We drove to a water village and it was so idyllic, I wished I had a house there. Then I can fish from my kitchen window and read all the books I haven't read, or enjoy the sun like this ginger cat. My kids can swim to the neighbor's and we can open our house to visitors. I can teach cooking to the tourists and Hub can forget about working.
This was near the water village. The sign said to maintain the cleanliness of the environment. The word 'juxtapose' comes to mind.
I thought this was so green, unspoilt and pretty. Walked towards it and saw rubbish and debris floating under the house.
One of the boys shouted "Ambil gambar saya!" (take my photo) and swung himself up the tree. I was reminded of my own tree-climbing days and felt sorry for my boys (my girl had her share of tree-climbing) whose activities are computer games and TV.
Just outside of Kudat, a village has opened itself to visitors. You can stay here, meals provided, for RM50/USD17 per day. Write your memiors here. "A ------(fill in the blank) In The Longhouse".
A typical longhouse with a family in one room each and there can be a dozen families in one long house. With the decline of extended families and modernization, long houses are now maintained for show.
We asked if we could eat lunch there and this was the spread on the table. It was delicious and definitely nutritious. There was bamboo, fern shoots and banana flowers from the jungle, pumpkin, sayur manis and chicken from the yard. All that for RM10/USD3.30, but we paid them RM20.
Kudat's main income is seafood and some crops such as coconut and groundnuts. Oil palm cultivation (and pollution by pesticides and fertilizers) is taking over most of the arable land. I came away feeling frustrated and sorry that such a beautiful part of Sabah is so--what's the word here--unrealized. The water village can be spruced up and houses opened to visitors such as those in the ancient towns of China where tourists visit and spend money on home-made crafts. So much can be done, so much.
5 comments:
when i see these photos, and read your post, i am reminded of the differences in Koh Samui from when i first went there in '88 and my last trip a few years ago. Koh Chang is also becoming the same, and quickly.
commerce and greed are all that seems to matter. it is hard to blame the locals who have had so little for so long. it would seem that in very few places though there has been govt intervention (education) and control that protects these places rather than exploits and destroys them.
poverty and greed (corruption) are two of the hardest things to fight against anywhere.
What a lovely place!! I too hope that such a lovely place will be maintained and not turned into some money churning, environmental damaging plantation. I must make a trip to East Malaysia one of these days.. Must see all these before they disappear..
By the way, the food pic looks really yummy..
Sayur manis! A vegetable sent straight from heaven.
Terri, I wish I knew about this place when I was in Sabah. On the other hand, my cousin planned our trip and we were so time constraint that 3 days 2 nights was all we had.
I hope everything's alright with Ming. Will you and your family in my prayers.
lunchguy: asia is such a beautiful part of the world but mismanagement and greed (yes, corruption) hinders its potential. i sometimes wonder why it is tt countries in the equatorial belt are so blessed with perfect weather (some may find the seasonless climate infavorable) but so lacking in good leaders and government.
food:thank you:) yes, do come visit sabah
mmm: *nods*
ccc: next time, give me a call:D
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