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Malaysia - Part 3
Written by: Donald Miserandino
Photography by: Donald Miserandino
The opportunity of a lifetime proved to be the experience of a lifetime in our journey to the Far East and the multi-cultured land of Malaysia, where we uncovered the mysteries of friendly hospitality in another world and our introduction to squat toilets.
Tonight we would stay at the Hilton Kuching--warm, friendly and efficient. To get to the Hilton, we traveled along major highways and then country roads through village market places. The variety of food being sold was endless, and the strong smells varied so, that as I write this article, the memory comes back to me.
After we settled into our rooms and freshened up, it was off with Kimmy to a special Malay dinner hosted by the Holiday Inn Kuching. We made ourselves comfortable, sat on floor pillows, and then in came a variety of spiced dishes: fish, lamb, chicken and vegetables. For the next hour, Fiona Kho of Holiday Inn explained to me what I was eating. After dinner, I went for a short walk along the promenade overlooking the Sarawak River. The light breeze crossing the river cooled off the night air. Then it was back to the Hilton for a night's rest. My room at the Hilton overlooked the Sarawak River and Fort Margherita in the distance. I could see some water taxis taking people across the river in the moonlight. The scene was like out of a dream.
After breakfast this morning, I packed a light backpack for the day's city tours. Kimmy had arranged for our tour guide to be Majang Banggai. He was very patient with our million questions of: who, what, where, how, and...when do we eat? Remember I was in a group. I wasn't the only one with an eating hobby.
The day started with a drizzle and proceeded to a full rainstorm, while we traveled around the city through the "town market." We even visited the oldest Buddhist Temple in Sarawak, and then went to the Sarawak Museum where we saw exhibits on the lifestyle and customs of the indigenous people. The museum covers over 400 years of settlement and history, but with the dinosaur bones I suppose it goes back further. There is even an exhibit on tattoos: how they were made and designed.
Early the next morning, we checked out of the Hilton and boarded the van that would take us to our first stop of the day, an Iban longhouse. After an hour's drive, the van turned off the main road on to a dirt road that led to a river. We walked down a 20-foot bank to get into a motorized canoe.
While we waited for the canoe to arrive, I noticed the van had parked among some small weeds that seemed to "lay" down whenever I brushed against them. In fact in one section of the path, a five-foot swath surrounded my footsteps. These small plants are advertised in the states as "sensitivity" plants. Just touch a leaf and the plant relaxes, or "lays" down. Cool! If I didn't see it, I couldn't imagine it--hundreds of plants drooping so fast. They almost looked alive!
Well, I made it down to the river. There, our guide helped us into a motorized canoe about 3 feet wide and 20 feet long. We sat on little wooden seats just big enough to accommodate both cheeks and a straight back. In other words: not comfortable, but "accommodatable." The guide for this particular boat trip was a little 60-year-old lady, who had a great smile and strong arms. Each time we got stuck on a rock, she would get out of the canoe and lift it over the obstacle. In 40 minutes, we got to the village. We pulled up to the beach and had to walk up "log steps" about 30 feet to the top of the bank. The "log steps" are just that: a long log with notches cut out, and a small "hand-rail" attached to nearby trees along the side of the log. The Iban houses all use these log-steps, since the longhouse is built on stilts about 12-15 feet in the air. This helps to keep safe from animals, and dry in times of flooding.
We toured the village, were shown some native dances, given a blowgun course (always breathe out, not in), and a short jungle hike. Even though they show off their village every couple of days, they seemed to be actually friendly with very warm personalities. They made sure to show us the skulls hanging from the ceiling. This reminded us to be warm and friendly, too.
The longhouse is an interesting concept: the family lives together, giving each family unit privacy, yet sharing guidance and life experience to raise children, work and pass on traditions--sounds a little like a family neighborhood in Brooklyn. The longhouses serve a greater purpose. They keep the family together, allowing traditions to be passed down and support one another. The young men work in the field or in town, and the women and grandparents actually share responsibility for childcare and longhouse maintenance. Going down river in the motorized canoe was only about 30 minutes, and we did glance at some birds, and even a monitor lizard sitting on a log. I guess we were bothering him because he took off like a shot and hid in the brush.
In a short time, we were back in the van, galloping down the highway. The countryside is dotted with private homes similar in style with any U.S. suburban area; in between are the longhouses, both old and new style, to remind us some areas are still not totally modernized. We saw pepper farms, market areas, and road repairs. Malaysia is repairing a lot of roads in this area. The farmers burn small portions of their land to clear it for planting, and some of the sites were still smoking from a recent controlled fire.
We traveled the "rock and roll" highway to the Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort. Imagine this: a dam creates a lake with an island in the middle that has a hotel with modern facilities, air conditioning, jungle tours, private beaches, pool, and super privacy. And you have go through the jungle to a reception house, walk down a steep hill, to a narrow jetty, get on a little tiny ferry boat bobbing in the water, put on a life preserver, and hold on for a short trip to the island.
Read part 1 | Read part 2 | Read part 4 | Read part 5
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