LABUAN ..... BIKERS ' TRIP

SUNDAY... 23 JANUARY 2011...

Messages circulated among bikers...about Labuan Trip at week end....

Hj Sakawi... sms me... if  interested...  quiet... year....NO Rides... so say YES....

.. just made known wife.. coz Saturday is working DAY  nnn school is ON... make sure... all WOULD NOT BE PROBLEM ....

LABUAN....  many Bruneians...still NOT interested to visit this small ISLAND to North East of Brunei...... part of Malaysia... BUT NOT longer.. under d' management of SABAH ..since DATO Hj Haris Salleh... politics... made it possible to... separate d'administration under Kuala Lumpur... Persekutuan Wilayah..   ...first .. Labuan..people NOT in favour... BUT time passed... LABUAN became more prosperous comparing neighbouring ...Malaysia... so....  ?????

Looking at HISTORY..... still many blood related Bruneians here..... once Labuan belonged to Brunei ...  but poor knowledges....NOT advanced.. critical.. FUTURE analysis...mind  ..plus cheeky...British colonist...  lol... we're beaten. really... buried alive.....   pity small weakening .. Brunei.... administration... at that  18...19th century....

Labuan became important outlets for Brunei.... remember... in 60s... a small ship ..BOLKIAH.. regularly went to Labuan... even trips to perform...d' HAJJ.... all hajj people were lifted to a waiting BIG SHIP in Labuan.... before sailing to Singapore... Ceylon.. Sri Lanka....   nn    ..Mecca.... ????

Ok...that's enough...

If ever...Uuu go out..walk around... Uuu would notice few acknowledgments...  description brief... history of Labuan..   WHY...???..    so make people to understand.... NO arguments.... made.  especially..... new arrivals...  new comers.... new people...  tourists...

Now..... this island..commercially known...for BANKING....   land developers...investments.......   even..OIL people were many here....SHELLs...    PETRONAS... nnn other oil companies....    DOCKs for ships...shipping business booming....

This is taken from d' description...top... picture...

LABUAN port was named VICTORIA Port after Queen Victoria in 1844 by Captain Edward Betcher, an officer with the British Royal Navy. As early as 1852. It was a favorite port of call for many commercial ships plying between Singapore and BRUNEI. By 1863, the port was handling import and export trades with Singapore, Hongkong and Sulu. The goods traded were cotton, rice, salt, tobacco, coconut, beetle nuts, sago boot and timber were main exports from Labuan at thet time. Victoria Port was proclaimed a FREE port on 1 September 1950.

Began with...riding to departure station... at SERASA Ferry's Terminal.....

Time leaving port at  9.00 am... scheduled...   as promised..assembled  7.00.. proceeding to port... so everybody were here at 7.30am..

Surprising... counting bikes... all 17 bikes... a van with 3 people... altogether 20....

Passports ready.... custom documents... ready also....for checked...  

RAINING..... would NOT stop us.... for early check in... NOT only us ....other vehicles were already got into d' waiting ferry.. SHUTTLE HOPE.........$43 @ motorcycle....   $65 @ cars...  nnn  passengers $22 @ person   ????

HERE.....  bikers... warriors... to cross sea.....    Brunei Bay......

Top....   Hj Sakawi... Hj Hadi..  Hassan...  Asmalee...    below... Did..

Middle.... Me... Karim...  Hirman... Hj. Azree... below...  Hj Zill... Ahamad... Kamsul..

Bottom.... Sabrin.. Hj Sulaiman..... Harun...   Hj. Bidin... Fazlan....

SHUTTLE HOPE.....  this ferry once used to land in Menumbok.....me..had gone 3 times... but... rescheduled... coz NON profitable trips... NOW...only Labuan...   about 30 kilometers...   would take 1 hour 30 minutes... short journey less cost... for travelers  as well..  nnn d'  ferry.....operator....   my first trip using bike to d' island....   woww..

Passengers...   NOT full housed...but better....   easier..faster...less hours.... trips for people.... working with Malaysian oil companies' people.. to cross via Brunei to Sarawak, Malaysia.........to ...Miri...Bintulu...Sibu...nn Kuching..

Us...just leisure traveler... with companions....  friends working in NON government agencies... nn few from BELAIT District.....

Like to travel with friends... of different MOTOR BIKES.....  nnn  branded...  NAMES.. of coz..

Sporty... for younger... riders.....but us... a bit..        comfort.. .touring type..  lol...

Landing time.... simple checked... made sure VALID documents..... nn rode away....     had to wait until after 12noon.... for check in HOTEL....  ????

All...going town...  but soon checked in  BETA... Service Apartment.... BIG  Tall building.... overseeing d' sea to southern..... sea side.... port....

So sharing... would reduce d' burden of payments' cost....   Us ..Room1104... only @ RM $312.00.

Big rooms...of  2 double nn a single room....

Shopping was just... around on....ground corners... PARKSON....nn other shops...

Here... our companions.... temporary tenants..

ME... need NOT to introduce...  known them NOT long ago....  bikers have to be friendly..nn open minded...

Hj Sakawi....  closer known each other... since XPDCion West Malaysia 2010... active friendly Yamaha rider..

Hassan....  free only when... on leave...  otherwise... busy working....at d' sea Shell platform..... known since XPDCion to Malaysia 2010..too....

Hj Sulaiman.... d' idea.... d' same.. enjoy riding... friendly...during XPDCion to Malaysia ...too..

Hj Hadi..... still far...  long... to go... younger of all... a father of a year old child... bank man....  known him a year... more... ago.. Good in electronic media things...  ???   SAME kind of owing motor bike...  owned  nn used scooter as well...

Kamsul....Working at PANAGA Clinic... true.. known little... sorry..  but friendly... ok..

Fazlan...  little known.. IT... media technology.. people.. young ..hot blooded...  looking at bike...   but responsible PEMODA.....member.....  yeh...

Asmalee...  sorry..confused... same young hot blooded... but cool man.. waa..  Known him last Kuching.. Pontianak Bike...  remember...   lol..

DID...  see..Karim..Uu'll be there... familiar face... rough nn strong...  but for bike loves...  ???

Hj Bidin....   how to describe.. Uu... responsible... participated PEMODA member too.... happy to include me here.. own bike at workshop....   soo BLUEs....

Ahmad...  GOT three bikes... to be shared here..  GOOd Uuu..... not known ...sorry
Sabrin... unknown... at first... just lucky..slipped to d' ground somewhere unseen by public...
Harun... Hassan's brother... knew him as we rode together during PEMODA XPDCion to WEST Malaysia...2008... same bike Harley.....

Hj Zill....  back home.. after a while in Australia....  active biker too... were UUu Promoting BMW......???

KARIM....   sorry... well known member.. where ever Uuu....happy go lucky... make jokes... talented superman... languages... fluency speaking... woow... BUT Uuu looked rough  nnn brutal... lol.. ..BUT ..GOOD tender heart.. unknown to people...       BIKERs...   lol...

Hirman...  do not Know.. UUu.. .. How can I tell others..... riding Goldwing... made us closer....

Hj Azree... little known... friend of Fazlan...IT people too... lol.. but related to Hj Sakawi...???

RIDING... late ... noon... nearing 4.00pm... all 17 riders.. a BIG convoy passed through town.... kampongs  ...d' beaches ...frontage sea roads....here...ONLY took exceeding ONE hour before having a rest.... stopped at d' WORLD WAR II  Cemetery...  burial sites... most NON Muslims..

Thousands of... NAMES of Memorials... peoples served to protect against assessors...  But mostly Australians... locals... NON Muslims...

Surprisingly..  included.... BRUNEI......people... too....  ???

Spent Night..... Dinner at...  MAWILLA... Yatch Club Restaurant...  one of a  popular SEA FOOD Restaurant...here.....   a location facing d' sea... CHEAP...as well...

Only ONE night... so... picture of 5....using.....automatic.... at d' Apartment ...Room 1104

Next day... early checked OUT....  still have times to ride round d' town...

D' newly building.... hotel.. just on foot of sea beach... in front of green field used for ...football...nn  any ceremonial parades.... anniversaries.. states' celebrations... a very near... this coming February.... too...

Pictures' Location... ferry's terminal...  town market  nnn Labuan green field...

See.. a logo... OIL PUMP...with company's name..  a horse... as we called...  !!!

Belong to....Harun...SHELL's man.... he is d ' ONE in charged in SERIA.... Belait...  Pictured on my right side....

So times' UP.... back to SHUTTLE HOPE...   scheduled leaving at 10.30am..

Tighten.... d' belts... soon..bikes parked on both sides to give rooms for cars... PUT Pads on tyres to stop movements...nn... belts of specially for motorbikes to stop from falling side ways... to lock movements... too...

Spent MORE times inside ferry rather then riding bikes....  

Arrival......

1.30pm... d' ferry already landing at SERASA... ferry's terminal.... so Q...

Customs' checked ..a must..  to see smokers.... smuggle cigarettes...so  nn so....

...a very unfortunate.....   two cartoons... costing... B$200 here.... taken away....of a friend....   

...pity lol...

...home..... safe nnn sound....