The Hot and Tough Day

Day 2: Monday, 22 April 2013 - Beaufort to Lawas, 110km

Team RAB Day 2 Route

Heather:

Today waking up early was a bit easier. I was so happy to see a clear sky knowing our day would start out without rain. Ra pulled out the stove and made us some instant coffee so we could get a little computer work done. We delayed our start time one hour to get the work done, so we started out in the heat.

Back out on the highway, I passed a wooden kampong house with a man in a wheel chair sitting on the porch. He saluted me. His sincerity was touching and I was reminded to be grateful for everything I have that enables me to be on this journey.

The Kampong House

The scenery was beautiful, but not remarkable for photography.  I took a few road shots and then let go of thinking and simply enjoyed being in Borneo. At our first coffee shop things that I take for granted started to pop out. With the people in USA on my mind I started to shoot photos for people who have never seen local food, clothing, or cafes (warung). 

Our breakfast stop was planned for Weston, a small town on a bay. I imagined sitting facing the water, enjoying the scenery and fresh breeze while we ate. This isn’t typical Asian style, especially in a small town. There were no cafes near the water, but the one we found had my favourite Malaysian treat- a rice pancake, flavoured (and colored green) with pandan  filled with coconut and sugar. Ra was already feeling the heat and the weight of his load on the small hills. It was only 10am.

The heat continued to grow and the route provided no shade or wind. The extra heat radiating off the asphalt was perceptible. This is not to complain. We will be on unpaved roads before too long, possibly longing for the smoothness of a modern highway. It wasn’t long to our lunch stop, but it was necessary to stop for shade just to cool down. The idea is to make it fun, it’s not a race.

Sipitang was our lunch stop where we had our meal with a view of the sea. The food stall (semi-permanent restaurant) was set up in a public parking lot with seating arranged so that the kitchen blocked the view of the water.  Ra had them set up a table in the shade of a tree off to the side so we could feel the cool breeze and take in the scenery. I ordered in Malay, apparently well enough to convince Ida, the waitress, I had some command of the language, but only understood half her response. Ignoring Ra’s heat exhaustion, I pestered him throughout the meal to teach me words and phrases in Malay. Little by little I hope to communicate better in Malay.

I adored Ida immediately, her excitement was contagious. She was interested in our journey and with a huge smile said she’d like to do it someday. That was a first! I’ve never met a Malay woman with that adventurous spirit. As a gift, she brought over a local specialty fish, which I took a little bit of only because it was a gift from her. (Normally I prefer not to eat any meat or fish.) Wishing I could take her with us, I settled for a photo.

Before leaving town we stopped photography the jetty and the aunties fishing from it. (Any woman older than you can be considered an Auntie.) On the way back along the pier some strangers said hello and used Rahim’s name. They had read the article about us that was in the Sabah Daily Express two days before and recognized him.  This was the third conversation of the day that went on as if I was invisible. I grew up believing men and women are equal.  I know cultures are different; one is not right or better than another. Discovering the diversity of cultures is what attracted me to travelling in the first place. I am happiest and most comfortable where people of all races, religions, genders, etc. are given equal respect.

RA and his admirers

Sabahans are the most courteous drivers I’ve ever shared the road with. They allow so much space when they pass. If they need to overtake, they wait until the opposite side of the road is clear and give a wide berth. All day I was waving hello and thank you to smiling drivers and passengers. On the way to the Sabah/Sarawak border we stopped for a cool down in a small flower shack. Before setting out we tried some energy gel packets. I was skeptical and surprised to enjoy the banana flavour. (Thanks Gracie!)

Sarawak is the only Malaysian state to have its own immigration- even Malaysian citizens from other states need a stamp to pass. I don’t yet understand why, but I hope to gain more insight over the next week.

Editor’s note: Heather: both Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak requires Malaysian citizens from other states to stamp their passports or fill in a yellow form to be stamped if they are using their Malaysian Identity Card, more commonly referred to as IC. This internal immigration is one of the 10 points agreed between Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia on the formation of the modern day Malaysia. One of those 10 points is that Sabah and Sarawak has autonomy over immigration. This is a very simplified explanation to the internal immigration in East Malaysia.

Just after passing immigration we spotted a fruit stand. Like moths to flame we were drawn to bananas- a favourite among cyclists. No one was around, but there were prices written on the skin of the fruit, so I went behind the stall to grab a plastic bag. It became clear that this was run on the honor system. A Tupperware container with cash was off to the side. We paid, bagged our fruit and marvelled at the trust. This is my first time in Sarawak and I’m intrigued.



There were quite a few decent size hills into Lawas. I was tired, but knew I had it easy since Ra has the heavy load. He has about 20 t-shirts to deliver to people who have already ordered. And there are about 8 spares. If anyone between Brunei and Kuching would like to support us by buying a t-shirt we’d be happy to deliver it to you. Send Rahim a message with your preferred color and size. Tomorrow should be short and easy and we will make a concerted effort to begin early.

The Lawas River

Ra:

Day 2 was tough that I could only write this report a day later. We are now in Temburong, Bangar, Brunei waiting for our boat to bring us to Bandar Seri Bengawan, the capital city of Brunei. Read about it on RAB Day 03 report.

Now back to our day 2 report. As usual I woke up early. Day 1 was an introduction to Ride Around Borneo. In fact it was just a ride in a park other than the angry rain. Day 2 was something else. The moment we got out of Beaufort, the sun was in my face. I still remembered the first picture I took of Heather, it was nothing on the screen but the glare of the sun. It was already that hot at 8.30am. I have this relationship problem with the heat.  The rolling hills didn’t help either, what more with the additional load that I have (RAB t-shirts)

RA riding in the scortching sun



Our first check point for today was Weston. We picked it up while having coffee in the room. It wasn’t in our initial plans but we decided to give it a go. What do you know, there was nothing there. The place was like a retirement village. So, my advise to those of you thinking to head down to a fancy place called Weston, don’t!

We left as quickly as we got there. We were heading to Sipitang next.  I call this stretch the “blue stretch”. There is more blue than you can imagine. Have a guess as to what it is.*

The heat was bothering me throughout the ride from Weston. Sipitang was just about 40km but it felt like 60km. I took my time riding 2km behind Heather and tackling the small hills one at a time.
At last lunch in Sipitang. I saw a nice place that we could chill, eat and dry out my shoe and socks from yesterday’s rain.

During our quick lunch we met one excited waitress which was into Heather and her strength to cycle around Borneo. I thought the toughest was behind us now as we pedalled slowly towards Lawas. We found the border post easily. Just a little drama before crossing into Sarawak with my bike stand giving way. Small problem which was fixed later.

Immediately after crossing into Sarawak, we stopped at a fruit stall to get a bunch of bananas and a papaya for next morning’s breakfast. It was cool, shady and flat riding towards Lawas. But not long after, the sun was on us again. It was blistering hot and what was best was hills were thrown in along the way. A good combo. My speedometer drop from 20 to 15 and a little later after much battling with the hills, it dropped further to 12 and towards the end 10km/hr. “Another hill climb?, I am going to stop and have a break”. I hear myself saying. By now, Heather would be about 3km ahead of me, and knowing there is no way I could catch up with her.  I decided to stop at a small stream 20km out from Lawas to take a dip. The heat was going to slow me down. I went back to my bike and kept telling myself, in an hour or so we would be in Lawas. No, 15km outside Lawas, I was texting Heather, “Hey go ahead find a cheap hotel. I will ride in slowly”. I was with a friendly villager who served me an ice-cold mineral water and a can of coke. I return the kindness and gave her girl RM 4.00.

The lady from my last rest stop told me that 4km ahead I would cross a bridge. There I stopped to take a quick picture and I was told the contractor working to upgrade the bridge that there was no way I would make it into Lawas before dark.

I took a quick look at the time and it was already 6pm (here in Borneo, 6pm is just like 7pm), and I was still 11km out. I can do 10km in 30 minutes usually during training, in an ideal world, yes 10 km in 30 minutes. In Sarawak, no. A lady stopped her car before the bridge and we started chatting. I kept making excuses to leave but she kept talking away. In my head I kept telling myself, “we are late Ra!!!! Get the fark out!”.

Even at the last ten kilometres , the slopes just didn’t want to go away. It was getting dark so I kept goin until I saw the 4km marker to Lawas, and then road flattened out. I sped all the way to Lawas. It was a relief to read Heather message saying that she was at Sugar Bun having a well deserved break.

*For anyone unfamiliar with the current situation in Malaysia, the blue has to do with political campaigning. Blue represents the colour of the ruling party’s flags. Malaysia is heading to the polls in a couple of weeks and so the politicians and the political parties are full swing into campaigning.