Shrubby Dillenia ( Dillenia suffruticosa)

Feeling slightly better today, I decided to have a walk around the farm. The rashes that developed over my body slowly disappeared and my body temperature has subsided and returned to normal. According to the good doctor I was suffering from a viral infection which is self-eliminating. Feeling upbeat, I took shots of the Shrubby Dillenia or what we call here as 'Simpoh Air' ( Dillenia suffruticosa) that grows abundantly at my farm. The 'Simpoh Air' is indeed a suitable tree to plant along streams and near houses.

The red fruits are attractive to birds and are enclosed in several segments.

The large yellow flowers look brilliant in the sun. The thick broad and oval-shaped leaves are used to wrap food or to ferment rice like in the local delicacy called 'Tapai'. The young leaves are eaten raw as salad.

Ong Balem

When I arrived at my farm last week, I noticed the huge  'Balem' tree ( Mangifera pajang) bearing tiny fruits at the very tips of the branches. This is the first time I see the tree producing fruits.  This tree could have been here for about 50 years now judging from its height and size.  It's indeed very difficult to see them in the wild these days because forests keep on disappearing. In the picture (inset) is a close up of the Balem fruit with its thick skin peeled.  To eat it you need to slice the flesh into small pieces.

I am looking forward to see the tiny fruits grow big and will blog about it as and when necessary.

The Balem tree is about 25 meters high.  Note the tiny fruits at the tip of branches.

This is how big the fruits will grow when ripe.  Among the Ibans the Balem fruit is called 'Bambangan'

A Day by the Beach

It has been a while since I have not update any pictures here.  The reason is that I was very busy in Kuching for the last month.  However I'm back and wish to make up for lost time.  Since I arrived Bintulu on the 7th of June I fell ill and just felt better today.  There again, my computer got into problems because of a faulty power pin which needed replacement parts from outside Bintulu.  That problem got solved by late afternoon.  Before I picked up the notebook, I went to see Pantai Temasya  or the Tanjung Batu Beach, just 10 minutes drive from Bintulu Town centre.  I thought by spending an afternoon by the beach would help me further recuperate from my illness which was caused by a fall when I climbed the slopes to gather some fruits last Friday at the farm. Well all's well that ends well.  Below are pictures that I took at Pantai Temasya ( Temasya Beach, Tg. Batu)

View of Pantai Temasya shoreline from the northern point of  the beach.

Tall Carpentaria Palms ( Carpentaria acuminata) line up this footpath at the lush greenery environment within the beach landscaped areas.

This is where all cars that enter the beach area make their turns.  The park  at the Temasya Beach is richly planted with trees.  Here tall casuarina trees ( Casuarina equisitifolia) dwarf the coconut palms below.

Bintulu in Yellow Flames

It has been a week since I've been back in Bintulu where the weather has been very dry, sunny and hot. I guess this distinct dry weather has stimulated the Yellow Flame trees here to flower gregariously. That was the scene when I went around the town today.

Lines of Yellow Flame ( Peltophorum pterocarpum) trees that were mainly planted about 20 years ago were in full flower. Yellow Flame trees are tall, some reaching 20 m high. They are ideal for roadsides because of their spreading crown which provide much shade and beauty . The Yellow Flame tree is native to Malaysia and that means Bintulu too. Sometimes locals call them ' Batai Laut'. They love the coastal areas and are somewhat deciduous in habit. New shoots begin to develop about a week after the leaves have fallen.
The inflorescence's are terminal on the new shoots and are panicles of large, bright yellow flowers.

They are fast growing but can also be grown as an instant tree if you wish to enjoy its shade and beauty sooner. These trees are better planted in big open spaces and I don't encourage it to be planted in residential premises for the main reason that its adventurous roots can choke up underground services. They are easily grown from seeds. I understand that the bark of the tree can be used to make dye by batik makers especially on the Indonesian island of Java.

Licuala Palm ( Licuala spinosa)

Walking below the jungle canopy behind my chalet, I checked on my collection of the Licuala Palm.Licualas are important for the locals here because the leaves are used to thatch sleeping mats, sun hats or to wrap food. They are native to Borneo and therefore Bintulu.

Licualas can reach 4 meters high. The leaves are borne from a long stalk. The Licuala stem is very short and mostly hidden in the thick humus rich environment of the tropical rain forest like ours here. They prefer filtered light and do not grow well in a potty environment. I've tried many times to grow them in pots but to utter failure. The best policy would then be to leave them in peace on the jungle floor where they truly belong.

Unripe seeds of the Licuala Palm
Finally what a field day when I saw a Licuala clump ( unfortunately being hit by a fallen tree trunk) with a bunch of unripe Licuala seeds . Guess I'll use them for germination later.

Call to Prayer

The Bintulu mosque, Masjid Daerah Bintulu - circa 1920

Yesterday I went to Masjid Daerah Bintulu to perform my Friday prayers. After that I took pictures of the 'Beduk' which is a big drum made of wood and goatskin. In the good old days, the drum would be sounded five times a day to call Muslim to prayers. Nowadays, people use loudspeakers and microphone to amplify the call to prayers or 'Azan' over the PA system.

Observe the very top picture. On both towers is faintly shown the 'Beduk' which is the same as above. As a young kid I used to climb the tower and hit the 'Beduk' in successive drumming and tempo at the point of 'Azan' to indicate prayer time. It is my fervent hope that this instrument will forever be kept as a historical relic by the Bintulu mosque authority.

Menara Kidurong

Here's another view of the iconic building belonging to the Bintulu Port Authority. Called the 'Menara Kidurong', it is designed in the form of a huge ship. Bintulu Port Authority undertakes the operation of the Bintulu Port through another sister company called the Bintulu Port Sdn Bhd.