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Published: August 8th 2007
I have always dreamt of traveling to distant lands. Part of this dream was realized in 2005 when Dr. Linda Burton, the senior Anthropologist at the Department invited us to travel with her to Sarawak.
I thought then that Sarawak was a part of Indonesia. When people inquired about my trip, I always tell them I am going to Indonesia.
The Travel Begins
December 25, 2005 8:00 A.M. 25 December 2005 -I reported early to work notwithstanding that it is Christmas. The previous night I went home late so I will be able to generate more data for my Boss to work on during my absence.
10:00 A.M.-still having a date with my computer....
11:00 A.M.-went home to pack my clothes (bad idea to start packing on the same day of travel)
12:00 NN-still packing. Wanted to buy slippers but have no more time.
1:00 P.M.-went to the meeting place at Dunkin Donuts. Melvin was already there waiting.
1:15 P.M.-Went to AGFA to buy films (again bad idea, films should have been bought days ahead)
1:30 P.M.-Went to West-Bound Terminal with Melvin. Saw a road accident. An automobile had a head-on with a dump-truck (guess
kinsay nakumi)....
1:45-Arrived at the terminal.
1:45-4:45 P.M.-waited for Dr. Burton. It turns out she was throwing a party for her nephews. If only we knew...
4:45 P.M.-Dr. Burton arrived. We boarded the bus to Zamboanga.
5:00 P.M.-We left for Zamboanga.
7:00 P.M.-Ma’am Babes boarded our Bus in Iligan
From then on, I slept waking every now and then.
We arrived in Zamboanga City about 6:30 A.M. 26 December 2005.
December 26, 2005 Although I was born and raised in Zamboanga del Sur, this was my first visit to Zamboanga City.
The first thing that we did was to look for a place where we can eat our breakfast. We went to a food chain near the Ateneo de Zamboanga but it was still closed. Eventually we ended up having our breakfast in Hotel Astoria.
After breakfast which we went to see the jolly old Fr. Kreutz, SJ., then president of Ateneo de Zamboanga. He offered us biscuits (sorry, he told us, that was the only food he has in his office).
In the afternoon, Robert, a faculty of ADZU and a Ph.D. student at our university helped us buy our tickets from
Zamboanga to Sandakan and vice versa from Aleson Shipping line. The ticket cost Php2,900.00 for each way.
Because we were told that the boat will be leaving at about 4:00 P.M. we went to the pier at about 3:00 P.M. The boat, we were to learn later, wont be leaving until 6:00 P.M.
At the pier we had the chance to observe our compatriots who will be traveling with us in the same boat. One of these people requested us to fill-up several departure cards. We learned that none among his other companions can either read or write. There was no doubt in our mind that these people will become illegal migrants in Malaysia.
Finally at about 6:00 P.M. the boat left for Sabah.
December 27, 2005 MV Danica Joy was a small boat compared to the ships plying the Cagayan de Oro-Cebu route. The amenities are very basic--common comfort room, very small canteen, and no entertainment in Cabins although there was a karaoke in the canteen.
The canteen serves, in addition to noodles and finger foods, fried chicken and fried bangus. We all settled with the chicken. Had we known that we'd
Pathetic
This was how we looked on the night we were deported from Bruneibe eating chicken for the entire length of our travel, we could have brought along our own food.
We arrived in Sandakan Municipal Waters at about 3:30 in the afternoon but it was not until almost 4:30 P.M. when we were finally cleared by the Immigration.
Going out from the Immigration Office, we were engulfed by a riot of humanity--Filipinos of course--hawking various kinds of stuff and services--money changing, bus tickets, food, etc. The ones hawking the bus tickets are the most aggressive not hesitating to grab your traveling bags from you and put it in the luggage compartments of their respective buses.
We left Sandakan at about 5:30 P.M and arrived in KK at about 1:00 A.M. We stayed at the Borneo Adventure Center and Lodge.
December 28, 2005 Early in the morning after having eaten our breakfast, we went to change our peso to ringit. We also went to the tourism office to inquire about the quickest way to Kuching, the capital of Sarawak. We were told that we can take the ship to Labuan Island, then take another ship to Brunei, then from Brunei take the bus to Kuching. We were also
Boat
This was taken near Kual Belait in Brunei. The water in the background is dark and smelly. told to see the nearby Consulate of Brunei for our Visa requirements.
At the consulate, we were told that since the Philippines is a member State of the ASEAN, all the we needed is a valid passport to enter Brunei.
We went back to the lodge and a staff told us that we can actually take a bus all the way to Kuching. We took this option but this was a huge mistake because we found out five hours later that the bus is only up to Lawas, a far-flung town of Sarawak.
The bus ride itself was just fine, but it was the rudeness of the Bus conductor which stands out. He required us to call the Immigration office because according to him, our passports are only stamped SABAH and not SARAWAK. We explained to him that it was not needed because the Philippines is a member of the ASEAN but he would have none of it. So Melvin did call the Immigration. The response was affirmative: You can enter Sarawak.
When the bus arrived in Lawas, the conductor curtly told us: THERE IS NO BUS, TAKE THE PLANE! He then left without offering other
Fairview
This where we stayed in Kuching. Great place to stay. information. I was crestfallen and Dr. Burton, was about to lose her temper.
As it was about to rain, we ran to the nearest to plan our next move. Dr. Talaroc and Melvin went up to the nearby Inn, Mexion Inn, to inquire if we can take a boat, or a bus to Brunei. Dr. Burton and I on the other hand, attended to our luggage. A few minutes later Melvin and Dr. Talaroc came back and told us that a ferry is leaving Lawas early in the morning. We decided to spend the night in Mexion. Melvin and I shared a room, which was basic: TV (not cable), hot and cold shower, aircon.
December 29, 2005 We woke up early today. At about 6:00 check-out of Mexion Inn and went to look for the pier. We went to the local market across the street to ask for directions. We have to use a combination of body language and pidgin English so the locals will understand what we were asking. Finally a locale pointed to us the direction of the pier. We thanked him and went our way. Since, the native was not able to articulate his
Chinese Hallowed Ground
Some Chinese burial just right across Fairview direction well enough; we went to the terminal-looking building to wait. Except for a kitten which befriended me and a few feral cats, the place was deserted. A few minutes later, an old man who was apparently in charge with cleaning the place arrived. We asked him if we were in the right place but all the he can give us was his heart-felt smile and "Ya" "yah" which we interpreted to mean yes.
We waited some more, still no passengers arriving, no boat ferry either.
After about 30 more minutes of waiting, a young lady and an older woman arrived and started cleaning their little store. We asked the young lady if we were in the right place but she seemed not certain. She asked the older woman and finally we were told that the pier is about 10 minutes' walk from where we are. And so off we go after we have thanked them.
We bought our tickets for RM27.00 from Henry, the Captain of the ferry. We filled-up our departure card but Henry failed to inform us that the cargo van which was converted into a shack is the Immigration office and we needed
to have our passports stamped KELUAR. When we arrived in Brunei, the authorities won’t allow us to enter. They brought us to the pre-departure area and even detailed a police to keep an eye on us. All the while we were laughing with our experience.
Henry then told us that we should have our passports stamped. He asked us to pay another RM40.00 for the return voyage. He was also quite friendly, telling us the possibility of taking a plane to Miri, and then by bus to Kuching. If we can't take the plane because it is full, he offered that we stay in his place.
I was thinking, his house-cozy, comfortable, and warm. It turns out, when we went there after not being able to board the plane as a chance passenger, that the room was very dark, smelly, with a ceiling fan which is about to fall-off from its place. There was also just one mattress which had seen better days.
We decided to stay in Mexion instead. This time, all four of us shared a room. We took off the top mattress of the bed put it on the floor and it was where
Melvin and I slept. This was a long day and we were weary.
December 30, 2005 We were not very excited about our trip today. When we arrived in the pier, Henry and the Immigration Officer were already there. It was no wonder we missed the Immigration Officer the other day because he was just wearing a short-pant and a well-worn tee-shirt.
The River seems flooded. A few minutes before we departed, a banca turned-over and its driver was hugging his small banca for his dear life. The women passengers of the ferry were shouting and yelling and pointing. Because the current was quite strong, the man was almost to the point of giving-up his hold of the banca.
It was fortunate enough that a woman flagged down a motorized boat and rescued the poor guy from a certain death.
One this ride, we have the opportunity to meet with some Filipinas who had been living in Brunei for quite sometime. They were Muslims and they were very friendly.
Because it was low-tide the silt near the banks of the river were exposed. It was on these exposed silt deposits where I first saw wild buffaloes. Melvin also saw some monkeys along the way.
The Bruneian Officer who inspected our luggage after we were cleared by the Immigration Office was a chatty and friendly fellow. There were also some Filipinas around and one of them told Dr. Burton "Ate sakay unya mo sa iring didto sa Kuching." We later learned that the term "Kuching" means cat.
The Filipinas we meet earlier in the ferry provided us with the information we needed in order to get to Kuching. They told us to ride a bus to Kuala Belait, then transfer to another Bus to Miri, then from Miri we will take another bus to Kuching. They told us that the trip from Miri to Kuching was quite long taking about 10 hours.
On our minibus to Kuala Belait, we meet two more Filipinas who had been working in Brunei. One of them was a teacher back in the Philippines. They complained about the Philippine Embassy in Brunei. According to them the services, especially legal services (i.e., certification, etc) was very expensive and it seems that the embassy is out to fleece the Filipinos in Brunei of their hard-earned money.
The Teacher also told us that the salary in Brunei is not really that much to enable anyone working in Brunei to build a mansion in the Philippines. Anyone, man or woman, who, after having worked for a year or two who was able to build a mansion back home must be involved in flesh trade.
When we arrived in Kuala Belait, we transferred to a bus which will take us to Miri. It was again a mini-bus by Philippine standard. The bus took us pier somewhere in Brunei. We thought that we were about to ride another ferry. It turns out we were to ride in a human-powered wooden banca across the murky, smelly river. Across is another bus waiting for us.
When the bus arrived in the border Immigration of Brunei, we were told to bring with us our luggage. After we were cleared and our passports stamped KELUAR we were guided by our coy but helpful bus conductor. The bus took us to the Malaysian border Immigration and eventually to Miri passing over the newly finished ASEAN Bridge.
All-in-all, starting from KK:
• Bus from KK to Lawas
• Ferry from Lawas to Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
• Bus from Bandar Seri Begawan ferry Pier to City Proper
• Bus from Bandar Seri Begawan proper to Kuala Belait
• Bus from Kuala Belait to some unknown Pier
• Banca ride across the river in Kuala Belait (?)
• Bus from Kuala Belait (?) to Border Immigration of Brunei
• Bus from Border Immigration of Brunei to Miri.
It was raining when we arrived in Miri. We flagged down a taxi (Teksi in Malay) to bring us to the bus station for Kuching. The bus ticket costs RM80.00 and the bus leaves at 5:00 P.M.
Since we still have enough time, we decided to eat "something." Having not found anything appetizing, we settled on a noodle.
When we finally boarded our bus, we found out that it was very comfortable--very soft seats with spacious leg-room. We were told that in some buses, each seat even had play stations.
December 31, 2005 After over 25 hours on the road since we left Lawas, we were so tired to the bone. Melvin and I were getting worried that we might die of exhaustion should we decide to take the bus this same day to Miri on our return trip to the Philippines.
Melvin suggested that we take the plane to KK instead because it might be more comfortable and more economical. When we finally arrived in Kuching at about 8:00 A.M. we went to the Sarawak Museum right away.
We ate our breakfast, our first real meal since yesterday, in the Museum Cafeteria. After a short tour in the Museum, we went to Malaysia Airlines to inquire about the possibility of taking a plane to KK. Because it was so crowded, we went to a travel agency to buy our ticket (with a minimum charge). The travel agent asks about our contact number but we have none. She also asked if we had a number of the hotel/guest house where we are staying but we have not been to any hotel or guest house yet.
After awhile, she directed us to a guesthouse called FAIRVIEW. The guest house was a walking distance from the Museum. It was my first experience of a real guest house. You can cook your food, you can wash your laundry etc.
Having settled and washed in Fairview, we went around the city buying things for New Year. That night we had our rather simple new year’s celebration at Fairview.
January 01, 2006 We left Fairview at about 1:30 P.M. so we will have enough time to rest in the airport before our flight to KK at 3:30 P.M. The taxi driver, who happens to be Chinese, was ranting and complaining about the Malays and Muslims in general. He said that the Muslims becomes unhappy when they see that the non-Muslims are happy so they bomb the place as had happened in Bali and elsewhere.
When we arrived in KK, the luggage of Dr. Talaroc was lost. In Malaysia they do not practice the checking of luggage claim tags. The Russian couple who took the same plane with us also lost something from their luggage. We waited for sometime until, finally, the woman who took Dr. Talaroc's bag by mistake returned. It turns out that her bad and Dr. Talaroc's bag were identical.
After we left the airport, we went to the bus station and boarded the bus to Sandakan. It was a big mistake. We are not supposed to leave KK until the following night because the boat, MV Danica Joy, wont be leaving for Zamboanga until the 3rd of January! What makes the mistake even worse was that we were given a seat which was very near the reeking urinal of the bus!
Our bus stopped at the same restaurant where we first ate our Malaysian dinner in December 27, 2005. A few hours before reaching Sandakan, our bus was stopped by a police officer and he inspected our passports.
January 02, 2006 Sandakan was still deserted when we arrived at dawn on January 02, 2006. We were weary. We smelled bad. I am starting to have a runny nose.
Eventually, after having composed ourselves, we looked for a hotel where we can stay for the remainder of our journey. As we were walking, we noticed some young people, both men and women, who are still out in the streets. We have no doubt in our mind that these people were practicing one of the world's oldest professions.
We finally found our hotel. It was a run-down hotel not better than the bus where we have alighted from. It smells of cigarettes and some other smell we can't recognize.
In the morning we went around town to look for a new hotel. The hotel where we moved into was a lot better than the one where we have just came from. It was not even a three start but it was a lot better--no smell, no noise.
We spent the rest of the day buying pasalubong.
January 03, 2006 I will not certainly recommend going to KK by way of Zamboanga or Sandakan unless you are really of an adventurous type.
The Immigration Office in Sandakan will not open until after the passengers of the boat, MV Danica Joy, from Zamboanga were cleared. While waiting, there were many Filipinos living in Sandakan who made a living, some honestly and others not so honestly.
We were told that some of these so-called Filipinos had defrauded many other Filipino travelers. Indeed while waiting for the passengers from Zamboanga to be cleared, I saw two or three men who accosted and examined the wallet of our male co-passenger.
One of the passengers from Zamboanga was an old German National. But instead of taking the bus out to Sandakan, he took the same boat where he had just alighted from. The trip, he said was meant to entitle him to stay a few more months in the Philippines.
Also on board the boat were a bus-load of Filipinos deportees of all age-groups. Many of them cannot read or write.
January 04, 2006 The sea was not so calm today. For the first time, I feel sick.
We arrived in Zamboanga at about 3:00 P.M. and we immediately went to Hotel Astoria. We missed the fatty foods so much that we ordered pork prawn and many more. We lest Zamboanga City for Cagayan de Oro at about 7:00.
January 05, 2006 After almost 12 hours we arrived safely in Cagayan de Oro. I went straight to the apartment, took a bath, rested for awhile and reported to work.
Whew! Its working days again!
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Jerry G. Gervacio
non-member comment
Great!
I feel that I have gone to Sarawak, too! Great, indeed.