Dayak folk endure travel rush, challenges for Gawai festival

Source: Borneo Post Online

KUCHING (May 30): The hometown rush for the Gawai Dayak festival has just begun, with some seen struggling for availability of bus tickets and having to cope with the surging bus fares during the peak season.

Vanessia Dora Ramon Ulak, 18, in her anticipation to return home for the Gawai festival, hoped that she could get hold of three bus tickets to Kapit - for herself, her mother and sister.

"It has been two years since I left my 'kampung'. I could not go back last year due to extra classes during the holiday, so I am excited to return this year," she said when met at Kuching Sentral bus terminal here yesterday.

"We are having trouble getting our bus tickets because we did not book in advance," Vanessia said, adding that her mother and sister had just arrived here from Kapit to accompany her home, following the release of her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) results.

Edah Ngelayan and husband Robert Jaul, meanwhile, hoped that they could get their hands on bus tickets to return to their hometown in Bintulu.

"Since our car is currently being repaired, we hope to try our luck if we can get the tickets to return home to Kampung Jelutong.

"Moreover, our two daughters have never had such experience travelling in a bus," said the couple.

After a much anticipated wait, the couple was later informed that the tickets to Bintulu had all been sold out, thus, leaving them with no choice but to wait to get their car repaired in another few days' time.

Payah Jam, 62, and her husband, however, had bought their airline and bus tickets in advance.

Payah admitted that she was rather hesitant to return home for the festival due to the increase in flight and bus fares.

"I thought about it for quite some time and decided to return to meet my parents," she said, adding that she and her husband paid a total of RM1,420 for a one-way flight ticket from Johor to Kuching.

"The bus fare for Kuching to Sibu for both of us cost RM139.99. Upon arriving in Sibu, I need to take the boat to my 'kampung' and that will cost another RM600 for the gas," she elaborated.

This, she said, posed a challenge for them as they had not bought anything to bring home for the Gawai celebration yet.