:: FEATURE

Orangutans and Occultists -
Kuching, Malaysia

Arriving in Kuching, Sarawak during a Chinese festival, the people across the whole city were in deep celebration, no matter whether they were of Chinese roots or not. I walked around town, and amongst the south Indian temples, Middle Eastern mosques, Catholic churches, and Chinese temples, I found a new, gaudily painted construction that combined mosque domes with Roman pillars. In Kuching, people from different parts of Asia live together in a way that makes a tourist feel melted into the atmosphere in no time. And the ever-present feline statues (Kuching means "cat") watching over everything, make humans seem even more like a single group.

Kuching's waterfront area is a favorite recreation spot in the evenings where kids take boat rides, families dine, couples watch the setting sun and strollers stroll along the banks. Toward the city center the streets bustle with overloaded buses and taxis finding their way through the traffic, drinkers hopping between bar-clubs, and office workers picking up fruit, vegetables and pirated Hollywood movies from street vendors. And the area offers an A to Z of flavours: Malay, Indian, and Chinese cuisine as well as local delicacies such as deer meat, tuak rice wine, and jungle fern.

If chewing jungle fern leaves you pining for nature, don't worry, there's plenty of it around Kuching. Within a couple of hours you can be at the Matang Wildlife Center, where the main attraction is orangutans. A couple of kilometers walk into the thick green bush, my fellow tourists and I were escorted to a hide next to a feeding platform, and before long an adult orangutan and its baby nonchalantly dropped in for breakfast just about three metres in front of us. The Center is a halfway house for wild animals that have been rescued from captivity, and a training center for young orangutans that are being introduced to the wild. It was remarkable not only to see (and smell) orangutans up so close, but also to find out that their breakfast consisted entirely of bananas, which apparently really are a monkey's favourite food.

Sarawak is blessed with trekkable mountains and world class diving sites as well as wildlife sanctuaries. But there is also an experience not to be found elsewhere ﾑ visiting an Iban tribe longhouse: an entire village of homes connected as one building, raised on a bamboo platform about two metres above ground. As I walked precariously along the creaking platform, the local youths watched with an innocent stare. Tourists are not unusual here, but evidently still worth watching. Each house has an opening where corn and rice and also clothes were drying, and where children were playing. In a shaded spot women cook and weave bamboo skin baskets and mats. You cannot take photographs of the Iban people ﾑ they seriously believe that it takes the spirit of a living creature away. Even stranger, however, are the beliefs surrounding the village occultist. In this village he was a heavily tattooed man, and I was told that the number of tattoos indicates success with "black magic." I was also told that if it weren't for a special government ban, occultists might, considering the villagers' continuing belief in black magic, still be leading headhunting missions. Quite why the regular laws on murder were not enough was not explained, but judging by the couple of not-very-old-looking human skulls that hung in a basket from the occultist's ceiling, it was a good idea.

"Sense all of Asia in Malasia" they say. If the rest of the country is like Sarawak, indeed you will.

Travel Tips

Food:
A typical meal: RM 5-30. Large beer: RM 10-15
Climate:
Tropical. Average 23-32�C. Rainy season (Nov. to Feb.) brings heavier rain and cool evenings.

Languages:
The national language is Malay, but English is also widely spoken throughout the state.

Getting Around:
Regular flights connect Kuching to Kuala Lumpur (1 3/4 hrs, 10 flights/day). Express buses and boats services are available to explore Sarawak. Taxis are available within Kuching (fares negotiable).

Currency:
Malaysian Ringgit (RM).
Exchange rate: RM 3.80 = US$1.00*

Accommodation:
From international standard hotels to youth hostels and motor-homes.
RM 20 - 100ﾕs/night.

Further Info:
Sarawak Tourist Association, Kuching.
Tel: 082-410942 / 410944
www.sarawaktourism.com

Story and photography by Jatin Banker