Last
Sep 15 was my 27th birthday. I thought I've heard all the worst
things that had happened in my dear country - Malaysia. 15 days
later, I saw it with my own eyes.
It
was merely a 30-minute drive from Kuching. The car engine stopped.
Mr. Joary asked us alighted with our luggages and started re-packing.
Glancing out the window, tiny rain drops had beginning to fall. "It
is now raining season." Mr. Joary added. "It rains almost
every day."
We
were now at the infamous Bengoh Dam, ironically built to meet the
city demand while indigenous people living surrounding the dam were
deprived and ignored even the most basic rights such as clean water.
"The
old Kg. Sait would be all sunk underwater when the dam starts
operating." Mr. Joary said while puting on his head scarf,
re-packing all items in plastic bags and placed them all into "mata"
where he could carry everything in an indigenous-fashionable way that
I'd call it cool to be worn on the head, only proved to be too
difficult later when I tried it later in the kampung.
OK.
So you build a dam for people living 30km away and don't give a damn
of the people living just besides or around. Logical? Hmphh......
The
hike to Kg. Sait - Mok Ayun was about 90 minutes long. I'd call the
difficulty was something rather similar to what I had hiked 2 months
ago at Mersilau trail in Kinabalu park, only the earlier was RM1,000
cheaper.
Carrying
my 10kg backpack, I stumbled upon an obstacle which stroke my heart
and mind. My jaw dropped and what was built in front of me was
something rather unexplainable by any physics, or I shall say, I was
blinded with the majestic architecture of such an amazing constructed
hanging bamboo bridges.
The
foot path was as wide as only three or two bamboo sticks, tying
altogether with rotan strings, and hanging about 20 metres above a
fast-and-furious river. Normally you tried your best not to look down
but in this case you MUST look down to step your feet on the freaking
bamboo or you might end up, swimming or floating perhaps?
What's
even worse? There were two of them!!
Imagine
that all your daily supplies to be carried across like this. Your
fans, refrigerators, sofas, tilams..... It was nightmare just to
think about it. I was glad I made it safe.
And
there were stories, where sick people couldn't make it out in time
for medical attention, and passed away on the journey. Children going
to school, pregnant ladies going out for check-ups, old folks, anyone
would have to walk pass this, no exception unless you'd pay for the
helicopter ride in. Sadly, that's how the situation here.
Conquering
my height freight and after 4km of sweats and tears (of sorrow
maybe?), I screamed in my heart! I've made it!!
So
here I was, Kg. Sait, where I would spend the next 6 days without any
telecommunication, in the most basic lifestyle and humbling
experience I'd meet another 26 volunteers and over 150 villagers
which touched my heart, taught me things I'd never learn it else
where.
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