Lenggong, Malaysia: Shortly after stepping off the bus in the small mountain town I stood enjoying an Asian pear taking in the scene. A flow of school children dressed in white and Muslim women with pastel head coverings swirled through the bus station, examining me with a hint hesitation until we exchanged smiles—a pleasant indication that I was off the gringo trial. Out of this mix a figure appeared that didn’t fit with the rest, even with deeply tanned skin his European dependence was apparent—must be my host. Ladia, a blue-eyed flurry of dreads, energetically scooted up and extended a warm welcome cloaked in a Czech accent, quickly followed by a question—“how mechanical are you?”
“What do you need?” I replied between my final bites of pear, wondering where this was going.
“Here’s the thing” he said pointing to a landslide cut out of the jungle on a hillside overlooking the town a good distance away. “We live just below there, it’s a long ways away, and yesterday the gasket in my car’s engine broke…can you fix it?”
My answer took little contemplation, “No.”
“Ok never mind, never mind, we take the motorbike. Come, let’s get some coffee.”
He ushered me to a Chinese food stall where I sat drinking coffee and exchanging curious looks with the other patrons as Ladia ran around town grabbing a few final supplies. When he returned we made our way to the noble steed tasked with taking us up the hill: a haggard old motor bike with barely enough room for two—this was going to be interesting. We strategically stacked two backpacks, groceries, 10 gallons of gas and ourselves over the thin tires and we were off—right out on to the highway. Popping gears the overburden bike reluctantly gained speed up the gradual hill. Holding on to Ladia’s shoulders my ass hung off the back of the whining bike as traffic sped near our flank. To my western risk assessment the helmet on my head didn’t exactly safeguard me against the potential threats at hand, but worry is counterproductive in such a situation so I directed my attention to the foreign landscape.
Our transport
After a kilometer on the highway we took a hard right during a gap in traffic, crossing all the lanes at full throttle for momentum to carry us up the steep drive heading off perpendicularly into the jungle. Leaving the flats the bike started the ascent aggressively, bumping and jumping though gravel filled potholes, but the additional strain of the grade got the best of it in time. Despite the addition of Ladia’s leg power pushing us forward, the stressed engine died as we crested the first climb. The farm was still a long ways up so it was clear we needed to rethink our approach. Ladia suggested I walk and he’d take the bags up and return for me shortly—no problem I replied, eager to be off the bike.
“Just keep following the road up…” Ladia instructed riding away, before turning the corner out of sight he called back “…and if you see an elephant or tiger, just let it be.”
Welcome to Permaculture Perak!
The farmhouse and kelong
Though they are a fairly common sight emerging out of the old growth rainforest that surrounds the farm, the tigers, elephants and I, to my dismay, never crossed paths. I spent about a week on the farm (a tea plantation of yesteryears which the jungle has largely reclaimed) which sits halfway up a steep rise overlooking Lenggong town and the Perak River valley. A rough dirt road which becomes impassible after heavy rains is the only way in and out unless you are willing to bushwhack through the jungle, making it an ideal setting for an experiment in self-reliance. Ladia and his partner Hana, both Czech natives, have spent the past three years on the site seeking just that. Heavily influenced by the documentary series Zeitgeist (which I HIGHLY recommend to anyone unfamiliar) the couple is attempting to establish systems that provide an abundance of the ingredients for well-being in life, for themselves and their guests, without a price tag. While this might sound off the wall I would support you in seeing the movie series to better understand the ideological foundation (which I believe is not without flaws but has great merit) before passing judgment. (Watch all three for free at: http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/).
Sorghum processing--this grain can be substituted for wheat in most applications. Compared to wheat it needs far less water, is easier to grow, produces greater yields and has less gluten...sweet, eh!
One of the experiments in aquaculture on the farm.
By any metric the farm is a long way from attaining this goal, but I have the utmost respect for their courage in seeking to explore and exemplify a radical alternative—radical meaning an alternative that strives to get at the root of the problem without compromise. Ladia and Hana are seekers of the sort that seem all too rare in this world—those unwilling to take others truth as their reality without serious examination, causing them take a fresh look at the world and the full range possibilities at hand to try something truly new. As Einstein defined it “insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” We’ve been living in the comfort of our insanity for entirely too long.
Homemade micro-hydro power generation
The nursery--stacking on another function by growing crawling cucurbits on a ceiling mesh.
Ladia the jungle elf
The Permaculture Perak Farm is not the alternative it is simply an alternative, offering pieces to the bigger puzzle. Ladia is an expert generalist, DIY enthusiast on subjects ranging from generating energy to growing food, to healing yourself or altering your consciousness. Beyond attempting to create a thriving existence outside of the current monetary system, he is very much trying to explore the outer limits of what is generally considered possible. His approach is functional not flash, driven by a tireless imagination that asks not why but why not do it differently—in this regard he taught me much. During my visit stimulating conversation and debate with the wacky crew on the farm was constant, which greatly expanded my knowledge of the true nature of the world, honing my understanding of the role I’m here to play.
Check out the project: https://sites.google.com/site/permacultureperak/home
Check out the project: https://sites.google.com/site/permacultureperak/home
My boy Billy--chief of the goats
Pineapple in progress
My scrap-wood bee box
Complete with combs
Ladia and Hana
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