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A Trip to the Island of Borneo

Kuching is the city that I spent most of my time in while I was in Sarawak province. In Malay, Kuching means "cat" and there were representations of cats everywhere.

There was even a cat museum that was not only interesting but fun to see as well. Admitedly, I probably make a far better Wolf, than I do this cat though.

Although the city is not all that large there were numerous places to look at. I took this picture at one of the Chinese Buddhist temples. Most days I passed by it at least once, if not twice, either on my way to another new place to see, or to go shopping, or enroute to the post office.

Sarawak Cultural Village .... A Must See

In many respects this reminded me of other cultural villages in other countries yet it was also better than most that I have seen too. The people that work in the areas are from the indigenous groups and many are professionals. From the moment you pass the totems at the main gate and cross over the wooden pole bridge (not something I was really happy doing but did) you enter into a world of worlds.

The styles of housing depended largely upon where on the island the group of people lived and whether their lifestyle was nomadic or not.

This string of skulls was to be found above the central fire of an Iban home. For a young male "getting a head" really meant getting ahead in life. These were not real but I was told that many homes still carry old trophies of days gone by.

The day I was there was rather hot so I took my time walking around from one type of home to another. As the layout was around a lake it provided me with great views of the landscape. At each place I stopped at I was treated to various cultural practices. The music was very good at the one house and I spent some time there just listening to the melodic tunes.

For those groups, such as the Melanu, their houses were built up off the ground. These were te coastal people and they had to deal with flooding several times during the year. The houses were spacious and housed several families. They were also well laid out in terms of defence (from such groups as the head-hunting Iban). You could see who was coming not only from the sides but also when they were directly below.

The Penan were, and still are, a nomadic group. It is their lifestyle that is at the greatest level of threat from "civilization". There were demonstrations of how to use a blow pipe at the cultural village and some information. I would have wished for a bit more though. These people are quiet and interesting.

There is a show several times a day and it was not only good for illustrating the different cultures' dances but exceptionally fun to watch as well. The performers were definitely first class and have performed outside the country. If you ever have a chance to see them, DO SO.

My time spent on the island is something that I will likely never forget. It is a land of incredible beauty with people who leave imprints on your soul.

1999 - 2000