering how good was this expensive tent I bought back in Kuching. I was miraculously dry throughout the night even with the heavy thundershowers and the tent was holding up well, clean and looked like it had a nice wash.

Camping at Niah National Park

This tent is definitely a keeper.

Traveled on: Aug 2019

Wednesday 26 October 2022

The Legend of Niah Caves

Apart from being a geological marvel, Niah Caves is a network of caves with many levels and legends. The curse of Peira is one of the local favorite with legends tied to Niah Caves

***
Long ago in the Niah Caves area, there was a village on a hill called Bukit Terayeng.

As the story goes, the people of the village decided to extend their longhouse.

According to their customs and beliefs, anyone wishing to build a house must sacrifice a human child on the spot where the first house post for the new longhouse would go.

A child was carefully chosen and the sacrifice was completed

The unfortunate child was a grandson of an old woman named Peira.

One day, upon realizing that her grandson did not come home, shewent looking for him.

After a long search, Peira found a bloodstain on the ground and knew at once that her grandson had been the victim of the tradition.

She wept bitterly over the loss of her only living descendant and vowed revenge on her people.

“For this, let all mankind alsodie,” Peira Cursed

For five consecutive days, she beat gongs and danced.

Eventually, a large crowd gathered and was amazed to see the lonely old woman beating out dance-rhythms for days and nights.

Suddenly, the sky turned dard, a storm began, the wind howled, and rain fell as stones.

The longhouse then turned into a cave and all the people turned to stone – thus forming the caves and the mountain above.

It is believed that the people can still be seen in the caves today as stalagmites and stalactites
***




Traveled on: Aug 2022

Monday 24 October 2022

Lazing in Bintulu

Bintulu was a blank slate in my memory. For a big town in Sarawak, I actually did not have much to write about. In my journal the below was all I could note down.

“ Really there is nothing much to write about Bintulu. I spend most time coop up in the hotel watching TV series and just resting up. I guess a quiet place and a private comfatable hotel room for RM 27 a night will do that to you.”

Riding around Bintulu felt like a good medium size city that has most things but still lacking the slight pull to make it stand out. It was still the midway between Sibu and Miri and a good cheap place to rest up.

Temple in Bintulu 

Tanjung Batu - Bintulu, Sarawak 

Favaruite past time would be watching the sun set at Pantai Tanjung Batu Bintulu, beautifully located facing west and a promenade practially made for camping, I spend most evening here just crowd watching.

Sunset at Bintulu, Sarawak



Traveled on: Aug 2019




Sunday 31 July 2022

ABC Apong, Tibou & Camping in Mukah

I headed to Mukah from Sibu with only one thing in mind really. A break in the middle for the journey to Bintulu. I found on google that there was a park by the beach and I figured I could camp there for the night before heading to Bintulu.

In reality, I did not expect much from Mukah, I knew it would be just a passing town but stopping by somehow seamed right instead of just pumping through to Bintulu from Sibu. I tried to visit the few attraction in Mukah which was the Lamin Dana Longhouse, a traditional Melanau tribe longhouse but alas, some film crew was shooting a drama series there and it was out of bounds for a few days. I managed to sneak a shot outside but that was it.

Lamin Dana Longhouse - Traditional Melanau Tribe Longhouse - Mukah, Sarawak

Nearby Lamin Dana Longhouse I stopped for lunch and thats where I met Romeo the owner of the shop. He was curious what I was doing in Mukah and after a few chitchat knowing I was going to camp at the beach, he actually offered for me to stay at his house for the night or suggested for me to camp at the football field just in front of the shop where there is toilets and I could charge my phone in the restaurant.

I hang around for a long time in the afternoon at Romeo’s restaurant just to escape the heat and when my drink neared the end, he came out with a Ais Kacang but this was the Sarawak version called Apong ABC. On the house he said, welcome to Mukah.

Apong ABC 


Romeo's Restaurant, Mukah - Sarawak

I said I will drop by later at night but for now, will take Bluey for a round in Mukah. Mukah is a really small town but well kept. Nothing much to shout about but they do have a KFC in town. I went to the beach or park which is called Pesta Gaul, so apparently the park is where the Melanau people held their festival every year, the Pesta Gaul (Gaul Festival).

I caught a glimpse of the famous Tibou game played by some kids on a smaller version. Four young boys repeatedly jumping off the ledge onto the rattan rope swining all squish up together hanging on for dear life.

Tibou Site - Pesta Gaul - Mukah

Many Kite Flyers at the Pesta Gaul Park - Mukah - Sarawak

By night, I went back to Romeos restaurant and notice a local open air, super loud kareoke has set up shop and the locals were screaming their lungs away having a good time. RM3 per song or RM 10 for 4 songs they said.

Sarawak felt this was this was to me whenever I go out of town. The people friendly and out to help. I eventually camp at the beach anyway since it was the best spot, quiet and serene and in the morning an old man excersizing strolled up to me while I packed up camp and asked what I was doing. My standard story of camping and riding around Borneo was met with a smile and he wish me all the best but at the same time told me to be careful while camping out.

Camping at Mukah Beach - Sarawak

Traveled on: Aug 2019  

Sunday 24 July 2022

The Unexpected Experience of an Iban Longhouse in Kapit - ( Richard Homestay )

I keep procastinating on writing something that I already knew in my head would be a great blog post. The adventure was unique, the experience one of a kind and the story to tell oh .... but then I am scared I will blunder it once I put it in writing.

This is a story of chance encounters with many “if” and many luck in between.

Kapit was never on my list, in fact I had no idea Kapit existed nor did I knew about the longest river in Sarawak the Rajang River but that all change with a simple visit to the tourist information center in Sibu and the lure of exploring small town Kapit to see the deep inlands of Sarawak which once, can only be access by boat or little planes and helicopters.

Fort Sylvia - Kapit 

Of course the allure of a thrilling ride through an unmarked road to reach Kapit made the decision more easier for I had a feeling Kapit would be such a town, bustling and small but lacking the activities to keep a traveler staying more than one night.

So the day before departure at Kapit, I was back in the budget hotel in Sibu asking the nice old uncle manning the reception if I were to come back in a few days, could I get a discount if I paid directly instead of going through Agoda bookings. (I know ....its a long term traveler habits to try and save every little bit of money they have ).

There I was explaining that I will be going to Kapit and be back in Sibu in a few days and at the same time there was Audrey, a French backpacker gathering information from the same Uncle on how to get to Kapit. Audrey thought for a moment she would have company to Kapit but I tapped my helmet with a smile and the illusion died. See you in Kapit maybe I said. Audrey was going on the express boat the next day while me on the same morning going on a treacherous road thrill adventure all ending at Kapit.

Kapit Roundabout & Clock Tower 

Kapit Market

Kapit Market

We did not exchange contact, nor did we made any arrangement to meet for that short moment in the hotel lobby felt like a Hi-Bye conversation. Once I reached Kapit and after checking into Magilai Hotel and finally rested in the Lobby to get the WIFI signal, there I saw Audrey walking in and checking into the very same Hotel.

I waved at her and this time we exchanged names. That was my chance encounter with Audrey.

Audrey had a story of her own going on the boat to Kapit. She met Dr. Lee which long long time ago works in Kapit and he was so intrigued that a foreigner would actually visit Kapit, (Audrey was the only white French girl on the boat) that he kept inviting her for many things such as tea, dinner, longhouse visit, which made Audrey a bit wary being a solo female traveler.

With me around now, she then asked if I was keen to join the Dr. Lee for dinner. Sure anything is fine I guess but I was planning to explore Kapit at night. We fixed a time 715pm and met up in the lobby going out to explore Kapit, but Kapit at night was a ghost town. No food, no activities of any sort and even the so called Kapit night market area closed by sunset. There was only two thing that we saw that was alive and open, the one and only KFC restaurant that was packed full of people and a few questionable Karaoke Pub near the hotel

Wild Boar with Black Noodle

Audrey messaged Dr. Lee and said yep we will take up the offer for bringing us out for food. Few minutes later Dr. Lee show up with a Hilux pick up truck and drove us slightly out of town to a local Chinese eatery.

We had fried noodles, some local vegetables that I had not seen before and the delicacy of the forest wild boar.

Dr. Lee was part of a church NGO called Lighthouse Foundation which is part of Malaysia Starfish Association and he was looking for a longhouse to bring his guest from Taiwan which was visiting next week. So with that in mind, Audrey and me was pulled along having nothing to do with Dr. Lee mission to locate the longhouse that very same night after dinner.

We found the longhouse at 9pm only by chance since they had some music playing and we figured if there was music, most likely its the longhouse and the community had yet to gone to sleep.

Richard's Iban Longhouse 

Richard Longhouse or as I knew it from google map - Richard Homestay.

This is where coincidence number three came in. One day ago, I had actually saw Richard Homestay on google maps and out of my normal travelling practice, send Richard a WhatsApp message asking if I could stay at his place. I had no idea it was a longhouse and thought it was just a homestay like any other house. Richard never replied so I ended up in Magilai Hotel but as destiny would have it, I would end up staying at Richard Homestay anyway.

Tuai Rumah Richard was a nice hospitable guy always smiling and easygoing. While Dr. Lee entered into serious business conversation for securing an event for his Taiwan guest, Audrey and Me got a glimpse of the longhouse families and cultures.

The kids were playing the traditional Iban instrument and rehearsing a traditional dance. Apparently the next day they had an important visitor and event. A guest of honor, Timbalan Pengarah MARA Usahawan

Once Dr. Lee serious talk was more or less done and the conversation going everywhere to nowhere, I decided to check with Tuan Richard if he got my watsapp messaged. Checking his phone, he did got my message but apological he said he ignored it because he was so busy organizing the event for his guest of honor visit tomorrow.

I asked if I could stay here tomorrow and join in the event and that was a Yes. Audrey asked for the price and Tuan Richard quoted us RM 85 for lodgings, food and any activities that we or they could think of.

The next day we packed up our stuff and left Hotel Magilai in the morning with me piggybacking Audrey illegally without a helmet to the long house just in time to see the main guest arrived and all the traditional Iban performace. A dance, a song, a prayer ceremony and after an exhibition of all the handicraft that the family and families produce and sold online in this digital age.

Iban Prayer & Dance & Music Performance 

Iban Handicraft Showcase

Kapit Entrepreneur 

Iban Bead Handicraft Display 

Group Photo Session with the Guest of Honor

By Noon, the event was finish and the guest had left leaving behind a quiet moment where Audrey and I just chill at the open longhouse watching the individual families go by their usual routine, washing laundry, lepaking at the veranda, watch the kids come back from school at 1pm with a school bus and immediately forming into their own age groups for their own world of fun.

Dr. Lee dropped in at 3pm talking to the older girls between 18 to 22 trying to coax them into a technical program such as welding, sewing, beautician, childcare which the organization was willing to sponsor 100% for these kids to get the technical qualification certificate which could help them get jobs after.

The catch .... it was in Kuala Lumpur and flight tickets was on their own. Even lodgings was fully sponsored, and in a way it looked like a great opportunity only, if and only if the girls were genuinely interested. Technical skills requires a little more passion and interest compared to studying. You can study and be smart without liking it but doing childcare if you don't like kids is a whole different story.

Somehow the story spins and spins and the Doctor tries to rope me into doing some charity works in Kapit .... design a long house or build a long house, help the kids, stay here and be a part of the community .... and Richard quietly slips in and quoted .... and marry a good Iban girl and settle down ..... *chukle*

While most of the conversation was done mostly in Malay mixed in with a bit of English and Iban, I could not help but laughing out loud when the marriage proposal came up for I was wondering how long it would take before it happened. I explained to Audrey, while Dr. Lee tries to tie me up with charity or some sort of project in relation to Kapit, the Tuai Rumah Richard outright just want to tie me up with marriage hence fully owned and unable to escape Kapit.

I told them I had remembered a warning from a friend long long time ago which the saying goes like this. If you ever stay in a longhouse in Sarawak, be careful that you don't accidentally get married and forever unable to leave.

Evening came and it was time for a short track into the forest nearby the longhouse.

Stingless Bee Honey Farm

Stingless Bee Honey Farm

Tracking to the Forest River

Richard showed us this Kelulut Farm ( Stingless Bee Honey ) along with all the Durian tree, jackfruit, banana, enkabang, a brinjal farm, chilli farm, chicken farm and all around. The doctor and I agreed that it has great potential to expend the homestay with activities walking around nearby since it was like a mini jungle track with lots of experience for the city dwellers whom never seen how a durian tree look like or how small scale farming is done. Only need to train one of those girls to be confident enough to explain like a guide to the tourist that visit the longhouse.

That night for dinner, Audrey and me ate together with Richard and his family nothing special but just their daily staple diet which makes the experience even more precious to me compared to a 10 course meal of traditional food but only cooked and ate at big events. The daily mundane lifestyle was enough but then again we also got a treat which was the Ikan Semah, a very expensive river fish which when grown more than 3kg in size would cost roughly RM900 per kilo. Richard treated us to the smaller version ... much cheaper due to the small fish having lots of bone but a chance to eat Ikan Semah was quite a surprise.

Home Cooked Dinner at Richard's Longhouse


Ikan Semah 



Only months later back in Singapore would I have known that the locally called Ikan Semah was also a very close cousin to the Ikan Empurau or as the Singaporean calls it ... “Wang Bu Liau”

I slept in the living room while Audrey being a girl had a room to herself. By morning it was time to move on and we all part ways after breakfast with Audrey heading to Belaga and me back to Sibu.

Kapit Jeti 

Traveled on: Aug 2019