Miri

Sunny day

Oriental Pied Hornbill

Oriental Pied Hornbill making a flyby as we were heading towards Suai bridge on our way back from Kampong Kuala Suai. It flew from the left crossing our path, silently without making any noise ... what omen does it bring. Most of this cultural knowledge is all but lost to the new generation. Anyone with access to literature on divining the future from birds? Or any information on birds of omen, I'm keen to learn.

Just discovered a tip of the ice-berg, thanks Sara for the detective work:

Gregory Nyanggau Mawar's Origin of Iban Omen Birds

Rendezvous with Tok Uda Enche

He said he was feeling a bit under the weather this past few weeks, suffering from a slight wet cough that annoyed him. The only medicine that could help he opined would be kretek cap "Pencil" made in Indonesia. Now, this old man can really smoke, we witnessed it on our last trip in April, he puffed 4-5 cigarettes as desert after dinner. At his age, I'm surprised his lungs hasn't completely buckled. So much for pure living, fresh air, plain warm water for a healthy, long life.

Smoked in Kuala Baram

Kuala Baram lies not half and hour away from Miri City. It's a pretty place everybody passed through to get to another more important destination. For some, it's always there at the corner of your eye yet never quite the center focus.

There've been quite a sudden increase in activity in the area over the recent months : land clearing for small scale subsistence farming, opening up of the swamplands for big scale agricultural projects, new roads etc. Most of these would involve some measure of tree felling, and burning.

Having visited this area regularly over the years for photography, birdwatching and quiet time, thought it was time to spend a nite camping there over the weekend. Plan came to nought : weather situation isn't actually healthy for the lungs. It's open burning season in Kuala Baram, Tudan and Senadin. It has been for several weeks ... and no one seems to be responsible.


The little sandbar on any other occasions would be ideal for a camping site to watch Malaysian Plover, egrets, explore for nitejars and watch fot the clear nite skies. Sunsets too would be smashing. Only thing is, it has to coincide with a no-open-burning season. This past week has been horrendous here in Kuala Baram.


Gently sloping sandy beach on the other side of the lagoon.


Situation this weekend wasn't exactly optimum for a camp-out, the entire area was completely burnt to charcoal. By the time we arrived, all's gone to cinder ... some still smoking. No better for the surrounding vegetation.


Smoking gun.


Intrepid little trekker exploring the beach.


On a nicer day, this spot would've been ideal.


The part of the beach which hasn't completely gone in smoke but looks like it would be going the same route. Plenty of blaming going around ...


The fearsome guard dog ... 14 of them to be exact, one actually came and nipped my heel. If it weren't for the presence on the owner, this little doggie would've had an Arca-Swiss Ballhead-B1 for breakfast with Gitzo 128 Traveller for desert.

Photographs from a smokeless-clear-blueskies day from Kuala Baram:











It's easier on the lungs, eyes and brain!!!

A no fuss-morning walk in Lambir

Off we went to Lambir this morning on the last few days of the school holidays. A trekking we went to our favorite spot just after the NG hanging bridge. It's a quiet morning, only a few passing Lambir regulars, Harvard biodiversity seminar participants and a couple of tourists. Birds were a plenty too : three crows making a ruckus up on the canopy, an unid. raptor flying overheard, an incessantly calling unid. kingfisher (we think) and some jungle babblers.

A little waterfall on the way to Latak Waterfall just after the NG hanging bridge, our favorite spot.


Flowing clear water.


Leaf litter hanging on.


Little fishies in the rock pool.


Drip! Drip! Drip!


Nook and crannies in the soft morning light.


Intrepid little trekker.


Lie down on the stone slab, look up and voila! Bird's nest!


Two little trekkers, one intrepid and the other more "arm-chair".

Mukah's boats and such

Every coastla villages and fishing community will have their share of fishing boats and perahus, Mukah seems no different. Just as at the other locations, these boats form an important component of the town ... it's lifeline being a community still dependent on fishing.


A picturesque scene from the riverbank of Batang Mukah. This must have been the typical scene greeting Mukah's first visitors.


Men mending their fishing net in the afternoon. This tedious work must be more back breaking than their daily tasks of hauling their catch onto the boat.


Two fishing boats side by side moored close to the riverbank.


More boats.


A fishing boat complete with trawling booms. The size looks just perfect for touring around the big rivers. One day, I hope to get one, fill up with fuel and supplies and just cruise around the backwaters looking for kingfishers and hopping off to spend time in remote riverine villages.


Smaller boat tambang used to ferry villagers across Batang Mukah.

Mukah's other bits and pieces

Striated Heron perched next to our ABC shop by Batang Mukah.


A large mudskipper enjoying the sunshine by the riverbank.


A wet Stork-billed Kingfisher, must have just had it's lunch. This is one of the largest species of kingfishers around.


A Collared Kingfisher eyeing us from it's perch, they were very skittish to say the least not unlike those we've encountered before. There were also plenty of starlings ... raising a ruckus all the way to sunset.


The mangrove plankwalk which was rather unexpected, plenty of birds and other animal life around in this patch. The wooden plankwalk connected a couple of small villages on the other side of Batang Mukah. A boat to cross over costs $0.30 one way!


Another common resident of the Mukah mangroves, a squirrel. There were wild macaques there too.

Mukah I : Fishies at the fish market

I like hanging out at the markets, fish markets in particular. The more remote you are, the more interesting the markets are. So are the people who goes there. Definitely a different crop than those that frequents your more modern town supermarkets ie. Parkson and the likes.


The fish market, note the terendak.


Setting out the fish for sale. When the boats don't come back with fresher fish, these stalls will put out surplus from previous day's catch for sale at reasonable price.


Our super fish-monger displaying the day's lobster catch. They all went within 3 minutes.


Fresh catch from the morning.


Fish being gutted and cleaned up for a buyer.


Frozen mackerel to make up for the lack of them in today's catch.


A ray that has just been brought up and still waiting for a buyer.


A black-tip baby shark for sale. According to the guy selling it, this makes for very nice "umai", fresh fish salad made fish slices, vinegar, onions and lime; a typical Melanau dish in these parts.


A stash of coral came up and went within 2 minutes for $15 for a bundle of them, I didn't even get a chance to pictures of it. Apparently this is a bycatch that is very much sought after by those who keeps saltwater aquariums.


"Toshiba" fish! Took me all of 15 seconds to comprehend what the old guy said when I asked him for the name of these beautiful reef fish.

Mukah's special

If I were to go back to Mukah, it'd definitely be to learn more about the folks there. They are all very friendly and warm. I especially like the folks hanging out at the fish market, very informal and don't seem to mind at all the odd tourist totting a camera. Everyone seems to know everyone else there, reminds me of many more smaller towns I've been to. Actually it reminds me very much of home.


A young chap looking at the boats coming into Batang Mukah.


A tauke buying borong all the fresh lobsters that just came in from a fishing boat.


Proprietors of a makeshift fish stall, waiting for customers.


An elderly gentleman checking out the day's catch. Any other day I would have definitely lug my RB67 and do a proper portrait of these folks one by one.


These folks were checking out the "Pipus", a Melanau's traditional smoked fish paste only made on special occasions and quite rarely at that.


More checking out the pipus on display ... even at $5/piece, the smoked delicacy were sold off within 15 mins. We bought two for curiosity's sake ... an acquired taste indeed.


This gentleman was amused about the Pipus joke. I didn't get it either.


This gentleman was kinda surprised at the quoted price of a fresh ikan keli being sold at the market.


Fish monger special, I have never seen fish goes off the slab so fast. Whatever came in from the boats went within 5 minutes with this guy's special touch. Nice guy to boot.