Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Jakarta Post's Weekender magazine highlights the Jungle River Eco Cruise




Australian Parliamentary Delegation visit Kanarakan in November










During their short and busy schedule of official meetings and visits to conservation and educational projects funded by the Australian Government in Central Kalimantan, the Parliamentary Delegation found time to cruise on the Rahai'i Pangun from Tangkiling to the small village of Kanarakan.

After answering the traditional questions from the village elders to establish the friendly intention of the visitors, Harry Jenkins, as leader of the delegation, was asked to crush an egg and proceed to open a barrier, formed by a fresh cut tree trunk, covered by a batik cloth. Once this was set aside, the party moved to the palm frond gateway, where two pencak silat or shadow boxers faced each other through flimsy ropes. One representing the villagers, and the other the visitors, an energetic and humorous contest took place during which finally, the last barriers were broken, allowing the visitors to stream in.

After the formalities, the traditional monotonal, improvised singing, or karangut, began a music and dance display, which also included enthusiasic invitations for the guests to join.

Later visiting the school, and the village health clinic, the delegation walked through the village to view infrastructure improvements being made by local goverment, including clean water provision to all houses, and small household solar units. Also visited was a family rubber orchard, where latex collection was shown.

A comfortable 2 hour cruise back to Tangkiling on board the Rahai'i Pangun had the final treat of glimpsing the iconic orangutans on Pulau Kaja release island.

The following is a Press Release issued by the Australian Embassy in Jakarta

5 November 2008

AUSTRALIA AND INDONESIA STRENGTHEN PARLIAMENTARY LINKS

Australia’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Mr Bill Farmer, welcomed the visit by an Australian Parliamentary delegation to Indonesia this week as part of regular official exchanges between our two parliaments.

“The visit is part of the deepening interaction between our two democracies,” said Mr Farmer.

“The last Indonesian parliamentary delegation to Australia in August 2007 experienced the lead-up to our national elections later that year. So too this Australian delegation is seeing Indonesian democracy with all its vibrancy and openness leading up to the 2009 elections,” said Mr Farmer.

The delegation, led by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Harry Jenkins, held a range of meetings in Jakarta including with the Speakers of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), House of Representatives (DPR) and Regional Representatives Council (DPD) and other Indonesian parliamentarians.

The delegation was also received yesterday by the President, HE Dr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and, in a separate meeting, by Vice President Jusuf Kalla.

Mr Farmer also said during the visit the parliamentary delegation was seeing first hand the environment and education work Australia and Indonesia are doing together.

“To help protect the environment our two countries have established a Forest Carbon Partnership to reduce emissions from forest degradation.”

“Australia is also building two thousand schools throughout Indonesia to improve education,” Mr Farmer said.




Tuesday, December 9, 2008

A musical treat












When several western classically trained musicians visited the village of Gaung Baru, a spontaneous concert and exchange with the traditional Dayak fiddlers happened.

Arriving from the Rahai'i Pangun, having already cruised past orangutan islands and clambered up Mt Tangkiling, we walked through this tiny village, accessible only by river. As we went, our guests attracted a huge turnout of villagers. Bringing out their instruments to accompany the age old welcome dances, the musicians then lent them to be played by the visitors.

Later we were invited to the home of the kecapi or traditional stringed instrument maker. So impressed by how he had searched the jungle for the right tree to create the instrument, our guest decided to buy one.

Later, in a chance meeting during a forest walk, we came across a villager fashioning a canoe from a Meranti tree he had felled the day before. Using only a simple adze, he had hollowed out the trunk in preparation for putting it over flames to strengthen it, and later adding planks to the side.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Japan office of Garuda Indonesia market Rahai'i Pangun eco cruises


At an eco tourism travel product exhibition in Tokyo this week from 11-13 December, Garuda's Regional Office for Japan, Korea and China will be marketing Rahai'i Pangun cruises.
At the same time, when coming to Palangkaraya, there is an opportunity to visit Garuda's 'One tree and one passenger at a time' reforestation project in the Sebangau National Park. Garuda are working with WWF-Indonesia to realise its promise to plant a tree for every passenger carried.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Hornbill voyage





With the forest in flower and fruiting, the magnificent hornbill is out and about gliding slowly from tree to tree seeking out its favourite fruit. On our recent voyage from Palangkaraya, glimpsing this great black bird, with the white bar across its tail feathers and heavy, horned bill, caused great excitement.
The female raises her young in a hole of a tree, closing the hole with mud and twigs so that only a tiny space remains for the male to feed her. Giving her and her precious offspring protection from predators, she depends solely on her mate for food.
Visiting villages and gliding through the lakes by canoe, we finished our journey at Bukit Rawi, where the powerful hornbill, the Burung Tinggang, becomes a symbol of the afterlife in the burial rituals, appearing atop tall poles, and waiting to carry the souls on the their onward journeys.

4WD adventure trail into Dayak Kalimantan















From the first blessing by the Kaharingan elder to the brilliantly coloured carved totem poles at the burial sites and the humor and drama of the 'Potong Pantan' or welcome ceremonials and dances, this 4WD expedition, with 20 cross country bikes and half a dozen vehicles, ventured deep into Dayak country, in the Gunung Mas Regency.
Over 3 days our journey took us from Palangkaraya to Tumbang Malahoi longhouse, then on from there to Tewah to visit the village of Tanjung Ujung for a traditional welcome. Later we boarded a boat for a ride to the turbulent canyon where the revered stone, the Batu Suli, soars overhead.
According to legend, the stone was kicked there from a great distance by an angry spirit, incensed that Satan had returned to Earth and was eating people. However the stone was blocking the river, so the fish appealed to the spirit to put the stone aside. The only way it could be raised was by levering it up with the flimsy ginger-like Suli plant.
Over roads that were mostly hard clay and boggy in the valleys, we encountered a broken bridge, hastily repaired by enthusiastic locals. The heat was intense, but did make the roads easier to pass. After leaving Batu Suli for Kulala Kurun we had a full tropical storm, with lightening flashing through the darkness and the road turning into a slippery soup.
On the final day, we walked by jungle trail to a pristine waterfall, said sometimes to be the haunt of the angels. Though none about that day, we did actually see evidence of sun bears!
The trip organiser, pictured in the jungle orchid garden, plans another trip next year to more distant longhouses.
If you want to join us on that or a similar adventure, look us up at www.wowborneo.com