Night Bus To Sandakan

28/6/2007 (Thursday) Rainy Night

There is NO bus from Semporna to Sandakan, but there is 2 bus from Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu daily which stops at the checkpoint of Batu32. Batu 32 is just half an hour distance to Sandakan. Only 2 bus leaves Semporna at 7.30pm to KK.

I have no time to lose as i don't want to spent for accomodation at Semporna. Hence, i rushed to the bus stop after the diving session. I got a ticket of RM30, however when i went abroad, they told me no place in the bus. After surveying the surrounding in the bus, i know this is not the place for a tourist like me to kick a fuss here. (Safety First :)) Try negotiate, 2 ways for me, first get refund and take the bus tmr 7am, 2nd, sit on the aisle( the pavement between seats).

No big deal sitting at the carpeted floor. Thats where i sit...... Nevertheless, the driver takes 6 more "last minute passenger" like me before the bus finally set off. I can feel the eyes focused on us like we are those PATI (Pendatang Asing Tanpa Izin) OMG !! Since we sat side by side, we chatted quite happily. They are all kind ppl, just that their malay is hard to understand. i remembered my feeling that time is unexpectedly calm and light hearted. No more hatred for paying the same ticket price but got myself a carpeted seat, morover I felt gifted to be given such a "seat" where i can feel exactly how "kampung" people here squeeze themself in such a fully seated bus. Thts their daily routine.

Almost all the passanger is bumiputra and it's a normal scene here. The movie played is Zombie Di Kampung. I prefer chinese style horror show as it really chills if it's horror based or amusing if it's comedy-based but PLS not like this one : Atas Pagar, nor a tickle feeling of fear when watching all amusing white-paint-covered"zombies" chasing the villagers, neither will you feel any sense of laughter. Conclusion, still have a far far distance to go in the Malay movies industry to go into the intrenational arena.

Maybe i was fated to endure the adventurous scenario here. Suddenly a police road block is just at the end of the road when we are about to leave Semporna. "WHat a luck", the driver sighed. He slowed down and ushers us to hide ourself among the pessanger seats and 3 of us went hiding in the toilet at the end of the bus. No mood of feeling suffocating, we just hope that the police is not going to detect us. Luck is at our side as one of the police just get up and shine the torchlight around and gets off the bus in 30 seconds, we stayed there until the bus moved on only we came back to our "seat". What a fantastic experience! If in penisular malaysia, this type of "hide and seek" action sure drive me mad and i sure argue with the driver. "Why should i stoop so low, hiding here hiding there like i had done something wrong while i had paid 30 bucks". Its better to cooperate here as i was like in the tiger's liar... Unexpectedly, i found that i feel satisfied of this real-life exprience. Sometimes, the outcome turn different if you don't get agigated easily.

Since i was sitting on the aisle, another unforgettable experience is my face was squeezed to the wall when i tried to plumpy lady passby. Her huge round buttock just squeezed my face to the wall as she have a hard time getting through the narrow passageway. Just imagine squeezed by a big backside, can feel my specs getting off... how much pressure she suppresed to my poor face... I try to snap a shot silently so i can remember this incident forever.Here is she...

Finally i reached Batu32 at 10.30pm and my friend with his father is already waiting in their 4WD.

Conclusion, after all the special experience tonight, i really didn't feel like blaming anyone, nor the conductor, ticket attendance neither the driver. Sincerely i feel lucky to be granted such a rare opprtunity for so many interesting encounter in few hours.

Just hope no more backside-slamming experience!! Haha