It all started when I was watching Sarawak Convention Centre corporate video on YouTube to study corporate films. The video reminded me of a very good friend of mine, an Iban girl from Bintulu who has been staying in KL since we were 16, and an old classmate I’ve known since secondary school. Wanting so much to get away from the work and routines, I text-messaged her, saying I wanted to go to travel to the eastern state of Malaysia. She suggested to have our own Mulu Caves & Pinnacles expedition, to which I immediately agreed. I mean, it’s Mulu… doesn’t it sound so exotic?

Little did I know then Mulu was the world’s largest natural chamber. When we planned to have our cave exploration, the pinnacles trail and the summit trek all in one for 4 days and 3 nights, Mr. Mampang (our tourist guide for this expedition) told us that we were a little bit “too ambitious”. We re-planned our activities according to Mr. Mampang’s recommendation, and for that period, we were only going visit the show caves: Wind Cave; Clearwater Cave; Deer Cave; and Lang’s Cave. Check in on the first day; check out on the third day, as our flight back to KL was very early in the morning on the fourth day. The last night was planned to spend at Christina’s, Yvonne’s childhood friend, house.

ON THE FIRST DAY… [WEDNESDAY - 22 OCTOBER 2008]
I couldn’t sleep the entire night because of too much excitement within me. Excitement… and anxiety. How could I not be anxious? This was my first self-sponsored travel since I’ve been working for two years. Eco-tourism, some more! Suddenly I realized that I wasn’t going for sun-bathing in Langkawi or playing wau in Terengganu. As a matter of fact, I was going for an expedition to go in and out of caves and climbing mountain. Dad’s worry didn’t help that much. “What if you slipped and died and nobody found you?” And I had to assure him, “Dad, they have tourist guides!”

I dressed up and got myself ready by quarter to five in the morning. Yvonne, together with boyfriend Azmyl Yunor, came fetching me up more than an hour later. We were running late, as our flight departure was at 7:25. We ran like two headless chickens; she with her big bagpack, and me with my rollered luggage. Got to settle down only when we were in the plane, where we got to catch up with our latest developments – especially about our work.

The plane touched down at Miri Airport 15 minutes earlier than estimated time. My travelling partner had Nasi Lemak for breakfast, while I was still full by the oatmeal and only had a cup of hot Milo at Malaysian Wok. We were waiting for our next flight, departing at 2:50p.m., that would bring us to Mulu. The rain was quite heavy outside. In the meantime, I tried to digest the fact that I was in the east side of Malaysia. It was more than 10 years ago since I last set my foot in Sarawak with my family, so I didn’t remember what it was like anymore. Despite being in the same country, I still felt the difference. The weather… the language… the pace of life… and, yes, the men here were more good-looking!

We may not always keep in touch or see each other often, but both of us know that our friendship is strong enough to last for as long as it has.

Christina appeared at 1:20p.m., an hour before our boarding time, coming with three others – her sister, male cousin, and son. Was it love at first sight? No, I didn’t mean to refer to her cousin. I meant the son. The cute three-year-old son with Penan hairstyle. I couldn’t get my eyes off him!

In the departure hall, the clock showed 3:30p.m., and we were waiting… when our flight to Mulu was supposed to depart at 2:50. From inside, I could see the rain was still pouring. I was beginning to get hungry and went to buy some breads, when Yvonne called me to inform that our flight had been cancelled. “WHAT?!!” I screamed, giving the shock of two middle-aged women’s lives, who were near to me.

At the ticketing counter to deal about our refund, much to my surprise, Yvonne was smiling all the way. For someone who works in the airline industry, she’d seen and been to worst situations, so she was glad that we were still on the ground. Plus, she was glad that she could still have a holiday with me. Thinking back now, I get what she meant. But back then, I was upset for not being able to reach Mulu… and I cried. My pacifier was the coupon for free transport, meal, and accommodation at ParkCity Everly Hotel. (To find out about the actual room rates, click here.)

Yvonne called Christina, she came to pick us up from the airport, and we spent about two good hours at her house. The whole time was spent with watching a video of this year’s Gawai Day celebration at the longhouse where they were brought up in. I took the opportunity to get to know Christina’s son, Keith, or she fondly calls “sigat” – which means “handsome” in Iban language.

Both Yvonne and I checked in at 8 o’clock, and went for dinner soon after. We talked so much and laughed so hard; everything seemed to be too good to be true. Weren’t we supposed to stay in a hostel in Mulu? Weren’t we supposed to eat instant noodles and oatmeal? Weren’t we supposed to be in an expedition? At midnight, we finally called it a day.

Too good to be true. We planned an expedition, but we got a vacation. We reserved a hostel room, but we stayed in a hotel. We were going to have instant noodles and oatmeal, but we ate beef and lamb for dinner.

ON THE SECOND DAY… [THURSDAY - 23 OCTOBER 2008]
I was awakened by Yvonne when she opened the curtains and said our room was over-looking the sea. As I later found out, ParkCity Everly claims itself as being “The Only Hotel with a Beachfront in Miri”. Instantly I checked my handphone watch, feeling frustrated that it was already too bright. I must’ve waken up at 9 or 10, when we had a lot to do in the morning! But my watch showed 6:59a.m., much to my relief. Then I remembered, ‘Hey, I’m in the east side of Malaysia!’

After breakfast, we hit the gym, sauna, and pool. Checked out at noon, and Christina was already waiting for us at the lobby. She brought us to have lunch in the city centre of Miri.

Both Yvonne and Christina wanted to make my stay in Sarawak as pleasant and fulfilling as possible, so I was brought to Gua Longhouse Chalet. Even though the longhouse was not occupied, as this is only for people who wish to experience living in one, I was happy to learn a thing or two about it. There were two longhouses there; one with air-cond (RM70 per room one night), and the other without (RM50 per room one night). It wasn’t long enough before Christina learnt that I loved taking pictures, so she said the reason she brought me there was to provide me with a good opportunity for photography.

Traditional Sarawakian House.

Our next stop was Miri Heritage Centre, where I bought most of the souvenirs for people at home. Christina handed me a plastic bag that contained a beaded necklace – something to remember her by when I got home. I was deeply touched.

One thing I notice is that Sarawakians are very proud of their arts and culture. Christina’s husband works for Petronas Carigali and is often away, so the big house is occupied by herself, her son, and her sister. She drives a big car. The neighbourhood is modern, but the interior of her house is heavily decorated with Sarawakian vases, sculptures, and other ornaments. Yvonne said, “That’s why Sarawakians are very grounded; we don’t forget who we are and where we come from.”

The only thing that was terrifying me was the two skulls in a glass cupboard. The Ibans were the headhunters, so you might wanna think twice before you mess with one!

For dinner, we had rice together with lamb chops. By this time, the six of us at the dining table – me, Yvonne, Christina, her sister Susana, Susana’s boyfriend Raymand, and their cousin Alan. I was introduced to a fruit called dabai, and they eat that with soy sauce and rice. My sigat boy had already been put to bed.

ON THE THIRD DAY… [FRIDAY - 24 OCTOBER 2008]
All of us woke up early. Christina had to send her son to Imperial Hotel for a Q-dees program, and later bring us to the Niah National Park. But soon after she dropped her son at the hotel, she received a phone call that there was a car available for rent. In the end, only the four of us went there – me, Yvonne, Susana, and Raymand.

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I never knew how great Niah Caves were in the beginning. It never occurred to me that visiting the national park was going to be in my Sarawak trip, so I didn’t do any research about it. Later when I learnt that the area was the settlement for the pre-historic people – namely the Punan tribe – as early as 40,000 years ago, it hit me that Niah Caves were really something.

Our tour guide welcomed us prior to registration, and after breakfast, we met him again for a briefing at the mini museum – just across the river with RM1 per trip – before we started walking on the extensive network of plankwalks that would lead us to the caves. Along the way, the guide explained about the flora and fauna found in the rainforest. He had so many interesting stories about the plants!

The first cave we saw – and went through – was Trader’s Cave. It is an extended rock overhang, where bird nest and guano traders used to conduct their business. After walking for 3.5km, we reached the West Mouth of the Great Cave. The smell of guano – bird and bat droppings – was so overwhelming! Major archeological excavations were ongoing at the left side of the entrance, and we walked along the trail at the right side of the cave. The plankwalks started to feel slippery, due to the dripping of water mixed with guano from above over time. Flashlight was needed this time, as the passage was getting darker.

I'm in a cave!

We reached Padang, the area where there are large holes from the cave ceiling, allowing sunlight to stream down from the sky. The area also used to be a spacious playground for the Punan community that is now rocks covering most of the land. Legend has it that one night when they were dancing and singing, they had a frog wearing leaves and dancing with them. A lightening stuck and the rocks from the cave roof fell down to the ground.

Opposite of Padang is Burnt Cave (Lubang Hangus). The sunlight from the large holes enlightens the interior of the cave, which was very amazing to me! Our tour guide, again, offered to snap a photo of us.

This area is called Padang, where holes from above permit sunlight in. Padang used to be a playground for the Punan people, the first community that lived in Niah Caves. Legend has it that one night when they were dancing and singing, they had a frog wearing leaves and dancing with them. A lightening stuck and the rocks from the cave roof fell down to the ground.

Flashlight was required once more when we walked along the plankwalks along Moon Cave (Gan Kira), where we could see the bats sleeping. Our guide let us experience the darkest of the dark by keeping silence and shutting off the flashlights for about one minute. It was indescribable! I absolutely enjoyed the experience, but it was definitely not for nyctophobics!

We were back to the daylight and walking through the forest before the last, but not least, cave – the Painted Cave. The area is fenced for several reasons, and it’s where the ‘death-ships’ were found as this is one of the burial sites. The Punan tribe believed in life after death. Most of the paintings – drawn using red hematite – depict ‘death-ships’ that transport the souls to the afterlife world.

Further down on the low-ground, we could see skeletons of the early inhabitants of the caves. They were discovered only recently, about three months ago. On the left side, we could see more ‘death-ships’, where they were found by Tom Harrison in the 1950s. For the record, Tom Harrison was a curator of the Sarawak Museum from 1947 to 1966.

The left side are the 'death-ships' found by Tom Harrison in the 1950s, while on the right side, skeletons of pre-historic humans were found about three months ago.

We didn’t include other trails that could not be covered on the same day, which are Jalan Bukit Kasut and Jalan Madu, but the Painted Cave was the ultimate destination of our Niah expedition. The journey back to the Headquarters felt quicker, because less time spent on taking pictures and story-telling. I stopped by the souvenir stalls and bought Sarawakian necklaces for people at home.

It was about 4:30 o’clock that we finally reached the HQ back. For walking to and fro for 10.4km, from morning until afternoon, my feelings were beyond words. I put both hands up in the air and exclaimed, “We’ve made it!!!”

ON THE FOURTH DAY… [SATURDAY - 25 OCTOBER 2008]
Woke up early to be sent to Miri Airport by Christina and Yvonne. My travel partner wanted to stay one more day to catch up with other old friends. I could never thank Christina enough for her warm welcome to her house. Indeed, she was a superb hostess!

When I was finally on plane at 10:05, and as the flight was taking off, all of a sudden tears were falling from my eyes. I had to admit to some people that I already missed KL, but the four days in Sarawak are the special ones that I won’t forget for as long as I shall live. There I was… coming home to the hectic life back again. In Sarawak, time seemed to stop.

What would I be missing when I got home? Definitely the friendly people; apart from making you as comfortable as possible, Sarawakians have a very good sense of humour. Definitely their appreciation of arts and culture; no matter how sophisticated they are, Sarawakians are so full of humility. Definitely Christina for her remarkable hospitality; who, without which, I would never see the true Sarawakians. And last but not least, definitely the sigat boy; who, being a little Sarawakian, didn’t take much time being at ease with me and added some spice in my stay with his childish antics.

One of the things that makes him adorable is because of his Penan-style hairdo. I think if he ever got lost in Semenanjung, people would straight away know that he's a Sarawakian toddler. I love this boy so much, although I totally had no idea what he mumbled about to me in Iban. Our means of communication is English.

I surrender. Years ago, Yvonne once told me that “you’ve never seen the real Malaysia if you haven’t been to Sarawak.” I didn’t agree and retorted silently, thinking she said that because she was Sarawakian. Now I must confess; she’d been right all along.

To view more photos, check out my Flickr set.