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Wild and magnificient Sabah
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I noticed that, ever since I set foot onto Malaysian soil, I have been doing things or traveling with other travelers. In Kuching, I went sightseeing with Simon, Hans and Patricia and had dinner with Claus whom I met along the way in Miri and then again in KK. And so, staying with Elma in the hostel, we met fellow travelers Susan from Australia and Marco from Holland. My friend Calius and her friend Scott stayed the first night at the Hyatt and then moved to the hostel. Having delivered the bad news that all accommodation at Kinabalu National Park is booked, we sat down and looked alternative solutions. We all had one purpose - climb Mt. Kinabalu, the highest mountain between Irian Jaya and the Himalayas. Tour operators were selling 2 day Kinabalu trips from between 380RM to 508RM, a total rip-off. We decided to head up to the park and try our luck there. All accommodation was booked indeed; we could have gone on the waiting list but decided against it. The dorms in the park are a whooping 46RM. We found a cheap place outside the park for 12RM. Then, we went into the park and explored the area. We were looking for a way to get through the gate before 7am; our plan was to leave around 3am to see the sunset and beat the clouds. The hikes were good and prepared us a bit for the next day as we were planning to summit in one day. We went back to the park to buy our climbing permits (100RM) and pay the guide fee (70RM).Although we paid for the permits; we could not pick them up until next morning at 7am. It's rather bullet proof system they have established - no guide, no hike.
We got to the gate at 7am and started hiking about 7.15am. We reached the summit by 12.45 and had the little platform all for ourselves. On the way up to the summit, all the groups were coming down and we could just imagine how it would have been at 6am in the morning sharing the little summit platform with 50 people. Horrible thought. I was so happy that we decided to do this as a day trip. It's not difficult, what sucks are the stairs going up all the way to Laban Rata guesthouse and beyond. We spent about 30 min. at the summit and were blessed with good weather. The most difficult part was going down as our knees felt like pudding. On the way back, our guide Robbi showed us
pitcher plants. We made it back by 7PM and had a nice dinner and then hit the sack. The next morning, we headed back to KK for a day of relaxation and planning. Calius and Scott left for Mulu the next day and I decided to visit a Rungus Longhouse near Kudat. Rungus is one of the ethnic races belonging to the Kadazandusun family. The Rungus Longhouse is called Bavanggazo. Bavanggazo is Rungus for "Big River". Here, I met Adrian whom I contacted earlier to arrange a stay. I told him that I am not interested in a packed tour; I just want to stay there and see how people live and have a nice dinner. Later, a couple and their grandson arrived; they were from San Diego. For dinner we had yummy food such as chicken, rice, bean sprouts, young ferns, banana fruit and other vegetables. After dinner, the Rungus people performed some traditional dance and we could also buy some of their beadwork (which I did). For the whole experience, I paid 20RM.
To learn something about the different ethnic groups in Sabah, I went to the Sabah museum. The largest ethnic group, the Kadazans / Dusuns, make up about a third of the population. These are prosperous agricultural rice producers of Sabah, although in recent times, many have found success in modern professions. They are well known for their unique customs that feature female priestesses called "bobohizan" presiding over still practiced ancient rituals. The Dusunic Family with 14 distinct languages now forms the largest of Sabah indigenous groups. This family includes the Kadazan, Kuijau, Lotud and Rungus. Traditionally rice growers, the Rungus in particular are renowned orchardists, many from the Dusunic groups today have moved from padi fields and farms into bigger towns and are successful professionals. As regards religion, a majority of this family are Christians, some have embraced Islam but whatever their religion, the Dusunic people, especially the old, still hold on to the animistic customs and beliefs that were practiced by their ancestors long before the advent of other religions into the State. They may still consult their Bobohizans or Bobolians (female spirit mediums) in matters concerning health and marriage. One can still see them perform important ceremonies such as during the Kaamatan (Harvest) Festival, and often a Bobohizan is asked to perform exorcism. For the Lotud in the Tuaran district, Tantagas (ritual specialist) are also skilled in performing rain-making ceremonies. The Bajaus are skilled fishermen as well as good rice cultivators. They are also experts in rearing ponies and water buffaloes. Dubbed "The Cowboys of the East", they are renowned for their horsemanship. Catch them every Sunday and on festive occasions at the picturesque Kota Belud "Tamu" when they deck up in their resplendent traditional costumes riding brightly decorated ponies. The Muruts reside mainly in the hinterland where many still live in traditional communal longhouses. Once feared for their head hunting, the Muruts are great hunters with spears, blowpipes and poisoned darts. It is a rare treat to join one of their weddings, famous throughout the land for their elaborate displays of bride wealth, dancing and feasting. Probably the most popular festival in Sabah is the "Pesta Kaamatan". This is a Harvest Festival of the Kadazans / Dusuns celebrated in May, featuring traditional dances including one of the high priestess bobohizan in search of rice spirits in a trance.
After the longhouse, I went to Sepilok to find out if there are any reasonable priced tour to the Kinabatangan river. All tours were way over my budget and it was pretty much impossible to do things on your own, especially without a car. There are tours to all the places of interest and that's the way you do things. Basically, it breaks down like this. Most of Borneo has been logged or developed as palm oil plantations, or latex production. The remaining areas are privately owned. They have built resorts on them for eco-tourists, but in order to stay on them, you have to book through their companies' package. Or forgo seeing the sight. So, I decided to relax at the Jungle resort (dorm 18RM) where I met Diana, a water scientist from the US, and Dr. Francine Neago, an animal behavior specialist from France. It was rather interesting and educational to listen to her talk. She is in the process of opening the first course in animal behavior which involves practical work at the Orang Utan reserve and elsewhere in the jungle. On Friday, I headed back to KK, spent 2 days at the beach and left for Johor on Saturday. I am sad to leave Borneo, I would have liked to spend more time and explore places independently. This is also the first time, I am interested to work as a tour guide in Borneo, maybe because it could well be the last chance to see the abundant flora and fauna before logging and oil plantations destroy the last habitat of wild animals.
I am staying with my HC host Mika again. Right now, I am relaxing and repacking and then will head up to Taman Negara for a couple of days before going to Spore. I will leave for Hong Kong on April 24th. More thumbnails ...
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