Our Cultural Experience in Sarawak

Upon leaving Singapore, we traveled with another Senior Couple to Kuching, East Malaysia.  We spent two days with them enjoying the sights and culture of Sarawak.  We have heard so much about it from our members in the Masai Branch, most of who were born in Sarawak.  (formerly known as Borneo).  Yes, it is the land of the headhunters. 

It really hasn't been that many years since that was their way of life here.

Many thanks to the Maglebys, who were such wonderful hosts. 
They showed us such a great time!

The Sarawak River Cruise was certainly a study in contrasts. 

We  could see fishing villages, mosques, houses on stilts, fishing boats and mansions. 

It was such an interesting experience.  

They had dancers from the tribes here in Sarawak, who each did their traditional dances.

Next day  was the Sarawak Cultural Village.

The dancer was actually holding this large clay pot in his teeth

Many places we have traveled in the world, we see dances which are always so graceful and beautiful.  Each tribe has their own type of costumes and dances which are meaningful to their culture.  I love being able to experience these traditions.

After he climbed to the top of the pole he laid on his stomach

and they spun the pole around.

People from the audience were invited up to join in the dance.  

This is the house for the Bidayuh tribe.  

If you look closely you will see several skulls under the yellow cloth. 

This must have been a ritual they had after they obtained the heads

We have heard a lot about the Iban longhouses. 

These are very long, wood houses which have many doors. 

A family will  live together in the longhouse,

each having their separate room.  

Many of our members in the Masai Branch are from this Iban tribe in Sarawak,

so it is very interesting for us to see the traditions and customs of their tribe.

The step to get in and out is just a large log that has been carved into stairs. 

It is very narrow and a little scary going down.  

One of the things they are very good at is beadwork. 

Notice the collar that she has around her neck.  It is made from thousands of tiny beads.  

I am not sure if he is just a warrior, or if he is supposed to be a headhunter. 

Either way, I am happy that it was just an example and not for real.

This is the Ulu tribe. 

Their homes were built up very high as protection

so that they could see if enemies were coming.

This is a Melamu longhouse, 

There are many rooms which are used for sleeping and also used  cooking their meals.

This is a Malay house.  This is the only one that had curtains on the windows.

In the Chinese farmhouse they were showing the  method of producing white pepper. 

This is a tree that pepper pods grow on.  I have never seen how pepper is grown,

so this was very interesting.  It is quite a process to make the pepper white.

Elder Lamb just has to wait patiently for us and see the pictures later.  His hip will not allow him to walk in these places where the ground is so uneven and so many stairs.

This was an amazing cultural experience which I so much appreciate because we hear so much about Sarawak and try to visualize what people are talking about.  Now I know  a little more about what it is like here.  It would be fun to actually visit in a members home in a longhouse, which many of the senior couples here in Sarawak actually do, 

but that will not happen for us.