REST TIME IN MIRI

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I heard a tap in my door early morning and it was Jeff, Hugo's friend who also works for Shell company but in Miri, he is giving me a lift. It was very nice of him to offer since he does not really know me, we just met on the day I arrived in Kuala Belait, Brunei at a cafe when we took lunch. He was on his push bike profusely sweating after a ride from Miri! I found out later this guy is an ironman participant, he looks very fit, this is his main hobby. Anyway in the car we had a very interesting conversation about life as an expat in Brunei(where his wife works) and at Miri, the perks of a Shell employee etc. etc. oh i get to learn how oil is processed and refined as they come out of the pipes and different grades, consistency everything! The border procedure is chicken feed on both sides, no hassle no filling up forms, just stamps in the passport.

It took us maybe an hour to get to Miri and he dropped me off at his digs, a mansion! provided by Shell, all expense paid, including utility bills! I tell you I have got to work for them! His house is full of arts, and Persian carpets, potteries, sculptures etc. collected from their world travels, he and his wife are avid collectors and it shows, they have too much stuff some are in the store room, the house is impressive and I could not believe he made me stay here, he could just have dropped me off somewhere and say this is Miri, goodluck, but no he insist I stay with him, such a nice guy and no hint of arrogance.

He has to report to work so I was left with the maid and I raided his book shelf full of LP and other guide books, I also found some books about Colombia since his wife is Colombian American. My room is unbelievable, with a/c, big queen size bed, all the perks! i felt like I don't belong here really, anyway i fell asleep and woke up to Jeff's voice calling me, he came home to pick me up for lunch at the "club". I offered to pay for lunch but he refused, it's free he said! The club was nice and they have an extensive menu, I let Jeff pick his favorites, I had beer right away, Brunei is a dry country, though Hugo has a massive collection under the sink in his house, we never got the chance to get wasted really I did not stay long enough. Shell has a store in Kuala Belait that sells alcohol to expats! Our lunch was enormous, but then rain came, afternoon thunderstorm, we have to run for it to get back to his car parked far from the restaurant, we both got wet, really wet! he left me to my own device again in his mansion.

Jeff came back around 5pmish and we walked down to the beach and then ended up at the club again for dinner, we watched the sunset, and another enormous meal, we ate like kings, well I did, he does this everyday. I am so envious of the perks they get from their employer, Shell, yup they work for the devil(oil company) but I can easily be jaded, damn I lived my life as a backpacker for 3 years now, once in a while I enjoy some luxury, an unexpected one. Him and Hugo who also is a Shell employee in Brunei is living a good life, but the stress is too much they say sometimes they just want out. ok maybe my life is still better then.. We walked back to the house following a trail in the dark, he said there are crocs and snakes here so I watched my steps, we got home fine.

The next day I plan to go to town to sort out my Mulu trek, I washed my clothes in the sink and put them out to dry then I ordered a taxi by phone, he dropped me off at the Tourist Information center in town. The lady there was super helpful, she said if I want to do an independent trek I have to call the park for reservations, I have to but an i-talk phone card and I can use their phone in the office to arrange my trip.
I spoke to the parks people unfortunately they are fully booked for the weekend! Damn I wish i planned ahead, I am scheduled to leave tomorrow but my flight was just a reservation not paid yet so i can change it if I have to, The ranger told me if I really want to go on the dates I wanted, I can check with the company Tropical Rainforest to see if they have space as they usually allot space for them on camp 5 for the Pinnacles trek. I went to the office and the cheapest they can give me is 1,350 ringgit!! over $300! crazy! I am very frustrated now, I dont know what to do, then I remember seeing on the internet that some hostels can help you make plan your trek, so I looked for Dillenia's hostel near the Imperial mall.

I found the hostel and Mrs. Lee was ever so helpful and am not even staying in the hostel, yet. She made the phone calls and sorted out things for me, problem is no beds in the park hostel so i have to stay outside of the camp, she gave me a contact name. Anyway I have 2 choices, if I go tomorrow as planned I have to sit there for 2 days before a trek happens or go with the 2 girls in her hostel and do it on the 22nd and same price but at least its guaranteed a go. I have to sort out my ticket so Mrs. Lee sent me to the MASwings office near the Mega hotel. it took me awhile to find the right one, I went to 2 travel agents, they directed me to the main office, I sorted my ticket there and opted to leave on the 20th so I can do other things in Miri in the meantime, but still no accommodation at the park hostel for the 20th, so I stay outside and then 21st I share a room with the 2 girls. The hostels are busy as well here in Miri most are fully booked! I reserved my 2 nights right away to be sure. I went for cheap lunch nearby, looked for a photocopy machine to copy the Borneo LP book from Jeff and also print some pictures that I am going to give him as a thank you for his generosity, letting a complete stranger stay in his mansion.
Took the taxi back, 25 ringgits, fixed rate, a bit expensive for me, the driver when we pulled up to the house said, wow, big house, I know! I told him, wish it was mine...

Jeff came back in the eve and we went for a jog to the Shell clubhouse, going thru via the beach route, the sun is setting and it's beautiful colors! I have not run in a year good thing also that me and Jeff have the same shoe size, he has more than a dozen pair of running shoes aside from a few cool push bikes, I envy his lifestyle, filthy loaded! But anyhow we got to the clubhouse and had a delicious meal again, i am kinda getting used to this rich lifestyle I will be a mess when I leave tomorrow to stay in town! Jeff is off to compete in an Ironman marathon in Singapore. I called up a taxi and he dropped me off at Dellenia GH, along the way I saw a sign as we cross the river bridge, beware of crocs!!! hmm not going anywhere near it then.

I am rooming with a Filipino dude who works here as a Tennis coach, young guy, friendly and we will hit today, my first in 3 years! He lent me his racket, shoes and shorts! Quite excited to be talking Tagalog again, and one of our roommate is having a physiotherapist over for a massage, he is also filipino, they have to do it in our room so we watched, it looks painful but somehow I got convinced to have one too and good thing he said I am healthy, no problems of sorts, cool!

I played another game of tennis with Nick the young tennis pro the next day, he lent me a racket, shorts, and shoes but 2 sizes smaller so my toes are all dead now from running around the court, I did not care i enjoyed playing it again only it's so hot here it wilts you very quickly. After tennis I bought more provisions for my Mulu trip, cup a soups, candies etc. Susanne and Jane the Dutch girls i will trek the Pinnacles with brought back 1 box each full of stuff from the supermarket! I went to bed early as i have an early flight the next day.

Just a footnote, hordes of Filipinos and Indonesian workers here in Sarawak as well, most are legal. I spoke to some Pinoys, security guards, bartenders etc and they told me they have no days off and some works 12 hour shifts! To make it worse some don't get their salaries until 2 months later! I feel for them they came here because life in their country i.e. Philippines is hard, very corrupt govt whose officials only think of their pockets,these people get taken advantaged by their employers it's absurd.

Since coming back from Mulu I have been holed up at Dillenia just chilling for a week. There is nothing much to do in Miri but this is my rest time, to recover from the Pinnacles hike and also because I got sick a day after my return, me and Nic played tennis in the searing heat one day and we both suffered from heat exhaustion, me a day ahead of him,good thing the couple days we spent recovering the hostel was not busy. Mrs Lee the owner was very nice and I felt like being home in my own house, only thing you can't do is cook your food. Time to move on now and headed south in couple days.

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Photos

Dillenia hostel
me and Nic

sign in the toilet
Dillenia GH

Dillenia hostel
our room