South-East Asia

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Visiting longhouses

Getting ready I woke early due to the previous early mornings I’ve had, and also the one hour time difference.  I had suggested an early departure but the petrol station didn’t open till 0800. I killed time with a walk back to the waterfront to catch the view in a different light, before returning for […]

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Headwaters of the Kapuas

I woke early again around 0600 and was downstairs at a cafe for breakfast at 0630.  I checked out and walked to the nearby Kuching Sentral station after and checked-in for my bus (which really just means having the bus registration place number disclosed to you so you can board). It was a brief wait […]

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Sorting my onward travel

I woke around 0600 and walked to the nearby Kuching Sentral Station about 30 minutes later to check on the availability of buses to Putussibau.  From previous enquiry, BusAsia (Biaramas) will sell a single ticket to Putussibau but: puts you on their own bus (with destination Sibu) to Jelukong then arranges a pickup truck to […]

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Homeward bound

My little holiday After four nights but three full days, I’m homeward bound.  But because I use to word “home” to both mean Kuching and Auckland, I’d better clarify!  Today I leave Bali to fly back to New Zealand.  It had been a nice stopover while being the most economical way of getting from Kuching […]

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Little holiday

Having seen what airports can be like after the festive season, I headed to the airport around 0800 for my 1125 departure for Kuala Lumpur and onwards to Bali.  This was the most economical way for me to get from Kuching to Auckland in the post Chinese New Year period. It’s a bonus that I […]

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Back to Kuching briefly

After a good breakfast at the Kingwood Hotel in  Sibu, I used Grab to get to the airport.  I could see a long queue for the kiosk and it looked like bedlam in the bag-drop area.  With no luggage and a moble boarding pass, I went airside and waited over an hour till the scheduled […]

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Gateway to the heart of Borneo

Flying to Sibu My cousin in Christchurch was going to be in Sibu for part of Chinese New Year and was hosting a large dinner for my cousins (whom I haven’t seen for a while) and their families.  Flying around the festive season doesn’t come cheap but his kind invitation to me was too good […]

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Border village of Longwa

Going to Longwa I had booked my sumo for 0730 to Longwa for an overnight stay.  Last night Aman, who runs the homestay, mentioned the possibility of taking me there instead.  He was meant to confirm it to me before bed but it didn’t happen.  At 0600, I didn’t have much time for breakfast and […]

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Wat Arun, for sure

Wat Arun, Take 2 Today, I was determined to visit Wat Arun.  I have a midday check-out and a midnight light to Kolkata. I was on my way to Wat Arun soon after breakfast.  It was a lot more impressive than what I must have thought in April, to turnaround and leave even without entering […]

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Wat Arun or not?

Wat Arun was on my agenda today because I didn’t make it there in April.  Again, I took the Chao Phraya Express from my pier Phra Arthit to Wat Arun pier, several stops away.  Pulling in there, I had the distinct sense of déjà vu.  Yes, I had been hopped off there before … and […]

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