I arrived in a very hot Miri and most unlike me I began to shop…I had been warned before going WWOOFING (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms,) that I would need to stock up on food as my home for the next week or so was very remote. From here I took an 18 seater plane to Bario; a small village set in the highlands of Borneo. On board the pilot and co-pilot are only accompanied by a few local people there are no stewards, no toilets, very basic. This was a great experience as it had been a long time since I had travelled on such a small plane (that made one hell of a noise!!!), but it did provide some great views over the rainforests, despite a few clouds.
I arrived at a tiny airport to be met by Kerry the owner of the farm, on his scooter. We managed to balance by big rucksack in the foot well, while chatting about how much more a scooter can carry that a motorcycle. The ride was interesting with Kerry pointing out the sights but the further along the track to the farm we got, the bumpier the ride became as the terrain moved from concrete to stones.
On arrival I was given a quick tour around before setting myself up in a small tent they had provided. I cooked my first meal of ‘ube’ – like a local potato accompanied by food from the garden. Throughout my stay I also enjoyed pineapple, passion fruit and sweet potato leaves all picked fresh every day from the garden.
I cannot possibly put into words how amazing it Is to cultivate, pick, cook and then eat your own produce; a truly, unique, fantastic and rewarding experience, one I highly recommend to everyone; it makes you wonder why you would choose to go to a shop! (Yes, I do know the answer to that!)
Having some free time I attended a church service with locals from the long house, rather than the main village service. It was a very relaxed atmosphere with children dancing and then some leaving part way through. Afterwards there was food and drink served at the back and that provided a great opportunity to meet some of the locals and find out more about their culture.
The bulk of my work on the farm involved weeding around the beans and tomato plants among others. It had been left quite a few months as Kerry and Abby had been in the Philippines visiting family so was quite challenging in parts. The weather was quite tropical, very hot and sunny but with a lot of rain in the afternoons; this allowed us a nice break to enjoy Masala tea, a common Indian spice tea. Some of the highlights of my time here were barbequing bucking deer, stargazing, observing loads of huge moths and butterflies that even land on your arms as you work and the free-range chickens roaming around the kitchen area. It was a slow, relaxing way of life with plenty of time to chat and read and a lifestyle I crave to get back to.
One morning I got up early and biked to the market. I met a few more of the locals including the village head of immigration – I made sure to keep on the right side of him as any other option could mean deportation! He asked if I was a disciple of Jesus, I tried to explain with humour that I wasn’t that old…the community here is very Christian orientated which was interesting and wonderful. This was where I met Stanley who spoke great English, we made a really good connection from the start and he became my main source of local knowledge etc.
I visited church again and this time saw a really funny old man who walked about shouting his head off and interrupting the preach so he could pray for the offerings; there is a lot you can get from body language even if you have no idea what is being said!! Stanley translated some of the service for me and even gave me an English-to-Malaysian New Testament. As I said we struck up quite a friendship in the short time I was there and he really took me under his wing, showing me around a pineapple jam making business and his long house community which connects the village in a great way. While visiting the long house he explained everyone’s duties and responsibilities and also tried to set me up with a Penang girl who looked to be no more than 12.
One of the main tourist attractions here is a ‘Prayer Mountain’, it was here that I did a litter pick and trail clearance, using a machete. It was a tough steep climb up; half way was a wooden church that they use every month; it had great views from the side of an old wooden cross next to a new steel one, erected for the 1976 Christian uprising.
I have spent the last few years looking forward to a WWOOFING experience and this first time will stay in my memory for a long long time. It was quickly time to fly out on the small plane again, it would have been great to stay longer but I was limited with visa constraints.