At 1685 meters, the mountain of Doi Suthep overlooks Chiang Mai to the east, providing wonderful views, nature trails, and the spectacular Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. The wat is worth a visit for its beauty even when views are marred due to weather or smoke from slash-and-burn farming. The crowning feature of the wat is […]
Read the rest of this entry »Archive for the 'By Subject' Category
James Ritchie on the religious basis for headhunting in Sarawak, Borneo
WoWasis correspondent James Ritchie on the religious basis for headhunting. You may also want to read How Headhunting originated in Sarawak, Borneo and An Iban veteran tells how heads are smoked in Sarawak, Borneo. Headhunting was the result of serious religious beliefs among the Ibans of Sarawak. It was a ritual filled with pomp and ceremony, […]
Read the rest of this entry »James Ritchie: An Iban veteran tells how heads are smoked in Sarawak, Borneo
WoWasis correspondent James Ritchie on how headhunters smoke heads. You may also want to read: How Headhunting originated in Sarawak, Borneo and The religious basis for headhunting in Sarawak, Borneo . TEMENGGONG Jinggut anak Atari, who is in his early 60s and is the titular chief of the Ibans in Kapit, has seen heads being taken […]
Read the rest of this entry »James Ritchie on How Headhunting originated in Sarawak, Borneo
WoWasiscorrespondent James Ritchie on how headhunting originated in Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia. You may also want to read: An Iban veteran tells how heads are smoked in Sarawak, Borneo and The religious basis for headhunting in Sarawak, Borneo. Are headhunters still alive in Sarawak today? The answer is yes and no. If you consider that Dayak […]
Read the rest of this entry »James Ritchie’s Borneo headhunting “how-tos”
James Ritchie is Sarawak’s chronicler, a near-legendary raconteur and bon-vivant who has spent a lifetime studying the customs of the State of Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo. He has written a great deal on the practice of, and mythos surrounding the tradition of headhunting. The following three articles are available as posts on the WoWasis blog. […]
Read the rest of this entry »Visit a traditional longhouse in Sarawak, Borneo while you still can
Visiting a Dayak Longhouse is, by everyone’s account, one of the highlights of a visit to the state of Sarawak, Borneo. Some westerners, though, have an aversion to “roughing it,” and elect to go for a day visit, rather than an overnight stay. This is a mistake for several reasons, the chief of which is […]
Read the rest of this entry »Arts, Crafts, and Cooking classes in Kuching, Malaysian Borneo
A great way to enhance your stay in the city of Kuching, Sarawak is to take a cooking, crafts, painting, or traditional dancing class. These are affordable and taught by affable experts who speak English, and Melton Kais’ painting classes can even include a home stay on premises if you wish. Cooking, Crafts, […]
Read the rest of this entry »Letter from Melaka: Malay nightlife and culture as viewed from Jim’s Cottage Pub
Jim’s Cottage Pub is at the eastern end of the city of Melaka (Malacca), Malaysia, way past all the points of interest to tourists. Here, the barmaids are pretty much all past a certain age, wear miniskirts, drink and smoke with the customers, and don’t muck around with them. It’s strictly old-world convivial, where no […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis Book review: Timothy Hallinan’s ‘The Fourth Watcher’
Following up on his excellent novel A Nail Through the Heart, Timothy Hallinan’s The Fourth Watcher (2008, ISBN 978-0-06-125726-1) is a continuation of the ongoing saga of travel writer Poke Rafferty and his family, ex- bar girl Rose, and adopted daughter Miaow. Hallinan is rapidly becoming a fixture in the Bangkok Fiction genre, whose prosaic […]
Read the rest of this entry »Massage parlors for men in Vietnam: the good, the bad, and the ugly
Vietnamese streetside massage shops offer everything from foot massage to manual stimulation, but do not offer full service, in sexual terms. Read on, as our handy guide will help you to navigate this labyrinth of services and to get what you’re paying for. The good Streetside stall massage shops typically offer body, face, and foot […]
Read the rest of this entry »
