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Borneo Traditional Ethnic Medicinal Plants

The ethnic tribes; Sungei, Rungus, Murut, Kadazendusun, Bajau & Bisaya here in north Borneo, in the state of Sabah, (Malaysian side as opposed to the Indonesian side), I find there is an overwhelming display of tradition medicinal plants to be exposed to, a lot of them I have never heard of before even in their English names. In Kota Kinabalu, there is a wonderful museum that displays these plants and various tribal information also. I am off for 5 nights tomorrow staying in two different places to explore some of the more rural areas of the land here over-nighting in places they call "homestays" where you are taken in by the local people and they show you around places a bit out of the way and off the beaten track from the tourist trade. I am also going to be introduced to more local foods. The rice harvest festival is next weekend and I will be back in KK for that so will get to see a lot of the indigenous people wearing their full regatta clothing in real life, not just wearing them at the expensive to get into "cultural centers" here...so I lucked out on that one! It only happens once a year! Then Mount Kinabalu looms overhead as I trek into the mountainous areas of this green expanse of Borneo...TBC!






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