| The
longhouse is the very center of communal life in Sarawak. To visit
a longhouse is to look deep into the State's soul. As most traditional
longhouses are riverside dwellings, the real longhouse experience
begins with the journey upriver. River travel in a perahu - a
shallow draught canoe - affords you the pleasure of seeing Sarawak
at its best; your boatman will take you along idyllic waterways
with white pebble beaches, under the over-arching branches of
tropical hardwoods, whose dense emerald foliage allows through
only a dappling of sunlight. As you meander upstream, and your
boatman punts through the river's shallows, kingfishers glide
past, hornbills fly overhead, and local children dive from the
riverbank into the cooling waters.
As you arrive at the longhouse, it is customary to be greeted
by the longhouse maidens and young men performing traditional
dances and playing ceremonial gongs. From the moment you step
inside the longhouse you will be treated as an honored guest.
Visitors will be offered a glass of tuak - the very palatable
local rice wine. Or more often than not, several glasses of tuak
will be offered to wash down a banquet of local delicacies. Then
your hosts will start beating the gongs. This is the cue for the
traditional dance, usually the Ngajat. The inspiration for the
graceful movements of the dancers comes from the effortless flight
of the hornbill, Sarawak's emblem. Then your newfound friends
will enthrall you with stories of Sarawak's legendary past. Usually
a longhouse party lasts all night. As the sun is eclipsed by the
moon, weary from your day's travel, and a night of dancing and
feasting, retire to the ruai- a covered verandah - for a good
night's sleep. |
