After 2 nights in Bako, I came back to Kutching. I was then the only person in the oldest hostel of the town. According to my Lonely Planet from 2001, stolen from the hostel in Singapore, it was also the only hostel in Kutching. Not suprisingly a decade has made a change. A couple from the Netherlands (suprise, suprise) that I had met (btw, the guy was semi finalist in the London Olympics in 800m Track & Field), suggested me a hostel where they stayed. As my hostel was empty, I was willing to change and even pay a bit more i.e. 5 euros instead of 4 (ouch! :)
I did a sightseeing day around the town. Visited random things like a textile museum, Chinese medical centre (got some disgustingly tasting medicine, to drink 3 times per day, but I never manage more than 2) and a hairdresser for 3 euros. Then I passed by that other hostel. The administrator there, Zaki, was so friendly and gave such good advice on how to go about checking out the spots around Kutching. There were actually other guests there as well. So I decided to move next day there.
Next day I was also supposed to go to see Orang Utangs in the Semengoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre just a bus ride away and then hitchhike further to Annah Rais longhouse. Well, I overslept. You can only see the Orang Utangs when its the feeding session. Then they may or may not come out, depending if they have found enough food on their own in the forest. So I decided to go just to the longhouse.
Longhouses are the traditional houses, community living in its core. In the room behind one door two families use to live. All work was done together etc. Nowadays though, most of the longhouses are empty/being teared down. Anyone who can afford, will move out. "People want privacy and comfort" explained me a local who picked me up when I was hitchhiking. He used to live in a long house. No more. I asked him, if it is western media that has had an influence, but he said no, it's a matter of privacy. Indeed, would you like to live in the same open room with your parents and siblings night in night out?
Hitchhiking to the longhouse was of course Zaki's idea. Bus driver was nice enough to ask me, why I was going to Semengoh, because it would be too late for feeding time. He just gave me a blank look when I said i will continue hitchhiking to Annah Rais. "It's very far!" Well, after doing a road trip in Australia, I find it hard to believe that 35KM is very far. It's just down the road!
When I started hitchhiking, cars continued to stop and I heard "It's very far!" every single time. Five minutes later though, the car that stopped, was going just there! But he said "I'm going only there, one way. How will you get back?" "Hitchhike," I said "isn't that obvious?" I thought further. Guess what he said? :) "But it's very far!!"
In the longhouse there was a couple from Austria with a guide and I gradually just made myself part of their tour. The guide seemed not to mind and them neither, which I was weary about in the beginning. But it's better than just go along the porch and think "yeah, this house is looong".
As a bonus, I got the ride back with them as well. I wanted to give the Orang Utangs a chance. During the feeding session it started to rain and none of them came out. Weak, I say!
Back in the hostel I chatted with the other three guests. One of them was a drunk Aussie old champ who had never heard of Estonia. Should I be surprised? I know I shouldn't. And then there was a couple from Belgium. They always take all their holiday out in one go and then use it to travel a month somewhere. I think after this one year of travel I will want to do the same...
I did a sightseeing day around the town. Visited random things like a textile museum, Chinese medical centre (got some disgustingly tasting medicine, to drink 3 times per day, but I never manage more than 2) and a hairdresser for 3 euros. Then I passed by that other hostel. The administrator there, Zaki, was so friendly and gave such good advice on how to go about checking out the spots around Kutching. There were actually other guests there as well. So I decided to move next day there.
Next day I was also supposed to go to see Orang Utangs in the Semengoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre just a bus ride away and then hitchhike further to Annah Rais longhouse. Well, I overslept. You can only see the Orang Utangs when its the feeding session. Then they may or may not come out, depending if they have found enough food on their own in the forest. So I decided to go just to the longhouse.
Longhouses are the traditional houses, community living in its core. In the room behind one door two families use to live. All work was done together etc. Nowadays though, most of the longhouses are empty/being teared down. Anyone who can afford, will move out. "People want privacy and comfort" explained me a local who picked me up when I was hitchhiking. He used to live in a long house. No more. I asked him, if it is western media that has had an influence, but he said no, it's a matter of privacy. Indeed, would you like to live in the same open room with your parents and siblings night in night out?
Hitchhiking to the longhouse was of course Zaki's idea. Bus driver was nice enough to ask me, why I was going to Semengoh, because it would be too late for feeding time. He just gave me a blank look when I said i will continue hitchhiking to Annah Rais. "It's very far!" Well, after doing a road trip in Australia, I find it hard to believe that 35KM is very far. It's just down the road!
When I started hitchhiking, cars continued to stop and I heard "It's very far!" every single time. Five minutes later though, the car that stopped, was going just there! But he said "I'm going only there, one way. How will you get back?" "Hitchhike," I said "isn't that obvious?" I thought further. Guess what he said? :) "But it's very far!!"
In the longhouse there was a couple from Austria with a guide and I gradually just made myself part of their tour. The guide seemed not to mind and them neither, which I was weary about in the beginning. But it's better than just go along the porch and think "yeah, this house is looong".
As a bonus, I got the ride back with them as well. I wanted to give the Orang Utangs a chance. During the feeding session it started to rain and none of them came out. Weak, I say!
Back in the hostel I chatted with the other three guests. One of them was a drunk Aussie old champ who had never heard of Estonia. Should I be surprised? I know I shouldn't. And then there was a couple from Belgium. They always take all their holiday out in one go and then use it to travel a month somewhere. I think after this one year of travel I will want to do the same...
No comments:
Post a Comment