At the waterfront market in Kuching you can find almost anything, including bean sprouts and fresh tofu!

I don't even remember what this is called, but it's made out of tapioca.

Loading coconuts into the market.

Since the market is waterfront, it's a perfect place to pick up some fresh fish...if you like that sort of thing. 

These fishermen have come into town to unload their boat before returning to sea.

Mmmmm.  Smells good down in the hull of that boat!

The fish are loaded off the boats, cut and cleaned and sold to the public, all at this market.

Anyone up for some eel soup?

Goods are brought to market by various means.

Animal skin wall hangings with Islamic writings.

Iban couple in the Kuching market place.  Notice their stretched ear lobes and the woman's tattooed hands.  These are signs of prestige for the older generation.  The tradition is dying out with the younger generation, many of whom prefer more modern tattoos done with machines rather than the traditional designs done with bamboo sticks.

Chinese Temple by the waterfront in Kuching.

This was the driver of the long boat for the journey up river from Sibu to Kapit.

Luckily, river transportation is the only means (other than flying or walking) to get to many of the interior towns and villages.

You want to send a package into Borneo?  This is likely how it will get there.

The jetty at Kapit.

Same jetty, but looking the other way, and a little later in the day.

This small community of longhouses is just outside of Kapit.

In the longhouse, whether modern or old, the family life is much the same.  There is a large common area that runs the length of the longhouse.  Each family household of the larger family is in a row of rooms along the length of the longhouse.  When mommy and daddy have to go out to work or fish or garden, that's okay cuz there's pleanty of grandma's, aunties and cousins to help look after the kids.

This is the headman of this 15-family longhouse.  When he is too old to be the headman, or he passes away, the entire family will get together and vote on who the next headman will be.  Each longhouse carries the name of the current headman...at least for the Iban people.

The back yard.

I imagine that these long boats require some pushing here and there as they move up and down the small, windy streams that are referred to as rivers.

Auntie outside the longhouse.

This girl lives at a longhouse that is just outside Kapit.  A road to the longhouse was just completed last year.  It takes about 20 minutes to get there by car.  Before the road was completed, the journey was an arduous 6 or 8 hour journey up river by longboat.  And let me tell you, the water isn't very deep.

There are 22 families (all part of a larger family) that live in this longhouse.  They hunt, farm and fish.  This is natural laytex rubber was tapped from their trees and is drying in the sun in preparation for being sent to the Kapit market to be sold.

Preparing to go to the padi field.

I followed my host mother over the river and through the jungle to the garden.  They grow rice, corn, eggplant, square beans and various other vegetables that I'm not sure what they are.

Lazy afternoon.

This auntie is twisting this plastic into strings that will be woven into similar textiles to give it some sparkle.

Bath time is a family event every evening that also involves washing the clothes and swimming.

While some bathe, others wash veggies or catch snails to get ready for dinner.

They do have a generator for electricity, when needed.  But petrol is so expensive as it has to be hauled up river in small containers that you don't really need the electricity as often as you might think.

The longhouse is filled with priceless heirlooms.  She is telling us stories of her Iban ancestors.  This jar is thought to protect the family.  The legend behind it is that the jar didn't used to have the scratch on it.  It was kept in her ancestor's house.  One day a great danger came and chased the family out of the house and up to a cave.  When whey were sleeping in the cave the father had a dream that the jar had protected them from the danger. 
When they awoke the jar was in the cave with them and it had been scarred. 
The sword was used for headhunting.

The Ibans used to be head hunters. 
















These heads were hacked off  by a grandfather or great-grandfather.  The skulls were kept in the communal area of the longhouse both as trophy and as good omen. 

Sucking the juice from a mango pit.

The next morning everyone rose early to go into Kapit for the big parade that culminated the week-long Kapit Fest.  There was only one or two vehicles for all 22 families, so some waited at home for the car to come back and pick them up.

Kapit Market

Iban man with traditional tattoos selling long green beans in the Kapit Market.

Kapit Market

Kapit Fest Parade

Kapit Fest Parade

Town Tailor

Small fishing village south of Miri.

Drying rice.

Kelabit artist in Miri.

This painting depicts girls from 3 different tribes of Sarawak: Kelabit, Iban and ...

Lum Bawang woman in Miri.

Beading in Miri.

Iban padi farmers close to Miri.

Rubber trees along the trail to the padi field.

The photos below had been previously posted to this page.

This is the headman of a longhouse in Kapit, Sarawak.  He dressed up just for the occasion.

Malay mother sitting by the beach of a small fishing village near Miri.

Planting padi.

The river next to the longhouse serves as washing machine, bath tub and swimming pool.

Yes I was posing.

Mmmmm!  What's for dinner?

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