On one of my day hikes around Gunung Mulu National Park we came upon this longhouse.
These buildings are multi-family dwellings with a public space along one side and private divided spaces on the other. The raised floor protects against flooding when it rains and allows air to circulate keeping the structure cooler when it's not raining. Traditionally, the roof would have been made from leaves but that lost out to the technology of corrugated iron many years ago. I can't image how noisy it is in there during a storm!
Sometimes the space under the longhouse is used for livestock, other times it can be used for other activities. I've photos taken in a different longhouse, one more open to tourists gawking upon the local lifestyle, of men and women threshing rice, making baskets, chopping firewood. etc. I suspect after we left they went back inside, got a cold beer from the fridge and slumped in front of the TV – The men I saw were wearing jeans, T-shirts and baseball caps.
I felt embarrassed taking photos of these folk so have only one or two. I thought of the situation in reverse and how I would feel if a bunch of people speaking a foreign language descended on my home and watched and photographed me doing my chores. After all, I wasn't there living with them and documenting their way of life for the RGS or Nat Geo. I was just passing through.
I find it interesting that longhouses are found around the world in many diverse cultures, for example single-structure villages in the South American jungle, Iroquois longhouses in north america and medieval longhouses in Europe. But having lived for many years in more communal university dorms, desert camps, apartment blocks, hotels, etc. I'm now quite attached to my livestock free, corrugated iron free, single family dwelling.
Get a 15% discount on your purchase or upgrade of any Topaz product when you enter discount code rdavisphoto at checkout. Click on the image below for this offer.
