Here are pictures of Kota Kinabilu, although the vast majority of the time we visited the Mari Mari village to see how the different tribes live. Here are the pictures.
Arrival / Sunrise over Kota Kinabilu. Below – The Grand Mosque
Remnants of British rule – Phone booths and driving on the Left.
Entrance to the Mall and the largest Flower (1 meter / 3+feet wide) – Raffiesia
To enter the Mari Mari Village one must first negotiate the rickety bridge over the river.
Some of the dwellings outside and inside
Access to the homes is through this notched log, which is taken inside at night.
Cooking, Sleeping, Eating areas and the doors hinged upwards
Crossing the covered bridge to other residential areas
Our guide and inside the Long hut – Bedrooms are to the right and living are is to the left.
The skull with rattan hair of some beheaded native (due to head-hunting practices that only ended in the 1950’s). There to ward off evil spirits and part of a Dowry in a wedding. Husband to be has to kill someone and remove their head to be permitted to marry.
Game of trampoline in one of the huts
Pounding the bark of a tree with water to make clothing
Also used for rope making and her the boy removes hair as the bark rope is waxy and can do a “bikini-wax” treatment
Beekeeping – Bamboo bee hives and honey
Beekeeper and guide
Starting fire with Bamboo alone
Making rice wine – fermented and also made by distillation
Rice wine being served and below cooking Chicken with rice and vegetables inside bamboo
Making sweet rice cookies / biscuits – Rice flour, water and sugar are made into the paste and then ladled into pan with boiling coconut oil. the strands are folded into a triangle and fried until golden brown – The were very tasty
Baskets and other crafts inside the homes
Musical instruments
Making Pandan tea – Pandan leaves, water, ginger and honey – Really tasty
Ceremony to allow us entry into the warrior tribe’s area. Their chief and our elected leader, place right hand on shoulder (so no drawing of weapons) and negotiate. We then were granted entry.
Burial of noble in a jar (dismembered and stuffed into the jar) then once only bones are left, they are cleaned and used as ornaments inside the house – Ancestor worship.
Roger being taught how to use a blow gun by warrior chief
An alligator, buried and exaggerated for effect to show any visitor the power of the village. Severed heads are places on the bamboo spikes sticking out of the crocodile’s back – below.
The Palanqin where the chief holds court
Tachy returning from market with food in the basket and Roger below as the chief holding court!
A final bamboo jumping dance was performed by the local tribsmen
As we sailed out, we saw these houses on stilts, illegal immigrants from the Philippines that build houses on stilts to get a better living in Malaysia. Below, one of the immigrants off to go fishing
Sunset as we depart
Roger & Anne Travels 