Up Bung Jagoi

0

THE 360-metre sandstone hill of Bung Jagoi stood invitingly tall as several members of the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) approached it through Kampung Serasot, along the Serikin Road. The village perched at the top of Bung Jagoi, the ‘mother’ village for the Jagoi Bidayuh, is largely empty as its residents are dispersed in villages on the lower slopes. It is, despite being home to only two caretakers, not forgotten as during festivals, such as Gawai, it comes alive.

NATURAL CUP: A pitcher plant is seen along the trail.

Kampung Jagoi recently saw an influx of MNS members who decided to join the walk to the top. The pleasant walk to the foot of Bung Jagoi skirted fields that had been planted with tapioca and other light-loving plants. The gentle upward path gradually took cover under the cool secondary forest that slowly became taller and wilder. We were told that the community forest was generally natural, but the presence of fruit trees such as durian (Durio sp) and mango (Mangifera sp) could possibly be because a seed had been carelessly or perhaps carefully tossed.

A fence, a gate and tall forest unmistakably marked the start of the relentless climb. Gigantic durian and tapang (Koompassia excelsa) trees towered over the canopies. Durian, a member of the Bombacaceae family and considered by many as the king of the fruits, can be fermented in addition to being eaten fresh. Durian can also be preserved and this tasty addition to any meal is called tempoyak.

Carved into the near vertical slope leading upwards are step after step after step. Fortunately the day was cool and we found lots of reasons to stop and take photographs – unusual rocks, delicate flowers …

A rest stop at a natural spring, about halfway up, was a welcome break from what felt like a never-ending climb. Here we filled our water bottles with the pure spring water, caught our breaths, then squeezed through the opening in the rocks as we kept to the slow and steady pace.

As we neared our destination, the path split. The right headed to Kampung Jagoi and the left to the lookout point, Bung Tesen. We decided to head up to the peak of Bung Tesen. The view was worth every step. The ancestral land of the Bidayuh spread below in a patchwork of green with roads and paths tracing routes between the varied mountains and hills. This ancestral homeland extends from Bau to Penrissen and Padawan to Siburan and Serian.

The Bidayuh are composed of three main linguistic groups. The people from Singai, which is located along the Batu Kawa Road, and the Jagoi speak the same language.

Our destination, Kampung Jagoi, beckoned and we retraced our steps.  Kampung Jagoi was established in the 1860s, during the time of James Brooke. In the distant past, the Bidayuh established their longhouses on  top of mountains in order to gain protection from attacks.

Closed-up dwellings line the central path of the village, but the most dramatic is the baruk, head house, which marks the entrance. The cone-shaped ceremonial baruk, which looks like a sun hat, is built on a raised platform that stands about a metre off the ground. In the past, young unmarried men would sleep there.

Several human skulls are housed in a small covered raised platform just behind the baruk. We were told that a better home had been prepared for them, but the skulls insisted on returning to their sheltered platform.

The land and forest can provide food and shelter for the people and we were fortunate to sample the taste of nature’s gifts in Kampung Jagoi. We tasted preserved durian, tapioca leaves and rice wrapped in leaves that were later identified as coming from Macaranga family. Each individual flavour complemented and was enhanced by the other.

Bung Jagoi is an exceptional mountain for many reasons, including the forest and the cultural significance. It was with this knowledge we returned to the artificial urban landscape. At the foot of the mountain, many of us opted to return by the known trail, but some 10 hardy souls took the path least travelled and their tales will be told next week.

For more information about the Bidayuh read ‘Dayak Bidayuh Community Rituals, Ceremonies and Festivals’ by Patrick Rigep Nuek.