Flawed-Democratic Federation of Malaysia
Malaysian Borneo
Sarawak aka Land of the Hornbills
Nanga Mayeng
Longhouse Sujang anak Jemang
Double mattress inside the headman’s apartment, free of charge.
Meeting friendly Jonathan anak Sujang, the remarkable son-in-charge of the longhouse's headman aka tuai rumah, being introduced to his hospitable Iban family and to all neighbours, dining with the family on egg fried rice and lekker braised vegetables from the "rainforest supermarket", washing down the delicious food with the ubiquitous rice wine aka tuak, strolling over Jonathan’s private land and learning about his profitable cash crops: (i) 1,500 young oil palms (Elaeis guineensis, originated in Guinea, Africa, and introduced to Malaysia, then the British colony of Malaya, in 1910 CE by Scotsman William Sime and English banker Henry Darby, but nowadays bought from a nursery in Bintulu), (ii) countless mango, banana and rubber trees and (iii) two fish ponds stocked with fast-growing tilapia fish (Jonathan's sales price for 1 kg of fish: MYR 17.- or US$ 4.80).
Taking the rugged M.L.Long express boat (one-way ticket for MYR 20.- or US$ 5.60 per person) down-river back to Tatau, a non-descript riverine country town where Iban, Kenyah and Bukitan are the main spoken languages, spotting en-route dozens of modern and traditional longhouses on the river banks, surrounded by a spectacular jungle scenery, and every so often a carved Ibanese burial pole aka keliring, constructed to house burial jars and usually made from Borneo ironwood aka belian, and listening to the skipper's yarn that belian wood acts as a protective talisman to avoid attack from tigers and elephants.
"The river is everywhere.”
Click below for more blog posts about longhouse visits in Borneo
13 Oct - 14 Oct 2009 Kudat
10 Aug - 14 Aug 2009 Kapit
08 Aug - 09 Aug 2009 Nanga Bangkit
03 Aug - 06 Aug 2009 Kanowit
30 Jul - 03 Aug 2009 Sibu
Click below for a summary of this year's travels
2009 Map Konni & Matt
Visit the Konni & Matt online albums and order high res travel photos
Konni & Matt Travel Photos
13 Oct - 14 Oct 2009 Kudat
10 Aug - 14 Aug 2009 Kapit
08 Aug - 09 Aug 2009 Nanga Bangkit
03 Aug - 06 Aug 2009 Kanowit
30 Jul - 03 Aug 2009 Sibu
Click below for a summary of this year's travels
2009 Map Konni & Matt
Visit the Konni & Matt online albums and order high res travel photos
Konni & Matt Travel Photos
Recommended books - click below for your order from Germany
