Baram Tales - Express Terminal in Marudi and sharing of stories

 

the Express Terminal in Marudi would always be a special place in my heart. From 1990 till 2005 I had to travel to many places and schools in the Baram to provide mentoring and guidance to English teacher trainees. My life was much enriched by the long years of experience.

I had a near accident when the Express I was travelling in broke a propeller pin and the boat was stranded on the sand bank for more than four hours. I lost a good day's work and I was full of anxieties about facing the then Pengetua, Puan Zakiah Omar. Would she accept the excuse of a river boat accident? And then it had to happen to me.

We needed to make almost perfect schedule for our Practicum travelling. And thanks to all the conditions in those days I was able to travel according to the timetable made at the Teacher Training College. 

Day 1 and Day 2

I had to leave home at 5.30 am in the morning and Langgang our faithful college driver would deliver me to the Kuala Baram Terminal at 6,00. The express would leave at 6.30 and I would be at Kuala Pengkalayan to see Mr. Sonny and his teachers at 7.30. But noon I would be able to flag down the express going up to Marudi....where I would spend the night and see two more trainees the next day .

Day 3

On the third day I  would be speeding across the Baram to Kpg Benawa where I would spend a good morning mentoring one or two trainnes. By lunch time I would return to Marudi to prepare for the next day's travelling up to Long Ikang. 

Day 4

It would be a very early morning express boat ride again.

By noon I would leave Long Ikang for Long Lama which I would arrive at about 5. All shops in Long Lama would close at 5 and I would have to make special arrangements to have a simple meal then, or it would be just bread and Nescafe in the small hotel room.

In the evening my mentee (teacher trainee) could come to meet me and we would discuss her lesson plan.

Day 5

Long Lama would always be lovely early in the morning and I would remember it as a very pleasant place. Years later I would enjoy learning more about its history  which has a big spot in the early history of Chinese settlement in Borneo.

the Baram continues to beckon to me.

there are so many stories to share.