kelabit highlands.
off to bario.
so after a not so successful transaction in a seller's market situation i have an utterly exclusive (euphemism for expensive) ride through the hills to the highlands. 5 hours in a nutshell: me subtly competing with another passenger for the best seat position in a not too spacious car (or was i forced to cuddle up to her? don't remember. too traumatic), dusty road, permanent change of directions, some places with logging activities, endless green mountain crests. and suddenly - after hours - the landscape changes and bario appears: a wide valley with paddies surrounded by mountains.
official meeting.
after arriving at the longhouse the landlady sina rang takes me to some official meeting along with 2 girls from japan and the basque country. dignitaries, speeches, singing, dancing,... the complete package. it is about some development project but i can't really follow. my knowledge of the kelabit language is somewhat limited. the people at our table are nice enough to translate a bit. but most of the time they were busy having us eat the local specialties.
- 'do you have enough to eat? have more! you look hungry!'.
- 'alright, alright! for worldpeace!'
i guess i'll like it here. the buffalo stew is tender and tasty. and the famous pineapple simply deserves its reputation.
prayer mountain hike and penan settlement.
6 am, punctual departure with the girls. with local help we find the steep path up the hill. pretty good spot.
in the afternoon i'm visiting a penan settlement in the forest on the outskirts of the village. they're kind enough to allow me to take some portraits. it's the same old story: 1. shyness, 2. curiousity, 3. pictures, 4. picture review, 5. giggle, giggle...
later my host sina rang tells me the story behind the settlement: the original penan village is 2 days hiking distance form bario. the parents brought the kids to the school in bario and returned. and the kids? didn't like it too much in school and returned to the village by themselves later (really?!). so to make sure the kids stay in school the families moved to bario and set up this temporary settlement.
extending my culinary experience: venison and more of the great fried pineapple. hurray, i ended up at a cook's place!
living in a longhouse. and a pink shock.
it's a special thing, indeed. a nine-party wooden house with separate rooms, individual open fire places in the hall. basically it's like a roofed street village. i'm not sure if the architecture follows german fire protection requirements, though.
and then i was confronted with an ultimate girl's dream: the pink princess room. let's put it that way: when i opened the door to my room for the 1st time i was speechless. then i had to laugh. a lot. i booked a king size bed and got little princess' pink curtains and blankets. too be honest, i shouldn't complain too much. i came along with an extra plastic bag - pink, with little hearts and cute cats (so extremely ugly that it's cool. sort of) ... maybe it was the only suitable bag i could find in a chinese store in miri, maybe i have an unknown and deeply hidden taste for pink.
pa ukat, pa umur.
another morning, another early start for some 6 am foggy paddy pictures. the penan kids are going to school - jungle style: walking in single file on a broad. why's that? because it makes perfect sense considering their usual environment: in the jungle there is only a narrow path. outside of the jungle it just looks funny.
bike tour to the villages next bario.
pa lungan.
30 minutes transfer on a dry dirt road to pa lungang, a small village that's even more off the beaten track than bario... but a perfect place for some days in the forest.
batu ritong lodge turns out to be an excellent homestay. lucky me, the host supang is an excellent cook.
- 'what do you like?'
- 'anything, unusual is fine. except monkey brain' ...i got unusual stuff, no monkey brain.
right behind the house are the famous batu ritong megaliths. short round through the village, some helloing and chats with the locals during a photo session. i wonder what they think of that guy who stands in the middle of the village and stares into the the sky for 15 minutes... (by the way: it's waiting for proper light)
meet petrus, who explains to me that there's actually few people in the village, many houses are empty and the owner return from the cities only on weekends or during vacation. pituresque landscape does not stop the exodus...
follow a guy with his buffalo, maybe i get some good pictures at the paddies. wrong. turns out he's going to the river to get stones they use for the construction of the road.
sunset thumbs up style. dinner: venison, fern, cabbage, pineapple. sounds like a boring routine already. but if you like venison, and fern, and pineapple why complain. especially if there's plenty of it. and i'm introduced to local rice wine. a real surprise, i did not expect such a complex flavour. a bit like sherry.
jungle hike.
surprise! my guide is petrus. excellent weather and varying landscape. more river crossing, more balancing on trunks 3 meters above the water. no way i'd do this without 'holding hands' with petrus. experiment in the forest: walk 10 meters away from the path. result: lost. better stay on the path and follow the guide.
dialogue of the day:
- 'petrus, will it rain?' i expect an answer of an expert.
- 'maybe, maybe not'
- 'that's a tourist's answer! you're a jungle expert. how about something certain like '3:47 pm'?'
petrus cracks up.
- 'maybe, maybe not. 100% certain!'
i like his humour.
dinner. another new experience.
- 'what is it'
- 'porcupine'
i heard the word before. pondering. searching in my mind. searching on my plate. in find a claw!
- 'i know! that thing with the spikes!'
verdict: very tender, excellent taste. something like veal with roasting flavour and a very subtle sour taste.
i have to admit: i saw more animals on my plate than in the jungle.
prayer mountain. thunderstorm and sunset show.
morning hike to the summit of the local prayer mountain. traditional looking down at the valley and looking up at moving clouds.
sunset: thunderstorm ist coming (equals 'take the camera and get out to get some dramatic pictures'), here it means coming quickly. within 10 minutes the sky behind me turns pitch-black. thunderstorm. lightning. gusts of wind. usually i'd say run and seek cover. but i brought the camera and the light is fantastic. changing all the time. orange, blue, green, purple. so i take pictures and hope lighting doesn't strike where i stand. looking behind me all the time to check the movements of the clouds. i think i hear people shouting into my direction, but the thundering is too loud to be sure... in fact, it looks more and more threatening. after the last bit of light is gone and the first drops hit me i pack and run. arriving almost dry and almost punctual for another feast.
tonight's highlight: steamed python.
- 'i made it without spices. so you taste the pure flavour!'
only a good chef would have that idea!
and certainly there's more wild boar, more porcupine.
return to bario.
visiting the weekly farmer's market. fruit is sold directly off pickup trucks. but what's really interesting to watch is the socialising of the people: lots of handshaking and chatting. once a conversation is finished people just turn around and talk to the next person... good old relaxed village life.
so after a not so successful transaction in a seller's market situation i have an utterly exclusive (euphemism for expensive) ride through the hills to the highlands. 5 hours in a nutshell: me subtly competing with another passenger for the best seat position in a not too spacious car (or was i forced to cuddle up to her? don't remember. too traumatic), dusty road, permanent change of directions, some places with logging activities, endless green mountain crests. and suddenly - after hours - the landscape changes and bario appears: a wide valley with paddies surrounded by mountains.
official meeting.
after arriving at the longhouse the landlady sina rang takes me to some official meeting along with 2 girls from japan and the basque country. dignitaries, speeches, singing, dancing,... the complete package. it is about some development project but i can't really follow. my knowledge of the kelabit language is somewhat limited. the people at our table are nice enough to translate a bit. but most of the time they were busy having us eat the local specialties.
- 'do you have enough to eat? have more! you look hungry!'.
- 'alright, alright! for worldpeace!'
i guess i'll like it here. the buffalo stew is tender and tasty. and the famous pineapple simply deserves its reputation.
prayer mountain hike and penan settlement.
6 am, punctual departure with the girls. with local help we find the steep path up the hill. pretty good spot.
in the afternoon i'm visiting a penan settlement in the forest on the outskirts of the village. they're kind enough to allow me to take some portraits. it's the same old story: 1. shyness, 2. curiousity, 3. pictures, 4. picture review, 5. giggle, giggle...
later my host sina rang tells me the story behind the settlement: the original penan village is 2 days hiking distance form bario. the parents brought the kids to the school in bario and returned. and the kids? didn't like it too much in school and returned to the village by themselves later (really?!). so to make sure the kids stay in school the families moved to bario and set up this temporary settlement.
extending my culinary experience: venison and more of the great fried pineapple. hurray, i ended up at a cook's place!
living in a longhouse. and a pink shock.
it's a special thing, indeed. a nine-party wooden house with separate rooms, individual open fire places in the hall. basically it's like a roofed street village. i'm not sure if the architecture follows german fire protection requirements, though.
and then i was confronted with an ultimate girl's dream: the pink princess room. let's put it that way: when i opened the door to my room for the 1st time i was speechless. then i had to laugh. a lot. i booked a king size bed and got little princess' pink curtains and blankets. too be honest, i shouldn't complain too much. i came along with an extra plastic bag - pink, with little hearts and cute cats (so extremely ugly that it's cool. sort of) ... maybe it was the only suitable bag i could find in a chinese store in miri, maybe i have an unknown and deeply hidden taste for pink.
pa ukat, pa umur.
another morning, another early start for some 6 am foggy paddy pictures. the penan kids are going to school - jungle style: walking in single file on a broad. why's that? because it makes perfect sense considering their usual environment: in the jungle there is only a narrow path. outside of the jungle it just looks funny.
bike tour to the villages next bario.
pa lungan.
30 minutes transfer on a dry dirt road to pa lungang, a small village that's even more off the beaten track than bario... but a perfect place for some days in the forest.
batu ritong lodge turns out to be an excellent homestay. lucky me, the host supang is an excellent cook.
- 'what do you like?'
- 'anything, unusual is fine. except monkey brain' ...i got unusual stuff, no monkey brain.
right behind the house are the famous batu ritong megaliths. short round through the village, some helloing and chats with the locals during a photo session. i wonder what they think of that guy who stands in the middle of the village and stares into the the sky for 15 minutes... (by the way: it's waiting for proper light)
meet petrus, who explains to me that there's actually few people in the village, many houses are empty and the owner return from the cities only on weekends or during vacation. pituresque landscape does not stop the exodus...
follow a guy with his buffalo, maybe i get some good pictures at the paddies. wrong. turns out he's going to the river to get stones they use for the construction of the road.
sunset thumbs up style. dinner: venison, fern, cabbage, pineapple. sounds like a boring routine already. but if you like venison, and fern, and pineapple why complain. especially if there's plenty of it. and i'm introduced to local rice wine. a real surprise, i did not expect such a complex flavour. a bit like sherry.
jungle hike.
surprise! my guide is petrus. excellent weather and varying landscape. more river crossing, more balancing on trunks 3 meters above the water. no way i'd do this without 'holding hands' with petrus. experiment in the forest: walk 10 meters away from the path. result: lost. better stay on the path and follow the guide.
dialogue of the day:
- 'petrus, will it rain?' i expect an answer of an expert.
- 'maybe, maybe not'
- 'that's a tourist's answer! you're a jungle expert. how about something certain like '3:47 pm'?'
petrus cracks up.
- 'maybe, maybe not. 100% certain!'
i like his humour.
dinner. another new experience.
- 'what is it'
- 'porcupine'
i heard the word before. pondering. searching in my mind. searching on my plate. in find a claw!
- 'i know! that thing with the spikes!'
verdict: very tender, excellent taste. something like veal with roasting flavour and a very subtle sour taste.
i have to admit: i saw more animals on my plate than in the jungle.
prayer mountain. thunderstorm and sunset show.
morning hike to the summit of the local prayer mountain. traditional looking down at the valley and looking up at moving clouds.
sunset: thunderstorm ist coming (equals 'take the camera and get out to get some dramatic pictures'), here it means coming quickly. within 10 minutes the sky behind me turns pitch-black. thunderstorm. lightning. gusts of wind. usually i'd say run and seek cover. but i brought the camera and the light is fantastic. changing all the time. orange, blue, green, purple. so i take pictures and hope lighting doesn't strike where i stand. looking behind me all the time to check the movements of the clouds. i think i hear people shouting into my direction, but the thundering is too loud to be sure... in fact, it looks more and more threatening. after the last bit of light is gone and the first drops hit me i pack and run. arriving almost dry and almost punctual for another feast.
tonight's highlight: steamed python.
- 'i made it without spices. so you taste the pure flavour!'
only a good chef would have that idea!
and certainly there's more wild boar, more porcupine.
return to bario.
visiting the weekly farmer's market. fruit is sold directly off pickup trucks. but what's really interesting to watch is the socialising of the people: lots of handshaking and chatting. once a conversation is finished people just turn around and talk to the next person... good old relaxed village life.