Way HOME .....after JAVA XPdc

SEMARANg ......

YEs....... JAVA XPdc ended here....  since LIVes GO On .....
...a night stop ... before proceeding NEXt Destination...... Pontianak

...nnn   returned ....HOMe...

What were in Our MINDs...   Things to be solved .....???
...  find SOLUTIONs....  say...POSITIVEs

• NO Direct Flights to Pontianak
• Additional budget's Flights... Semarang ....Jakarta...Pontianak
• Ferry...NO.. shipping activities
• Stranded 4wd vehicles ..... ?????
• Furious SEa WAVEs......
• Que....LONg Lines of waiting vehicles at Semarang PORT ...
• Additional COSt ... of unpredicted DELAy
• Unknown.. Days to be PAID for Vehicles nn CARE takers..
• uncertainty ... whhen go..  h...oo...mmm....  eee

Anywhere... our programme... as planned..BUDGET AIRlines.... made us possible to fly to PONTIANAK costing each passenger to pay extra .... about R1.2 million...

... but happily ever after ...... to reach d' other mainland...Pontianak .. capital city.... West Kalimantan....BORNEO ...

But... FLIGht...first
.... was scheduled early morning to Jakarta...
Before BOARDing... all .. Families people.. were going EARly.... leaving  ...???
They were... ME...wife, 3 children..   Haji Ibrahim..wife, a son.. Haji Suhaimi wife, 3 children.. Pg Haji Mohiddin..wife, a daughter ....   .. "bujangan" ..
Haji Zaini...nn a friend...Saidi Hj Mat...



Haji Suhid...   forgot d' name.. eeeh ....Md. Zulqarnain
Alimon  ....  Haji Khairul
Teo ( Md. Safuan) ..... Haji Harun  ....nn  .. Pa' Harry

 D' rest..... assigned each ...to drive d' stranded vehicles..... seven of them ... all backup muscular.. males ..... probability could stand HIGh waves at SEa... ooo hhhooo ..

Thought... shipping would be operating.. in ... ONe  or TWo days ...



Pa' Harry nn only female assistant.. at airport.. to greet US  ... before departure.....
Ok... Pa' Harry would LOOK after d' stranded vehicles.. until finally all being shipped on FERRY to Pontianak... burden would be ON him.. local businessman ... lol ..

...Quick discussion...  nn morning drinks .... before flight...    departure....


 Before stepping UP to  airplane....
GARUDA.... NOt that one anywhere...
.... other ...LOCal Airline.... much cheaper choice ...



Just boarding.. ON AIr... looking outside...  Padi field... FULL with water.... as  Raining unstoppable d' FEW Days ........ weeks....

LANDing at Jakarta... for transit .... had to wait another flight...
...few hours waiting... lots of local passengers.. same destination  too



5.00 pm.... landing ..    at...
Last.... touching DOWn... safely .....    Pontianak Airport ...
...here.. being welcomed ...   see.. photo at airport
..SELAMAT DATANG di PONTIANAK

Short flight... arrival ..still at bright day light..  

Night....  make used vacant times... looking for local...smelly thorny fruits ....
..... ASian  ....loves these .... NOt European...
.. DURIAns..... called "KINGs of FRUits"  ........WHy ???? ...
Coz .... sharp deep ...sweet smelly, d' fantastic taste, ... or d' thorny thick skin covered ...
Only to find at road side ... hawkers.... vendors selling Durians... 
NOt in HOtels...   DUrians prohibited... NO Entry .... of Coz..




 INFO.. from SEMARANG... NO shipping for d'coming 3 days ....
..so NOW.. find ways to GO HOMe....
Airlines to KUChing Sarawak .... NOt available.....
... KUching to BRunei... also.. NIL...as end of Year... NEw YEar celebration ... ........to Night 
Final ... DECISIon Making .... by 12.00 noon..  divided into 3 groups.. hired TAXI...3 Innova Cars.. using a short cut ..three Hours faster with...TAYAN Route to Entikong ..border town ..
Arrived TEBEDu d' other side Malaysian border was just in timed..at 6.00pm..
Taxi dropped US at border... soon had to hired 2 more VANs  to SERIAN..a near by town about 30kms ..


Haji Ibrahim.. xpdc leader made arrangement ..wiith ..Coach Transportation in Kuching...
By 9.00pm...off to MIRI... a non stopped journey...nn..a night to remember to celebrate New Year Day in bus..  what a DAy...  ???


Dropped nn Transferred ....   all passengers ...
At border.. Sungai TUjoh...another Coach.. AWg Damit Transportation to carry all of US ....
Thank Uu ...Haji Ibrahim...  we were dropped right front GATe of Our House........
HOMe  ...SWeet  ... Hommmeee  .....

Here .. NOt.. end of the STOryyyy ...really.....
New YEAr 2008.....!!!!



 January 6, 2008    ..... Back to Business ....
Few friends with 4wd cars joined IN to take US.... to fetch  stranded vehicles ... were safely ferried.. departed Semarang on d' 5th....nn scheduled to arrive in Pontianak on d' 7th January  ....   so ...  now
A full day journey ... from Brunei to rest at Serian....proceeding border nn to Pontianak .... a long day journey using Tayan by pass road .....


Same hotel as before .... good rest... nn  relax  ... as no longer pressure ..
January 7, 2008 .....  evening arrival of ferry..... nn soon drove out by hired care-taker drivers  .. a few of our friends flied home from Semarang to Brunei.. coz of work commitments ....leaving some in ferry ...

By morning 8 January .. all of us leaving hotel using old route to border... probably took a little longer... but comfort nn better ride....



DURIANs ... all over.. along d' road but still Serian area.... 
A stretch non stopped journey to SIBU.......
Mid Night arrival .....

JUSt comparison..... arrival at Night....
Now... early morning... but d' cars' light nn lamp posts still ON.... 
.....my room...happened to face this side.... SIBU



Coming in group ... so did going home .... 
S. Abbas on right was also coming to assist Us to ride ...with fun too ....
                   ... a high profile traveller ....  yooooww  .... got his photos web
                                                                  http://syabas.smugmug.com/
...as our mission was to collect our vehicles.....

        so d' journey end here ....
        Need Not to tell ... as d' story repeating ....

TELBRU.. Cycling Expedition... Races ...

 Hello... there..

           Cycling time....

NOT going to describe..... more... but please refer to d' newspaper cutting included here...

TelBru... semi-government telecomunication agency... is celeberating anniversary ... d' same as Us... sometimes  Birthdays celeberation.... 

....well if budget permit...  but TelBru... is making MONEy agency...

WHY NOt ...????

There are times...  give back.. to users... as part of PROMOTion too...  eeehh

 The place was.... d' location of old airport....  large area..... good... NOt busy place...at the week-end .... SUNDay...... 17 April 2011 ....



Seemed...good starting.... all reADY....

Even our Minister of Industry... here so early..Pehin Haji Yahya... well know... to cyclists lately..

Invited guests riders from neighbouring teams were to participate...especially for teams' timed races.. Only..

D' other race was for Females....

A bicycle...elite..racer... worth.. HOW much DO Uu think....???? 

NOt.. B$10k...12k..  more..

Hey... a motorbiker... why ???..

TELBru's people too... of Coz.... marshal .... SUTAI.....

NOt forgetting OUr Friends... Haji Sulaiman ...nn Haji Ariffin... known SUTAI... TElBru... eehh

Lots to help.. as motorcycles were ready too...



Another...important vehicles to be included ..... just observed......  What...

Ready... incase.. of emergency ...... AMBULANCE.....

WoW.... POLICE Riders.... were going different directions..

NOt same direction as EXPEDITION... TIMes TRial RACES....  nnn ...

.....ALL FEmales RACE.... would be d' first... to Go...

Last nOT least.....  back UP vehicles.. also important too... troubles cyclists ... incase of tyres punctured.....  nORmal....nn often happened to cyclists..

...Give Up.... unmotivated...cyclists.....





LADIes... FIRst...    ok NO problem..as no many participants here...





 NEXt...group..  MORE cyclists joined IN.. uncounted..but according to report... alot..
OK..... guest of honour...Pehin Haji Yahya, Minister of Industry  and Primary Resources was officially ONE of the cyclists here to take part.... was able to pose with him too...


 NO hurry... no rush...  just going forward...  looked many ...  eeeh

Able to go round.... to take d' pictures  ...before joining from behind group.....



JUst Starting.... cycling expedition....   just follow..  nn keep on cycling ...

Fancy...colourful ... shirts... d' only time.. wearing thight skinned elastic..... like MINE...

NO body .. would say.... but appreciate..

Young...Old... people around ... cyclists..used to happy ride... even there were times people wore fancy dresses while cycling.....



PIT Stop ... place to rest a while... do as U want ...

Once... cycling... I believe .... everybody could .... NOt too FASt ... only around 25kph... cycling for more 40 km..  .. mOre females..... Now.. too

...if U're TIRED... just stop for lift... BACK UP vehicles... behind UUu.. 

...POLICE Riders were always...around...  !!!!

Paying B$5.00 ... for donation... for... managing d' even ...  ..drinking.. eating... worth while.. nn

...at d' end .....if ur LUCKy enough.. U could WIN BIg...

LUCky.... NUMber...

ME... numbers of TIMes...  GOt lucky... But  ... only small numbers... BUt U still HAVe  gOOd...smiles... nn  ... happy ...

Chances were.... GOOd.... ratio like 20 to 1 ... rather, than... offered by shopping MALLs... or transportation agency .....

JUst...tempered Uuuu....  kan...







Here....   friends all around .... from Belait.. Temburong... Tutong too..

Haji Selamat....  Haji Apong ..... eldest son..YAZa.....

If U keen with motorcycles.. why NOt... bicycle too..  Helo... Haji JAm....

Starting at young ages... so U would probably LOVe....

...as U could not forget Ur younger experienced once getting older... 

...so..   BEGin at YOUNg age.... lol..



CYCLing.... needed Ur starmina ...  endurance ... strength...  fitness .... of coz ... strong muscles....  more....   determination...  !!!!

...Sooo.. avoid... ACCIdent ...  be careful... accident could  Happen ... hopefully ...NOt too serious.... when Cycling in BIg group......

What ever bicycles Uu have.. proving here... dismantle small types... BUUtt.. expensives.... nn.. imported... ONLy... 

.... glad too.. Uu can OWn... NOw... NO taX for bicycles.....???? ... meaning cheaper....... nowadays....

TODAy.... all Ministry ...especially Ministry of Health.. together Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports .. were doing HEALTH PROMOTION  all held simultaneously in Brunei-Muara, Tutong, Belait nn Temburong .... WWoo..

Busy...SUNDayyyy.... as... NOt... only YOUTHS JOIN RACE AGAINST OBESITY.....????

Believe IT..... last night NEWs....  nn today's newspapers..   lolll...





End of d' road.... back to where we ... START...  place  .... to FINISH, as well ......    just leisure .... Cycling Expedition.....



Coincidence... SUNDAy..as   free plastic bags....  so friendly bags distributed free...as part of promoting GReen AWareness ..... with makan packets.



Lucky Names winners.... please check Ur names on d' white board .........

Triple Stars.... bicycles.... sponsership.. for 5 lucky winners....

...nn here,  d' Triple Stars' man also took part in d' expedition  ...........

Me..  NOt d' bicycle... goOD enough to have .... one of d' ....B Mobile ...!!!



Malaysian National Team.. with vast experienced... good timing arrival...

Races Timing Trials....    open nn  invited teams.. joined IN
Piasau Team.... from Sarawak ....... foreign.. team.. obvious... left
Terengganu Team Cyclers' boss checked d' timing differences......




 Ladies Race.... with  B$700.00 price ...to grap for FIRst....  .....NOt bad...



 First... Malaysia National Team  .....CASH  price....with B$2,500.00

Second .... Trengganu Team

Third .....Brunei National Team..

.........BORNEO BULLETIN  .... MONDAY 18 APRIL 2011

SURABAYA n SEMArang.. JAva xpdc end

CONTinued.... xpDcion.....

Easier way to refer EAST JAVA Map.... provided here...   so...

The Journey's Summary ....  began following d' sothern route to east .....

Noon. 1.30pm... from  KETAPANG  ....d'  ferry's terminal....  drove   nn  passing.....BAYUWANGI... from here...d' route junction to......JEMBEK...at around  3.50pm to another junction to.... LUMAJANG..

Turned right... going North to ...MALANG  nnn destinated to ...  SIDOARJO ... where the road now.... entering d' city.....charging .. to produce toll tickets ... given here.... 

...Arrival .... 10.50pm.........in   SURABAYA

Seemed... so fast...   eeh.. but nOt until we checked d' real times taken 1.30pm to 11pm almost.......  

....HAFt DAy ... travelling ... yeeeh..  of Coz...

 




 

SURABAYA..... 

....a BIg City....metropolitan city with inhabitant approximately 3 million peoples...  wooww..

Capital city of EASt JAva....... second largest after JAKARTA....

Old city too .....as officially stood in 1293... well established since ......

LOts to tell .....but since .. mine NOT particularly educational references  ... just skipped to xpDC ...



The hotel ... well remembered..... NOt  to check IN here..... 

Big...elegant hotel... Empire Palace Hotel ... 

...  many more 5 stars  ...in  .. Surabaya 

...all of US stopped nearby.. as One of d' car came across  ..... broke down ...

NOt ONe of ours ...  our guide... BUdi......  Pa' Harry's assistant our paid travel's xpdc agent here.......

Lucky.. almost arrived to our hotel... had to be driven slowly.....





Simple man with singlet ...BUDi... Pa' Harry's assistant...



This.. already DAy time...   but..

Last Night .... arrival time at hotel was 11.25pm.....no time to take pictures as we were so tired...  needed RESt...

Given...ROOM 5019... 5018  at... 

.......HOTEL SAHID, SURABAYA.......







Morning... at breakfast...  lounge overlooking d' street... heavy traffic ..
Views of d' city.... lives going ON ....

Today ...Free day.....
Could make choices ... visiting ...viewing.. shopping .. either...

Fast final .... Decision Making....needed as almost NOOn....
...finally HIREd... a car... INNOVA.. kijang - like ... only R350,000 for d' whole DAy, meaning 24 hours ........



D' sculpture ... shown TWO large fierce man eaters .... shark from sea... nn... land crocodile ...

Both symbolic animals.... place to be visited at Surabaya Zoo..... stories behind... white crocodile.... Hollanders... from d' West.. while sharks.....  symbolised Japanese.... from d' East...  both had colonised  Indonesia ...probably... uninvited to people in Surabaya.... Indonesia as a whole ......????

Just assumed.....  !!!!



Accident could happen..... common here... NO police statement needed...

...just drove away soon recovered.... unless..  fatality

Many people.... many shopping malls ... NO taxi ... but..tricycles.... parked around waiting customers ...... helping for short rides....

LOts of things .... happened .... unable to take pictures for stories....

OUT of records  ... sure.. like,  JEMBATAN MERAH ... MUD...mud eruption... shooting from earth ... still untouched... let it BE... 
 .... well...    long story....

SUrabaya.... undiscovered ... lives..    lots...........

Passed through....housing... posh area.... elite people...  looking at d' gates... Large....well made land scapes frontage... money  nnn BIg MOney...



Getting late..... so...went .. here.. Plaza Surabaya... LASt  for d' day ...

Worth buying things..... NOt found... somewhere else... 

BUt if Uuu ...too TIRed.....

Nothing much...  but times for ..... Reflexology ... costing much less.. here



Just waiting for our Hired car............

....nearing closing time for PLAZA SURABAYA ......  at 9.30pm





...



Friday 28 December .....      ready to go...

Leaving SURABAYA... for SEMARANG...

.... BUt first....     all in ONE...  photograph.. particularly here... Surabaya for rememberance ........





Along d' roads .........

Aware of surroundings.... big posters actually...normal views..

......like HaRRry POTTer..

 ...film ...advertised well in INDONs language... lol ....

Road casualty....     accidents' prone too..      everywhere...

Driving had to be careful....  looking at d' roads.....  just like kampongs' roads... NOt too broad.. uneven .. narrow ... just enough for TWO  ...

.....fro n to ... side parking had to be careful ....

NO hurry..... today..  considered.. short journey...

......times to look ...for choices of FRUITs too

 .... local fruits

SEMARAng is somewhere on d' Northern coastal  on Central Java...  so we were driving on d' coastal... near sea side....  

.... Strong winds ... blowing...........

Early noon..... at Wahyu Utama... Eating House...  somewhere in KALIPang...  Tanjongan Karangan .... just assumed...  correct location.....  eeh..

Here... children...had...just nice resting.....



D' weather never changed since our arrival in BALI ... raining..  24 hours...  more water pouring... on JAva earth......

Heard NEWs on TV.... few areas had been flooded...here... JAKARTA ...  SOLO.... MAny..places....    many low laying areas...

Some parts... padi fields flooded ... as shown in pictures.....



DEMAK ....late afternoon  arrival.... a place near SEMARAng.....

But first ...our leading car brought us for last group's visit  here at MASJID AGUNG DEMAK  ....

SEMARAng... actually...old city... established already in 18th century....as fourth largest metropolis ....   in Central Java.. d' PORT.... plays main entrance nn outlets to major ports.... at TANJUNg MAs.... Many Chinese here doing business.... centered at Chinatown.. even old warehouses were built as old as 200 years...... so did Dutch had built church dating to 1753..... 

.. so this was our LASt Destination....

Our VEHICles were supposed going to port to be ferried to PONTIANAK...... as scheduled.... as well as earlier booked..

D' story...... lots... vehicles...  stranded... Could NOt moving out... ferried..

Daily products...vegetables.....  animals... nn so ..for other mainland... ports..

Piled uP..... ON lines.....  Qqqqq....  waitiing their TURN...?????

LOOKINg at latest NEWs on Weather by end December 2007.... too Dangerous...nn PORT Authority of Indonesia....   prohibited   sailing...    as SEA Waves as high as 4 meters... all ships were advised to avoid shipping activities .. should dock their ships worrying d' worst... nn FATALities....

Early arriving... abour 6.30pm.. still have times.... looking around here in SEMARANg..

Checked IN.....A NIGht in HOTel KARTIka, Semarang... right in town central.... area...

............not last .......  more...  xpdc

BALI ..... 3 nIGHTs ... 3 dAYs xPDc...

BALI ....... 

     Need  NOt ... introduction..  a popular spot... holiday place...

A place....  traditional Hinduism island.. as most people .. known widely  .. internationally ..as well as politically ..

...so many to mention ...  bUt  ... well ..

...refer d' HIStory ... d' website ...

PARADISE.. to some people.. offering comfort...away from reality.. work pressure .. so ..so
MOSt likely  money.. income from TOURism .... many people coming  to visit ... to enjoy...to relax ..to spend.. to look around .. to appreciate  ...nn so.. more .. of coz ... like US.... ????

... to know more about BALI ... eeeh.. ok ... WEb... please... new education nn teacher NO more...... SELf learning... lol..

....but ... NOt  to miss interpret ... BALI as heaven......

Our JAVA xPdCion  including BALI as d' climax tour destination.....

So... NOW we were ... Here  ........ BALiii ....

After TIRing journey.... leaving BROMO in d' afternoon ... stopped to refill FUEL at Stations nn ... refreshment at restaurants...  many along d' road to BALI..  so  a lot to tell.. actually.. 

By 11.00pm ... Indonesian time

Our group were ready to cross as our schedule of arrival was late but managed to be ferried to d' other terminal station at Gilimanuk... BALI ... It took  only about 1hour 30 minutes ....

This journey was wet dark Night following d' southern route .... could not see clearly but driving on following d' LEAder ... one after another...

Arriving KUTA......  could NOT recognise exactly as...this was my FIRSt time driving in BALI... (me nn wife had been here long time ago)  here just following d' leader ... so approaching to PALM BEACH HOTEL ..  supposed to be an old popular hotel for at least 20 years... especially known to Western Tourists..  near d' beach with large swimming pool too..

Night.... 3.45am..  morning arrival.. chech IN .. PALm BEACH HOTeL, KUTA  ....had separated ROOMs .. with d' children ...  too quiet... dark night.. nn isolated...  scaryyy... OOOOoooooo  ...



BALI  MAP ..... showing  towns and places of interest here......

DENPASAR.. just South of d' island near KUTA...

10.30 am.... BALI time is similar to Brunei time...  FREE breakfast was nearly over but managaed to request ...

...as late checked IN  ...    just too early...   this morning...




Got to move out this NOON....  so all vehicles were ready ....

Heading to a city Lake ....  Kintamani..

Had to drive NOON ...wet day ... heavy traffic  ....' mancat ' ..  
... passing through ... DENPASAR ....  through shops left-right..    most decorative..  with Balian sculptures ...  Hindu Gods....with octupus hands ... supposed to be.. ???



 

The road  to  LAKe VIew REstAURant,  in Kintamani was ....ascending...  all d' way .... to high  up above sea level ..

Buffet for all of us  ...... was ready ...  halal of coz... nn special menu ....

..... cool .... foggy outside ..  a lake.. actually but could not clearly seen ...


 

All with light brown shirts ..  xpdc logo .... rare opportunities...

So took ... Get together photos .... as d' restaurant located high.. where d' steps provided nice arrangement ...

 

Another all males ....Pa Harry ..white hair  nn  dark blue jacket nn his helper- assistants ...

Haji Ibrahim on my right nn Haji Zaini ..left





Parking available for us....

More photos .... now with children ...



 

Foggy... as raining ... most d' day...

Followed d' inner road to DENpasar .. passing villages ... FOODs on Heads....  seeing is believing as ... typical transportation  ONe  for all...
....d' people with heads' scarfs here .... were celebrating Hindu religious function ...   right


 


A short CUT to d' other separated high land village ...
.....KABupATen BADung area ... following OLd route would take times somehow ...

So important to people here ... d' cement was advertised well to show d' strength that it could hold the bridge ....???  .... WWOOw

Narrow high pillars.... holding d' upper level bridge.... level to nn fro
 crossing roads ..



 



GREEN...

BALI  just ordinary... island.. except d' beaches...nn d' entertainments provided .... offered  ... here..

Still needed development... looking at virgin lands... some with padi fields...  nn  so soil productivity still enormous ..... various types of plantations ... as fertility soil is NUMBer ONe .... here..

Too quiet.... our vehicles were d' only cars around.....  
... But.... suddenly ... there was ONe... a van used for transporting people too ....

 





At d' ENd....  as usual.. EAting was d' main entertainment for US...

...joined by spouses of our Balian companions ... somewhere a restaurant near lake .. serving HOT fried bananas.... nn a mosque nearby ..a place for us to pray as timed for 'magrip prayer' ...

Arrived at KUTA.... by d' evening.. straight looking for FASt FOOds serving DINNer.....

25 December.... month of raining ... d' sea hardly described..with strong currents... high waves... nn so beaches here... empty...

NO glorious ... happy moments to celebrate ...as today X Mas.. Day..  but in BALI...  calm...

We got to move individually ...FRee DAy for d' group .... but raining.... could not go fo TANAH LOT .. so ..indoor shopping at d' NEw MAll here... until late ... evening... as new nn local Balian things being offererd ...hard to deny buying them ... only ONe - stop   

NOthing to lose..   as NO way to go ...looking at d' weather... strong winds plus raining ..... all d' day round       ...????





Last Day in BALI.......  so all had checked OUt.....  HOTel Palm Beach..... KUTA....

Moving out... still unpredicted day...  all day raining yesterday...

Slowly ....as Pa' Harry left his HP nn had to fetch back to hotel ...

Passing through ...so stopped at a near by  Hindu Temple .... celebrating... offering foods..

LOOK..   over d' head... carrying bananas... food in wrapped plastics ...  cube drinks ...etc  ..

...never  asked...  what was it called.. sort of GIFts... to offer..  for d' Hinduism PRAyer....   whatever...  eeee

Here... photographs were mUSt.. to show... this is  ..... BALI



By Noon... entered straight to d' waiting  ferry  at  d' terminal station  in Gilimanuk... a small town, at d' tip of d' Bali Island ... but looked clean... nn broad roads ... in TWO lanes offering more cars in peak season..

BUt this time.. light day time nn NOON... nice scenery to see around  .... took only about an hour 15 minutes to cross d' sea ...


 

Landing to d' other ferry terminal's station at Ketapang ....

No hurry for us... coz .. all vehicles were ... in ONe line already...

TIME is also MINUS an HOUr... back to normal Indonesian Time....

NOw.. targeting city   ....    SURABaya



.................to be continued