Lio Mato, Ulu Baram, Sarawak

Our sources of energy

2012-01-27T20:22:00.001-08:00

Firewood and diesel.

Firewood for cooking and diesel to power our electricity generator.

Firewood for cooking is free.

It will produce the much smoke needed as mosquito repellent.

Christmas Dinner, Longhouse 25 Dec 2011

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delivering my speech during Christmas Dinner 2011.

my brother giving his speech.

speech by my eldest son.

my younger brother and his contemporaries.

my brother greeted by friends and relatives. his first after absence of nearly forty years from Lio Mato.

Village Pastor and the village headman.

some of the food served on 25 Dec 2011 at our ruai (front corridor of our longhouse, one of the three longhouses in our village).

our pot bless.

Log bridges across creeks and small streams

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The bottom of these logs is a creek.

Logs are piled up until they form a platform at the same level as the road.

The bottom layer, logs are placed parallel to the creek to enable water to flow through. The second layer, logs are placed perpendicular to the creek. The subsequent layer parallel and so on.

Logs are stacked up criss cross in layers like the way we store firewood. When the layers are at the same level as the road, it is then sealed with stones and sand.

There are hundreds of these log bridges from Lapok to Lio Mato. But only the larger ones has these tyre post indicators.

The width of these bridges is about the width of one vehicle.

The next time when you cross one of these bridges, remember there are tons of logs under it.

Village Food

2012-01-04T07:17:00.000-08:00

the feast.

meat

cooked with lemon grass and chilli.

guess what meat?

fish with onion, chilli and lemon juice.

wild boar meat.

light roast to remove the smell. then cook or make soup.

sour brinjal (eggplant) soup with pork.

belachan substitute. looks like belachan but without the taste and smell. made from seeds of fruits.

Crystal Clear Pure Mountain Dew

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Baram river at Long San, spanning more than 100 m from one bank to the opposite bank.

Baram river infront of our village, Lio Mato. Less than 20 m wide. Note the colour of the water.

Baram river just 60 m upstream. Note the clear water.

A view of Mudung Sio or Mount Sio from our village. The source of our drinking water.

Looking at Mount Sio from my house. There lies Sungai Teba'an our source of drinking water.

Unpolluted, unfiltered, crystal clear, pure mountain dew from Sungai Teba'an.

The pressure from Sungai Teba'an is strong enough to serve 80 houses in Lio Mato.

Every drop of water is condensed from the dew of leaves, branches, trees, shrubs and grasses of Mount Sio.

Our SIB Church in Lio Mato

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Entrance to our church.

Our Christmas tree.

Christmas tree from dry nyipa tree

Journey to Lio Mato (1)

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Our journey starts from Miri.

The first leg, 116 km from Miri to Lapok via Beluru.

SMK Bakong, a secondary school in Beluru, Bakong.

The junction at Beluru. 80 km from Miri and 36 km to Lapok.

Poor condition make it impassable at certain time of the year.

The condition of the timber camp road is better than this. (Beluru - Lapok)

Part of the 36 km Beluru - Lapok road.

In the process of upgrading the road from Beluru to Lapok.

SMK Tinjar, Baram. A new secondary school near the Tinjar Bridge.

The road to the Tinjar Bridge.

Lapok market, the end of our first leg.

Journey to Lio Mato (2)

2011-12-31T07:21:00.000-08:00

Lapok a few rows of shops beside the Tinjar Bridge.

The road leading to the Tinjar Bridge. The begining of our second leg in our journey to Lio Mato. The Lapok to Long San journey covers 114 km using the timber camp road.

The Tinjar Bridge spanning acoss the Tinjar River. Can also see from the picture, express boat service that ply the Tinjar River.

Timber camp (private) road from Lapok to Long San. Looks like well-maintained road in the middle of a jungle.

Wait a minute, these oil palm tree don't grow naturally in jungle. There must be a village near-by, hidden out of sight.

This is hill paddy (padi huma/padi bukit) and some fruit trees. They don't grow naturally in the jungle. This is not a jungle. There must be a village somewhere.

We often talk about timber camp road. This is a good example. It is many times better than the government maintained road between Beluru and Lapok.

These roads are well maintained by the timber camp.

It is made up of small rocks, earth and dust. It is smooth travelling on dry days. On wet days, it is a bit muddy and slippery.

The King of the road.

On dry days, they can churn up clouds of dust. The visibility of other vehicles on both sides is zero.

These Mercedes rule the road here.

They sometimes end up like this.

The same Mercedes from far.

The number of vehicles parked outside Sky View Cafe indicate the traffic volume. Busy time just before and after Christmas.

Sky View Cafe (Lapok - Long San)

Skyview is one of the outlets for subsdised fuel in Baram.

The price is fixed by the government. It is the same price as in Miri.

Subsidised gas sold in central Baram by Sky View Cafe.

Camp Kilometer 10 or Central Baram Base Camp is the largest in Baram.

Each base camp has its own sentry manned by guard. This Central Baram Base Camp is no exception.

The only access is manned by camp personnel from sentry post like this.

The largest camp and headquarter for Baram District.

Depot Central Baram timber camp. (Lapok - Long San)

Fuel storage for the camp.

The camp is also known as Kilometer 10.

Residents of the camp.

Logs left at the base camp before they are loaded on to Mercedes and Volvos.

The camp is situated at the peak of a hill.

Timber at the camp site.

An upstream view of the mighty Baram river at Long San. The end of the second leg. (Lapok - Long San)

Journey to Lio Mato (3)

2011-12-30T23:50:00.000-08:00

Long San Bridge

The mighty Baram at Long San.

The Long San Bridge spanning more than 100 m across the mighty Baram.

Crossing the Baram river at Long San

looking downstream from Long San Bridge

Long San Bridge mark the last leg of our journey to Lio Mato.

Long San Bridge

Long San Bridge, 76 more kilometers to Lio Mato.

Sungai Sela'an (Long San - Lio Mato)

Sungai Sela'an (Long San - Lio Mato)

Pelutan Base Camp (Long San - Lio Mato)

Pelutan Base Camp (Long San - Lio Mato)

Coordinates Lio Mato infront of my house E: 115^13'3.5" , N: 3^10'13.2"

Blessed with abundance 2011 Christmas

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This year every family is blessed with a good harvest. We have plenty of fruits especially durians and rambutans.

Lunch Gathering in the Church Christmas 2011

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a packet of rice wrapped from leaf and some pork.

Lard soup and pork belly. Porridge is also served.

Served to 80 house village of Lio Mato.

Stew pork - delicious.

For those who prefer rice not wrapped in leaves.

Nearly everyone in the village gathered in the church for lunch.

Christmas 2011 in Lio Mato

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In SIB Church Lio Mato

Christmas in Miri 2010

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Christmas in Miri

Christmas in Miri

Christmas in MIRI

Christmas with grandchildren in Miri.

Some of my grandchildren.

With relatives during Christmas.

With relatives in Miri during Christmas.

ASEAN Bridge, Kuala Baram, Sarawak.

2010-12-05T04:14:00.000-08:00

ASEAN Bridge spanning the mighty Baram River, near its river mouth, Kuala Baram.
On one side is Miri. The other is Sungai Tujuh Checkpoint, on the Sarawak (Malaysian) side of the boundary with Brunei. This is the final leg of the Pan Borneo journey in Sarawak.

Damai Beach, Sarawak.

2010-12-05T04:07:00.001-08:00

Mount Santubong, Sarawak.

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My Brother in Melugu, Sri Aman

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My younger brother, Johnney Njok.

In his own single storey bungalow, Melugu, Sri Aman.

He is a former Sarawak Ranger.
Called from Taiping base to serve in Penang during the May 13 (1969) incident.

Now retired and working in his own farm in Sri Aman.

My Trip to Cameron Highland

2010-06-08T20:08:00.001-07:00

Taman Awam, Miri

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Tanjong Lobang

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The Grand Old Lady and her faithful Nodding Donkey

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The Grand Old Lady sits on Canada Hill in Miri overlooking the South China Sea.

Her servants at work.

She is too elegant and tall for her new house, the Petroleum Museum.

The time capsule in conjunction with the declaration of Miri City.

Her faithful Nodding Donkey.

A full view of the Grand Old Lady and her Nodding Donkey.

Sunset, Miri

2009-12-22T02:07:00.000-08:00

Visitors enjoying the sunset near the guard tower.

Car park at Esplanade.

A view of Tanjung Lobang from Esplanade.

Sunset at the Esplanade, Miri.

Our Brothers in Peninsula (Semenanjung)

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The aborigine (orang asli) of Cameron Highlands, Peninsular Malaysia.

The Kenyah Sape

2008-07-26T01:39:00.000-07:00

Sape is a traditional Kenyah musical instrument. These clips were recorded in the Sarawak Cultural Village.

Famous Produce of Sarawak - The Sarawak Pepper

2008-05-31T09:13:00.000-07:00

The pepper plant is a type of woody vine grown on poles. It has some root-like structures to help it grip and creep up the pole. Unripe pepper berries are green in colour. They are plucked and dried into black pepper (corns). The ripe ones are dried into white pepper-corns.

Most of the farmers in Sarawak grow pepper vines either on small or large scales.

Other Parts of Sarawak

2008-05-31T02:37:00.000-07:00

Bird's nest soup is a delicacy in Chinese cuisine. A few species of swift, the cave swifts, are renowned for building the saliva nests used to produce the unique texture of this soup. (Wikipedia). This video shows the swifts and their nests (black due to the swift feathers) in their natural habitat. This is the Wind Cave of Bau, nature reserve of Sarawak. The photographer happened to be in the cave during the hatching of swiftlets (nestlings). Enjoy the video.

Sarawak River Cruise

Cruising along the fourth longest river in Sarawak (Sarawak River), near the Kuching waterfront. The new Sarawak State Assembly building under construction. The Astana built by Rajah Brooke, now the residence for Governor of Sarawak. The North Kuching City Hall up a small hill and the mountain, the legendary Mount Santubong.

Bird's Eyeview of Kuching (1)

Kenyah Warrior

2008-05-29T00:14:00.000-07:00

Kenyah warrior showing how to use a blowpipe.

The hunting dance by performers of Sarawak Cultural Village.

Condolence

2008-05-08T08:08:00.000-07:00

Our deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to the family of Joseph Enggie on the demise of Joseph on 6th May 2008 .

Song By The Chieftain

2008-03-25T01:19:00.001-07:00

Chieftain inspiring the younger generation with his song.

The Hands That Rock The Cradles

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Scenery Along the Upper Baram

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Traditional Dances I

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Faces old, young, men and women.

Traditional Dances II

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Faces men, women, old and young.

Faces Of Borneo, Sarawak

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Eyots formed by the braided Ulu Baram (Upper Baram) river

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In our language "Lio" means island and "Mato" means hundreds. Hence Lio Mato means village of hundred islands. These islands, unique to Lio Mato, are the pride of our village. They are formed by the braided Ulu Baram river in Lio Mato. Nowhere else along the Baram has these islands (neither upstream nor downstream). The size of these islands range from one to a few thousand square feet. They are filled with vegetation such as trees and bamboos. The location of these islands can be clearly seen from Google Earth.

Above and below: Islands seen from far.

Above and below: Two of the many islands.

Above and below: A closer look at the islands.

Video on the Eyots.

The Fort (Kubu)

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The Fort or "kubu" in our language. It was built by the British before independence to defend Lio Mato. During the Malaysia-Indonesia Confrontation in 1963, it was again used to defend the newly formed Malaysia against the intruding Indonesian troops. Forts of similar design are also found along the Baram river. They are in Marudi, Long Lama, Long Akah (downstream of Lio Mato) and Long Bangga (upstream of Lio Mato)

Above: Three different views of the Fort in Lio Mato. Built about 20 m from the river bank of the Ulu Baram. It is about 50 km from the border with Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Our Old Longhouse

2008-01-12T15:06:00.000-08:00

Above: This is a view of our old longhouse (1993) before it was demolished for reconstruction.
Below: Women preparing for a celebration back then.

Above: The men also help in the preparation.
Below: Every door (each door is one family) has its own store which is a separate hut built behind the longhouse. It is for keeping rice, utensils and other valuables.

Location

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Lio Mato is situated in the Ulu Baram district of Miri division of Sarawak. The journey from Miri town to Lio Mato takes 8 hours by truck. I estimate the distance to be around 306 km. I divide the journey into 3 parts. These correspond to the 3 maps below taken from Google Earth.

Above: Beluru
Below: Road from Beluru to Lapok.

The first part of the journey is from Miri town to Beluru and Beluru to Lapok. This distance is slightly more than 100 km (116 km). Beluru is in the Bakong district. The road from Miri to Beluru is tarred (80 km). Miri to Simpang Mamut 60 km and Simpang Mamut to Beluru 20 km. On both sides of the road are oil palm trees. (The Lambir National Park is along the way, just before we turn into the Bakong district.) The road from Beluru to Lapok is mostly unsealed (36 km). It is dusty and covered with small stones/rocks on dry days (like those we see in the Indiana Jones adventure) and muddy during rainny season. There are houses and long-houses along the way. Lapok is situated just beside the Tinjar river. (Tinjar river, Tutoh river and Ulu Baram are the three main tributaries of the mighty Baram river.)

Above: Road from Lapok to Long San. constructed by a timber company.
Below: The only cafe (public) selling drinks, noodles and rice within its 100 km radius. It is 2 km from the timber base camp and a few more km from the Long San bridge. As the name suggest, one can see the hills and the sky above the central Baram from this cafe.

The second part of the journey is from Lapok to Long San (114 km). In Lapok, there is a bridge across the Tinjar river. This part of the journey is 114 km. From Lapok to Central Baram Base Camp is 80 km and from the camp to Long San is 34 km. The road here is constructed by a timber company to harvest timber. This company has it base camp 34 km from Long San. The road here is better and smoother than those from Beluru to Lapok.

Above: One of the many streams flowing into Ulu Baram river.

Below: Upstream of the Long San bridge.

The third part of the journey is from Long San to Lio Mato. In Long San, there is a bridge across the Ulu Baram river. This part of the journey is about 76 km. It consists of 72 km of timber company road and 4 km of kampong road. It is also constructed by the timber company to harvest timber from Ulu Baram. The major landmarks along the way are the Pelutan Base Camp, Sungai Sela'an and Sungai Selunggo.

Below: The so-called Sky View, a perfect view of the hills and sky over central Baram.

Lio Mato Village

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Above: A view of Lio Mato from the Baram river (Ulu Baram).
Below: Long boats were once our means of living (fishing) and our only means of transport. Today it has been reduced to ferrying visitors.

Above: Two of our village houses facing the Baram river.

It is our (the elders in the village) wish that those working in town and elsewhere (our children and grandchildren) to at least come back to Lio Mato for Christmas or their Wedding Ceremony.