Truly weird and wonderful!

September was a fantastic month for me as I accompanied two photographers around Sabah. It gave me the chance to go back to so many of the places I really love - Sabah Agriculture Park in Tenom and Mt Kinabalu National Park, for example - as well as go to new places that are also really wonderful. These were mainly on the east coast of Sabah in Sandakan, on the Kinabatangan River and in Danum Valley (near Lahad Datu).

What I discovered was that there are some really weird plants out there - things that I have never seen in any books about Sabah! Well, a couple of them are.

Have a look at this flower:

It is in the books and it's called Amorphophallus paeoniifolius. Even its name is more than a mouthful! It stands about 30-40 cm high and just grows out of the ground with nothing else around it - reminiscent of rafflesia. It has a lovely colour and the large bit that sticks up is just like a semi-deflated (or semi-inflated) balloon. (Depends whether you're a half-empty or half-full person, I guess...) What a creation it is! It is supposed to have a strong, bad smell, but there didn't seem to be one when I was there. And this is another similarity it has with rafflesia.

And here's a close-up of a rafflesia. See the two flies? They are attracted by the rotten smell - but, again, I couldn't smell anything. Rafflesia have no roots, stems or leaves and the buds take 6-9 months to mature. They're quite difficult to find, so I've been lucky over the past couple of months to come across flowers in the Poring area.

The rafflesia have been studied in depth and you can buy books about them - but not the next two flowers! I've never seen anything like them. If you know what they are, please let me know!

This first one looks to me like something out of a science fiction movie - where they removed someone's brain and then attached it to something else to keep it alive (and I don't even like science fiction!). What do you think? It grows on a vine and is quite firm and papery to touch. Interesting colour - but look at the vein-like bits! As if you're looking at someone's very pale skin. Weird!

Then there's this next one. Attractive shape - like some regal, floating bird. But what is it? Please let me know if you have any idea. The elongated spoon-bill shape is appealing to me and so is the colour - but it's really strange! Again, it grows on a vine.

If you know anything at all about these fabulous plants, please let me know. You can email me at: jude@astsabah.com. And if you have any questions about Sabah or about our tours, please get in touch - I'd love to hear from you.

Oaths, stones and black cockerels

In August, we were invited to a celebration to end a seminar about the rights of indigenous people. There is great concern about this in Sabah, as elsewhere in the world, and the hope that improvements will be made at the government level since the UN has provided a baseline with its Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted in September, 2007.

And what a sight the ceremony was that opened this day of celebration!

The priestesses (or Bobohizan) were there with their large, swaying headdresses, looking regal and focussed. The priest who led the ceremony seemed dignified, other-worldly and sensitive. His assistant, who kept a close watch on him, was more relaxed and grounded, somehow. Mind you, he was in charge of the rooster, holding it gently in his arms!

The ritual began with the priest muttering a long prayer at the peace rock which was planted in 1995 at the first celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. He gave thanks for the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People and renewed the oath of those present to strive for peace. He spoke very quietly and everyone listened intently. There was no disturbance in this scene of black cloth, highlighted with gold and silver thread, coloured beads, twinkling buttons. The atmosphere was one of respect and timelessness.

After the prayer was finished, the priest and his assistant laid the rooster on the stone as a sacrifice. Its blood both cleansed the rock and reinforced the renewal of the oath to continue to strive for peace. The blood of the black cockerel spread thickly over the top of the rock. Later I was told that a bird used for this purpose cannot be eaten.


There are so many different thoughts that come to me at a ceremony like this. First of all, I feel that it’s a real privilege to be able to attend. Secondly, it’s wonderful to have this dynamic presence of tradition right here and now, being practised with such pride and dignity. Then come the concerns that I know are so real for the Kadazandusun about the future of the Bobohizan (female ritual specialists) that arise from the changes in people’s lives today - changes that impact on their attitude towards their own indigenous customs and practices. However, there is no doubt of the importance among the Kadazan people of maintaining their cultural knowledge and it is significant that there are individuals and organisations here in Sabah that are committed to doing that, such as the PACOS Trust. For more information about the Trust, have a look at their website (http://www.sabah.net.my/PACOS/ ).

If you have any questions or comments, or you would like to find out about our tours in Sabah, please contact me at jude@astsabah.com. I look forward to hearing from you.