Leaving Brunei for Sarawak

Thursday, June 4, 2009--Brunei to Miri

All the literature I had suggested that I should get an early start for going from BSB, the capital of Brunei, to Miri in Sarawak. They said it would take a minimum of 5 hours time and that there were problems with buses connecting the two border towns due to a large toll on a bridge which some of the bus drivers refused to pay. So I was up at 6:20 and out of my hotel at 6:48. As I walked into the bus station three minutes later (a block away), the bus for Seria, my first stop was backing out. I jumped aboard. That trip went well. In Seria, I switched almost immediately to another bus for Kuala Belait, the border town. I arrived there at 9:50. And that is where I encountered the problem.

The sign at the bus station said that there are now only two buses per day to Miri, my destination. One leaves at 9:30, so I had just missed it. The other doesn't leave until 15:30. So I faced a 5 1/2 hour wait for my next bus.

Another man was going to Miri. I asked about the possibility of taking a taxi together to the border. At first, he got excited and thought I was proposing paying for a taxi all the way to Miri. After clarifying myself, he left and returned saying a taxi would be 80 ringgets and not offering to pay any of the cost himself. I laughed and said that I would walk the 5 km at that price! He eventually disappeared, and I never saw him again. I guess he found another way to go and never thought about including me.

I read in my current book for two hours. Then I went to lunch at a nearby restaurant and had chicken biriyani. I returned to the bus station and read some more. The agent for the bus to the border arrived with the paperwork for it, so I took mine and filled it out. Eventually 15:30 arrived and we departed. On the bus were two western couples who had arrived much later than I had. If I had known about the bus schedule, I could have stayed in my a/c room and read and relaxed until about noon before taking a bus!

The border crossing went well, although they asked a lot of questions about where I had been in reference to their health check. Asia is getting worried because of the high number of flu cases in Australia in recent days.

I finally arrived in Miri at 17:30, almost 11 hours after I had left BSB. Fortunately, the bus brought us all the way to the center of town instead of stopping at the big bus station that is 4 km out of town. It let us out right by the Tourist Information office, so one of the couples and I went in there to get information about hotels and ongoing transportation.

I went to three hotels to see them. One was about $5 U.S. cheaper than the other two, but it seemed somewhat depressing to me. Of the other two, one was obviously much nicer. So I am staying at the Miri Hotel with all the usual features.

Miri is an interesting town. There are many sidewalk cafes. Because of its proximity to Brunei and because of Brunei's restrictive laws (no alcohol, no prostitution, etc.), Miri is popular with guests from there who want to let their hair down. There are many outdoor bars with big-screen TVs. It's also a boomtown because this is one of the centers for Malaysian oil production. It has a pleasant feel about it as I walk around.

That's what I did in the evening. I walked for several blocks exploring the entertainment and shopping district. Then I returned to my room and read the newspaper provided by the hotel.

Spending Updates:

During my 9 days in Sabah, I spent $300.41 for an average of $33.38 per day. During my 2 days in Brunei, I spent $72.20 for an average of $36.10 per day. Since leaving Texas, I have spent $1212.08 over 24 days for an average of $50.55 per day. That average is slowing coming down, since it was high due to my first stop being Canada, one of the more expensive countries I will visit.