No Rush

As I fly out of the rain forest I need to decide on my next destination and how to get there - no real planning going on here, just heading in a general direction. I opt to head to Kuching, which is pretty much at the far western end of Sarawak, and is either a short flight away or an 8 hour bus journey, with an over night stop followed by a 5 hour boat journey. Guess which I picked. Wrong! As I was in no rush I opted for the bus and boat journey as I felt I would get to see more of the countryside and I actually rather like the bus journeys, and I am in no rush. The bus was very comfortable with wide recline able seats, a decent temperature, though the air con seemed to work over time at the end of the journey and I needed to put my fleece on, regular 2 hourly toilet and food stops and James Bond movies all the way - I resorted to my ipod as you could not hear the sound track. It was an enjoyable journey with much of it finding its way through the rain forest, only interrupted by a few towns and along the way there was clear evidence of the logging industry with huge lorries hurtling past and big logging camps/factories piled high with wood. There was also a large number of longhouses en route - the traditional wooden habitats of indigenous peoples, which is a long house with individual living rooms but with one communal veranda where all the entertainment and merriment occurs. The wooden structures however were often stood in decay with a brand new concrete structure taking its place - just like a row of town houses. The journey was quite tiring and I booked myself into a hotel at the bus station in Sibu. A heavily Chinese populated town which left me searching for food in an area where the eating houses only displayed their offerings in Chinese. Looking very lost and stupid some kind soul must have took pity on me and told me (in Chinese) just to point at something someone else was eating. I ended up with a herbal soup - it was very tasty but I may have been trying to cure something that I didn't have. It was very reminiscent of the eating houses in Ecuador where I didn't know what I was ordering, but at least there there were pictures. Next was the boat to Kuching. Which I missed - oops! I should have asked as my guide book said there were 2 boats at 7:30 and 12:45 but there was only one boat at 11:30. Oh well, another night in Sibu, but this time in the town itself, with more aimless wondering and a lovely discovery of a bottle of ribena - the drinks here all seem to be very sweet. I caught the boat the following day and traveled the river with more signs of logging and across the sea to Kuching. A journey that could have taken an hour or two, that turned into a journey of three days. Oh well, good job I am in no rush.