Farewell Brunei, Hello Road
Today (July 24th) is the day I finally leave Brunei and cross the border into Malaysia. It was time to say goodbye to the Stoneville Hotel, which has been my cozy home for the past two days.
Lately, I've been struggling with how to pack my bike. The back of the bike kept making this loud rattling noise while riding. Whether it was the amount of luggage or just the balance, I wasn't sure. But before hitting the road today, I carefully readjusted everything.
With my setup finally secured, I rolled out of the Temburong district!
An Unexpected Reunion
About two hours into the ride, I heard a beep beep! from a car behind me.
I looked back, and out of nowhere, it was a guy I had just met the day before yesterday at a festival in Bangar! He offered me a ride, and I happily accepted. We drove to a cafe first to charge up our energy with some food,
and then he was kind enough to drop me off right near the border.
The True Meaning of Travel
Since this is supposed to be a walking and cycling journey, finding myself riding shotgun in a car sometimes makes me stop and think, "Wait, what kind of trip is this again?"
But when I really think about life and human connections, I realize that the world runs on people helping people. We survive through the support of others. If I had kids or friends in the same situation, I'd absolutely want them to receive the same help.
Communicating with locals and gratefully accepting their kindness is, without a doubt, a core part of the journey itself. I truly appreciate people taking the time out of their day—even just a minute or two—to connect with me.
Before parting ways, I promised Amin (my awesome driver!) that we'd meet again the next time the King of Brunei visits.
Crossing the Border
Crossing the border was incredibly smooth—probably the easiest one yet!
Starting from the Philippines, my route has been a bit of a maze: Brunei to Malaysia, back to Brunei, and now Malaysia again. It feels like I've finally hit a solid milestone.
Hello Malaysia, and Another Ride!
Almost immediately after entering Malaysia, a family pulled over. "The road is dangerous, hop in!" they told me.
They were on their way to a relative's wedding. Even though they only drove me about 4 or 5 kilometers, that brief one-minute interaction meant the world to me.
Surviving Malaysian Roads
From there, it was about 20 kilometers to my destination, Lawas. And let me tell you, the journey was absolutely brutal.
The road conditions in Malaysia really tested me today. The roads are super narrow, meaning every time a car approached, I had to dodge off the road and onto the grass. The problem? The grass is incredibly deep and thick. Moving forward through it was a nightmare.
Dodge, get stuck in deep grass, push back onto the road, repeat. It was physically exhausting.
Finally in Lawas: Fish Cakes to the Rescue
With about 4 kilometers left to Lawas, I finally spotted a restaurant. I practically crawled in and bought a Coke. Best. Drink. Ever.
While I was resting, some guys at the restaurant offered to give me a lift for the final stretch into Lawas. Seriously, the kindness of strangers today has been off the charts!
I'll be staying in Lawas for the next two days. For dinner, I grabbed some Fish Cake and Fish Balls.
I cannot recommend these enough—if you ever visit Lawas, you absolutely have to try them! It was the perfect, delicious end to a crazy, heartwarming day.
