Kapit : Old and New

Travelling to Kapit in the 50's and 60's was a two day, one night affair in a double decker Chinese motor launch. It could really be a romantic trip if you were going with someone you loved. I know of people who fell in love with love during their trips to Kapit. A cousin of mine found her one true love in Kapit and an aunt started her beautiful marriage in that little interior town. It was not easy to travel to Kapit in those days.

The motor launch would be carring live chickens, ducks and even a few pigs and you will have to bear the smells, noise and a few other unexpected snorts or squeaks when they started to excrete, with  men and women talking shouting above the din of the engine.

I would really be sorry for those who expect a Chinese launch to be HALAL. Very often wild boars, freshly killed and bundled up in torn gunny sacks would be placed at the bow of the motor launch.





Today travelling to Kapit by the express boats would even give  you first class comfort, with tv or video as an added facility to attract customers. Seats are comfortable but then frogs, a goat or two, lots of chickens and ducks, some prized birds and especially fighting cocks would come on board.

Chinese shop houses in Kapit.

Nice photo of Kapit from the air. The river transport (expresses and long boats) continue to remain the most important form of transport. Hiluxes have flooded the town with people earning better from oil palm, oil and gas and timber

Kapit is a place which I will visit again and again. Each time I go there I would wish I could go into a time machine so that I could be there again in 1969 , a very significant year of my life.