Pangkalan Bun, Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) and Upriver to The Dayaks
Lots of mosquitoes last night on the Sungai Kumai River and the crew woke us during the night while chopping away Nipa Palms as the tide rose and fell. Breakfast and the short, 1-1/2 hour ride back to Kumai. I bruise easily and am covered with amazing black and blue marks from navigating around the different boats, sleeping on a thin mat, and bumping into objects. On the plus side, neither of us fell down the klotok hatch or on the morning dew-slicked slippery decks. I'm going to miss our little boat, the jungle sounds, looking for monkeys and orangutans in the foliage and peacefulness of sitting, watching the river, no telephones, Internet or television.
Goodbyes (and tips) to the captain and boat boy, off the dock, a car met us for the drive back to Pangkalan Bun...View image... where there was actually some time to walk around the markets. The boat cook and Hary went to buy food for our one night Dayak longhouse stay while we browsed. A small jeweler in the market was selling semi-precious jewels. I found an Amethyst (not "gem quality") bracelet for 75,000 Rupiah (less than $7.00) to have as a remembrance of this trip since Amethysts are mined only a few hours away from Pangkalan Bun. FYI: There are diamond (Cempaka diamond fields), gold and agate mines in the Banjarmasin area and visitors are allowed.
Pangkalan Bun is really just a stopover for visitors en route to Tajung Puting National Park. Other than the little market, really nothing else to see. Fery suggested throwing just the essentials for one night at the longhouse and leave the suitcase behind in Pangkaklan Bun with Hary. Good suggestion, especially when we saw the size of the speedboat.
You should have seen my face when we walked down to the jetty and I saw the actual speedboat for the ride up the Sungai Lamandau River to the Dayak area. "Small" is too kind a word for speedboat driver, cook and Fery crammed in the front seat, ex-Marine and I behind them, and backpacks, food, behind us, along with a case of water on top. Life jackets? Not a chance and if there were, where would a person put them.
Borneo Discovery had recommended to cover all valuable things with dry bags and put suntan lotion on for sun protection. This was helpful, but listen and learn from one who has been there and done it:
- Bring, and stuff, those ear plugs in your ears. It will help muffle the sound somewhat. Even ex-Marine caved after the first hour of noise and wore ear plugs for the entire ride;
- Keep the boat awning up. It is hotter than blazes on the river and if the locals zoom by with awning up, so should you, unless you want sunstroke; and
- BRING INFLATABLE (or stadium) CUSHIONS TO SIT ON!
The "comfort" factor is nil. No speed boat seat cushioning to speak of and no space for legs. Sum up the entire ride as agonizing. You will pry yourself out of the boat with legs and backs in spasm along with cramps in your butt. I am not complaining...but "truth in travel" is my motto...and we were off on another adventure!
Fishing is a big business on the river but the Sungai is also used for human waste. We'd watch people brushing their teeth, rinsing mouth, and washing their toothbrush, all in this same water. When that's all you have to work with, not much can be done about it but you can pay attention to what you eat in this area...
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