Penan's Struggles

The Road to Long Belok

The sun beat down hard as I sat in the back of the 4x4 truck..... The 5 hour trip started in the city of Miri, but quickly turned into forest and palm oil as the truck barreled down the dirt roads. We started at the airport after picking up 11 energetic Australian high school students that flew to Sarawak to build a library and fix up the school in the village of Long Belok. It is amazing how one turn in the road, and the view goes from beautiful forest, to clear cut barren, land that has been deforested for the planting of palm oil. Seeing and experiencing the destruction of beautiful rainforest brought strain into my heart as the journey continued.

The day seemed to die into a spectacular sunset as we neared the village. By the time we arrived, it was dark and we had to wade through the river to get the village. The next few days were spent working and sweating in the morning and midday, bathing in the clear river, eating amazing food, and hanging out with the amazing Penan people. In the afternoons, i would wander off into the forest and collect vegetables such as orson, sagu, kapis, and kubis for the amazing dinners that Sitang and Samsia would cook for us. After a hard few days of work, we spent the last day hiking up the river to end up at a beautiful waterfall. The sound of the water, the clear dark pools, and the entourage of 40 Penan children following us created an atmosphere that is unforgettable.

I think the kids had a great time, and I know i did as well. I really love life in the village. Everything is so simple, everything so peaceful and serene. I wish I could show every one of my loved ones these places and let them experience what I see/feel/hear. A truly amazing adventure.....

Orangutan

Serpent Eagle

Western Tarsier