Friday, January 4, 2008

"Tamu" at Kota Belud

Bites Tale : As we were leaving the tamu, someone snapped a picture of us... it was him, he was there to give me a surprise.. but we couldn't stay long... so it was like less than a minute for us to say goodbye before i hopped on to the car again...

I know i have been neglecting my blog. Didn't do it intentionally, am busy with work for the past few days. I'll start blogging about the December trip from now on.. i think i'll be using about 8 - 10 entries on the whole trip, hope i won't bored you.

We meet up with the 2 guides and the driver at 8am on 9th December 2007 and "officially" started our whole driving trip across some of the tourist spots in Sabah.

Our 1st stop was the "Tamu" i.e. open market at Kota Belud. According to our guide, the word "Tamu" actually means "meeting place". During history time, due to the lack of transport facilities and in order for the different tribes / natives to be able to buy and sell or to barter trade necessities such as farm products, hardwares and food, they decided to "gather" at a specific venue on a specific day of the week. This activity is still a practice for the local natives and the Sunday "Tamu" at Kota Belud is among the most famous one in Sabah.

Kota Belud is located at the northeast of Kota Kinabalu and we reached Kota Belud in just a little over 1 hour by using the Sepanggar-Sulaman-Kota Belud highway. We passed through paddy fields, villages and not forgetting lots of buffalo along the way.

Kota Belud itself is a rural town and the home of one of the local native tribes called "Bajau" who are popularly known as "The Cowboys of the East" or "Sabah's Cowboys" for their "expertise" in handling horses.

You'll see lots of local fruits, homemade food and delicacies, honey, handicrafts and some plants that i don't know the name of to which they claimed the plants are of traditional medicines or for protection purposes.

Pic : Some branch/wood that the natives use to cure sickness & protect themselves from fierce animal

There are also salted fishes and fresh fishes that are "displayed" in a very shocking way.

Pic : These were just put in the middle of the walkway, we need to watch out so we won't step on them

And not forgetting pots, pans and electrical goods, rattan baskets... they even sell handicrafts knifes.

Pic : These are really nice

Pity that it was raining that morning, if not, we may be able to spend a longer time there browsing through the stalls and might be lucky to see those Bajau men in their traditional costume in parade or even witness how they auction buffalo to the highest bidder.

















Pic : These are all the snacks i bring along with me for the trip!



6 comments:

levian said...

they auction buffaloes ?? *curious*

meatball online said...

yes, they do!

levian said...

wow !! like how ?? they auction the buffaloes alive or dead ?? *very curious*

meatball online said...

alive of cos, they normally auction the buffalo to bring back and help to farm..

do u know that the natives still ask for 2 buffalo as mas kahwin?

jam said...

I had been to KK once and the Sunday Market there is just magnificent!

meatball online said...

jam, ya.. i must say sunday market it's fun to go... u went to the one at Gaya street?