Journey through Borneo

Cultural Show @ Sarawak Cultural Village

Was at the Sarawak Cultural Village early this morning. It's a lovely place. A few ethnic houses to depict the variety of architectural designs & also the culture of Borneo. Indonesia has something similar but on a much larger scale. It's the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) commissioned by the ousted president Suharto's wife (the first lady, ie) Ibu Tien in 1972. If you visit Jakarta, make sure you take time to visit this miniature park which showcases houses from Indonesia's 26 provinces (back then in the 70s, ie).

John from CPH Travel came to pick me up around 8.30 this morning. It's a little early & the weather is perfect for a good sleep in! Oh no, what have I got myself into! Good Friday morning & the city sleeps in, yet here I'm, going on a 1/2 day excursion to the village! After the initial inertia, I managed to enjoy the rest of the day even though it was drizzling for most part of my stay at the village. I was telling Bill & Jill (a couple from Melbourne who joined us for the trip) about how the rain makes this place a little more fairy like. The clouds enveloping the mountain, the long houses and stream of water make everything ethereal. I love it!

Our tour of the village includes 7 distinctive architecture, each representing the diffferent ethnic groups in Sarawak. We began with the Chinese Farm House where we sampled the living quarters of the Chinese. My first sight of pepper tree (btw, white & black peppers come from the same tree, it's the processing that makes them different!).

Next, we moved on to the Malay Town House. I was delighted to find congkak, a mancala game which I loved to play as a child. That brought back great memories. There were many games we played as children & had since forgotten. This sighting instantly transported me back to my childhood; what a great experience! Outside, we were also treated to the Malay game gasing (top spinning). The top can weigh as heavy as 5 kg!

A few steps further is the Melanau Tall House. As with the Malay Town House, this one stands on stilts. The rain amid the cloudy mountain makes this a beauty. Very picturesque! Here, I found out how sago pearls are processed. Geez, didn't know those white stuff came from the bark of the tree & I had eaten them all my life. Did you know that?

The next house is the Orang Ulu Longhouse. The Kayan, the Kenyah, the Kelabit, the Lun Bawang - they are graceful people with keen interest in songs, music & dances. I tried my hands on the xylophone & had a great deal of fun playing Do-Re-Mi from The Sound of Music. Bill posed with the guitar but Jill blamed it on his lousy sense of music for the bad photo, hahaha...

At the Penan Hut, Bill finally got to show off his hunting spirit by trying the blowpipe. Ooops, he missed again even with 3 trials! Remember, Bill! Do not blow from your mouth. Blow from your chest & stomach! N e x t !

Iban Longhouse is where we are treated to the art of weaving pua & some delightful Malay snacks. Ibans were renowed for practising headhunting.

As we got closer to the Bidayuh Longhouse, John was eager to show us his tribe. The Dayak people are the 2nd largest group after the Iban. The Bidayuhs are the Land Dayaks (inhabitants of land) while the Ibans are the Sea Dayaks. Traditionally animists, many are now Christians or Catholics. In the past, they had the unique tradition of hanging bodies of the dead on trees & left to rot away. The skeletons are then left there as a reminder of the dead! GROSS!!!

Well, time for more pleasant activities. We're all ready for the cultural show! Let's move on!!!

I enjoyed the show tremendously. It's a great one with colorful ethnic costumes, fashion, music & dance. The welcome dance begins with the Angklung & ends with the exciting bamboo dances! Great shows! I truly enjoyed my time here!

Contact: John Sim: 0198179695, CPH Travel Agencies: 082 243708, 242289, 414921.

Tour Info: 4 hours trip to Sarawak Cultural Village, RM 90 (all inclusive). [RM 60 for entrance & 45 mins cultural show while the RM30 is for transport & guide.] 2 cultural shows daily: 11 am & 4 pm.

I checked with Jenny a day earlier, if u decide to take a cab, the cab fare is RM150 for day trip to Semenggoh Wildlife & Sarawak Cultural Village. Return trip to Bako National Park is RM90.