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On the trail of the Headhunters
We started our journey 7.00am on the Thursday and arrived at the boat jetty to begin a 4 hour journey out to sea and then up the Rejang river into Borneo's interior. We arrived in a small trade city called Sibu where the up river goods end up to be sold down river and unfortunately built up out of logging profits.
After a quick stop off at the information centre to check out the best ways to get up river to the Iban Tribal Longhouse's and then further up river to the Orang ULU, we decided to carry on up river that day rather then stay the night. We traveled a further 5 hours by a funky boat shaped like an aircraft fuselage and powered by a mammoth 1000 horse power engine. The boat stopped continuously along the river at Longhouses and we noticed our fellow passengers were sporting the telltale signs of Iban Tattoo's. We were definitely heading in the right direction.
We arrived at our final stop for the day a bit tired after nearly 10 hours by boat. It was a small dusty town in the middle of
the jungle called Kapit. A trade post between the up river Iban and Orang Ulu and the Malay. We met the only other 3 travelers in Kapit in the Guest house reception and arranged with the guide to travel the next day to the longhouse.
The next day we bought some Malay savoury cakes from the market for brekkie and had a look at the various frogs, snakes and up river trade being bartered at Kapit. We all met up at 1pm and went to the local market to buy gifts for the Rumah (Chief) to distribute to the Longhouse Families.
40km further into the jungle we came to quite literally the end of the road (see the picture - 1 second road, next second jungle) and crossed a small bridge to meet with the ULU Yong Ibans. We met with the chief and were introduced to the family we would be staying with over night. The longhouse had 26 families in 18 'Biliks' totaling around 90 people. In festival time this swells to around 300. We sat down in the common part of the Longhouse and were given traditional homemade rice wine whilst being introduced to the
Longhouse. The were numerous topless old ladies weaving mats, separating vegetables for long house use and for sale in the market at Kapit. There were also lots of tattooed old men sharpening and repairing tools and making rattan backpacks. There were also people drying rubber which was brought back from their small plantation up stream.
We then wandered down to the crystal clear river that these Ibans are named after (Ulu means river so they were the River Yong Ibans). We had a quick cooling swim in the river and then returned for lunch. Our host family showed us some traditional Iban bamboo weavings and ceremonial wear and explained to us about her Grandfather the Headhunter. He was well revered as an Iban and as well as headhunting he could Lift an Iban Boat solo - quite a feat of strength. We were shown his Trophy Skulls hanging up outside and also his decapitating knives.
We sat down to diner with our host and ate heartily on traditional fare consisting of jungle fern, jungle pumpkin, Jungle mango - a coconut sized beige mango with a delicious sweet and sour taste, jungle tapioca leaves, Bamboo Chicken flavoured with jungle
herb, rice and snake skin fruit to finish.
Afterwards we sat down in the common area where the Ibans discuss what needs to be done the next day and longhouse politics, of course washed down by rice wine. Our host, and brewer, had to taste it for us first to make sure it was acceptable to be served, which of course it was. Iban rice wine is not fortified like the Thai and Laos rice wine/whiskey so is actually very tasty and quite drinkable. Once a bottle is open it must be drunk to be polite so after 2 bottles were opened it was a relief that it was!
The generator provides 2 hours of electricity a night, between 7 and 9 so at 9pm it was bed time. We settled down on mattresses in the sleeping room with the children, babies and our hosts. Sleep was fleeting and we were awake by 4,5, then 6am.
We took a walk up the river to see the giant Brooke's Birdwing Butterflies and meet the men returning from work in the jungle. We then returned to the Longhouse for lunch. This was much the same but with the addition
of fried jungle banana and a weird veggie that had a pickle like taste even though it was fresh.
After a looooonnng photo shoot between Suzie and a local girl Immi, who became her friend, we said our goodbyes and returned to Kapit after an amazing experience of the Iban way of life.
Unfortunately the water level was too low for us to continue upstream, through the Pelagas rapids and onto the Orang Ulu and we had to turn back to Sibu to continue our Journey.
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