Syahirah. 22. Malaysian. Med student.
Visual diary and some other stuff.
Teo collecting wood while I was trying to set up the tents after a 5.5km hike. My first (and probably last) camping experience. I’m very thankful we’re safe. If anything were to have happened to us, it would have taken them at least 3 days to realize and reach us.
Boats in Kapit, Sarawak.
I’m back in Borneo for the last first day of school. This was my last “jungle adventure” before leaving, besides getting lost in the vast labyrinth of police stations which on both occasions, Stephan accompanied me.
Only now do I realize how I miss that Very-German-But-Malayed boy.
Damai Beach, Kuching.
Quick hellos and goodbyes with friends over a setting sun, ‘mystery’ picnic food and discussions of how hot Beyonce’ really is.
Boat ride to Kapit, Rajang River.
We wern’t comfortable inside the boat, so we climbed on the roof and enjoyed 3 hours of river cruising through the crocodile filled river. David decided to sleep his way through the journey. Crazy English med students can’t gauge how dangerous that can be. It’s all fun and games until someone loses an arm.
This is my last Borneo adventure for my 4th year. I leave for Japan in a week and will return as a senior.
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:
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.
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.
Fairy Cave, Bau.
The sign right below the graffiti literally translates as ‘fairy water droplets’. Putting fake statues, awkward redundant signs and graffiti lmakes going into a cave less appealing.
Fairy Caves, Bau.
“They all look like giant penises!” while pointing at the stalagmites and stalactites.
We like to keep things classy.
The leaf was confused about what it wanted to be.
All is fine and dandy in Sibu, I hope all is well in where you’re at. Have a good weekend, friends.
