XPDC to BANJARMASIN.....Episode 1

Blog is back DATED.... in sequence of photos taken......

so have a nice... glimpse of my story... this is EPiSodE ONE

Brunei.....to Miri....SIBU....nnn....KUCHING.....

So here.... I'm BACK to show nn tell the journey back from d' START.....

16 December...   LAST YEAR ....!!!..oh...hoo.... a year agoooo.....!!!

A LONG distance .... about more.... 2500 km round ...this is nOT kidding.... 
All teams should have in mind a rough journey... each one had to bear in mind... difficulties ...all sorts of things.... my team ...CAR... NO 11.... of coz....include my self...spouse....Anih.. Liyana...Zakka...nnn Malina... All had  experienced rough journey to SAMARINDA, Kalimantan Timur..... back in December 2006....???    everybody.....must put in mind a pleasant trip.... ah...aaa



                                    

So...too d' 4wheeldrive cars.... mine... Landcruiser 80series.... 1991... as old as my daughter Liyana...    made a double checeked.. after fully servised...chanage oil... brakes system.. engine....nnn so on.... recently d' engine starter made trouble... twice checked..   seemed ok..... beginning..??

RADIO communication.... as one most important......distant travellers.... NO licence BUT.... have to make instant ready to use...or portable ONEs....

D'tyres....of coz... should prepare d' worst... fives...MT tyres... my old ones ... only twice used...2006...... to.... HOT spring ..Mararap....in LIMBANG.... about.. two years ago..oh..ho.. 
BUT still GOOD ....lol... NOT yet expired.......

D' stickers...love these.... so I added more...making acknowledgable...nn attractive... those see us on d' road...

Cut d' main poster..to look NICE.. attractable....   so doo....

TEMBURONG BISAI wass added before departured.....nn soo... d' towns names.. to be recognizable... places would be....visited...!!!

D' DATES  ...of coz.... journey... time-framed.....important days to remember ...nnn easy make a quick reference.... who knows....   all SET..... so do the ..foods... dry...like pop mee....nn so.... clothes...... MOST....important.....travelling asset.... budgeting... MONEY.... lol... FIVE persons...NOT... little....



16 December 2010.....Before 9.00am... things all being packed rear seat... got space... but an addition... a rack  on top of my car could do help if more luggage needed....  just be prepared....!!!!...wow....each brought their own packed luggade...!!!!..lol..

 So...in TIME... as we excited...to paticipate... after quite long NOT joining car xpdtion....our LAST journey was to JAKARTA nn BALI....back December 2007....

9.30 am...we're... assembled.... d' cars front of d' RiZQUN International Hotel.....Gadong..



BW2633....Haji Maramit bin Haji Saban nn spouse...Hjh Asmah Hj Talip.....

KJ 151..Hjai Othman bin Hj Hussiin nn spouse..Hjh Asmah Hj Mohd Salleh...nn son..Quayyum...

KP 9924 ... Zul Rushdi bin Hj Md Sallen  nnnn  Sabtu bin Hj Tupok...   

KE1619...Mohd Shahminan bin Hj Besar.. nn ..Sahdan..nnn partner. Aisah.... 

B419..Haji Saring bin Hj Besar...nn wife..Hjh Saripah bt.Hj Ismail...nn 2 daughters..  Killah .. Bazillah.... 

KK5102 Ampuan Razid bin Ampuan Sabli nn spouse...Fataaimah bt Jaludin...nn Ampuan Hj Hamzah nnn wife...

KK1313...mine...lol...

KH6069 ...Haji Mohammad Noor bin Hj Mohammad..nn wife..Hjh Siti Rapiah bt Hj Ismail...nn 3children Aziz ..Azeziee... Alia..

More CARs.... NOT included YET....

They were LOOKED clean.....beautiful...... wow...



NO special TAKE OFF ceremony...except... all of us invited be seated... at the RIZQUN Coffee HOUSE d' ground floor of the Hotel at MALL....   looking familiar ...traveller.....faces.. except few.... NOT known yet....

A GOOD start..... everybody... seemed happier.... wiith smiles... a good sign... yeh...

A short speech by our..leader BOSS ..Hj. Ibrahim bin Hj. Awang Damit..... then...thanksgiving DOA for d' safe drive, departure.....nn home.. by member of 4WD Pg Hj Damit...He probably NOT to join this XPDCion...

So....Rizqun sponsored.. place...nn..this .MORNING refreshments for ALL...  thanks... anywhere...



To make a merrier.. gathering... photo session for d' group for remembrance... front entrance of d' Rizqun Hotel..

TOOK OFF.......  TOP left.... a looked alike my car...

BL 76...Mazalani bin Hj. Mahadi...nn wife Nuraryani bt Abdullah Anis...children nn ..a good friend...Johari bin Hj Karia...with children too.... leading d'  way...

A sudden changed.... BOSS...Hj Ibrahim... got commitment... nn... could NOT make today... soo... a few followed... 4 altogether... TODAY...only 10 cars were proceeding to SIBU before KUCHING.. a night...nnn last before entering d' border would be SERIAN as a meeting place for ALL of US....



TWO hours drive...  to MIRI.... joined in by another car... KL9428..Safuan bin Abdullah...Md Zulqarnain Abdullah...nnn 2 others... as they're BELAIT people..... as we've given enough time here... to change money...nn so.. at BOULEVARD....shopping mall.... Miri...

Late noon.. 2.30pm... all were leaving for Bintulu.....cool....nnn...  raining all d' way....refilled petrol here..on arrival at around 5.00pm.. we used coastal road instead... passed Bintulu Hospital, entered Sibu 's junction...AVOIDING d' road to Bintulu Town.... half an hour rest..nn..continued to Sibu...

My car showed a  problem... situation like this...???... Feel like.....wa... 

BUT...a convoy... somebody MUST knew something.....  !!!!! 

Had to used jumper to restart d' engine at d' Fillng Station.... key ignition did NOT function...!!!

So..GOT in mind...how to solve....  ????

Late 9.00pm arriving SIBU....to town center....going two rounds before could enter to d' front road of d' PREMIER HOTEL ...SIBU... had to enter a small door too....people were making renovation...here....much bigger.. soo...room 1216 for a night around RM$270.00...

Budget night for us..a room for 5...  eeeh... ok... used to live like this.....while travelling... !!!

Taken these photos... at morning.... soon.... 

ONLY 2 persons for breakfast.... so d' rest had to make their own coffee... lol..

Or may be ...had to smuggle some.... eating foods..... while having breakfast....later...on... oo h.

Soon after...around 9.00am.... ready for KUCHING's destination...

Before leaving...SIBU ..a must to REFILL.... here... a standard price for  Diesel...RM$1.80..@ liter...   had to take turn...nn wait for others..... a convoy had to wait until every cars  got ready for next drive.....

A long bridge ...JAMBATAN LANANG.... to cross .. Rajang River.... soon...toll charger cost RM$5.00..... then... proceeding...  on ward...

  

An hour drive...stopped at d' recereational park.....SEBANGKOI COUNTRY RESORT...SARIKEI.......those wanted to make use toilets were most welcomed.... males...females... still have a long way to go....

My car didn't have to switch off engine... so...running.....

(Sorry...here..miss placed photos)

Keep on driving after a short break... about half an hour.... at d' recreation park........

We countered  few accidents.... involving many cars as well... d' van for instance.......luckily no fatalities....

Sri Aman is stop over..rest..,, EATING stalls are just outside d'corner.

A T junction to enter d' TOWN...  a popular spot... for drivers...big...small.. 2wheels also..  including passengers of long distant buses.... Specially looking for TOILETS... stretching stiff muscles...refresh driving tensions... while some... to fill empty stomach....or may be smoker corners for people tempted to smoke...

Times passed...fast.... d' journey to KUCHING..... BUT had to  go through a road to SERIAN...

A meeting place for d' extra 4 of our teams left behind ....tomorrow...as promised...!!!!

A NICE lonely BIG tree... just a symbolic.... to enter SERIAN....

On d' way to KUCHING...4 stayed back...looking for ...cars' parts... 6 proceeding straight to Kuching......so RADIO on...hotels were NOT yet booked...

So needed help.....called MIMI....a cousin...fortunately...she is working with Tourism Agencies... bull eyes.... a place 263 Hotels was full...end of year.... Peninsular Malaysians were  tourists here as well.... so... althernative...ample large parking space for 10 4WD cars....near town area.....HOTEL GRAND CONTINENTAL....

Passed through....the road...likely busy... almost 5.00pm....KUCHING AIRPORT....then a well seen Kenyelang Bird..... Sarawak symbolic steel....bird......

Arrived  destination   ...to wanted  Hotel.... with d' help of GPS.... by our lead car  LANI...BL76..

Thank U ... MIMI... as an advance quick contact to inform... about d' hotel....NICE looked...nn quite place too... near to city areas....nnn price bargaining... only @ RM $180.00...    wwwooo..happy...lol..

TEMBURONG BISAI...as friend called...KK5102... Ampuan Razid..... took d' advantage...NOT to waste.. as d' diesel container was leaked somewhere......!!!

Top seated front hotel....left...Sabtu...Ramadan...ZulRushdi...nnn..  Hj Mohd Noor.......

Phase 1...... arrived KUCHING  & 

                   Stayed at GRAND CONTINENTAL HOTEL...