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The journey to Kampung Boh takes two hours or
more on foot and it would be more like jungle
trekking. If we were to go by truck or a
four-wheel drive, it would take a mere twenty to
thirty minutes. Batin Nordin's village is
located deep in the mountains so if visitors
plan to walk, they
need to bring with them food, drinks and other
necessities. On arrival, visitors will be
greeted warmly by villagers and visitors soon
begin to get a sense of the calm and tranquility
of the surroundings. The cries of children
playing, running and chasing each other can be
heard well before visitors can even catch a
glimpse of the kampung. Upon reaching the
village, visitors are greeted by Cikgu Jefry, a
warm person who is in charge of birth and death
registration here. He
is also responsible for reporting any sickness
or emergency cases. Visitors will then be
introduced to 'amek-amek' and 'abe-abe' (the
mothers and fathers of the village) who smile
shyly from their houses. Later, visitors will be
taken to a small wooden house that has no rooms,
no kitchen or stove. This
modest guest house will remind
everyone that they are far from civilization.
Several villagers' houses come to view and these
are actually longhouses with bamboo walls and
supported on wooden pillars some five or seven
feet above the ground to avoid animals at night.
Wooden stairs provide access to the longhouse.
Later, visitors will be served warm tea and
roasted tapioca which is the staple food of the
villagers here.
Living in natural surroundings and going back
to basics is the big attraction here. `Amazing
and beautiful' are the words to describe the
stars at night that appear so near and shine so
brightly. In fact, there are too many to count
in the glittering sky. Temperature drops from 32
degrees Celsius to 18 degrees Celsius or below
and wearing a sweater and socks is a must as
there is neither heater nor hot water. Sleep
will not come easy for those who are sensitive
to the cold. The next morning, visitors prepare
their own breakfast and this is done
traditionally by chopping wood, starting a fire,
and using a pot to fry or boil. If one needs to
shower then it is a dip in the cold, clear water
of the river nearby. The toilet, however, is
built several metres away from the house and
visitors should see to
their needs well before dark as there
is no electricity. The only generator is used in
the mosque.
Many children walk to school as early as six
in the morning so that they reach Post Mansoon
on time for classes.
This is not an easy task when some of
them do not even have proper shoes and clothes.
The route to school is muddy and dangerous as
wild animals still roam
freely in the jungle. 'Amek' will accompany them
and wait until school is over. The school
operates with only two or three teachers because
of the small number of children. After
completing Year 3 at their school, children will
then continue Year 4 at Sungai Ruil where they
will now live in a hostel until they sit for
their UPSR exam. This is hard for some because
they have never lived away from their parents.
It is the same, too, for parents who cannot
spend weekends visiting their children as they
cannot afford it. Education is important to
villagers and they appreciate assistance in the
form of books or stationery that will benefit
their children.
The villagers are hard-working and farming is
their main source of income and provides them
with enough food to last a year even though
there is not much of it. The weather is good for
cucumber, corn, tapioca and paddy and the latter
is largely cultivated on hill slopes. The
villagers also rear sheep, goats and cows and
they also look after acres and acres of durian
and rambutan orchards surrounding the village.
Durians, however, are sold to wholesalers at a
ridiculously low price since villagers have no
transportation to take the fruit to town
themselves.
Visitors are most welcome to stay as long as
they want. They can learn many things from the
village folk ranging from farming to traditional
healing to hunting in the jungle. Swimming in
the river and enjoying the calm and peace of
Nature are some of the most wonderful
experiences one can ever have. |
