I doubt if I can get over the parangs used by the Ibans, jungle food and the long houses in Batang Ai. Just a couple of weeks after the trip and already I am thinking of going back. There is simply too [...]]]>

An Iban elder taking rest from the hot day in the long house

I doubt if I can get over the parangs used by the Ibans, jungle food and the long houses in Batang Ai. Just a couple of weeks after the trip and already I am thinking of going back. There is simply too many things I wanna see, learn and experience still. As brief as this trip may be…I think the group of us ‘visitors’ had a really good time, hosted by these lovely people.

One of the Candong parang from another long house we visited briefly

Okay…I love parangs. Not just any parangs but locally produced, if possible hand made parangs. I love them so much that I have another blog just talking about parang. Click here to find out more.  Meun understands and allows for that small room for my entire collection but some friends thinks it is over the top. My reason is simple. It is a artform that is slowly disappering. The least I can do is to record and promote it.

The parangs carried by our Iban guides on the trip in Batang Ai

To say that I was obsessed with the parangs owned by the Ibans in Batang Ai would probably be an understatement. I have made several trips to various locations in Borneo but this is the first time ever I see so many parangs in one place. The parangs are used for their farming work but there are also the more intricate and ‘old’ parangs. Blades that are obviously passed down through the family…some claimed to have taken lives.

This parang is estimated to be more than 60 years old and it has a small porcelain jar attached to it

Well, I will probably write more about the parang ‘experience’ on my other blog . I kept telling and begging the locals, never trade or sell their old parangs. They should always remain in the family as part of their history and legacy. This is my sincere hope.

To me, parang is part and parcel of the Iban’s way of life. They use it for farming, hunting and almost everything else. To see how they use the parang in the jungle is simply amazing. And it is also with the parang that the Iban guides (while we were visiting Gugu long house) used to working a Sago palm trunk for the infamous Sago grub.

The Iban guide working on the Sago trunk to look for the worms

Having a parang makes harvesting these crawlies so much easier

Vincent was the first one to had a go at them bulging grubs....

Gugu Longhouse is located near to where the longboats were left. There is this strange belonging that I feel as soon as I enter the longhouse grounds. It is a strange feeling and I just can’t point out what exactly. Perhaps it is the atmosphere, perhaps it is the sight of the long house itself. Or perhaps it is this connection that I feel with some of its residents.

I like Gugu long house

Cute buggers...yummy too!

Several piglets...all roaming free at Gugu longhouse. My kind of long house!

We chatted for quite a bit at Gugu long house, since the chief (Mr Siam) is around

There can never be a rush when one is at a long house. Danney told me this earlier but I couldn’t really make sense of it initially. After Mengiling and Gugu, I think I understand what he meant. Seating, sharing some tuak and chatting about the history of the long house, the people, their life, their recent hunt right up to who to vote for in the next general election. It was a lengthy chat…one that is necessary but absolutely impossible for me. Thankfully my friends were there to help.

The jungle experience with the Ibans was fantastic. I think all of my friends had their fair share of adventure as well. Before we head back to the Batang Ai jetty where our van would be waiting to transfer us back to Kuching, we made one last stop at Mengiling longhouse. To bid farewell as well as to thank them for their hospitality. By the time we got to the long house, everyone was around, eager to know how we did in the jungle. The stove in the kitchen started going, aroma of food filled the long house and us visitors took turn visiting the ‘throne’. While all these was going on, our friendly guide Isa continued his round with his bottle of ‘mineral water’.

Friend Jan enjoying some Langkau

Of all the trips I have done to Borneo, Batang Ai is probably the one place that has given me good real taste of Borneo. I am happy but not contended. I will be back to the Iban long houses of Batang Ai.

Thanks to Ming...this is a testament of how much Langkau-Tuak concoction I had for lunch

Traveling in an Iban long boat on Batang Ai towards the Menyiling long house marks the beginning of our adventure. The longboats, powered by mere 15hp outboard engines are quite fast and rather ‘flimsy’ to my liking.

There were two long [...]]]>

We spent one night at Menyiling long house, Batang Ai Sarawak before entering the jungle

Traveling in an Iban long boat on Batang Ai towards the Menyiling long house marks the beginning of our adventure. The longboats, powered by mere 15hp outboard engines are quite fast and rather ‘flimsy’ to my liking.

There were two long boats and it did not take long before we could spot the long house. According to our guide Mr Danney Tan, he has been trying to bring guests to this longhouse as it is unique. It is not the typical Iban long house as it is sort of like an adaptation between a Bidayuh and Iban culture (a result of inter marriages). By the time we got off the boats onto the pontoons, we were told to wait for the people of the long house welcome us. It soon became apparent that they have been waiting almost the entire day for our arrival.

The villagers coming down to greet our group

The welcoming party, consisting of a few man and women made their way down to greet us while playing their traditional instruments (gongs and drums). It was an overwhelming feeling and it gets emotional when I was told that I had to lead my group through a short ceremony.

Yours truly representing the group- Pic by Jan

We were led into the long house. This was followed by an Iban warrior dance and more ‘ceremonies’. Among the ceremonies involves food items. A small glass was passed around, filled with what appears to be Tuak. Each of us receives the glass but had to pour its content away into a bowl. Then there was also come food items where each of us had to take some from each plate and placed it on another plate.

A welcome dance by the Ibans of Menyiling long house

Couldn't make out what exactly was on the plate on the right

Plates of long house prepared food which was later consumed

John pouring away the Tuak into a bowl

After all these, an Iban man appeared with a live chicken and he moved it around the food on the blade while speaking out loud in Iban language.

The chicken being used in the ceremony

With all the formal ceremony done, it was chow time. Danney later took out the food stuff we bought from Serian to be shared with the villagers. An outdoor burner got going and we all gathered outside, enjoying our BBQ pork with local brew and good company.

Everyone was involved in the cooking. It was an entire long house event

We all shared the food cooked that evening. Note the parang in the picture

We stayed a night at Menyiling long house in Batang Ai Sarawak that night. The food, local brew and good company made it an enjoyable evening. The following day promised more adventures as we will be camping inside the jungle.

I always wondered what makes an Iban longhouse authentic. How would a long house looked like generations ago? I have not a clue but this Ukom longhouse in Batang Ai certainly has some characteristics that makes it ‘authentic’ I reckon.

As I was awaken by the [...]]]>

This old and rustic Ukom longhouse certainly has its charm

I always wondered what makes an Iban longhouse authentic. How would a long house looked like generations ago? I have not a clue but this Ukom longhouse in Batang Ai certainly has some characteristics that makes it ‘authentic’ I reckon.

As I was awaken by the ruckus of pigs and chicken in the wee hours of the morning, I decide that perhaps it is time to snoop around and ‘absorb’ as much as possible of the place. Honestly, I wasn’t sure the night before if this Ukom longhouse is authentically Iban or it is just a poorly maintained old longhouse. However, it became apparent in the morning that this longhouse (still being occupied by over 25 families) is very much alive and real. As I went looking around, the villagers started off to their farms despite the light morning pour. Everyone seems to be in a hurry with woven baskets, supplies behind their backs and some with kids tailing along. I interrupted one of them and it turns out that everyone is rushing to plant their padi (hill rice) before the season ends. Hardworking they are.

An iban villager making his way to the farm

Sure, there are elements of modern influence here (the window panes for example) but the people of the longhouse still live a sustainable life here. In a way there are rather independent from the outside world. They plant, harvest and consume their own rice, hunt for game, set nets to catch fish, build and repair their existing longhouse to their best ability. Most of the materials used in the longhouse is locally sourced. The jungle around their village supplies bamboo, rattan and timber used to build the longhouse.

The Ukom longhouse at Batang Ai

Some parts of the wall in the longhouse still using tree barks

Note all the woven baskets and mats stacked above

From an angle, one can see the patterns on this (otherwise plain looking) hand woven mat

One of the things I look out most when I visit a native house is how much of the traditional stuff still goes into the house. This include skills and techniques. Ukom longhouse has plenty to offer. Personally, it is like finding treasure when I am able to see old tree bark still being used as walls. These aren’t walls put up for tourist to admire and ’see’ but actual pieces still being used. The picture below is one of the doors (pintu), a family room that still uses tree bark as its wall.

This family 'pintu' still uses tree bark as wall

Rattan vines still being used to bind bamboos to make rails

A view of the porch or tanju at the longhouse

An Iban man reparing his fish net

Villagers still source local materials to build their own longboats

A Kuching friend informed me that it is hard to find an authentic longhouse such as this one. Other authentic ones are  hard to access (transport), making it almost impossible to convince visitors/ tourist to visit. Ukom longhouse is under threat as the villagers are thinking of moving to another site and build a newer and more modern ‘longhouse’ so that they can attract tourists to supplement their income. This ‘move’ is probably unavoidable and is just a matter of time before it happens. But I am glad that I had the opportunity to visit this authentic Iban longhouse while it is still standing.

There is a sense of ruggedness & suspense when we arrive at Ukum Longhouse jetty that night at Batang Ai. I prepared myself for what is supposed to be a ‘real’ traditional longhouse. We were made to wait at [...]]]>

A strong Iban from the Ukom village carrying our full ice box up the the longhouse

There is a sense of ruggedness & suspense when we arrive at Ukum Longhouse jetty that night at Batang Ai. I prepared myself for what is supposed to be a ‘real’ traditional longhouse. We were made to wait at the jetty, made off floating logs held together with long wooden poles at the edge of the water. A sudden movement on the jetty sends a tilt on the entire floating ‘pontoon’. When we finally got the good to approach the longhouse, I began to wonder if any of us in the group (except for the guide) is as jittery as I am.

One of the boat man on his boat near the Ukom long house jetty

So…what’s the story behind this longhouse? Well, it is old. For years the village’s generator was broken and they went to the village nearby to borrow a set for us visitors. The wooden flooring we were walking on creaked as we made our way to the central gathering area where an old oil lamp shed its flickering lights, surrounded by curious eyes that followed us. It got brighter when the ‘generator on loan’ arrived.

One of the pics that (barely) turned out while the 'borrowed' generator was on its way

The people of Ukom longhouse wanted to abandon this long house. They felt that their longhouse no longer is an attraction to visitors (tourist) and that they needed to ‘upgrade’ their longhouse to make it more attractive. They felt that some proper (modern) TVs, factory milled floor boards and perhaps a fresh coat of paint on the wooden walls would make the difference. How remote is this Iban village? Well, as we were cruising on the long boats towards the village, my GPS was showing us traveling on dry land. It’s almost uncharted territory.

The single (borrowed from nearby village) florescent light that lid the walkway of the 29 odd 'doors' long house

Well, the first order of the day was or course food, booze and entertainment. And yes, we got a lot of that alright. The women and men got busy with the food that we brought. Rice boiling on the wood fire, pork meat grilling on the pit outside the longhouse and bottles of Langkau starts making its way around the crowd.

The pork meat grilling on the pit on one of the verandah outside the long house

An iban woman cooking rice over wood fire in the 'guest' room at the Ukom long house

Grilled pork and local whiskey...a match made in heavan

Dinner came and went quick. Everyone was obviously hungry and the atmosphere was filled with cheers and laughter. With dinner out of the way, we were ushered to the main gathering area, were a performance was about to begin. Though our group was small (only 4 of us outsiders), the villagers insisted on having a small ceremony to celebrate our visit to their village. And while the traditional music played and dancers in traditional costumes parades themselves, more local whiskey made its way around the crowd, fueling the atmosphere with chatter of guffaws and cheers of half drunken men and women alike.

The whiskey kept coming

I think one has to witness the dance personally to understand 'Ngajat'

A ride in a narrow Iban long boat on the Batang Ai is really something. I guess our group was luck (in a way) as the lake was choppy when we pushed off from the jetty. The boatman reassured us that it is [...]]]>

The engine and the name of the loang boat we were on

A ride in a narrow Iban long boat on the Batang Ai is really something. I guess our group was luck (in a way) as the lake was choppy when we pushed off from the jetty. The boatman reassured us that it is only choppy half the way (which is true) as the open lake is prone to strong winds at time.

The Iban long boats at Batang Ai is narrow. It only seats a person along the boat with barely much space at the side (okay…I am big as well). We had about 4 or 5 persons on each boat, including the boatman at the rear and a ‘watcher’ at the front. I suppose the ‘watcher’ looks out for drift wood or any object that the boat may ram into. And of course we have our personal gears as well. Yup…it was quite a full boat.

One of the boats at Batang Ai

One thing I noted about the boat. Probably because of its long, stream line shape, the boat really (I mean really) moves. The slightest twitch I make with my right leg, I can feel the boat tilt a little bit to the right. I thought I was paranoid, so I tried again…and again it felt the boat shifted a little bit to the right. So…heck…try it on the left and the I can feel the boat shifting to the left. Suddenly, the ‘watcher’ dude in front turn around and look at us ‘aliens’. Okay…I stopped twitching. I sat still…really still.

The 'watcher' keeping an eye on the water ahead of the boat

By the time we got to our destination, it was almost 45 minutes after departure from the jetty. It was already getting dark and true enough, there’s no electricity in the village (the generator set was broken and has been so for many years). We were told to wait as the villagers were getting ready to greet us. Now…the adventure begins…

Traditional crafts and utensils like plant leaves for food wrapping, palm fronds as food basket and bamboo platters are all still part of everyday life in the Bidayuh village of Semban, Sarawak. Each time I visit this beautiful place, I am amazed at the [...]]]>

The variety of hand woven baskets for a variety of tasks

Traditional crafts and utensils like plant leaves for food wrapping, palm fronds as food basket and bamboo platters are all still part of everyday life in the Bidayuh village of Semban, Sarawak. Each time I visit this beautiful place, I am amazed at the resourcefulness, determination and practicality of the people. In a way, I think they are masters of bushcrafting in their own right.

It was my second trip to Semban and I took time to visit other houses in the village. Glen’s house was particularly interesting. It was here that I discovered the many ‘everyday’ crafts that are still in use. It started off with dinner. Among the many plastic bowls and plates, a peculiar brown card-board like material in the shape of a miniature boat caught my eye. In it were our vegetables for the night.

'Pokok' being used to serve food

These ‘bowls’ were made of the fronds of the Sago palm. They are known as ‘Pokok’ locally. They are amazingly rigid, takes heaps of food and was used on many occasions during my visit there. It is free, chemical free and 100% recyclable.

A closer look at ‘Pokok’

'Pokok' being used to hold BBQ

Other food container I saw used at Glen’s house includes one made of bamboo. Something straight from some posh restaurant in Kuala Lumpur.

Bamboo used to serve food

Glen’s sister in law keeping an eye on Pansuh, a special dish cooked in bamboo

A pair of tongs made from bamboo

To top it all, I was fortunate this time around when our ‘tapau’ (take-away) rice to the waterfall hike was actually packed in leaves. The leaves, broad and long is cleaned and blanched and used to pack rice neatly for eating several hours later. Rice packed in the morning and can still be eaten for dinner the same dinner! These pack away rice is called ‘Mors Spit‘.

Leaf wrapped rice, also known as ‘Mors Spit’ by the locals in Semban

Preparing 'Mors Spit' or rice wrapped in leaf for take away

Some of the old tools that belong to the Bidayuh villagers in Semban are so old; they date back generations to the time of Rajah Brooke. During our visit there, we got to see traditional Bidayuh [...]]]>

The fibers from Ijok palm tree has been used as cordage for generations and is still being used today

Some of the old tools that belong to the Bidayuh villagers in Semban are so old; they date back generations to the time of Rajah Brooke. During our visit there, we got to see traditional Bidayuh sugarcane crusher, old hunting weapons, hand powered forge and even an old rifle.

I reckon I can spend a few more days just discovering the tools used by the Bidayuh in Semban. As the guides shared with me the details of each tool, I became more and more immersed in its beauty and ingenuity.

The fibers of the Ijok palm tree for example has been used for generations as cordage to bind things together. It is one of the villager’s main cordage and it can be seen holding together bridges, houses and even floorings.

Sagen holding a coil of Ijok cordage ready for use

This is the best photo I got of an Ijok palm

Next to Ijok palm, there’s of course the Terap tree where the inner barks are also used for cordage. Thought commonly used by the Orang Asal in Peninsula, the Bidayuh seems to prefer the Ijok cordage for general rough use. Nevertheless, coils of harvested Terap and its application can be seen around the village

Coils of Terap bark ready for use - Pic by Meun

The carrying straps on this basket (hung upside down from the roof) is made of Terap fibers

This rolled up mat was made primarily using Terap fibers and rattan

A visit to guide Glen’s house is probably one which is filled most with “waaaaa…” and “wow…wow…wow”. Glen and his father were very kind in showing us some of the stuff stored in their store shed. The items include a traditional rice pounder or known as ‘Lisung’ locally (to remove the husk), hunting weapons, a blow pipe and a hand powered forge.

The rice pounder has not seen much use since the rice mill machine was brought up to the village

A close-up picture

Glen holding his blowpipe

The metal piece at the tip of the blowpipe helps steady it during use

The ‘cork’ like texture of this inner palm core is used to make blow darts

Three different types of hunting spears for different game

Now, I have heard about the hand powered forge but I never imagined I would have the good fortune of seeing one at Semban village. Being a blade enthusiasts, I have always wondered how traditional forges look like. This forge belongs to Glen’s family too. Though they no longer forge their own blades (most are bought from nearby towns now), they still know how to use it. “If we have good metal, we will fire up the forge again for sure” says Glen.

I will compile a video on this soon!

We went to a few locations to look at some of the old tools. One that stood out old but probably not traditional is an old rifle. The owner believes that it dates back to the time of the White Raja (James Brooke) and the rifle has been handed down in his family for generations. The owner wasn’t sure if the riffle can still fire.

The old rifle believed to be from the Brooke’s era- Pic by Meun

There are also cool Bidayuh kitchen tools. One such tool is the sugarcane crusher or ‘Erk’tes’ as locals calls it. I reckon this tool must be important to the Bidayuh since it is needed to make the good tasting Tepui (alcoholic drink).

The wooden sugarcane crusher or ‘Erk’tes’ (in Bidayuh)

To use the sugarcane crusher, a wooden piece is inserted into the hole on the statue and sugarcane is placed in between. The wooden piece (not in the picture) is then used to crush the sugarcane, forcing the liquid out, flowing along the beak like funnel. The sugarcane juice will then be collected using a container (not in the picture). And to store Tepui, the Bidayuh uses a gourd like container so that they can be carried around.

The gourd liquid container

I would love to have more time to explore and learn more about the Bidayuhs of Semban and their life. The tools they shared with me on this visit was an eye opener. Their tools are symbols ingenuity and adaptability, something that I think is the missing ingredient in today’s society.

Other posts/ videos on Semban:

• Part I- A visit to Semban, the village above the clouds
• Part II- The hanging bamboo bridges of Semban
• Part III- The long walk up to Semban
• Part IV- The waterfalls at Semban
• Part V1- The Bidayuh’s traditional cutting tools
• Part V2- The kitchen and bamboo blades of the Bidayuhs in Semban
• Part VI- Traditional bamboo smoking pipe and great food
• Part VII- Sunrise and morning walk around Semban
• Part VIII- Old tools used by the Bidayuhs in Semban
• Part IX- Ladies of the rings in Semban
• Video- The bidayuh’s hill paddy
• Video- The home made wooden pack that carries EVERTHING up Semban!
• Video- Bidayuh’s traditional furnace
• Video- Bidayuh’s traditional blades

The 5am hike to see watch the sun rise is a must says Danny Voon, our guide to Semban. Having arrived the previous day, we were still recovering from the sore body but the [...]]]>

Wake up at 5am to hike up a steep hill just to see the sun rise is not my usual cup

The 5am hike to see watch the sun rise is a must says Danny Voon, our guide to Semban. Having arrived the previous day, we were still recovering from the sore body but the lure of watching the sun pierce through the distance horizon above the clouds gave us enough motivation to do it and it was all worth the effort.

I personally had to do battle with the forces of sleeping angels to haul myself up that morning. The fact that the cocks were crowing at the top of their lungs didn’t help either. I dragged myself up and reached for my head torch, only manage to mummer a few words to Meun who is already ready to go. It was still pitch dark when we met the rest. Danny and the other guides decided to try a new lookout which supposes to provide a better view. We’ll just follow.

The sun, rising above the clouds over Semban- Pic by Meun

The sun rising over Semban’s beautiful landscape commands a feeling of awe in me. It is one of those moments where you would just be still and wonder how beautiful the world we live in. Clouds can be seen covering the lower reaches of the valley and as the sun rise; its color of powdery white, almost like cotton wool stretched over the tree tops. For a moment when the sun finally made its appearance, there were just silence among us, only the sound of birds and cameras clicking away.

The second day at Semban is filled with great things. After the sunrise, as we make our way back to the village, we pass by a pepper farm. The villagers of Semban do plant, harvest and process pepper as a livelihood. Both white and black pepper seeds actually comes from the same tree, the only difference is that making white pepper is more tedious and time consuming.

Meun and Jan taking a closer look at a pepper plant

The pepper seeds on the plant before harvesting

As we walk closer to the village, we started seeing people busy going about their businesses. Some were on their way to the farm while others were busy processing their harvest. The adults were very friendly, greeting us as we meet them. Some of the children were curious and kept watching us.

One of the villager’s house perching on a slope

A Bidayuh boy curious and obviously half awake at the same time

A village lady with her son heading out to the farm- Pic by Meun

A villager dancing on his harvested hill rice to separate them from the stalks

One of the remaining few elder women of the village still wearing brass rings starting out to the farm

Man made bee ‘houses’- Pic by Meun

It was a beautiful quiet day. According to Nyun, if it were a Sunday, some of the villagers would have gathered at the village Church to pray. A pastor will come to the church to conduct service once in a month and on other Sundays, the village leader would take the lead. There is also the village’s Barruk. A special building dedicated to festivals only. A structure full of mystery and mysticism.

The church in Semban

The Bidayuh’s barruk in Semban

Later that day, we also had the opportunity to join Nyun at the village’s rice mill. Nyun told us after our visit to the waterfalls that he needed to get some of the rice (his and others) milled. The milling machine was kept in the same shed as the generator. Since the village has no supplied electricity, they depended on this generator to power their homes at night.

This shed houses the villagers’ milling and generator machine – Pic by Meun

Nyun working on the milling machine- Pic by Meun

The un-husked rice- Pic by Meun

A few more baskets of rice to be husked- Pic by Meun

Villagers have worked out a schedule where they would actually rotate among themselves the role of starting the generator at around 7pm and switching it off by 11pm. If any of the household wishes to have electricity after these hours, they would have to invest in their own generator set. What’s even more amazing to me is the fact that the generator set was actually hand carried by the villagers up to the village.

This generator was carried up all the way to Semban in one piece by the villagers

As we were leaving the mill shed, we took time to look closer at some of the villager’s house. Though they are no longer living in ‘long house’ style houses, the village still has an ‘authentic’ feel to it. Even some of the ladders or steps are still carved out of an entire piece of logs. Firewood are still stacked, ready for use and objects of artifacts like urns can still be seen.

The ladder that is carved entirely out of a piece of log

Some of the villagers still prefer to use wood rather than gas for cooking- Pic by Meun

Some of these urns are said to be more than a hundred years old

Watching the sun rise at Semban, followed by a walk around the village was an eye opener. Not only is this village above the clouds beautiful but it also retains a charm that is hard to forget. A charm that I hope will continue to greet the dwellers of Semban for many years to come.

Other posts/ videos on Semban:

• Part I- A visit to Semban, the village above the clouds
• Part II- The hanging bamboo bridges of Semban
• Part III- The long walk up to Semban
• Part IV- The waterfalls at Semban
• Part V1- The Bidayuh’s traditional cutting tools
• Part V2- The kitchen and bamboo blades of the Bidayuhs in Semban
• Part VI- Traditional bamboo smoking pipe and great food
• Part VII- Sunrise and morning walk around Semban
• Part VIII- Old tools used by the Bidayuhs in Semban
• Part IX- Ladies of the rings in Semban
• Video- The bidayuh’s hill paddy
• Video- The home made wooden pack that carries EVERTHING up Semban!
• Video- Bidayuh’s traditional furnace
• Video- Bidayuh’s traditional blades

There are some really unique houses in the interior of Sarawak. The houses reflect not only practicality and simplicity but also the way of life for the folks in the area. Having spent 1 night in one of the local houses, coupled with their hospitality made me [...]]]>

A village house in the interior of Sarawak

There are some really unique houses in the interior of Sarawak. The houses reflect not only practicality and simplicity but also the way of life for the folks in the area. Having spent 1 night in one of the local houses, coupled with their hospitality made me realize how over-dependant we city folks are to our ‘modern’ & materialistic world.

Our 4WD made a brief stop at a house along the road we were traveling. In front of the house lay a mat with chilies spread evenly on it. Some of us tried the chilies and they are super hot. We packed some for our trip.

These chilies are really really hot.

I did not enter the house but a small hut on tall ‘legs’ nearby really caught my attention. Having seen similar ‘huts’ in places like Bali and the Thai community in Kedah, the huts are usually built for the sole purpose of storing harvested rice supply.

This food storage hut is probably no longer in use

The huts are built with no obvious access to it for good reasons. It is built to keep its contents safe from intruders, especially from pests like rodents. The ‘legs’ of the huts are smoothened, some wrapped with zink roofing to make it almost impossible for rodents to climb up.

Underneath it however is the ladder for human access. The sort of ladder I have seen only on TV until this trip.

This ladder is probably made out of a single tree trunk lies under the hut

A woven basket hanging under the food storage hut

Wooden door handle with a modern touch of lock

The one interesting house has to be the ‘rumah tarik’ or ‘pull-house’. This is probably logger’s version of caravan. The entire wooden house is carried on a logging truck and located from place to place. Kind of a cool way to move house, especially when the entire house, with its contents inside is moved together! Not a clue how they got the house onto the truck or how they place the house down.

The entire house on a logging truck!

I wonder how they got the house on (and off) the truck without a crane

These are 2 units of ‘rumah tarik’ off their ‘transporters.

We spent the night at one of the local houses near Julan bride (our trailhead). Some parts of the house really caught my attention. The main hall (which in the night turned into our sleeping space) had a few antlers decorating its wall. These are sort of souvenirs from the local’s hunting days. They hunt the wild jungle animals mainly to feed themselves and according to the head of the house, hunting has become difficult because wild game has become scarce.

The walls of the houses are decorated with antlers from hunted animals

What thrilled me most is the kitchen area. The locals here are still using their traditional design basket with an ‘adjustable’ flap (though this one is made from wrapping straps). Besides the plastic food container, there is a parang inside the basket. Note the grooves made on the handle of the parang. I presume they were made to make handling of the parang more secure.

The locals are keeping to their traditional pack design with ‘modern’ materials

The parang securely tucked away in the basket

Grooves are carved onto the parang handle

Around the food preparation area there’s a hand-carved wooden mortar & pestle. The maker even carved the date, presumably the date it was completed.

The wooden mortar & pestle has it’s ‘manufactured’ date engraved, as compared to my lens cap.

Nearby, there is a gas tank. Similar to the ones used in any other Malaysian homes. Look closely and you will see a shotgun beside it.

Note the shotgun beside the gas tank

The house has a modern stove but they still maintain and use a traditional cooking area. The base of the ‘stove’ consists of a thick layer of sand, as insulation to the wooden (or bamboo) flooring. Above the cooking area are two shelves filled with firewood. This kitchen is quite efficient actually. The heat from the fire below helps to keep the wood stacked above dry and crisp for burning. Simply awesome!

A really cool design for a kitchen

• First time in Miri Town, Sarawak
• Wild durian & Kolok mee at Miri.
• 5 hours on a 4WD into interior off Miri.
• Unique local houses in Sarawak interior.
• Smoked wild boar…nice!
• Loooong hike to look for an elusive waterfall.
• Sarawak river boats and a raging river.
• Jungle vines and rattan used in the jungles of Sarawak.
• Umbut or heart of palm tasting, first experience.
• Harvesting of the umbut by the Penan.
• Malat & Penat; the Penan’s blades.
• Kitchen in a traditional house.
• Video on jungle kitchen & feather stick making.

Click here to read about another rainforest adventure in Semban, Sarawak.