Stuif's Adventures

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Batang Ai Recce, June 2011
When my friend Keong asked me if I would I be interested to join a recce trip to Batang Ai in Sarawak, staying in an Iban longhouse and camping in the jungle, I did not need time to think about it. Sure, of course!

It became the most memorable trip I have made during the many years I have been traveling in Malaysia. The hospitality of the Iban, their interesting culture, staying in a longhouse, camping in the jungle, it was a fascinating and sometimes emotional experience. I could write page after page about it, but let the pictures speak for themselves.

Firefly flight to Kuching
 

Santubong
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Leaving for Batang Ai
 

The Batang Ai dam
 

Longboat to longhouse
 

Delicate balancing
 

On our way
 

Serene atmosphere
 

The Menyeling longhouse
 

A helping hand
 

Raedy for adventure
 

The welcome committee
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Keong takes the lead
 

Ritual entry of the longhouse
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A hearty welcome
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Welcome by the chief
 

Reply by Keong
 

Tuak! Of course.
 

The kitchen is busy
 

Barbecue
 

Dinner
 

Parangs everywhere
 

A heirloom parang
 

Knives. The bones are not human.
 

Welcome dances
 

Cheers!
 

We offered some presents
 

Next morning
 

General view of the longhouse
 

Inside
 

Traditional entrance
 

Crested Fireback (caged)
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This is the support for the longhouse
 

The old longhouse
 

Breakfast
 

Ujin, our main guide
 

Ready for departure
 

Our porters
 

On our way
 

The water level is low
 

Landing site
 

Start of the trek
 

Would-be Iban
 

A short rest
 

Access road to the Gugu LH
 

Classical design
 

A long house indeed
 

Beautiful weaving
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Domesticated wild boar
 

Great angle head lizard
 

Wild boar skull
 

Paku ferns
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Ming collecting paku
 

Edible shoots of ??
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The trek continues
 

A suitable campsite
 

First: make a fire
 

Next, prepare food
 

Everybody doing his job
 

Using a tree to make rope
 

Pure nature
 

Building the shelter
 

Dinner al fresco
 

Our guides and porters
 

Next morning
 

Breakfast almost a l'anglaise
 

Keep your stuff dry!
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Catching catfish
 

The Geruntum waterfall
 

Enjoying the water
 

Nice shower
 

Upper tier of the fall
 

Impressive Iban tattoo
 

Leaving my personal marker
 

On our way back to camp
 

Early morning
 

My hammock!
 

Preparing to leave
 

Almost ready to go
 

We give our shelter back to nature
 

One for the album
 

Back to civilisation (?)
 

We visit Gugu LH again
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Meeting the chief
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Of course there is...
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TUAK!
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The chief and John
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Shopping spree
 

A Sago worm
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Yummie!!
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Of course I could not stay behind
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Dayaks consider this a delicacy
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Back
 

Young boy going back to school
 

Must be feeling a bit sad
 

Farewell party
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Keong, happy and relaxed
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Note the difference between the sexes
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Keong, floored
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Vincent, entertaining the Iban
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Keong recovered already
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Vincent needed some help
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Farewell, Iban friends!
 

Airborne again
 

Safe landing at LCCT
 

Google Earth GPS tracks
1 comment

wrote on Jun 23, 2011:
Well Jan..... congratulations...but how to top this??
You really have had some great experiences... thanks for sharing some of the simple ones with us...Take care!

Dan wrote on Jun 23, 2011:
indeed..

wrote on Jun 23, 2011:
the farewell party... but beginning of laughter and entertainment.. LOL

wrote on Jun 23, 2011:
Keong looks as if he was high on drugs... LOL :p

wrote on Jun 23, 2011:
WHOAKAKAKAKKAKAKAKAKA.............. :p

Dan wrote on Jun 23, 2011:
hmm .. there's hair coming out of those tits..

wrote on Jun 23, 2011:
I thought he's in pink pants???

wrote on Jun 23, 2011:
I just can't stop laughing!!!

wrote on Jun 23, 2011:
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha...... LMAO... ROFL... :p

Dan wrote on Jun 23, 2011:
sharp on top ... interesting..

Dan wrote on Jun 23, 2011:
oh wow .. ..cool, that's really nice..

Dan wrote on Jun 23, 2011:
eh why do u need to walk in the water?

Dan wrote on Jun 23, 2011:
tuak .. :P

wrote on Jun 23, 2011:
aiyo... both so thin... :p John.. EAT MORE LAR!

Dan wrote on Jun 23, 2011:
oh nooooooooooo .....

wrote on Jun 23, 2011:
Vincent.. U ATE THAT WORM????

Dan wrote on Jun 23, 2011:
no no no no no no no no... no way..

wrote on Jun 24, 2011:
awesome!

Dan wrote on Jun 24, 2011:
yea ... bamboo shoots, if pandai cook, it will be very nice to eat. I had some really good ones at Myanmar last time...

wrote on Jun 24, 2011:
I am high! Too much Langkau!

wrote on Jun 24, 2011:
Of all things that's what you noted?

wrote on Jun 24, 2011:
Yeah danlow....of all things? For a moment there I thought you were refering to the person in the other picture....he...he...he...

wrote on Jun 24, 2011:
Oh gosh.. U guys are real jokers!!! make me laugh non stop!!!

wrote on Jun 24, 2011:
I think someone told me to put my clothes on before I forget.

wrote on Jun 24, 2011:
Vincent...I don blame you. Thankfully I cabut first.

wrote on Jun 24, 2011:
LOL

wrote on Jun 24, 2011:
Oh, so he did that...

Kwai Loh wrote on Jun 24, 2011:
Never forget this, and next time, you take your revenge...:-)

wrote on Jun 24, 2011:
Too much WWF wrestling when I was a kid :p

wrote on Jun 24, 2011:
Ah... Returned the courtesy.

wrote on Jun 24, 2011:
Vincent...it was an awesome trip dude.

wrote on Jun 24, 2011:
Love this trip.

wrote on Jun 24, 2011:
You're a VIP.

wrote on Jun 24, 2011:
Burp... Yeah, why?

Kwai Loh wrote on Jun 24, 2011:
Joe, I added my own picture to show you that real men can eat worms....:-)

wrote on Jun 24, 2011:
eweeee

wrote on Jun 24, 2011:
yeah yeah... Me too... NO WAY!!!

Dan wrote on Jun 24, 2011:
nahhh ... I doubt u've ate it .... jangan tipu...

wrote on Jun 24, 2011:
He did.

wrote on Jun 24, 2011:
yucks!!!

wrote on Jun 25, 2011:
nice trip yah :)

wrote on Jun 25, 2011:
Nice album - looks like a great trip.

lightlingmk2 wrote on Jun 26, 2011:
What it looks like, the whole bird, I mean. Interesting trip.

Kwai Loh wrote on Jun 26, 2011:
Here is a picture of the bird, taken by Vincent

wrote on Sep 30, 2011:
Yes Jan,we have to go back to Gugu LH again as the first time when we were there the chief was not around and we told the villagers to informed about our 2nd visit so that the chief will be there to greet us and it's a normal customs for us to informs to the chief of the LH of that particular area about the reason of our visit and to show our respect for entering into their ancestral home ground.

wrote on Sep 30, 2011:
One of the many unpolluted vegetables that was available in the jungles and fresh too....

wrote on Sep 30, 2011:
Yes Janstu,the first time when we visit the longhouse the chief was not around so we informed the longhouse folks that we are coming back again and that's why we make the 2nd visit because the chief was waiting for us and it's our traditions and customs that we normally informed the chief of the longhouse of that particular area about our reason for entering into their terittory as a show of respect for the people and chief itself.

wrote on Sep 30, 2011:
TKO..!!!

wrote on Sep 30, 2011:
This is part of the miring ceremony done by the Ibans to welcome a first time visitors/tourist to their longhouse..

wrote on Sep 30, 2011:
Offering to the ancestral spirits for a good blessing

wrote on Sep 30, 2011:
It's funny that the chief thought that we're coming on behalf or represent a logging company and he told us that we can come but please don't take away our forest......until I and Ujin told the truth and reason of our visit much to his relief...

wrote on Sep 30, 2011:
The heavenly concotions of the locally brew tuak or rice wine..

lightlingmk2 wrote on Oct 27, 2012:
I think you should burn a little before eating. Also clip off the pinchers, it doesn't die immediately and can pinch your stomach.

Kwai Loh wrote on Oct 27, 2012:
The one I tried, had its pinchers removed, thanks...:-)

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