The refined man of Borneo...not quite!

While not quite the Congo, I did not wish to miss an opportunity to vaguely tip toe into the world of Joseph Conrad's "...Heart of Darkness". So with a keen sense of adventure and a lorry-load of maximum strength insect repellent,  I ventured bravely but surely into the dark heart of the Sarawak jungle between Kuching and the Kalimantan border.  I had high hopes of not only finding myself but also wildly hoped to acquaint  myself with the wild orang-utans and other creatures of the Borneo forest.   My hopes were however, not to be realised.  After walking many steamy and muddy kilometres in water sodden boots, and slapping myself senseless in mad, thrashing attempts to rid myself of ever present and persistently blood sucking beasties, (I was informed cheerfully after one hour of hard slog, that the insect repellent I had chosen was good for little more than as ballast for my backpack), I came to realise that the elusive orang-utan would remain elusive.  I was however, endlessly entertained and amused by a raucous troop of monkeys who followed our little trek through the wilds.  They did of course, keep a respectable and safe distance from the clumsy intruders, but their constant 'chatter' was a reassuring accompaniment as we trudged through to our destination.  


Wildlife aside, the jungles of Borneo have much to offer the inquisitive traveller.  Many of the tribes living on the myriad rivers upstream from Kuching, live in remarkable structures known as longhouses.  These are gigantic wooden structures on stilts, each built in a different style according to the tribe, where entire villages co-exist under one roof, with individual rooms leading off long communal verandahs. With the right introductions and the right guide to help you navigate through longhouse etiquette, it is possible to experience the wonderful hospitality of these warm people and stay the night. I am fortunate to have been invited to spend the night by a  welcoming and friendly Iban family  Most longhouses these days have been quite modernised with electric lighting, TV and even satellite...but the hospitality shown to me was that of the old-fashioned kind; unparalleled anywhere for its genuine warmth.  


As the green light of the jungled faded with the encroaching evening, my guide and hosts joined me on the wide verandah, placing down on the cane table between us, an amber bottle of uncertain origin filled with a cloudy liquid and a shot glass for each adult.  This I was later to discover, was  tuak, the local tipple.  It has a mild and not totally unpleasant taste but by early indications, is going to pack one impressive hangover!  What fun!