For First-timers Visiting Tanjung Puting Area...

...you might be puzzled on how to arrange your trip and whatnot. Here's a site that offers some experiences that you might want to try, in Tanjung Puting area. Feel free to ask around, the guide is friendly and he has many interesting tales to tell. Don't know which questions to ask first? Well, you can start by asking how he got the name "Ancis Banderas". ^_^

Have a pleasant trip, and send my regards to the sky from me, if you want to go there!

My Adopted Tree via Yayorin.org

Finally! I have a picture of my adopted tree. This is my little gift for orangutans. Maybe some years from now, they'll be able to enjoy its fruit. Cempedak is one of my favorite fruits. It's like jackfruit, but more fragrant and tastier, at least to yours truly.

You can adopt a tree via yayorin.org. Adopt a tree today, to preserve the forests and orangutans' habitat! You can even adopt a tree for your loved ones, as a gift.

One day, I hope I'll be able to visit the tree. Maybe I'll adopt more trees in the future.

What kind of trees that you'd like to adopt?

Thank You Guys, for the Amazing #BorneoTrip

This is the whole bunch! Including the tour guides in Central Kalimantan area who made our trip worthwhile. The guides were very patient and accommodating. I feel kinda bad because I kept pestering them with more and more questions.

Thank you Ancis Banderas! At first he looks kinda quiet but if you ask the right questions at him, he will open up and share many insights about wildlife. In Pesalat area, he showed us bear marks in a tree, so exciting! I honestly couldn't believe how a honey bear might be able to climb so high, but on thing for sure, I wouldn't want to be around when that happens. Kinda scary.

Thank you, Dede! Dede took awesome pictures during our trip. And that reminds me, one of these days I have to nag him into sharing the pictures he took during our trip in June!

Thanks bunches, Miki! Miki used to study in Bandung, too. He knows where to get fab souvenirs in town, just ask him! He showed us where to get yum yum fish chips in Pangkalan Bun. My kids and dad love the fish chips so much!

Heaps of thanks for Yomie! You can contact him at kamale83 at gmail.com if you want to organize a tour to Kalimantan. Recommended! Yomie used to live in Bandung too, and he is more fluent in Sundanese compared to yours truly. (Shame on me!)

Thanks, Yusup! Yusup has tons of interesting tales to tell, from bizarre to supernatural stuff. He treks barefoot and he knows a lot about the flora and fauna in Kalimantan. Thanks to him, my partner and yours truly managed to see a crocodile in the river at night. S-C-A-R-Y!







And of course, thank you so much for Direktorat Pengembangan Pasar dan Informasi Pariwisata & Direktorat Pencitraan Indonesia, Kementrian Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif, for making this possible!

Pontianak, Equator City

The trip was unplanned. From Pangkalan Bun, we originally were scheduled to fly straight to Jakarta. However, due to some technical difficulties, it is decided that we should go to Pontianak instead, then off to Jakarta.

My partner and I have never been to Pontianak before, so we were very excited!

Truth to tell, I don't know much about this city. I only know Pontianak for two things, their delicious culinary delights and Tugu Khatulistiwa (Equator Monument). Being sliced by the imaginary equator line, one thing is for sure, Pontianak is hot! (compared to the city I lived in now, Bandung, to be precise)

 We arrived in Pontianak when the sun was setting. The hues of the sky was splendid, I could stare at them for hours. Supadio Airport has some hornbill motifs as decorations, as you can see on the top of the roof. Hornbills are revered in Kalimantan. They occur in many paintings and statues. I was lucky enough to spot one in Tanjung Puting area. I love hornbills, though they tend to be a bit noisy, because they remind me of the place I was born in Sumatra. There, I could see hornbills, too. One even had a nest near our house. But I digress.

True, Pontianak is very hot! Around 10-11 AM, I bought two scoops of ice cream from a nearby mall, and on the way to the hotel (less than 5 minutes walk) 1/3 of the ice cream had already melted. Whew. But on the bright side, Pontianak has yum yum drinks to battle the heat, such as my favorite here, aloe vera. Aloe vera drink? Isn't it yucky, you might ask. I guess some Indonesians (yours truly included) have taken for granted that aloe vera's flesh is edible and very tasty, too. My late grandma used to skin the aloe vera and clean it, then boil it with certain ingredients until it was ready to be consumed.

Here, diced aloe vera are mixed with syrup, water and ice to quench your thirst. I had it while sitting under a banyan tree. Very refreshing!

Of course, a visit to Tugu Khatulistiwa (Equator Monument) is a must when you're in town. This is how it looks from the outside. Just ignore the lady in pink dresses dancing in joy for no apparent reason. You can buy the miniature of the monument around here. From the small one encased in a wooden box to a bigger, brighter one decorated by tiny lamps (and yes, they can emanate colorful lights when plugged). Most souvenir shops in Pontianak sell T Shirts with Tugu Khatulistiwa on them. One shirt (in June 2012) costs about IDR 20,000 - 50,000; might be cheaper or more expensive, according to size and material.

If you're into souvenirs, I also recommend Dayak woven cloth and batik cloth, sarong and shirts in traditional Kalimantan design. Hand-woven bracelets and beaded accessories are also abundant. The craftsmanship is remarkable and the prices are affordable, too. My friend suggested me to try sengkit syrup with plums, I got it in the airport and yes, it's very refreshing, in a sweet and sour kind of way. I'd love to buy more in the future! I got my partner durian jam from the airport too, and he told me it's very yummy. Pontianak is a fan of aloe vera so you can buy diced aloe vera in packages, aloe vera dodol, aloe vera tea, and... gasp... even aloe vera chips. I think the last one is a bit bizarre so I didn't buy it. But an acquaintance of mine told me it's quite tasty, so if you happen to find some, it's worth a try. Of course, there are more, but alas we only had half a day to explore so perhaps... some other time?

And this is how Tugu Khatulistiwa looks from the inside. It is air-conditioned, so after experiencing the heat outside, seeking solace inside is such a joyous thing.

My partner and I were taking pictures here and there when the monument-keeper (for lack of better term) offered to take some pictures of us. He even advised us on how to pose. "See, you over there, yours husband over here. That way, you both are standing in different hemispheres. One in South, and on in North, yet you two are still able to touch and hold hands."

Who knew that we'd encounter such a romantic soul in Pontianak!

So he took some pictures of us, and they turned out great.

Istana Kuning (Yellow Palace) in Pangkalan Bun

Pangkalan Bun is derived from Pongkalan Bu'un. Bu'un was the name of a Dayak helper who was very loyal to Kutaringin's king. Various legends and tales are told and retold to younger generations, and they are all very fascinating.

Kutaringin's founder was Pangeran Adipati Antakesuma. He was one of the princes in Banjar kingdom. It is said that he'd like to rule on his own, so her brothers let him find his own domain. A legend states that after journeying for a while, he stumbled upon rows of banyan (beringin) tree, thus he named his kingdom Kutaringin.

We were lucky enough to be able to visit Istana Kuning. It was made of ulin (ironwood). Unfortunately, the real palace burned down  many years ago. The local government rebuilt the palace, however they did not really listen to the descendants of this kingdom, thus some parts did not resemble the palace in the past. I found it very sad since many parts of the palace, like the courtyard where the king addressed his people, and secret tunnel leading to a nearby banyan tree, were no more.

Here you can see the banyan tree, if my memory serves me right, the secret tunnel from the palace should lead to this place. So that whenever danger was present, the royal family could escape, safe and sound, protecting their lineage. 

This is a replica of royal Kutaringin horse carriage. It is said that on certain times, some people might see a beautiful lady on this carriage. With traditional clothes and all, perhaps a lady from the past? Spooky, eh? I did not see anything during my visit, thankfully.

The original one was destroyed during the fire that I mentioned earlier. Too bad. Still, the replica will give you quite an insight about what the lords and ladies of Kutaringin used back then as a mode of transportation.

And here you can see replica of gamelan, traditional music, in Kutaringin. They really use a lot of yellow color, yellow denoting the royal family. I'd love to play it but it seemed disrespectful somehow. Maybe one day, when a festival is held, you will be able to see a similar gamelan being played for the audience.

Here you can see yours truly with James, one of the guides. He is one of the royal descendants. As royal descendants, they have a title called "Gusti". However they prefer to be called with their nicknames, since if you call out "Gusti", some people are bound to look at you and ask, "Which Gusti did you mean?"

In the background you can see the replica of what the king and queen might wear in the court back then.

Here you can see James with the founder of Kutaringin. He told me that in order to paint the kings of Kutaringin (no pictures of them are available, thus the painter would have to paint from special "sights" bestowed to him/her), the painters have to undergo a special ritual, asking for blessings and permissions. If they refuse to do so, they will encounter misfortunes. One painter, I've been told, had internal bleeding when trying to paint without completing the ritual. This might sound strange to you, but I've heard and seen stranger things, so I believe the story.

James assured me that it was fine to take pictures, providing you had no evil intention. He told me that some time ago, a tourist took so many pictures of the paintings but none of the kings' faces could be seen. Perhaps the tourist had an evil intention? I asked, jokingly. James replied solemnly that the answer could be that, or, perhaps the ancestors did not take a liking to the tourist. Who knows!

The guides (James is one of them) have their shares of curious tales. Whenever you are in Istana Kuning, feel free to ask them about the stories... and be entertained! (or spooked, if you get scared easily) Make sure to ask about the legends, the stories concerning the palace, and how Pangkalan Bun continues to remain safe and sound after all these years.

And here you can see the monument of a piece of ulin/ironwood branch being put here by a sultan/king of Kutaringin. I won't share the picture of the ironwood here. Just visit Pangkalan Bun and see for yourself, and you can marvel at how a 200-year-old piece of wood continues to remain strong and majestic!

Yours truly and my partner, posing in second-story of the new palace. Like the old palace, the new one was made of ironwood as well.

I am at loss on how I should call this. Treatise? Decree? Will? This is a translated version and definitely not the original one. However, reading this still gives me goosebumps. There's something sacred and powerful from these words.

It's like a promise. A powerful pact.

And I feel honored that I was able to visit this place, seeing those things with my own very eyes.

It makes me proud that Indonesia has so many cultures and languages and traditions.

Hopefully, one day, I will be able to visit again.

Visiting Yayorin--Yayasan Orangutan Indonesia

Yayorin stands for Yayasan Orangutan Indonesia. You might think that their first priority would be preserving orangutans, but actually, it's preserving the forests. It makes sense, though. Orangutans need forests to survive. Thus, by preserving the forests, it is hoped that orangutans would survive in the wilderness.

Its motto, "People need forest, forest needs orangutans". One of Yayorin's programs is educating people and young generation about the importance of saving the forests. Yayorin has a mobile library that regularly visits remote areas to encourage reading. There's also a library in Kampung Konservasi (Conservation Village) and a hall with plenty of activities to choose from. In certain days, you can play with some kids in this area.

I really love their adopt-a-tree program. By donating IDR 50,000, Yayorin will plant a tree for you. Moreover, you can choose what kind of tree you'd like. They'll email you the tree's photo, location. From time to time you'll be given updates on how big your tree has grown. Yes, they'll put a sign on that tree with your name on it. I think it's a unique and romantic gift for yourself and also for your loved ones.

How else can you help? You can help by adopting a tree, becoming a volunteer (naturally, only if you live in close vicinity), donating used books, donating some cash or even by staying in Yayorin, in their cottage.

Yayorin has two rooms should you want to stay in Pangkalan Bun. They are building another cottage at this moment. It costs (June 2012) IDR 350,000 for one night in this place. You can join their activities and help around, should you wish to do so.

Here's their address:
Jalan Bhayangkara Km 1, Pangkalan Bun
Central Kalimantan, Indonesia 74112
+62 (0)53229057
info@yayorin.org ; hope@yayorin.org
www.yayorin.org