With the weather now settled, we had a very enjoyable run across to Kalimantan. The sea had calmed down and although the wind blew, it was extremely comfortable. This was perhaps our best passage to date. When crossing the shipping lane, trusty AIS served us well again. (Thanks Joao Mendes - Yacht Mahi Mahi!!) One incident that caught our attention was when a huge tanker went by us, some 3 miles away. On passing us, it made a U-turn and came back on its track. Here we were in the middle of the ocean with a tanker making a U-turn in a shipping lane! I got on the radio and called them up, asking why they had changed course so drastically. I got a reply that they were testing their rudders and that everything was ok. We was kind of surprised by the maneuver? About 15 minutes later, what sounded like the captain of the tanker, called us up. He confirmed that they were carrying out a turning maneuver and that they were now going to turn again and proceed on their course south. Obviously he noted our concern and just called to put our minds at rest! I thanked him and we continued on our voyage east.
More visitors outside Kumai
The Kumai River
We closed in on the Kumai River at about 3pm the next day. Being late in the afternoon, we decided to anchor off the coast and enter the river the next morning. The coast line here is shallow and the shallow depth of 6 meters extends some 4 miles out off the coast. Getting close in to the shore line is not always possible, especially if you do not know the area! We dropped anchor about 3 miles off the coast in 5 meters of water. True to form, within 30 minutes we were hit by a squall. Poor Shayile went on her roller coaster ride again and it became very uncomfortable. Not again! Looking up, we saw many fishing boats heading in towards the shore. Obviously there must have been some kind of village there and the boats were all heading in that direction. With that, we decided to follow the fishing boats in, relying on their local knowledge to keep us out of any trouble. With Maxsea, I had a track to get out, not having to rely on any guidance should we decide to up and leave at any time! I tucked in behind one of the boats and in we went. Sure enough, ahead we saw a village and many small fishing boats anchored off. We finally dropped anchor in 3 meters of water, had the customary visitors, young prawn fishermen who we entertained and then went to bed! We were in Kalimantan, Borneo.
Next day we left early and motor sailed up the Kumai River. The water turned a dirty brown as we negotiated our way in. Perhaps the word "negotiate" is incorrect as the river is about 300 meters wide at its narrowest point! There are sand banks that need to be considered but, as we passed small coastal ships leaving the river, we figured Shayile was ok for depth! As we went further up the river, we entered a jungle environment. Lining the river were palm trees literally growing out of the water. Behind them were mangrove trees, with jungle extending inland from there. (It's interesting to note here, that having read cruising notes of other yachts having visited Kumai, the haze and smoke from extensive burning of the forests is so bad that visibility is sometimes down to less than a mile!) On the river, we passed barges and other coastal trading vessels, bring goods to Kumai and picking up what they could for further trade. For the first time we came across Bugis and Madura schooners used by the Indonesians as trading vessels. However with modern shipbuilding, these are losing popularity, but certainly are unique to Indonesia. As we approached the town of Kumai, we noticed small ships and other boats moored up alongside wharfs. It was not a big town, but the port must serve as a gateway to the interior with the amount of cargo coming and going. We dropped our anchor on the opposite side of the river, away from the port activities. Anchored not far from us was another yacht, the first we had seen since Singapore, but they left within a few hours of us arriving. We were in Kumai to see the town and, especially, the Orangutans. A few companies offered a guided service into the Tanjung Puting National Park and we needed to tee-up a tour. Within a few hours, we had 2 companies come out and talk us through their packages. That evening B and I decided on one company, going for a 3 day, 2 night tour. Total cost R2 800 for 3 days with 4 crew on a house boat with all meals and drinks, tours and park fees too! (+/- $100 each)
The main road of Kumai
Daniel at lunch in Kumai
As we had not officially stopped in Indonesia, or had the opportunity to draw money, we needed to do a few formalities first. The next morning we went ashore by dingy and stopped outside Harry's Yacht Services. (Love the name!) Waiting for us as Rudi, who was to be our guide into the National Park. He organised a taxi for us and soon we were heading out of town, on our way to Pangkalanbun, which had a bank and access to ATM's. (not even Kumai could offer the service!) We must have spent a few hours there, drawing money, buying a few necessary fruits and vegetables and even a souvenirs or 2. Daniel and I bought a huge knife! Jenna became the new owner of some takkies for jungle walking. We then returned to Kumai where we had lunch at, what appeared to be the best restaurant we could find, see picture above. After paying for our tour and dropping off our washing , much to B's delight, and went back to Shayile to prepare for the early morning start into the Tanjung Puting National Park.
Tanjung Puting National Park
The Orangutan rehabilitation centers at Tanjung Puting are like no other in Indonesia. Juvenile or orphaned orangutans are reintroduced into the wild at these centers. As the orangutans grow and learn to live in the wild, they spend longer and longer away from the camps. Many "cannot kick an old habit" and return periodically at feeding times! The increased destruction of the orangutans natural habitat due to logging, farming and mining, worsened by the fires, has made it even more difficult to fully rehabilitate these animals back into the wild.
Canadian researcher Dr Birute' Galdikas, known as "Ibu (mother) professor", began taking in orangutans in the early 1970's, assisted by the Leakey Foundation, the US philanthropic foundation which sponsors research on all great apes. Dr Galdikas properly knows more about orangutans than anyone. In her early days in Tanjung Puting, she would spend weeks tracking wild orangutans and was the first to document the birth interval for these apes, being about once every eight years. This on its own makes them vulnerable to extinction.
The park encompasses more than 305 000 hectares and is home to a vast variety of fauna and flora. It is home to crocodiles, hornbills, wild pigs, bear, cats, macaques, proboscis monkeys, gibbons, pythons and countless more. It is also a habitat for the dragon fish, an aquarium fish worth R700 each, highly sort after by collectors in SE Asia.
Visiting the Orangutans
At 8am the next morning, out Klotok arrived alongside Shayile with Rudi, a skipper, cook Juju and assistant Adi, They were all on board to make our trip into Tanjung as enjoyable and comfortable as possible. Included in the price was a "guard" who was left on Shayile to look after her whilst we were away. We loaded all our luggage on board and climbed onto the roof / deck of the klotok. It was rustic but very comfortable and spacious enough for all of us. At the rear end, (stern) was the toilet and shower which hung off the back! The skipper then started the old diesel engine and we motored on down the river. How wonderful it was to be relaxing whilst others did all the driving, navigating, cooking and cleaning! We pulled up a few cushions and prepared cameras and binoculars for the journey into the park. We turned off the main (Kumai) river and motored up a tributary. Lining the banks were the palm trees and mangroves mentioned earlier. The water was the colour of strong milk coffee, and littered with vegetation debris floating on down the river. As we got further up river, the vegetation lining the river slowly changed and we entered the jungle. It was great to just relax on the deck and look out at the scenery as it passed us by. I even managed to spot 2 small crocodiles on the river banks.
Jenna looking out for wild life
Fishermen, the dirty water and the palm trees!
On deck relaxing as we go up river
The toilet and shower "room"
After 2 hours, we turned off into an even smaller tributary which must have been 4 - 10 meters wide, the water now having changed to "dark tea without milk" colour, as the leaves and twigs lying on the river bed, slowly rotted and released the tea colour into the still river. Soon we came across our first troop of Proboscis Monkeys with their distinguishable long rubbery noses hanging down on their faces. They are also called Belunda or Dutch monkey because of their long red noses and big tummies. We stopped the klotok and spent 1/2 an hour watching them go about their business high up in the trees. As they slowly made their way further into the jungle, we went on up the river making our way to Camp Leakey, our first stop.
At Camp Leakey, we pulled up next to the jetty and tied up. After a very enjoyable lunch, it was time to go visit the camp and hopefully see a few Orangutans. We armed ourselves with cameras and mosquito lotion and set off along the suspended walk way towards the camp. As we entered camp Leakey, I was surprised by its rustic appearance. I did expect something a bit more "organised". Scattered in the bush were wooden dwellings with smaller storage huts close by. It had been there some time and appeared to need some maintenance. However I need to give a bit of slack here. For an Orangutan research center with, presumably, a tight budget and limited staff, it was an extremely well run establishment! As I got to learn more about the center and the wonderful people that work there, I discovered what an amazing facility this was, and how one women could make such an impact on the survival and research into the Orangutans in Kalimantan. We gathered together with Rudi outside one of the huts, casually chatting about the Orangutans and the "do's and don'ts" when encountering them. No sooner had we finished chatting, we heard something making its way through the trees above the camp. There, slowly and gracefully making its way towards us, was an Orangutan! The guides soon identified it as Chris, a rather lazy Orangutan that tends to hang around the camp looking for food. As it perched itself on a branch on the edge of the clearing, Rudi took out a few bananas and enticed Chris closer. It was really special to see this ape as he groped down towards Rudi's hand and slowly took a banana. Over the next 20 minutes, it remained there whilst Daniel and Jenna fed him bananas and watched him, almost human like, peel and eat them.
Daniel feeding Chris, whilst Jenna waits her turn
Junior at the feeding platform
You may ask, are these Orangutans truly wild, and the answer is yes. Being a facility for the released of rehabilitated Orangutans, and a facility where these apes can be studied in their natural vegetation, it is no zoo. Every Orangutan lives out in the jungle. However, only differing from human DNA by 4%, they are clever creatures. For weeks on end they will wander through the jungle going about finding food and company, and then they will return to Camp Leakey, almost "checking in" and getting a bit of "free food." Then they are off again, sometimes not spotted for months on end. It is for this reason that seeing Orangutans in the Tanjung Puting Park is certainly nor guaranteed! The feeding that takes place at Camp Leakey, (and the other camps) is purely a supplement to relieve stress on the released animals and is NOT a means of keeping them alive and sheltered.
Each afternoon at 2pm, a whole stack of bananas are taken into the jungle and dumped onto a feeding platform. Then the rangers go about making loud calls to alert the nearby animals. Those Orangutans in the area will come down from the trees and feed. It was here that we would see them feeding, that is if there were any in the area! We made our way through the jungle for about 2km's on route to the feeding platform. As we approached the clearing, in the path ahead was an Orangutan with a baby on its back, slowly making its way along the path with all of us towards the platform! It was quite unperturbed by our presence behind it and just ambled on towards her afternoon snack. Her name was Princess and is, perhaps one of the most well known Orangutans in Tanjung Puting. She was raised in the park at the same time as Dr Birute' Galdikas's own son. She bonded with one of the Researchers and he taught Princess sign language to communicate with, and she now knows over thirty signs. Princess is about 30 and has had 5 babies. An orangutan baby is never physically separated from its mother for the first 6 months of its life, and then continues to live with its mother for the next 8 years. They are weaned at about 7 years and have to leave and fend for themselves when the next baby arrives, usually at age 8 after the mother produces a new offspring in a leafy nest high in a tree. An orangutan pregnancy lasts 9 months. As Princess ambled in with her little furry orange scrap, (+ 4 months old) draped across her shoulders, her 8 year son, Percy, grabbed a bunch of bananas and ran over to give them to his mother and little sister. It was a very sweet and touching sight. After a little cuddle, Princess shambled over to where all us tourists sat on rustic benches and she climbed up next to us and enjoyed her bananas. Amazing and we were all thrilled at her nonchalance.
Blowing B a kiss!!
Pondering, after a good feed of bananas
We all sat around under the trees and watched as the Orangutans as they slowly made their way out of the trees and down to the feeding platform for bananas. We must have spent 2 hours there just watching the antics of these magnificent creatures. Almost human like they eat, interact and groom themselves, certainly with no concept of time or pace at which to do things! After a while, it began to rain and the Orangutans took the necessary action and made umbrellas! We laughed and laughed, as each one of them picked some vegetation, made themselves an umbrella and sat out the rain up in the trees! After an entertaining afternoon watching the Orangutans, we returned to Camp Leakey and then back to our Klotok for sundowners and dinner. It was a memorable day in the jungle observing these incredible human like apes in their natural vegetation.
An Orangutan umbrella!!
Daniels umbrella hat
The Klotok motored down river for about 1km and there we anchored up for the night. Te meals on board were excellent and Juju did a fine job each meal time in preparing something that the whole family tucked into and enjoyed. We all sat around and chatted and then climbed into our tent of a mozzie net, where our beds had been prepared for us. We were still on the upper deck and great to be out in the open, amongst the jungle and its creatures. Thank goodness for the mozzie net as they dive bombed the net trying to get in! After reading books, we all fell asleep exhausted after a full days activities.
Next day we went back to Camp Leakey and there we picked up a guide who would take us trekking into the jungle. The four of us, Rudi and the guide set off on what was quite an epic walk! Unfortunately with the guide not able to speak English, we battled to communicate and gather information on the jungle around us. However it was still very interesting and we stopped many times to admire trees, look for Orangutans, examine Tarantula holes in the ground and explore off the track. It was very humid and wet in the jungle which made going tiring. After 3 hours, Daniel started to loose his sense of humour. It came to a head when he slipped on the path and fell, right onto a gathering of Fire Ants!! They bit into him and the poor guy went crazy trying to get rid of them. We all came to his rescue, but the damage was done and he wanted out of the rain forest! At that moment I looked down towards my foot, only to see a leach had attached itself to my ankle! I had not felt the little blighter at all and it had attached itself through my sock. We got rid of it but then the blood flowed from the wound where the leach had been busy. They release an anti-coagulant when sucking and this prevents blood clotting. With that, the bleeding continues for quite some time, perhaps an hour or more! Rudi decided to "fix" the problem and took tobacco, put it into a band aid and stuck it over the wound. He told me this would stop the bleeding. Now whether this was some ancient, traditional medication for leach bits, or bit of "Crocodile Dundee / Let me trick the guests into believing I know this traditional medication"; I have no idea. It did not work and the bleeding continued for over an hour!!
"Kate Moss" and Daniel taking a break in the jungle
Our guide, B, Jenna and Daniel under a Buttress Tree
We arrived back in Camp Leakey much to the joy of Daniel. We did a look around the information center which had many fascinating articles and information on Orangutans, the jungle, its destruction and ongoing support to keep the Orangutan project going successfully.
After lunch which we enjoyed back on our Klotok, we went back into Camp Leakey to watch the afternoon feed in the jungle. However it poured down with rain and the feed was cancelled. Although disappointing, we had an entertaining afternoon in Camp Leakey watching a few Orangutans make their way through the camp. Chris was in a bad mood! He wanted food and the rangers refused to feed him in the camp. It was like a kid performing as he threw his toys out the cot. Within 20 minutes he had virtually destroyed a 8 meter high tress, ripping all its branches off and pulling down the vines that grew up its trunk. It was amazing to watch the strength as he ripped the branches to shreds. Next to visit the camp was Kosasi, a legend male Orangutan that featured in a documentary on the National Geographic program. He was found in a loggers camp and brought to Camp Leakey. Still very young, he wandered off into the jungle and everyone thought that was the end of him. However, months later he reappeared at Camp Leakey and, over time, developed into a dominant male Orangutan. When Julia Roberts visited Tanjung Puting, Kosasi was there and even tried to give her a big hug, which caused a fiasco as rangers tried to step in and assist Julia! Although a dominant male in the jungle for years, poor Kosasi had been ousted by Tom, a younger dominant male, and now Kosasi was on his own. He was a huge ape, but looking a bit tatty from numerous fights in the jungle. Seeking sanctuary, he visits Camp Leakey every so after, looking for a meal. After many hours of enjoying the Orangutans, we left Camp Leakey and returned to our Klotok. Again we motored on down the river and anchored up for the night. The 4 of us enjoyed a great dinner and then all climbed into our mozzie net tent and chatted away about the day and the sights we had seen.
The kitchen and chefs on our Klotok
Jenna asleep in our mozzie tent bed
Waking up to our last day in the park, we motored on down to Camp Two. After breakfast, we went ashore and back into the jungle for the morning feed. Unfortunately we just had one male Orangutan came down for food. Although perhaps disappointing for eager camera clad tourists, it is great news for the rangers. With no Orangutans visiting the feeding platforms, it meant that there was ample food in the jungle and that there was no need for the local Orangutans to supplement their diet with bananas! We left Camp Two and an hour down stream, we pulled up outside a village. We disembarked and, with Rudi showing us the way, we meandered through the village, meeting the people, taking a few pictures and just taking in the way of life of these villages. A few worked for the Orangutan Foundation, whilst most were farmers and fishermen. What caught our attention, (and has throughout the parts of Indonesia that we have so far visited) is the happiness and seemingly contentment with their way of life. Us westerners may question their basic, almost hand to mouth existence, wondering how they get fulfillment from their day to day living. Words like "ambition" and "growth" and "careers" seem to not exist! Without living their way of life, we may not know. I'm sure there are other dynamics that put stress and pressure on their daily lives but, they just seem so content!!
After the village it was off to our last camp for the afternoon feed. Again not a big turn out of Orangutans but we sat around quietly and watched those few come down for an afternoon feed. I could sit for hours on end watching these fascinating apes go about eating, grooming, interacting and climbing. They each have individual personalities with each one almost reminding you of someone you know based on their interaction with others or perhaps their shy way as they move about in the jungle!
With the last feed at Camp Three, we returned to our Klotok and headed for home. Our venture into the park had been a "once in a lifetime" adventure and one we will never forget! How fortunate Daniel and Jenna are to having witnessed these wonderful apes, the Orangutans, in their natural habits. With pessimism, I wonder if Daniel and Jenna would be able to give their children the same adventure. With the demise of the rain forests and jungles in Borneo and Sumatra, the future for Orangutans looks bleak.
A village house built on stilts
Village children making a fish trap
We returned to Kumai late that afternoon and boarded Shayile. All was well with her and, although looking very dirty around the hull due to the water, she was in high spirits and welcome us home!
With not much else to see in Kumai, we stayed on a further 2 days exploring the town and buying a few provisions for the next leg of our journey. B and I left Dan and Jenna on Shayile and went into the market one morning. We had a very interesting time walking around visiting the vendors trading their wares on small tables and even on the floor. B managed to find most the fruit and vegetables required for the next leg through to Banjarmasin, but we decided to return again in the afternoon with Daniel and Jenna. After lunch we did return and, again wandered through the market (Pasar) with Daniel and Jenna in tow. Jenna was a hit and everyone wanted to touch her and have a photo taken. Most people have cell phones with a camera facility, so poor Jenna was harassed to within an inch of her life, whilst folks took pictures of her! An interesting feature within the town of Kumai is the "apartment blocks" designed for birds! Yes, the local Chinese have a thriving business, using these specially designed apartments for birds to nest in. Swallows, thousands of them, nest in the apartments and the owners then harvest the nests, which are then exported to China. There they are apparently used to make bird nest soup! We never indulged in any but we did buy 1kg of prawns for R20, but paid R8 for a pineapple!! After walking every alley and walk way, we eventually returned to Shayile for a feast. Myself and Dan got busy cleaning the prawns whilst B and Jenna prepared garlic butter. The 1kg of prawns hardly went the distance as we tucked into them like starved nomads! With supplies, full water and lots of diesel, we were ready to leave Kumai. With strong tidal currents in the river, we had to time our exit with a falling tide. Next morning we left the anchorage in Kumai as the tide was going out and made our way down to the mouth of the Kumai river. We anchored up in a protected bay and spent the rest of the day schooling and relaxing. The plan was to start early the next morning, timing it that we would arrive in Banjarmasin mid day or perhaps later the next afternoon.
Traders at the market in Kumai
Banjarmasin
The leg from Kumai to Banjarmasin, along the Kalimantan southern coast was pleasant enough and with the wind from behind, we even flew the spinnaker. Unfortunately we also had to motor a fair bit of the way as the wind died completely. The only advantage to motoring on calm seas is I get to enjoy my sleep. With the therapeutic humming and vibrating engines, I feel quite comfortable and sleep is a pleasure. 30 hours later we arrived at the entrance to the Barito River. Banjarmasin is not a place visited by many yachts and we have yet to meet anyone who has been there. Guide books hardly mention the place but those that did had interesting reports on how it was the "Venice of the East". With its waterways and floating markets, we thought it would be an interesting place to visit, nothing like anything we had seen before. Besides that, it was not too far off the route to Bali. So with no guidelines on what to expect or where to go, we approached the channel leading up the river. First surprise was the number of ships anchored just outside the channel. There must have been no fewer than 30 large ships all at anchor. Fortunately we timed it just right as the tide started to push. This would assist us up the river. Unfortunately every other vessel using the river had the same plan! As we entered the channel, tugs towing barges and ships of all kind converged on the channel. Worse still, the "rules of the road" did not apply! (International rules there to assist ship movements and the instructions necessary for safe passage at sea.) Here it was free for all! Worse still, it made the Singapore straits look like a back road. I saw a barge up ahead and tucked in behind it, figuring we were safe from traffic heading down river. Up ahead, we saw a "traffic jam". With the tide pushing but not full enough for many of the large barges and ships, a few barges had run aground. This posed no real concern to them and they just sat it out waiting for the tide to fill and carry them off the sand! At this stage, we pulled out of the lane and made our way across to shallow waters. Here we would be safe from the traffic. With our draft of only 1 meter, Shayile would have sufficient water under her keels. I have to admit it was nerve racking business and both B and I commented that this was not for the feint hearted, perhaps reason why so few yachts actually visited Banjarmasin! Hopefully it would be worth the stress and effort. About 2 hours later, we entered the river mouth. It was a huge river, even bigger than the Kumai river and must have been 600 meters to 1 km wide. It was chocolate coloured water with vegetation and other debris everywhere! I was even apprehensive about the engines cooling system being clogged up with debris. As we motored on in, I clung to the left hand bank, staying well away from the traffic. We were shocked to see how the barges swung out, as the tidal current pushed them out from behind the barges towing them. Getting in the way would be a disaster! Although the traffic stayed with us, the scenery improved and soon we were looking out onto paddy fields and small villages lining the river banks. Everyone was waving at us, calling out greetings and smiling from ear to ear. Another indication that yachts are hardly seen??!
Tugs pulling massive barges up the river
Rural villages on the Barito River (Banjarmasin)
4 hours after entering the channel, we approached what appeared to be the beginning of the city of Banjarmasin. Up ahead were huge barges anchored in the middle of the river, tugs were moving about and an assortment of ships and other boats were going about their business. Our first plan was to try check in. We had now been in Indonesia for 5 weeks without being able to check into the country. Although it gave us an additional months stay in Indonesia, (3 month visa + the one month where we did not check in) we felt we were starting to push our luck and questions may be asked as to why we took so on to check in. Identifying the river junction ahead where we were to turn off out of the main river, we angled towards it. Going on the crude charts and outdated information we had, it was up this tributary that customs and immigration were located. We turned into the small channel and motored through one of the most fascinating housing establishments we had ever seen. Lining both sides of the river were hundreds of houses all built on stilts and interlinked by wooden walkways. Some of the houses, and even shops, were actually floating on huge rafts made up of bamboo poles and what appeared to be reed. With this river / channel only about 10 to 30 meters wide, we had to pick our way through, avoiding the shallow inside banks. We marveled at the surroundings. Small river craft zoomed up and down, kids played in the river, and everyone waved to us! We motored past floating hardware stores, general dealers, motor mechanics, mosques and schools. It was an amazing sight and we snapped happily away with our cameras. Unfortunately we were also entering logging territory and soon we came across a huge saw mill where, outside, there were hundreds of logs floating about outside. Barges were off loading huge logs, freshly cut and ready for the saw mill. This was just the beginning and we were to see a lot more. Soon we came to an "intersection" where up ahead there appeared to be a harbour where small boats were tied up. Close by was the customs building, but there appeared to be no life at all. A bunch of guys on boats tied up along side, called us over, showing us where to tie up. I steered Shayile alongside and we tied up to a boat. No sooner were we secure when no fewer than 8 guys descended on Shayile, all very cheerful and friendly. I did my best to get some information on customs and immigration, only to be told "besok." (tomorrow) They were obviously closed for business. Not keen to remain in a harbour environment, tied up alongside trading boats, we motored back out into the main river and found a spot on the opposite bank, as much away from the hustle and bustle of the barges and ships. We were in Banjarmasin and this place was a hive of activity.
Dan & Jenna with the ladies at customs
Kids at the Water Police station
The following day, we needed to get the checking in procedures over and done with. Daniel, Jenna and I climbed into the ducky. Whilst B stayed behind on Shayile, we sped across the river towards the customs building. Tie-ing up, we went ashore and were soon given directions on where to check in. In all it must have taken us 3 hours to complete procedures at customs and immigration. Again Jenna was a hit and everyone wanted a photo of her. Taking kids to these official offices has a distinct advantage at times. Daniel and Jenna get pampered and whole checking in procedures seem to go off a lot smoother! The staff were friendly and insisted on taking 300 photos of the kids! Once done, we left and walked a short distance down the road to the local police station. I was instructed to go there to get permission and advice on where best to anchor for the night. 150 more photos, and advice to go to the Water Police on the main river. We eventually turned to Shayile and motored down the river to the Water Police. A few formalities there and they told us to anchor directly off their offices. (which were right on the river) I did feel kind of exposed with barges and other vessels passing close by in both direction, but we were told it would be ok?! With Shayile "safely" anchored off a police station, we took the opportunity to go exploring on the rubber duck. We needed to take a closer look at all the floating houses ands waterways. With cameras in hand, we set off and motored down a channel, lined with houses. It turned into an unbelievable experience, one of those travel moments that exposes you to something never seen before! Puttering along slowly we were able to take pictures, wave to the local folk and stop off when we saw something interesting. For 2 hours we motored and were awe struck by the way of life, the daily existence in an environment so foreign to anything we had previously seen on our travels. We returned to Shayile later in the afternoon, and chatted away over a cup of coffee on the whole experience.
B: I was amazed at the amount of bathing, washing and even teeth brushing that went on in the muddy river. Men in underpants and women in sarongs stood and sat on little platforms, kind of staircases at different levels for different tidal conditions, and scooped water over their heads with long handled bowls. Apparently the Indonesians just don't 'see' each other at times like these, also very few women had their heads covered and very few men wore skullcaps. Children swam around, some with nifty armbands and 'pool-type' floatation toys then were soaped down and dried off. All this took place just before sundown and before the mosquito's made their appearance. The amounts of brightly coloured laundry was boggling, virtually every house was adorned with batik cloth and clothing, sheets and shirts. We had already been exposed to the men's habit of washing their large underpants and leaving them to dry in prominent sunny places whilst in Kumai. Now I understood the reason - they are worn to wash in! We also chatted to a guy who was washing his beautiful but scarred and battle-worn fighting cock. We were invited into lots of homes but decided just to chat and wave from the dingy and were carried along by a wave of excited children. It was wonderful just seeing, smiling and waving with no-one asking us for anything. We were never refused when we asked permission to take photo's, in fact most people insisted that they were photographed. Incredible that people who live in 'wooden crates' in swarms of mosquitoes with no privacy and on top of each other, could be so happy and colourful. We loved it, very uplifting!
Houses lining the river
Happy folk, washing themselves and their clothes
Local trading store on stilts
Welcoming committee in Banjarmasin!
Unfortunately we were in for another "night from hell!" I went off to bed apprehensive about our position in the river, and the amount of traffic that was passing. I could not sleep, and jumped up every 10 minutes as barges passed by. Soon there were "maneuvers" of barges close by, with tugs puling the barges in all directions. With that on the go, there were other ships and barges passing us and the maneuvering barges. It was unsettling and should one of those barges misjudge the current or a small turn, we would be side swiped and destroyed. I was not happy and after one particularly close shave, told B we needed to move closer to the police station and away from the traffic lane! Next problem was the wind, current and lack of depth the closer we got to the police station. We must have anchored no fewer than 15 times, trying to get Shayile into the best position possible, away from the traffic but safe from not swinging onto land! Eventually I pulled out our stern anchor and dropped that astern, with our primary anchor up front. With 4 meters of water under us, we were safe for 5 hours, before the tide would chase us further out into deeper water. With the remainder of the night disturbed by broken sleep, and the tide now going out, we awoke at 4.30am and moved Shayile into deeper water. Not a good night at all.
Something we were keen to see was the floating market with takes place each morning from sunrise to about 10am. Still tired from lack of sleep, B and I had a cup of coffee and then woke up Daniel and Jenna. We hopped into the ducky and set off up the canals towards the town of Banjarmasin, looking for the market. Again it was an enjoyable trip, again taking in all that the canal had to offer in terms of day to day commerce and activities. We meandered our way up river for about 6km's and then took a small canal off into the city itself. Fascinating! It must have been 6 meters wide with houses looming overhead, bridges to pass under and small boats buzzing up and down going about their business. Eventually we exited the canal, emerging back into the main Barito River. It was here that we found the floating market. Littering the banks of the river, up against the many dwellings, were boats, stacks of them, each selling or trading their wares. They were mostly small boats with fruit and vegetables on display. Others were little bakeries and some even delicatessens! Larger boats were little "restaurants" with small boats tied up along side and their occupants enjoying a morning meal and coffee. On the waters edge shops, supermarkets, hardware stores and eating houses all traded with passing boats. It was all happening at the morning market and we enjoyed taking it all in. We bought fruit and vegetables and then pulled up alongside a boat selling little cakes, rice and other small eats. I was given a long bamboo stick with a spike on the end and told to "spear" what was wanted. It was exciting as I selected what Dan, Jena and B were calling out to me. We then ordered 2 cups of coffee and sat back and enjoyed the little feast! Unfortunately we did get ripped off on the price but, hey, it was an experience and only really amounted to about R17!! Finishing up with snacks, we visited a few stores before heading on back to Shayile, this time following the main river. It was up at this stretch of river that we witnessed the logging industry at its worst! Situated along the river banks were huge mills, all involved in the production of planks, plywood and other forest destroying activities. Outside these saw mills were barges laden with logs, all waiting to be chopped up. In the few days that we were in Banjarmasin and the number of barges we saw with logs present, one cannot comprehend the number of huge trees, not plantation trees but trees from the jungle, that have been destroyed! It is very sad indeed! Human greed and complete ignorance.
Canal leading towards the floating market
Choosing eats off a boat with a "spike stick"
Belinda choosing a water melon
Sun hats for Jenna and Daniel
Returning to Shayile, we decided it was time to move. We were not prepared to spend another night in the river, anxious about being hit by a barge. We upped anchor and motored on down the river, looking for shelter and protection. In the middle of the Barito River, a little way down stream, there is a huge island. We identified a passage between the island and mainland, away from the main "highway" and took Shayile up, looking for an anchorage. Off some paddy fields, we dropped anchor and relaxed, knowing we were well away from everyone and now able to enjoy a good nights sleep!
We spent 3 days at this anchorage, again catching up with school work and other on board chores. We also explored the paddy fields around us and, oh yes, had visitors! One guy even gave us a ride in his long tail boat! We bought fruit off the locals and just chilled out in a beautiful little anchorage. After 3 days, we decided it was time to move again, this time due south, on our way to Bali. There was an island on route which appeared to be a possible anchorage, but we would need to explore that possibility once we were there. We upped anchor and made our way out into the "highway" on route out of the Barito River. Again, total carnage in the channel leading out into the open sea. Barges were running aground and others were doing their best to avoid the shallow spots. We decided to keep well out of the way but that too was scary as we inched our way over depths as shallow as 2.2 meters, leaving just over a meter under the keels! 3 hours later we were out and into the deep seas. After a rain squall the sky lit up with a massive double rainbow, replicating B's mood as she had just had replies to her long overdue emails to her bridesmaids Jo and Angie. The sails went up, the auto pilot went on and we settled into life on another ocean leg. Unfortunately the wind did not last long and we soon had a motor on, cruising at a steady 4 knots. The wind never really returned and for the next 18 hours we motored south towards the island of Pulau Keramian.
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