Ameliorate

♥ 21
→ 19 Feb 12 at 10 am Kids from a longhouse, near Bintulu.

After climbing down the treacherous mountain, we were greeted by local Ibans bearing gifts of food and water (yay.) so that no one will collapse and die. We were taken to two not-so traditional longhouses (the government is also trying to upgrade from wooden walls to bricks) to look at where the gravity-fed water system goes (the water isn’t treated) and newly installed indoor plumbing.

I bribed these three year olds with candy so that they’ll play with me. They were so shy, wouldn’t even leave their mothers. Stranger anxiety hehehe. The village doesn’t receive a lot of visitors.They eventually warmed up to me C:

Kids from a longhouse, near Bintulu.
After climbing down the treacherous mountain, we were greeted by local Ibans bearing gifts of food and water (yay.) so that no one will collapse and die. We were taken to two not-so traditional longhouses (the government is also trying to upgrade from wooden walls to bricks) to look at where the gravity-fed water system goes (the water isn’t treated) and newly installed indoor plumbing.
I bribed these three year olds with candy so that they’ll play with me. They were so shy, wouldn’t even leave their mothers. Stranger anxiety hehehe. The village doesn’t receive a lot of visitors.They eventually warmed up to me C:

♥ 7
→ 18 Feb 12 at 12 am BAKAS project, near Bintulu.

This is part of the gravity-feed dam the government is building. They’re investing RM5.2 million for rural water supply and sanitation.

I feel super lucky to be able to see this project, and learn hands-on about this. I’m really appreciating how privileged we truly are.

tags: BAKAS project Bintulu river dams Sarawak Borneo

BAKAS project, near Bintulu.
This is part of the gravity-feed dam the government is building. They’re investing RM5.2 million for rural water supply and sanitation.
I feel super lucky to be able to see this project, and learn hands-on about this. I’m really appreciating how privileged we truly are.

♥ 7
→ 17 Feb 12 at 11 pm
BAKAS project, near Bintulu.

The hike was a disaster.

We hiked up barefoot, wadding upstream, climbing over trees that were cut down and through muddy and rocky areas for almost two hours until we reached the dam. This wasn’t like the fun hikes in national parks with at least a dirt trail if not a footpath. We had to follow the river and the pipes leading down from the dam and make our own path. This was a jungle that no one has gone up except for the workers/armed forces/locals to build the small dam.

No one got bitten by leeches, but our feet were bleeding by the time we finished the hike. The guy wearing the slippers is the contractor, he suggested we take off our shoes/boots so that it won’t get ruined. I’d rather my shoes ruined than my feet bleeding. A little too late for that.

tags: BAKAS project Bintulu Sarawak Borneo dams hiking slow and painful torture

BAKAS project, near Bintulu.
The hike was a disaster.
We hiked up barefoot, wadding upstream, climbing over trees that were cut down and through muddy and rocky areas for almost two hours until we reached the dam. This wasn’t like the fun hikes in national parks with at least a dirt trail if not a footpath. We had to follow the river and the pipes leading down from the dam and make our own path. This was a jungle that no one has gone up except for the workers/armed forces/locals to build the small dam.
No one got bitten by leeches, but our feet were bleeding by the time we finished the hike. The guy wearing the slippers is the contractor, he suggested we take off our shoes/boots so that it won’t get ruined. I’d rather my shoes ruined than my feet bleeding. A little too late for that.