Friday, August 3, 2018
Monday, February 4, 2013
Monday 07 August 2006 - Kundasang & Mt Kinabalu
Unfortunately Sharon came down with an upset stomach and flu bug. As she had been talking to the porcelain telephone all night with very severe gas pains, she decided to stay at the apartment. I left with Mahani for her house in Kundasing and Mount Kinabalu around 12:30 pm. We had lunch of noodles and fish soup at the Kidi Kopi Dat Sing restaurant, the same restaurant we had previously had lunch. As my back was still painful, I stopped off at a local pharmacy and picked up some aloe vera jelly to put on my back when we reached our end destination.
We made our way to Tuaran where the road turned off to Sandakan on the east coast to the left and Mount Kinabalu to the right. Mt Kinabalu is the highest mountain between the Himalayas and New Guinea. It rises to a height of 4,101 metres (13, 455') above sea level. Known as Aki Nabalu (a-kinabalu), "Revered Place of the Dead", the local Kadazandusun (or Kadazan) people believe that the spirits of the dead dwell among the forbidding peaks. In the past, no one had dared climb the to the top for fear of disturbing and angering the spirits of the dead.
We began a very steady climb of around 2,600 metres over a 60 km stretch of road. The road curved and twisted around the sides and tops of the mountains as we snaked ever higher and higher up in the mountains. Down in the steep valleys and alongside the road, the lush jungle vegetation became thicker and thicker with a wide variety of trees and undergrowth. In various places, the road had slid into the deep valleys and the slopes had been stabilized with long rows of concrete pilings anchored into the sides of the mountains.
Everywhere along the way there were roadside stands with people selling vegetables and fruits. These came from the farms that were anchored along the sides of the steep slopes of the mountains. As we approached Kundasang, the farms became more numerous. At Kundasing, we saw a stabilization project that had been undertaken by Mahani's construction company. The road had dropped about 11 feet and required stabilization on both sides of the road. We turned off the main road onto a side street and then off onto a small trail that clung to the sides of the slopes.
At the end of this trail was Mahani' s house. It was perched on the side of a steep slope and looked north across the deep valley to Mount Kinabalu. The house was made of white painted brick with a blue sheet metal shingle roof. It had a central dining-living room with large glass windows and wide doors that overlooked the mountains. At one end, separated by a breeze-way was the master bedroom. At the other end, again separated by a breezeway, was the guest room, quarters for the staff, and the kitchen.
There to greet us was Ruhul Bin Amin (or Amin) who was Mahani's "adopted" brother. Amin came from Bangladesh about 25 years (or more) ago on a contract. He started a construction company and became a member of the community. Malaysia has very strict immigration and property ownership laws which require foreigners to have work permits. Foreigners cannot own land. His work permit had expired and he was deported. Along the way, he had married a local girl, the daughter of the local chief, and had a family of three children. What was he to do!? He managed to get a 2-week visa back to Sabah where he tried to resolve his situation. Along the way, he was referred to Mahani who interceded on his behalf. He became a landed immigrant but only for a 7-year term. He had to report to the authorities each year. At the end of the 7 years, he was accepted as an immigrant. Amin lived in Kundasing and had a very. prosperous construction company doing all kinds of work for local residents.
We immediately sat down for tea and treats. Amin had to leave to look after some business matters. I took out my binoculars and peered across the other side of the valley. Off in the distance on the other side of the valley I could see the Mount Kinabalu Golf Club, a cell phone transmission tower. The top of Mt Kinabalu was shrouded in dark grey cloud that was blowing across the top of the mountain. I could see the sharp crags of the mountain top looking much like the spikes on the tail of a humongous dinosaur. Along the slopes of the mountain at the lower levels I could see where small farms had been carved out of the slopes.
Vegetables were being grown everywhere. Large acreages had been covered in plastic to shelter the fruits and vegetables being grown. All available space was being farmed. In the middle of each piece of land was
the farmer's house. The farmer and his family could simply step out of the house, walk up or down the slope, and till whatever piece of land that required his attention. In the middle of the each farm, irrigation pipes snaked down the slopes.
After tea, Amin returned from his errands and drove Mahani and I around to visit the local sites. Our first stop was at the local farm supply store where we waited for a German friend of his, Marlisa Baker. Marlisa lived in Ranau, a village about 15 km from Kundasing. She had first visited the area in 1976 - 1979 as a teacher with the German peace corps. Over the years, she had frequently stayed with friends in Ranau. When she retired 5 years ago, she built a house on property owned by these friends and lived most of the year in Ranau.
While waiting for Marlisa to join us, I toured the farm supply store and asked questions of the proprietor about pesticides, fertilizers, and other supplies to try and get a better idea of the farming methods used in the area. Because the farms were smaller, the quantities sold were also smaller. There seemed to be no difference in the price of the products between Sabah and Canada.
We went up Mount Kinabalu with our first stop being at the Mt Kinabalu Golf Club. You could look back across the valley and see Mahani's house as a small blue and white speck. Not one hour before, I had peered across the valley with my binoculars and had been looking at the very same spot where I was now standing with the cell phone transmission tower not 200' in front of me.
We went halfway back down the mountain and then turned into the Kundasang entrance to Mt Kinabalu Park. Here were guest houses built right into the side of the jungle where visitors could stay. This was also the start of the climb to the peak of Mt Kinabalu. We returned to the farm supply store where Marlisa picked up her car and followed us back to Mahani's house where we awaited the arrival of our guests.
In addition to Mahani, Amin, Marlisa and I, we were joined by the local Chief of Police, his wife Kim, the District Officer and his wife and son, for dinner. Mahani related stories about her life in politics which I found to be very interesting. You could see her guests paying close attention to what she was saying. It seemed as if she was mentoring these people and urging them to get involved through the examples she was relating.
Dinner broke up around 10:30.
Throughout this time since our arrival at the house, I had been slathering the aloe vera jelly on my back. My skin was still burning to my touch. I had really gotten a very bad sunburn. Each application of jelly seemed to cool off my back and kept my skin moist. By the next morning my back was much better but it was till very sore.
We made our way to Tuaran where the road turned off to Sandakan on the east coast to the left and Mount Kinabalu to the right. Mt Kinabalu is the highest mountain between the Himalayas and New Guinea. It rises to a height of 4,101 metres (13, 455') above sea level. Known as Aki Nabalu (a-kinabalu), "Revered Place of the Dead", the local Kadazandusun (or Kadazan) people believe that the spirits of the dead dwell among the forbidding peaks. In the past, no one had dared climb the to the top for fear of disturbing and angering the spirits of the dead.
We began a very steady climb of around 2,600 metres over a 60 km stretch of road. The road curved and twisted around the sides and tops of the mountains as we snaked ever higher and higher up in the mountains. Down in the steep valleys and alongside the road, the lush jungle vegetation became thicker and thicker with a wide variety of trees and undergrowth. In various places, the road had slid into the deep valleys and the slopes had been stabilized with long rows of concrete pilings anchored into the sides of the mountains.
Everywhere along the way there were roadside stands with people selling vegetables and fruits. These came from the farms that were anchored along the sides of the steep slopes of the mountains. As we approached Kundasang, the farms became more numerous. At Kundasing, we saw a stabilization project that had been undertaken by Mahani's construction company. The road had dropped about 11 feet and required stabilization on both sides of the road. We turned off the main road onto a side street and then off onto a small trail that clung to the sides of the slopes.
At the end of this trail was Mahani' s house. It was perched on the side of a steep slope and looked north across the deep valley to Mount Kinabalu. The house was made of white painted brick with a blue sheet metal shingle roof. It had a central dining-living room with large glass windows and wide doors that overlooked the mountains. At one end, separated by a breeze-way was the master bedroom. At the other end, again separated by a breezeway, was the guest room, quarters for the staff, and the kitchen.
There to greet us was Ruhul Bin Amin (or Amin) who was Mahani's "adopted" brother. Amin came from Bangladesh about 25 years (or more) ago on a contract. He started a construction company and became a member of the community. Malaysia has very strict immigration and property ownership laws which require foreigners to have work permits. Foreigners cannot own land. His work permit had expired and he was deported. Along the way, he had married a local girl, the daughter of the local chief, and had a family of three children. What was he to do!? He managed to get a 2-week visa back to Sabah where he tried to resolve his situation. Along the way, he was referred to Mahani who interceded on his behalf. He became a landed immigrant but only for a 7-year term. He had to report to the authorities each year. At the end of the 7 years, he was accepted as an immigrant. Amin lived in Kundasing and had a very. prosperous construction company doing all kinds of work for local residents.
We immediately sat down for tea and treats. Amin had to leave to look after some business matters. I took out my binoculars and peered across the other side of the valley. Off in the distance on the other side of the valley I could see the Mount Kinabalu Golf Club, a cell phone transmission tower. The top of Mt Kinabalu was shrouded in dark grey cloud that was blowing across the top of the mountain. I could see the sharp crags of the mountain top looking much like the spikes on the tail of a humongous dinosaur. Along the slopes of the mountain at the lower levels I could see where small farms had been carved out of the slopes.
Vegetables were being grown everywhere. Large acreages had been covered in plastic to shelter the fruits and vegetables being grown. All available space was being farmed. In the middle of each piece of land was
the farmer's house. The farmer and his family could simply step out of the house, walk up or down the slope, and till whatever piece of land that required his attention. In the middle of the each farm, irrigation pipes snaked down the slopes.
After tea, Amin returned from his errands and drove Mahani and I around to visit the local sites. Our first stop was at the local farm supply store where we waited for a German friend of his, Marlisa Baker. Marlisa lived in Ranau, a village about 15 km from Kundasing. She had first visited the area in 1976 - 1979 as a teacher with the German peace corps. Over the years, she had frequently stayed with friends in Ranau. When she retired 5 years ago, she built a house on property owned by these friends and lived most of the year in Ranau.
While waiting for Marlisa to join us, I toured the farm supply store and asked questions of the proprietor about pesticides, fertilizers, and other supplies to try and get a better idea of the farming methods used in the area. Because the farms were smaller, the quantities sold were also smaller. There seemed to be no difference in the price of the products between Sabah and Canada.
We went up Mount Kinabalu with our first stop being at the Mt Kinabalu Golf Club. You could look back across the valley and see Mahani's house as a small blue and white speck. Not one hour before, I had peered across the valley with my binoculars and had been looking at the very same spot where I was now standing with the cell phone transmission tower not 200' in front of me.
We went halfway back down the mountain and then turned into the Kundasang entrance to Mt Kinabalu Park. Here were guest houses built right into the side of the jungle where visitors could stay. This was also the start of the climb to the peak of Mt Kinabalu. We returned to the farm supply store where Marlisa picked up her car and followed us back to Mahani's house where we awaited the arrival of our guests.
In addition to Mahani, Amin, Marlisa and I, we were joined by the local Chief of Police, his wife Kim, the District Officer and his wife and son, for dinner. Mahani related stories about her life in politics which I found to be very interesting. You could see her guests paying close attention to what she was saying. It seemed as if she was mentoring these people and urging them to get involved through the examples she was relating.
Dinner broke up around 10:30.
Throughout this time since our arrival at the house, I had been slathering the aloe vera jelly on my back. My skin was still burning to my touch. I had really gotten a very bad sunburn. Each application of jelly seemed to cool off my back and kept my skin moist. By the next morning my back was much better but it was till very sore.
Sunday 06 August 2006 - Shopping (Sharon) & I Nursed A Bad Sunburn!!
I stayed in the apartment all day while Sharon and Mahani went shopping at the Central Market along Jalan (Road or Street) Gaya. I had previously seen the Jesselton Hotel, the city's first hotel, and the Atkinson Clock Tower. I slept most of the day, nursing my sun burn.
Mahani picked us up around 7:30 where we then went to a hotel for a large dinner. The dinner was sponsored by a fish marketing coop in aid of a home for single mothers. As the minister had to bow out at the last minute, Mahani gave the keynote speech. She spoke for at least 15 minutes without any notes and very definitely had the attention of the audience. She is a very eloquent speaker with superb delivery. Her whole body reflects the emotions she is feeling. Her facial features add emphasis to her delivery and her use of her hands adds to her delivery. And all of this without notes and prepared at the last minute! Very impressive!
We were sitting at a table with Amissa, a long-time friend of Mahani's since her school days in Kundasing when her father was the District Official. Amissa was a political secretary to the Ministry of Sports & Culture for the Kundasing - Mount Kinabalu area. She had previously met Sharon in Canada back in 1981 on a trip with Mahani to Canada. She struck me as being a very capable person.
During and after supper, we were entertained by karaoke music. There were a lot of singers from the audience. Amissa got up to sing a very traditional song and Mahani was up twice. Annie's young son got up twice. Obviously, she was a very proud mother.
We were back home around 10:30.
Mahani picked us up around 7:30 where we then went to a hotel for a large dinner. The dinner was sponsored by a fish marketing coop in aid of a home for single mothers. As the minister had to bow out at the last minute, Mahani gave the keynote speech. She spoke for at least 15 minutes without any notes and very definitely had the attention of the audience. She is a very eloquent speaker with superb delivery. Her whole body reflects the emotions she is feeling. Her facial features add emphasis to her delivery and her use of her hands adds to her delivery. And all of this without notes and prepared at the last minute! Very impressive!
We were sitting at a table with Amissa, a long-time friend of Mahani's since her school days in Kundasing when her father was the District Official. Amissa was a political secretary to the Ministry of Sports & Culture for the Kundasing - Mount Kinabalu area. She had previously met Sharon in Canada back in 1981 on a trip with Mahani to Canada. She struck me as being a very capable person.
During and after supper, we were entertained by karaoke music. There were a lot of singers from the audience. Amissa got up to sing a very traditional song and Mahani was up twice. Annie's young son got up twice. Obviously, she was a very proud mother.
We were back home around 10:30.
Saturday, 05 August 2006 - Manukan Island, Snorkeling & Sunburns!!
We were up and about by 8:45. Mahani's driver, Oon, picked us up and drove us to the Pan Pacific Sutera Hotel where we met Elvin, Mirinda, her sister Tanya and their daughter Meredith. Elvin was a "mud man" who worked on the oil rigs.) I cashed a couple of travelers cheques as I only had about RM2 on me. Their friend, Stephanie, guided us through the hotel and onto the boat which took us to Pulau (Island) Manukan. This is part of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park consisting of the five islands of Manukan, Gaya, Mamutik, Sapi, and Sulug.
I rented a pair of fins, mask, and snorkel. We were soon in the water snorkeling. A short distance from shore were corals of all different colours with schools of different kinds of tropical fish swimming around the corals. The colours of the fish were straight out of a National Geographic magazine! Mahani had packed us a lunch which we ate around 12 noon. I went back into the water after lunch and swam some more before I came in for a rest. The one thing I hadn't noticed was my sun burn. I went back out for a swim for a third time when I quickly noticed that I had a sun burn. I put on a T-shirt and swam again. We left the beach on the 3:30 boat back to the hotel.
Mahani's driver picked us up at 6:15 where we had supper with Mahani, Lanh and Putri. As Mahani had her Koran readings, we had an early evening. It was that evening that I realized that I had a serious sun burn. Lanh drove us back home and he and I went in search of a cable for my digital camera. We visited one of the first shopping centers in KK - a 4-storey concrete building built on a central court yard with all kinds of modern shops selling every electronic gadget you could ever think of. And the prices at a fraction of what you could get them on sale for at home. I then started treating my sun burn.
I rented a pair of fins, mask, and snorkel. We were soon in the water snorkeling. A short distance from shore were corals of all different colours with schools of different kinds of tropical fish swimming around the corals. The colours of the fish were straight out of a National Geographic magazine! Mahani had packed us a lunch which we ate around 12 noon. I went back into the water after lunch and swam some more before I came in for a rest. The one thing I hadn't noticed was my sun burn. I went back out for a swim for a third time when I quickly noticed that I had a sun burn. I put on a T-shirt and swam again. We left the beach on the 3:30 boat back to the hotel.
Mahani's driver picked us up at 6:15 where we had supper with Mahani, Lanh and Putri. As Mahani had her Koran readings, we had an early evening. It was that evening that I realized that I had a serious sun burn. Lanh drove us back home and he and I went in search of a cable for my digital camera. We visited one of the first shopping centers in KK - a 4-storey concrete building built on a central court yard with all kinds of modern shops selling every electronic gadget you could ever think of. And the prices at a fraction of what you could get them on sale for at home. I then started treating my sun burn.
Friday 04 August 2006 - Tuaran, Kota Belud. Kudat & The Tip of Borneo
We took off at 8:30 to go to the northern tip of the island of Bomeo. We drove east from Kota Kinabalu along the flat plain and passed through Tuaran where the main highway goes to the east coast. We continued north towards Kota Belud. The fields were full of rice paddies that were in the process of being harvested. Where the paddies were close together, combines with crawler wheels were in the middle of the fields harvesting the rice. Smaller paddies would be harvested by hand. Along the way, we saw a number of water buffalo that used to be used in tilling the rice paddies. The process is now highly mechanized.
To our right across the Tempasuk Plain off in the distance, Mount Kinabalu could be seen shrouded in clouds. It was very obvious why the mountain was so revered by the people of this land. Their belief was that this is where the spirit would go when they died. From the flat plain, we climbed over several mountains. As the road climbed alongside and over the mountains, we could see extremely lush valleys with small villages below. Where rivers made their way through the valley, the people had planted crops in the form of paddies, whether for rice or for other vegetables.
We stopped at a road side stand where we got some freshly cooked corn. The com had been cooked over small wood-fired BBQs. We also picked up some fresh fruit. Between the corn and the fruit, we were full.
Coming down out of the mountains, we entered another flat plain where palm oil trees had been planted. The goal for Malaysia is to increase the acreage for palm oil from 160,000 hectares to 300,000 hectares. From the flat plain, we climbed again into the mountains. The palm oil trees had been newly planted in steps along the slopes of the hills.
We stopped at a small village where they made the traditional gongs. In days gone by, the drums were made of copper and brass. Because of the high price of these metals, the drums were now being made of galvanized sheet metal. Technology has reached these parts as the drums were made in two pieces. The top part was a round disc that was pounded into shape with hammer and round anvils. The side part was curled using a roller. Both parts were then welded together, filed and painted.
Our next stop was at Kampung (Village) Bavanggazo where we visited a traditional Rungus long house. The house was almost entirely made of bamboo with a thatched roof of woven bamboo. The floor was made of split bamboo. One half of the house was a long hall. The other half was divided into rooms where the families slept. This one housed 11 families. When a daughter or a son got married, the long house was extended to include this new family. Over the door to each room was a woven band of cloth which identified the family inside.
We carried on to Kudat where we drove around the town before having lunch at the local golf course. Kudat is the former capital of Sabah (for only two years). Because of the long distance from other parts of the state (and the development of roads), the capital was moved to Kota Kinabalu. We had lunch at the local golf course and then started our return back to KK.
We drove down a side road for about 15 km to reach the Tip of Borneo. Along the right side of the road were about 2 dozen traditional huts that were used by vacationers. The white sandy beach was occupied by two dozen people at most, half of whom had fishing rods and Chines hats with baskets on their back. The surf was pounding on the shores. These people were catching fish and putting them in the baskets on their backs. The hats kept the pounding sun off their heads. The sky was clear blue. It was definitely paradise lost. We got out and took some photographs. The sun was pounding down on us and you could definitely feel the direct heat of the sun.
We continued our return back to KK stopping at Kota Belud where Mahani bought some prawns at the local market. We got back around 7:30 where we rested for about an hour.
Who did we have supper with?
To our right across the Tempasuk Plain off in the distance, Mount Kinabalu could be seen shrouded in clouds. It was very obvious why the mountain was so revered by the people of this land. Their belief was that this is where the spirit would go when they died. From the flat plain, we climbed over several mountains. As the road climbed alongside and over the mountains, we could see extremely lush valleys with small villages below. Where rivers made their way through the valley, the people had planted crops in the form of paddies, whether for rice or for other vegetables.
We stopped at a road side stand where we got some freshly cooked corn. The com had been cooked over small wood-fired BBQs. We also picked up some fresh fruit. Between the corn and the fruit, we were full.
Coming down out of the mountains, we entered another flat plain where palm oil trees had been planted. The goal for Malaysia is to increase the acreage for palm oil from 160,000 hectares to 300,000 hectares. From the flat plain, we climbed again into the mountains. The palm oil trees had been newly planted in steps along the slopes of the hills.
We stopped at a small village where they made the traditional gongs. In days gone by, the drums were made of copper and brass. Because of the high price of these metals, the drums were now being made of galvanized sheet metal. Technology has reached these parts as the drums were made in two pieces. The top part was a round disc that was pounded into shape with hammer and round anvils. The side part was curled using a roller. Both parts were then welded together, filed and painted.
Our next stop was at Kampung (Village) Bavanggazo where we visited a traditional Rungus long house. The house was almost entirely made of bamboo with a thatched roof of woven bamboo. The floor was made of split bamboo. One half of the house was a long hall. The other half was divided into rooms where the families slept. This one housed 11 families. When a daughter or a son got married, the long house was extended to include this new family. Over the door to each room was a woven band of cloth which identified the family inside.
We carried on to Kudat where we drove around the town before having lunch at the local golf course. Kudat is the former capital of Sabah (for only two years). Because of the long distance from other parts of the state (and the development of roads), the capital was moved to Kota Kinabalu. We had lunch at the local golf course and then started our return back to KK.
We drove down a side road for about 15 km to reach the Tip of Borneo. Along the right side of the road were about 2 dozen traditional huts that were used by vacationers. The white sandy beach was occupied by two dozen people at most, half of whom had fishing rods and Chines hats with baskets on their back. The surf was pounding on the shores. These people were catching fish and putting them in the baskets on their backs. The hats kept the pounding sun off their heads. The sky was clear blue. It was definitely paradise lost. We got out and took some photographs. The sun was pounding down on us and you could definitely feel the direct heat of the sun.
We continued our return back to KK stopping at Kota Belud where Mahani bought some prawns at the local market. We got back around 7:30 where we rested for about an hour.
Who did we have supper with?
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Thursday 03 August 2006 - Croc, Orchids & Food
We were on the road again at 10:35 with nice bright sky and only a few wisps of clouds. Annie, Mahani's secretary, came with us to help Mahani. We again went east along the coastal highway past the university and the state legislature. The round glass building that we had been frequently passing over the last several days was the Sabah Foundation. The Foundation manages large tracts of timber and other industries. The profits from these timber lands is used to provide scholarships to young Sabahnians to attend university. As we traveled along, you could see Mount Kinabalu off in the distance, capped with clouds over the top of the summit. It was a very powerful view and one could certainly see how the mountain has played a prominent role in the life of Sabah.
Over the last several days, we have traveled on very excellent main highways. Everywhere you go there is the hustle and bustle of new construction - whether it is road construction, building of new commercial premises, land reclamation from the sea, or housing construction. KK is obviously very prosperous With lots of investment going into the area.
We crossed the bridge at Karumbunai Bay on our way to the crocodile farm. This was a bridge that Mahani had promoted and arranged. It was obvious that this was a major link in the road infrastructure to the rest ofthe state. On each side of the road across the bay, we could see the tidal flats of the mangrove swamps. Small herds of cattle wandered alongside the road. There were a few roadside stalls selling mussels, coconut jelly, and other foods.
We arrived at the Tuaran Crocodile Farm located at Taman Bay in Tuaranjust in time to see the show. Three men were in a concrete enclosure with a humongous 16' long crocodile. The croc had been placed in the middle of the ring and had been "placated". The men were able to walk on the croc' s back, lie down, put their hand into its mouth, and other things that no normal person would dare do, let alone get so close to one of these beasts. This was definitely no docile animal as the croc lashed into action when they poked him with large bamboo poles to move him back to his pond at the end of the performance. There were other small enclosures holding crocs of all ages - from 1 and 2 years of age to 35 years. There were two large pools of green water, each holding at least 400 crocs. A small series of pens held birds and a deer.
On our way back, we stopped at one of the roadside stands to pick up some coconut jelly. This was very tasty and refreshing. We dropped off Annie off at Mahani' s and we then proceeded to a light industrial area where we stopped off at a Chinese restaurant for lunch around 1:30 pm. The food was quite something that we had never tasted before. I managed to use chop sticks to eat the rice, fish, crab, and the beef. Of course, it helped that I used a Chinese soup spoon. We went back to Mahani's for 2:45 to rest.
We rested until 3:45 pm when we went with Annie and Mahani's driver to the Orchid de Villa. We were soon off the paved main highways and along a dirt road going up, down and around the sides of the hills along the side of this deep valley. Down below were paddies and kampongs where vegetables were being grown. The dense jungle was on both sides of the road. You defmitely wouldn't want to stray into this vegetation.
The Orchid de Villa was something else to behold - a well hidden secret, given the sights and variety of orchids to be seen. The atmosphere was like a steam bath - the ideal conditions for orchids. An elderly gentleman gave us a detailed guided tour of the orchid farm. While the farm grew hybrid orchids for sale to the hotels and stores, the farm had a large collection of wild orchids that they were trying to propagate so as to expand these rare orchids.
Orchids can be identified by the fingers of one had spread out - the petals, and the index finger of the other hand held in the middle of the first hand - the pistol. Each orchid that we saw followed this pattern. The orchids ranged from long pink flowers to those that were as small as a pin head. It was quite the botany lesson that this gentleman gave us. Of special interest to me was the fact that 50 of orchids don't grow in the soil. They grow in the air. The seed is occupied by a fungus which provides it with the nutrients to get started. The seed attaches itself to the side of a tree, spreads roots around the tree and takes in the moisture from the atmosphere. Depending on the variety, they can blossom 365 days a year (very rare) to once a year (most common). We also saw a wide variety of pitcher plants of different sizes.
We continued up this back country road making our way back to the main highways. As we drove along this back country road, we saw another part of life in Sabah. The houses, while way off the beaten path, were neat and well maintained. Next to many of the houses were paddies where farm produce was being grown. Electricity and water mains were everywhere to be seen. Even on the highways, everyone was maintaining the speed limit and respecting the right of way in the round-abouts.
We drove quite a distance to let Annie off at her place and then we went into the centre of town to a market to pick up some fruits and vegetables. Another stop and we were back at Mahani's around 6:45.
We rested for an hour and then we were off with Mahani, Lanh, Putri to a Japanese restaurant for dinner. There we met Roger, an official who did road planning for the federal government and Chouw who was a contractor who did soil stabilization along the roads. Roger had formerly been Mahani's. assistant when she was in state government. The variety of food was something else! Again, I managed the chop sticks to eat the food. We were quite stuffed! We got back to the apartment around 9:45 where Sharon had an hour-long massage.
Over the last several days, we have traveled on very excellent main highways. Everywhere you go there is the hustle and bustle of new construction - whether it is road construction, building of new commercial premises, land reclamation from the sea, or housing construction. KK is obviously very prosperous With lots of investment going into the area.
We crossed the bridge at Karumbunai Bay on our way to the crocodile farm. This was a bridge that Mahani had promoted and arranged. It was obvious that this was a major link in the road infrastructure to the rest ofthe state. On each side of the road across the bay, we could see the tidal flats of the mangrove swamps. Small herds of cattle wandered alongside the road. There were a few roadside stalls selling mussels, coconut jelly, and other foods.
We arrived at the Tuaran Crocodile Farm located at Taman Bay in Tuaranjust in time to see the show. Three men were in a concrete enclosure with a humongous 16' long crocodile. The croc had been placed in the middle of the ring and had been "placated". The men were able to walk on the croc' s back, lie down, put their hand into its mouth, and other things that no normal person would dare do, let alone get so close to one of these beasts. This was definitely no docile animal as the croc lashed into action when they poked him with large bamboo poles to move him back to his pond at the end of the performance. There were other small enclosures holding crocs of all ages - from 1 and 2 years of age to 35 years. There were two large pools of green water, each holding at least 400 crocs. A small series of pens held birds and a deer.
On our way back, we stopped at one of the roadside stands to pick up some coconut jelly. This was very tasty and refreshing. We dropped off Annie off at Mahani' s and we then proceeded to a light industrial area where we stopped off at a Chinese restaurant for lunch around 1:30 pm. The food was quite something that we had never tasted before. I managed to use chop sticks to eat the rice, fish, crab, and the beef. Of course, it helped that I used a Chinese soup spoon. We went back to Mahani's for 2:45 to rest.
We rested until 3:45 pm when we went with Annie and Mahani's driver to the Orchid de Villa. We were soon off the paved main highways and along a dirt road going up, down and around the sides of the hills along the side of this deep valley. Down below were paddies and kampongs where vegetables were being grown. The dense jungle was on both sides of the road. You defmitely wouldn't want to stray into this vegetation.
The Orchid de Villa was something else to behold - a well hidden secret, given the sights and variety of orchids to be seen. The atmosphere was like a steam bath - the ideal conditions for orchids. An elderly gentleman gave us a detailed guided tour of the orchid farm. While the farm grew hybrid orchids for sale to the hotels and stores, the farm had a large collection of wild orchids that they were trying to propagate so as to expand these rare orchids.
Orchids can be identified by the fingers of one had spread out - the petals, and the index finger of the other hand held in the middle of the first hand - the pistol. Each orchid that we saw followed this pattern. The orchids ranged from long pink flowers to those that were as small as a pin head. It was quite the botany lesson that this gentleman gave us. Of special interest to me was the fact that 50 of orchids don't grow in the soil. They grow in the air. The seed is occupied by a fungus which provides it with the nutrients to get started. The seed attaches itself to the side of a tree, spreads roots around the tree and takes in the moisture from the atmosphere. Depending on the variety, they can blossom 365 days a year (very rare) to once a year (most common). We also saw a wide variety of pitcher plants of different sizes.
We continued up this back country road making our way back to the main highways. As we drove along this back country road, we saw another part of life in Sabah. The houses, while way off the beaten path, were neat and well maintained. Next to many of the houses were paddies where farm produce was being grown. Electricity and water mains were everywhere to be seen. Even on the highways, everyone was maintaining the speed limit and respecting the right of way in the round-abouts.
We drove quite a distance to let Annie off at her place and then we went into the centre of town to a market to pick up some fruits and vegetables. Another stop and we were back at Mahani's around 6:45.
We rested for an hour and then we were off with Mahani, Lanh, Putri to a Japanese restaurant for dinner. There we met Roger, an official who did road planning for the federal government and Chouw who was a contractor who did soil stabilization along the roads. Roger had formerly been Mahani's. assistant when she was in state government. The variety of food was something else! Again, I managed the chop sticks to eat the food. We were quite stuffed! We got back to the apartment around 9:45 where Sharon had an hour-long massage.
Wednesday 02 August 2006 - Monsopiad
Mahani picked us up at 10:45 am and we drove south along the coastal highway a small distance past the airport. We were well out of the downtown area where the buildings were not as new. There were a lot of dealerships in all kinds of products and materials - from automobile sales, tractor sales, cement and building supplies, grocery wholesalers, a bottling plant, and warehouses. Our route followed the narrow gauge railway line - the only one is Sabah for a bit.
We turned off the coastal highway onto a paved narrow 2-lane road that went to the Mon Sopiad cultural centre. We were slowly climbing off the coastal plain and into the hills as the road twisted and wound its way to our destination. As we passed through a number of kampongs (villages), each side of the road was clustered with well-maintained and neatly groomed houses. The houses were older and built on stilts with the construction materials ranging from wood to concrete. Interspersed as we climbed higher were small rice paddies. Some of these were farmed by the local people but they were dependent on the rains for irrigation as there were no irrigation systems or sources of water that they could rely on. The countryside became quite hilly over a short distance of about 20 km from the coast. It was obvious that the colonials wouldn't dare venture off the coastal plains to climbthrough the thick jungle to try and reach places like this. It is little wonder that Britian didn't even try to exploit the interior o f North Borneo (Sabah) and only stayed along the coast. The building of the roads from the coast certainly had a big impact on these small villages and tribes - whether for the better remains to be seen.
Monsopiad was a famous head hunter who lived over 300 years ago. He was famous because he had taken the skulls of 42 enemies. It was the tradition of his tribe to collect the skulls of their enemies who had attacked them as a warning to other invaders that they would lose their head. More importantly, the took the skull of only the leader of the invaders. If the invaders had the audacity to attack them, then their leader must have been a powerful leader. Their belief was that if they acquired the skull of the leader, then the strength, courage and power of the leader would become part of their strength, courage and power. Ceremonies were held when the skull was being dried in the sun on the end of a split bamboo stick to encourage the spirit of the leader to become a good spirit and help the tribe.
We started off in the large hall with a series of music and dances which finished with a bamboo dance. This required the dancer to be very adroit in avoiding four bamboo poles which would periodically clash together in time to the rhythm ofthe music. If you didn't move your feet fast enough, you would end up with a smashed ankle.
We then had a tour of the skull hut where the 42 skulls of Monsopiad were suspended on a long bamboo pole hung at the top of the ceiling parallel to the eave of the roof. Around the room there were photos of the last ritual of the head hunters and their chief spiritual leader - a woman who, at that time was over 75 years of age. If any of the villagers acquired religion (Muslim, Christianity, etc), they would then lose their ability to speak to the spirits. As most of the villagers had acquired religion, the rites of these people were now dieing. The last ceremony was held in 2002.
From the skull hut, we were shown how rice was harvested, stored, cooked and brewed into rice wine. We picked up a gentleman, an East Indian who had lived in Britain but had moved to the University of Brunei several years ago. He had been returning from a conference overseas and was returning home via KK. Since he had a 5 hour layover in KK, he had taken a taxi to the village to see the sites. We offered him a ride back to the airport. We were on our way again by 1:30 pm, went to the airport and then took a main highway into the interior of Sabah. Actually, we were traveling parallel to the coast back to Mahani's house. As we traveled along this main highway, on each side of us were large fields of rice paddies with combines on each side combining the rice. As with Canada, the small farms had been consolidated into larger highly mechanized farms as was apparent from the size of the tractors and the use of combines to harvest the rice.
We made our way back to KK and went to a Chinese place, the Kidi Kopi Dat Sing restaurant, for lunch. This was located in one of these 3-storey buildings that on sees so frequently in other countries. One side to the other was occupied by this open-air restaurant. Both ends were open, plastic tables and chairs filled the space that wasn't occupied by the four stalls in each corner. You could order drinks, noodles for lunch - drinks from one place, noodles from another.
We returned to Mahani's and rested for a bit out of the heat. We were on the road again by 4:30 to find the Orchid de Villa. Putri came with us. As it was raining, we only scouted out the route to the Orchid farm. We then made our way along the inner highway and traveled north along the coastal highway looking for the crocodile farm. We stopped off at the Rosa Ria resort that is managed by Shangri-La resort group to look around. This 500 room resort is situated right next to the coast with a broad sandy beach. It even has its own small zoo. We went through a fish farm and saw how they raise prawns in these large pools - very similar to a trout farm. There were little paddle-wheel boats connected to the electricity which kept the water churning to add oxygen to the water. We found the crocodile farm, and then returned to Mahani's where we had a bit more of a rest. Supper was with Tan and Jimmie. Lanh had returned from Kuala Lampur and he joined us for supper. We ended up talking politics - in particular, US foreign policy. Mahani's driver drove us back to our apartment around 10:30
We turned off the coastal highway onto a paved narrow 2-lane road that went to the Mon Sopiad cultural centre. We were slowly climbing off the coastal plain and into the hills as the road twisted and wound its way to our destination. As we passed through a number of kampongs (villages), each side of the road was clustered with well-maintained and neatly groomed houses. The houses were older and built on stilts with the construction materials ranging from wood to concrete. Interspersed as we climbed higher were small rice paddies. Some of these were farmed by the local people but they were dependent on the rains for irrigation as there were no irrigation systems or sources of water that they could rely on. The countryside became quite hilly over a short distance of about 20 km from the coast. It was obvious that the colonials wouldn't dare venture off the coastal plains to climbthrough the thick jungle to try and reach places like this. It is little wonder that Britian didn't even try to exploit the interior o f North Borneo (Sabah) and only stayed along the coast. The building of the roads from the coast certainly had a big impact on these small villages and tribes - whether for the better remains to be seen.
Monsopiad was a famous head hunter who lived over 300 years ago. He was famous because he had taken the skulls of 42 enemies. It was the tradition of his tribe to collect the skulls of their enemies who had attacked them as a warning to other invaders that they would lose their head. More importantly, the took the skull of only the leader of the invaders. If the invaders had the audacity to attack them, then their leader must have been a powerful leader. Their belief was that if they acquired the skull of the leader, then the strength, courage and power of the leader would become part of their strength, courage and power. Ceremonies were held when the skull was being dried in the sun on the end of a split bamboo stick to encourage the spirit of the leader to become a good spirit and help the tribe.
We started off in the large hall with a series of music and dances which finished with a bamboo dance. This required the dancer to be very adroit in avoiding four bamboo poles which would periodically clash together in time to the rhythm ofthe music. If you didn't move your feet fast enough, you would end up with a smashed ankle.
We then had a tour of the skull hut where the 42 skulls of Monsopiad were suspended on a long bamboo pole hung at the top of the ceiling parallel to the eave of the roof. Around the room there were photos of the last ritual of the head hunters and their chief spiritual leader - a woman who, at that time was over 75 years of age. If any of the villagers acquired religion (Muslim, Christianity, etc), they would then lose their ability to speak to the spirits. As most of the villagers had acquired religion, the rites of these people were now dieing. The last ceremony was held in 2002.
From the skull hut, we were shown how rice was harvested, stored, cooked and brewed into rice wine. We picked up a gentleman, an East Indian who had lived in Britain but had moved to the University of Brunei several years ago. He had been returning from a conference overseas and was returning home via KK. Since he had a 5 hour layover in KK, he had taken a taxi to the village to see the sites. We offered him a ride back to the airport. We were on our way again by 1:30 pm, went to the airport and then took a main highway into the interior of Sabah. Actually, we were traveling parallel to the coast back to Mahani's house. As we traveled along this main highway, on each side of us were large fields of rice paddies with combines on each side combining the rice. As with Canada, the small farms had been consolidated into larger highly mechanized farms as was apparent from the size of the tractors and the use of combines to harvest the rice.
We made our way back to KK and went to a Chinese place, the Kidi Kopi Dat Sing restaurant, for lunch. This was located in one of these 3-storey buildings that on sees so frequently in other countries. One side to the other was occupied by this open-air restaurant. Both ends were open, plastic tables and chairs filled the space that wasn't occupied by the four stalls in each corner. You could order drinks, noodles for lunch - drinks from one place, noodles from another.
We returned to Mahani's and rested for a bit out of the heat. We were on the road again by 4:30 to find the Orchid de Villa. Putri came with us. As it was raining, we only scouted out the route to the Orchid farm. We then made our way along the inner highway and traveled north along the coastal highway looking for the crocodile farm. We stopped off at the Rosa Ria resort that is managed by Shangri-La resort group to look around. This 500 room resort is situated right next to the coast with a broad sandy beach. It even has its own small zoo. We went through a fish farm and saw how they raise prawns in these large pools - very similar to a trout farm. There were little paddle-wheel boats connected to the electricity which kept the water churning to add oxygen to the water. We found the crocodile farm, and then returned to Mahani's where we had a bit more of a rest. Supper was with Tan and Jimmie. Lanh had returned from Kuala Lampur and he joined us for supper. We ended up talking politics - in particular, US foreign policy. Mahani's driver drove us back to our apartment around 10:30
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)