Our travels through Borneo left us saturated in ancient island history and exotic wildlife. We flew into the old town of Kuching where Taoists, Animists, Muslims, Buddhists and Christians all live together peacefully.
The prayers being chanted out from the contrasting temples all over the city at sunset were intense. Walking the main streets you'll find amazing relics and antiques for sale. I was overwhelmed seeing all of the welded and hand carved shamanic tribal masks, wedding relics and warrior shields dating back hundreds of years.
The foods were mainly noodle and rice dishes that blew your senses off the charts. They were filled with aromatic hand ground herbs, stewed vegetables and roots and were served in open walled eateries along giant city parks along the river.
We took a boat out to Bako National Park the next day and stayed in an over night hut in hopes of hiking into the mountains there to see their indigenous proboscis monkeys.
The very next morning as we walked under the giant jungles they crept out in eerie deer like calls back and forth peeking at us from above the canopy. They were very serene and slow as opposed to the picnic stealing macaques that covered the docks of the area. The hikes surrounding were impressive full of contrasting shades of rock intermixed with a canopy covered in orchids.
The following day we hired a translator out of our hostel in Kuching that took us on a boat voyage into an Iban Long house. We were the only guests and brought offerings to the chief in hopes he would allow us a stay with his family.
He welcomed us and the men toasted serious rice wine with us late into the evening. The chief was tattooed across his neck, as he said his predecessor had been as they were appointed leader through a shamanic calling, this was their marking. We slept on the haled floors with his great family separated by mosquito nets as the old women still wandered topless and traders came in through the night from the surrounding villages. Just before bed the men all got a bit lit and told us of the heads that still lay buried under their ancient house. It was a night to be remembered to say the least.
On our last days in Borneo we were lucky enough in the Sarawak province to encounter wild orangutans. A male moved through the area from an adjacent mountain moving the entire tree canopy as he approached. His back was at least the span of 3 large men across. He traveled with 4 females and 2 juveniles of which we got a very close look at. The mother of one actually smiled at us. Memorable trip doesn't quit sum it up.