Tanjung Isuy is home to Dayak Benuaq people and i tell you what, they must be ones of the friendliest people on Earth! They smile a lot, call and wave at us, shake our hands and offer us food, talk to us and give us genuine help. It really is a lovely place!
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We stay at a Taman Jamrud longhouse (lamin/ lou) with 21 rooms. It’s said that there were many tourists coming to this place back in 1970s-1980s. But since the monetary crisis in 1997 and of course many other factors, there have been less and less people coming to Tanjung Isuy, which is a pity!
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Once we settled in, we walked around 3 hours to see these other longhouses in this area:
- Lamin Tumenggung Merta (vacant)
- Lamin Batu Bura (famous for their ulap doyo/ weaving/ tenun). 52m length with 3 families still living there
- Taman Patung Budaya Benuaq Indah (Benuaq Statue Park)
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We also go to a graveyard where two special figures in this village have rested in peace. One was the last Isuy woman with long ears tradition, and the other one was Tumenggung Merta, the chief/ general of this village who’s also famous for his magic. We are told that women with long-eared tradition can still be found around Mahakam Hulu and Pampang area.
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Dayak tribes are famous for their culture and woodcarvings. Here, i am sharing some which i find amusing.
