- Home
- 80 Days
- Pole to Pole
- Full Circle
- Hemingway
- Sahara
- Himalaya
- New Europe
- 80 Days Revisited
- Brazil
- Photo Gallery
- Keyword Search
- Photo Search
- Geography
- Accommodation
- Activity
- History
- Nature
- Person
- Transport
- Advanced Search
- The Chatter Box
- Chat Room
- Competition
- Polls
- Register
- Bookshop
- Bibliography
- Links
- Instructions
Full Circle
Day 111: Nanga Sumpa
Enjoying a head-hunting joke with the longhouse chief and another elder.
'Mr Masing has arrived?' I ask eagerly.Denis lifts his pork-pie hat, rubs his forehead and shakes his head.
'Fishermen,' he says. 'Big day.'
No sooner has that noise died away than an unearthly snarling roar emanates from the depths of the jungle, culminating in a shrill, angry whine, a crash and silence. 'Chainsaw,' says Denis. 'Sago palms. For the feast. Big day.'
From across the bridge, beside the longhouse, comes a chorus of terrified, trumpeting squeals.
'Pigs?' I ask, getting the hang of this. 'For the feast?'
Denis nods cheerfully.
'That's right.'
'Big day!' we say in chorus.
By the time I'm up and out two or three pigs have already been killed and chopped up into pieces which are being carefully laid on a log fire by a half-dozen Iban in shorts and T-shirts, who are already enjoying the benefits of a bottle of palm wine. Once the pieces are lightly scorched they are carried down to the water, scrubbed clean of any remaining hair or dirt before being further dissected and taken back to the fire. At the same time glutinous rice is being cooked inside lengths of bamboo. Dogs prowl hopefully.
Choose another day from Full Circle
PALIN'S GUIDES
- Series: Full Circle
- Day: 111
- Country/sea: Malaysia
- Place: Nanga Sumpa
- Book page no: 159
Bookmarks will keep your place in one or more series. But you'll need to register and/or log in.
){kind=link}