... to ..SERIKin

 

 

Friday December 7 ..... 
               ............(reporting ...routine diary ......  journey's movements  .... )

Arrival at border ......around ... 4.15 pm (3.15pm in KB) ......

Way out ..... IN .. to Tebedu .......... nn
                                   ... refuelled ...took nearly an hour ......

LOngggg....Not long ...... to d' next destination ....
 ...........as a three cars convoy ....carried out .....
                            .........a mission to accomplish ...sure ...tomorrow ...????



 

.....d' weather ..NOt ...too good ... raining all d' way to city....
Luckily ...still day light... but hazy....evening... ....soon .... getting ..dark .........
.....unsure direction..... went straight to d' heart  of Kuching city ....
                                 ........... to old town ....riverfront ....


...since .......d' arrival timing ... now 7.00pm ........
             ...most working people deserting city ...went back to their home ........

Drove along riverfront ... FOund a  convenient place  ... a nearby accessibility to city...... ..

          (..so these ..describing ..pictures ...taken in d' morning  .....at day light)





........many ... parking ..available ...easy exist to NO charge... nn......

           ....... could go...to find ONe ...moneychanger (still opened).... nearby

 

................ viewing ......d' opposite side of d' road.... (remember d' site )


 

..........city at nite........
            ( CITy lights' reflection ..once Uu 're near d' river.....wooowww)

Us.... one thing for sure ..... to find a suitable ...to eat ( now too hungry..eeee).

........... IF ..Uu ...explorable person ....would Uu  ...stay still ....or.....
        .....should have gone farrr .... to taste ........ eeemmm ...something ....



.

.......nOt going too ...farr........... ready jetty ..........

.... where people could come over  .....seeing....imagining ........................
                               ..........how... to cross d' river to d' opposite location ......

.............actual passengers' pick point jetty .... providing .......a safe place...

a long boat ...perahu....sampan .....(now using modern way)..possible engine... 
                                                .....  used to be NOn ...... paddling .....

 

IN ... we go....inside sampan.....
              (..look........each with their own ways.... what to tell .....aaahh)
Traditional sampan....... providing ..sure comfort ride.....at calm water
... windless .....(luckly with covered roof to protect raining) ....so charging 
....individually say....Cheap as Uu..expected ......(affordable ...of..coz...)


 

...budget tourist's spot ....an eating place.......
....a ONe biG roof ..... opened ....FRee...find Ur seat... capacity....
Offering CHoices.............many  stalls.....many varities .......
Indian .....Chinese ........Malays ....Malaysian ......Indonesian ....European .... locality .....probability More .....menu ...could apply .........to serve all ... to any hungry ....people  .......  ah hhhhhh........
         .....NASi Ayam PEnyet.........................

 

 

......aware................. just d' opposite ... city...
      ...colourful....reflecting..........panoramic ..... 
 ...views ....sceneries ...tall buildings...........RIVerfront...


 

...ah....yesss... ...possible ...of coz.........
                                   ....... using vehicles ......to reach here .... .....
....have to drive .... all ...round ..using ..bridges....

.........our LAZy way ........
       ...... back to past.....using .......sampan.........

 

......... NOT...until ...Uu..looked at  Nite vendors offered GOOd bargains ....... took away home....gifts ...  possible ....souvenirs



 

so..NEXt ..... Saturday...morning........ weekend...
...........d' purpose... to stay ..... here we ... came................ 
....proceeding ....  till ...clearly ... named followed to...
                                        ..............Jalan  Batu Kawa......



 

............d' route ...... to  turn ....right...
      as stating arrows ( shown in picture) to Kampong Serikin ...
.........further ......till ... narrower .... (as early as 10.00am. .....vehicles now seen  tailing .....queuing .......saloon cars ....trucks...car...cars.......)



 

...... passing ...... Fruits' stalls ........

 (selling..varities ....local fruits ... including daily ....green vegetables...)

 .... before  .......reaching ........to a place... where d' climax point was...

....a few ...village houses ..on both  d' opposite sides of d' road ....
                                                                          ....... took d' adventage ....

 (...owned privately...or ........houses converted to shop houses .....coffee shops .....providing (paid) WC ....etc......aaaa..many...)  

 

At d' End......reaching a narrow......
                    ........ squeezed space................ 
....(acknowledged as a border... found these corn-shaped huts built along d'  sides of deep large drains ... )

.....so... Turning ...  to d' right side ......seemed a large parking space .....for vehicles ... coaches ..mini buses... cars... (... NOt...free parking ..... as collecters ... village attendants ...waited to be PAId ....once entered to d' compound ....)



 

................. Entering d' road end....
 ......seeing ....huts .....erected camps..... sections of stalls ... as expected .......varities selling ..local products.....
IF NOt....products ....imported from  nearby Kalimantan, Indonesia .....



 

Serikin .......actually a village....
                              ..... (as I knew to my limited knowledge..) 
.....near to d' outlet border to Sambas ..Kalimantan Barat...(was popularly known as "jalan tikus" ...  this site was a replacement to formely ... Well  ... known .......  ...once in ENtikong .... as in early - late years ...90s
               ........ as most buyers... customers went to  ...... IF NOt Sarawakians ... local Malaysians ....... tourists ....including Bruneians 
......... D' problem was ...entering ...... Kalimantan border....
                                                             .....(informality entered Kalimantan)

Now.....  Indonesians ..from Kalimantan..Pontianak ..Sambas ..Singkawang ... were given special passes (nOt exceeding ....certain border points) to bring their products (not necessarily as observed) ....to sell .....here. ....every week ends...



 

well ....what could BE FOUnd here....??? eeemmm...

       ..... jemu ....local plants ...as ..herbal..... possible produce locally  ........

LIKe......hOney ...........aaaa ....more ........plus ...(as said) sexual things .......herbal capabilities' sources ...sort off ........woodcraft....... as artistic ...creative ...mind could be thought .....things man made .....luring ...customers as 1st  priority........

 

....... this is Malaysian soil ...............
        ... so authority ...... keep on eyes.......yeehhh ...
Malaysian Police .........with white ....... 
                                 fast...mobile  ......motorbike


 

........just look ...OUt..........household....

              ...personnel ...families ....necessity ..

                                            .... on SALe...

............. kitchen .... cooking usage things ....(shiny aluminium) ..................

T-shirts .......... ahh ....straw berry (... possible or NOT ...did Uu grow here......???? ..IN UK ...popularly SOLD ...in market during SUMMER.....or harvest ...Uself...) .......umbrellas ....(..must buy...as Unpredicted ... rainfall...nowadays ...ah) ........rattan ...craftsmanship .......... MET...Brunneian ..here ...............................

                          (as shown ..Haji Sarkawi was  talking to a friend..here) ...



 

..........pillows ...... place ...U sleep .... also important........... COTTOn made (bought one sack @ RM$20.00 ....raw cotton...ah ) ..our friend here Haji Jupri...ah..bought TWO....  two... easy ..rolled beds....

............... aaahhh...

.... sunglasses.....consider CHeap..???? ..SUMMER ..around...of  Coz ..in Australia.... nOT ...in UK ...ah...!!!  ..............

                           ..........another ..........HAts.... for men ..ladies....

Watchful ....people ...also ..aaround......

     ....beWARE.....  kahh  ...ka..??? ......FBI...(undercover)

 

............... so here END of d' road .......
.......still going ...IF..Uu ..like to cross ..border... ???


 

................ here ....our veteran man .... met... a Kalimantan ..government man...offered to help ....(was here after ....outstation work- couse near d' border..Sambas .............eeeemm)

OK...incase .. sort off............... with ....difficulties.... which applied to cross internal Kalimantan's ...borders........ why NOT ..???

 

 

............... coming to NOOn ..........
         .....getting ..Late.. had to leave .... Serikin ...
......Vehicles seemed ..still ......continued ....pouring IN.....


 

.......SErian .....(lunch at d' same spot we came)......................
                                ........ to ....Simujan .. lots ..rambutans.....
(where we bought some durians ....few sacks ...put on rack .... to bring home) 
                 .nn.................to ..Sri Aman.........


 

.............from ...Sri Aman .......more fruits to choose...
....to a non stopped route ............. to Sarikei ..........

.........avoiding ...about ....another 50km to Sibu ...........

 

..............Nite... arrival ...........8.30pm ......
so NOt too many choices..... stayed here at ....Wawasan INN ...
.....for a  3 beds' room cost RM80.00


 

....just made my short cut story....
.....breakfast .............to a nearby few blocks ......
                           ...  morning best choice.....muslim coffee shop..
..where ...met a Bike-Convoy group from Kuching.....




 

................... riding ..........with small type motors ......... represented ...mixtures...of generation (mostly youth)
                                      ...University students .... working people ...
                                                              ............  men .......ladies......


d' kepcai type motorbikes..150cc   ...strong .......nn .....fast .........

             except .........limited space for ....loads... to carry....

  ...but ........able to travel as far as to    KK  ... to.. Tawau...Sabah..



 

....NOt to waste ..... depaturing ....so
.............seeing d' town ... located a very near to ...Rejang River.....



.............. so... d' prove ... named ..after...
 d' wet market here ....serving d'welfare to local people .....through sources  ...especially ..fishes come from .......either .... using  river transportations ............. as old days ......... used to BE

 

 

....Sarikei  ......... probably ........ a very nearer ...sounds
               ...Serikin (easily missed pronouncation ...)
.......... so made USED ....( our friend...... other vehicle)
........... ...empty rack should ....at least   something ...... loads ........
                                         ........depending what to carry ....???? 


 

......really...UUuu  would Not miss ..... seeing
....a large ........pinapple .....here in town...................
                                                   ..(possible hard to chew ...aaahhh)
... as  a major production ..became town's symbol .....(coud BE)
........ but ...at this time of d' year ............. durians........
 ......durians ...........everywhere.....
                      ..............(even in Brunei....hardly to be denied..)


 

River Rejang Market .....
          .... providing ......dry ...nn ..wet ............nn ...green vegetables..........
.......so bought .......rare ......dried ... prawns ...
        sort of localy.... speciality...straight dried smoked prawns ...... aaaaaaaa
                        (see top in plastic) .... seeedddaapppp.............. yyyeeee.......



 

.... on d' way to bridge's toll  ...met bikerzzz ...in group convoy...............
Lanang  ...bridge ......(using as a short-cut to Bintulu -Miri route..)..
 .....d' nearest to town ..........to Sibu .........
      comparing much further ...... Durin Bridge ............


 

.............d' other two cars .....
...one ...followed behind........(still looked empty top..!!!!)


 

....... long houses.... all multi fashions...new ..modern way... as seen..
Tatau............ arriving at 2.25pm.....

.........considering ....NOT to stop ...in Bintulu.............
    as planned   .......to go........ straight ....highway coastal road.....

Turned Left. ......passing Bintulu Hospital.... nn... right...

 

Here in Tatau ....Met...BikerZzz Group...Harley Brunei ....HOG ..... few representatives .. after participated ... SIBU BIKes Week....  a pit-rest ...on d' way back to Brunei.......(knew most of t hem)....



 



TATAU ............ d' only Muslim  restaurant..... opened 

.............. Sunday ....availability ..so..Menu lists ..limited..........
 ... only......HOT ..fried ...fastttttt ... food.. ...
           ........NasI gORENG.....            ........... ..... on Menu...

.....Ok ......... WORTH ....wAiting .....nn ......patience .....(...hungry ..aaahhh)

So .... maDE it....short ...... was in Miri..at 5.50pm..... Found out ....selected favourite Hotels were fully booked (already many Bruneians ON leaves ....here too) ...so..Haji Sarkawi would like .. to stay another Nite here....... however ..... d' strategy was NOt ...as expected ... changED .......had to move on  ...back to FINAL... route ...
                                                               ..............HOMe...

.


Lastly........(got to end ..these seemed ..never ending......)
Journey ............ Tatau ...Bintulu .....Miri ....... to border ....Brunei ... Immigration Check point...would be ..roughly about..245km....
..........so could be about three four hours... journey... aaaaa. ...
...earlier NOt to forget ....to say ...good bye to....Haji Maramit nn.friends.......
leaving .... independently .... roadrunner.............
..but NOT until  ......8.30 pm....seen above picture .. at... 
                   B... restaurant .. in Kuala Belait ...

             (still got times) ........... spent a while before proceeding ...........
                              ............home ..approching...to a mid-nite...............


ENddddddddd......... d' episode .........