The only person I knew who'd been to Kuching had told me how pretty the waterfront was at night, and of course it's just as true in the early morning.
A whole new perspective on the places I'd seen yesterday, plus the Malay area downriver. At the new mosque I was struck by the grave markers consisting of no more than a short wooden stump, and intrigued by the numbered positions on the steps.
Plus a great mural.
Back for a shower and breakfast before our hire car was dropped off.
Driving - even from the centre of the city - was easy enough. Thank you to the Rajahs for driving on the left. The only challenge was switching the music in the car from the radio to Bluetooth. We stopped to buy a towel because Hamish hadn't brought one - after all those hours we spent reading the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy! - and then drove on to our first stop - Annah Rais Biduyn longhouse. For centuries indigenous communities lived in a single long building with partitions between families, usually beside a river. Today most have transitioned to individual dwellings but some longhouses remain. Annah Rais is the most famous in Sarawak for welcoming day visitors and overnighters. Put off by the heavy price tag of $300+AUD per person for lodging, meals and activities, we were just here for a visit. The first impression was a massive coke advertisement on the wall, followed up by a glass of homemade rice wine. To be honest the experience was underwhelming, perhaps because most people were out at work, but the genuine Burak or skull house was sobering.
Then two plates of nasi goreng and two coffees for $8 at a roadside cafe, before arriving at Bengdoh dam for today's main adventure.
Bengdoh Dam was built 11 years ago, causing the relocation of several indigenous communities, some of whom moved to a new settlement on the mountain at Kampong Sting. As a result local and international visitors can now get a 20-minute boat ride to hike to a series of spectacular waterfalls for a day trip or add on an overnight homestay. I had found Sym through Gemini AI and booked through WhatsApp, and then gradually discovered his family business. His sister-in-law Mona (front right) was our guide for the hike, her husband (next to her) was the boat driver, and his sister and brother in law (front left) were our overnight hosts.
We loved getting to know Mona, especially as she taught Hamish some words in Malay and Biduyn, and she showed us different plants and created single-note musical instruments from different leaves.
Biduyn people used this leaf to frighten their enemies. How? By striking it hard against their hand to mimic the sound of a blowpipe weapon.
Mona also joyfully showed us how to use the small river stones to make paint.
She also casually showed us her Bible study preparation questions which had just come through on WhatsApp. Wednesday night Bible study at her Anglican church is 200 people with the minister teaching and translation into biduyn and malay. We had a delightful chat about her family becoming Christian over 20 years ago.
The bamboo bridges were fantastic
and the waterfalls were glorious. The spray coming off the top waterfall was astounding.
Finally we took a dip before heading back down to the jetty.
A short ride to another jetty, followed by a steep walk up to our homestay. A comparatively large house specially built for homestay of up to 30 people with a mixing desk and speakers to match.
Looking out at the sunset over the dam was magnificent.
We felt a world away, apart from the World Cup playing on the tv in the house nearby.
We were treated to a feast of 'bamboo chicken' (chicken cooked in a large bamboo pole), fish, vegetables and rice while we got to know our hosts. I would have to hear about the impact of the dam on their communities but the language challenges didn't let us get that far.
What a fantastic day! All I had hoped it would be. I laid down to rest after dinner and promptly fell asleep!
No comments:
Post a Comment