Day Three on the River in Kalimantan

The danger of writing about an adventure while you are experiencing it is that things that seem important initially don’t quite hold up after the adventure is over. As an example, the photos of the Orangutans previously cited, afterwards are only slightly better than average. But the Orangutan photos that follow are superior and would have been used instead of the previous ones. Does this make sense?

I will cite another example. When we went into the Krueger game reserve in South Africa, the first thing we saw was a couple of zebra. I can still visualize the event. We were thrilled. Soon however, looking at zebra was about exciting as looking at your shoe laces. There were just so many of them and they aren’t all that exotic looking, really.

The boat’s six additional passengers (3 couples) showed up, stowed their belongings, and came on deck. Later, as we started up the river again they were thrilled to see this or that, which seemed to us almost funny. We didn’t think it was anything worth looking at because it was so commonplace. It reminded me of your zebra experience.

I told the zebra story to Amy (whose name I thought was Annie for a while) and how it applied to what was unfolding as our new passengers were pointing out things. She was greatly amused and later commented how funny the story was to her.

I will always remember however, the first time I saw Orangutans in the wild in the trees along the river. Even though later opportunities were even better, the first impression gets imprinted on some part of my brain that allows vivid color to remain.

Our three couples were UK ex-pats living in Jakarta and knew each other from previous trips together. I turned out that this was a different cultural experience for us as we learned about them as they talked around the breakfast, lunch and dinner table with us interacting with them along the way. They were all in their early 50’s or late 40’s, putting them almost in the generation of our children. The men all came equipped with newer models of my Nixon camera and bigger lens also. At times the 3 women would socialize together while the 3 men would be socializing together at the same time. It is common for sexes to separate like this but seeing it reminded me that I prefer being in the company where both sexes are represented.

Seeing this made me examine why this was my preference. When I was in my 20’s and 30’s at parties, I grew bored with man talk after a while (sports, cars, and other toys) and would sidle over to the women to listen. They were just as boring after awhile (children, husbands and other kin). At least I was interested in sports and could hold my own in discussions. If I moved in closer where the women talked, one of the women would thoughtfully include me in their discussion. And having a male included in the group would always move the level of conversation to different level, which I found I enjoyed more. Men’s discussions also change when women are included, for the better I think.

The ex-pats were quite enjoyable and everyone got along well and after two days of having the boat to ourselves, I was a pleasant change to have company. I had little time to write, however, so this post was written a week after returning from Indonesia.

As we were waiting for our new shipmates to arrive, we were docked by a small group of houses where two brothers played in the water along side their house. They had a great time splashing each other and sliding on some of slick vegetation just below the water’s surface. They were fun to watch and their enthusiasm was energizing.

After a while we had to move the boat however. Laying in the water along side our boat were two dead stinking pythons. They had been captured, skinned, and then thrown in the river where their carcasses got caught in some debris on the river’s edge. They were about 12 feet long and about 6 inches in diameter.

Our new companions arrived with little luggage as they were only staying 2 nights on the boat, but brought a cooler of beer, wine, and plenty of snacks with them, which they generously shared with us. Before we started up the river again, they were given a large canoe type motorized boat ride like we had the day before. We declined to go with them as we preferred to watch more orangutans on the opposite shore.

Once underway again, our destination turned out to be a village near the hills seen from the boat.

And this was our dock. We took off our shoes and walked gingerly over a plank laid down for us.

Villages come here to bathe, to wash clothes, to scale fish, to swim, and catch fish. These girls were quite shy about having their picture taken and only when they were not looking in my direction was I able to catch their faces.

We were driven to one of the hills and some of us climbed the bigger hill while some of us were driven to a Catholic monastery.

We climbed up a tended path to the top of the hill. Dispersed along the way were several statues which depicted the various stages of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion as described in the Bible. This I found rather sad to see such a waste of resources and effort, but I have little kind to say about religion, of any persuasion. It was also a hot day and the climb had many steps so we welcomed the van and the air conditioning upon our descent.

We picked up the others and then spent the rest of the evening on the boat and docked there during the night.

Day Two On the River in Kalimantan

Here is an overview map of Indonesia, showing Borneo’s relationship to the area. Palangkaraya is just above the “I” in Indonesia.

The next day we take one of several tributaries of the river and take note of the color change of the water with each new route. From muddy brown, copper colored, and black with various hues in between. All surrounded with an amazing variety of green from the shores with the sky providing the most change to the landscape.

Towards the middle of the day we encountered a tropical downpour and the crew scurried to put up protective plastic tarps completely surrounding the boat. I felt I was in a cave.

But before that suddenly the boat slows and the crew shows us several Orangutans. They are orphans who were discovered near the gold mines, their mothers having been killed by poachers. After they reach a certain age they will be transported to a larger protective national park where they will live in the wild. At any given time I could see seven out of the nine that live there. Three wardens are within 100 yards to watch over them and provide them with bananas and other foods.

The boat is anchored and we slowly drift a little closer and watch them for most of an hour.

The picture below shows four Orangutans. Can you find them? One is at the very top. There is a platform at the bottom where the bananas are placed. Several monkeys could also be seen but they seemed of small import.

And we got closest to this one in a Bamboo tree. Another is partially hidden but visible.
After the downpour we were treated to a motorized canoe ride similar to those constantly seen moving up and down the rivers. We ventured off the river into a maze of waterways some of them very narrow providing some up close views.

We dock for the night where the canoe came to pick us up. I arose early and captured this sunrise.

Up to now we have had the boat to ourselves. Today, 6 others will join us for the next 2 days.

Day One On the River-Kalimantan

I suppose life on the river in any country has many similarities. Houses are built to float or are built on stilts to accommodate the rise and fall of the river’s cyclic levels. Where there are larger villages, various shops are built for boats to stop and shop. Woman bathe their offspring and themselves in the river and laundry their clothes there frequently judging by the amount of items drying on clothes lines.

Our boat (the Rahai’i Pangun which can be roughly translated to mean the Big Enterprise) has five cabins below and of course Judith has chosen the best one and in the front of the boat. With the amount of luggage we have, we are able to pile our stuff on the single bed leaving us room to move about comfortably. The boat’s generator provides electricity for all cabins and the two very small toilets. There are cold water showers in the toilets. At night the generator is turned off for the sake of quietness and toilet flushing is done using a small bucket from the water barrel. Lights and an electric fan are still available through battery power.

Most of the day we enjoy the rain forest and beauty of the river while reading or starting a post for my blog, occasionally looking up to see if there is something of interest to see.

A VERY SHORT HISTORY/GEOGRAPHY LESSON OF BORNEO

Borneo is the third largest island in the world after Greenland and New Guinea and three different countries occupy it. The why of this is related to which colonial powers did the most settling. The Western part was greatly influenced the English Spanish and Portuguese and the South-Western part by the Dutch. Mountains in the Northern part of the island formed natural boundaries and water sheds. The about 60 % of the land mass is Kalimantan, Indonesia with two Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah facing the South China Sea. Then there is the small separate country of Brunei, which lies between the two Malaysian states.

The native Kalimantan people are Daytaks and our first destination, after 4 hours up the river and ½ hour to fix an overheated engine, we arrive at the village. We dock here and will spend the night. Notice the partially submerged plank we must negotiate to reach shore.

We disembark and walk in the heat of the day, slowly, to view the site where ancestral bones are kept. Now days, the Daytaks are Christians but there are still those who hang onto the old time religion.

Feb-Mar 2001 the Dayaks participated in a massacre against the immigrant Madurese. About 500 people were killed and by April all the Madurese (about 100,000) had fled Kalimantan. Beheadings were witnessed as the Dayaks reverted to the old ways of violence. Granted the majority Dayaks were provoked by the government taking away their land for logging purposes and relocating the Madurese into their territory. I couldn’t help thinking that this happened not to long ago.

Anyway, we go to a place where ancestral bones are kept. Bodies of the dead are first buried, then 5 years later they are dug up and their bones are cleaned and put into boxes. Just another expression of rising from the dead, I suppose. Their descendants can come there from time to time to bring a token gift to keep their spirits placated. The ancestors are provided with some help to ascend into “heaven”. The object on the left is to help pierce through the clouds. The long pole on the right is to provide a springboard which must be an all time pole vaulting record if successful. The red colored statues are replacements for originals which were stolen for their antique value.

During the ceremony that accompanies the unearthing ritual, slaves were tied to the figure below and put to death so the deceased would have someone to tend to them. Now days, slaves have been replaced by animals that serve the same purpose, with minor adjustments I suppose.

A man there explained all this to us and then asked if we would like him and others to play music for us that night. We accepted. Keep in mind that the sun rises and sets about 6 in the morning and at night on the Equator. So when lighting is limited for reading there isn’t a whole lot to do. So sure enough the man and his merry band came and entertained us.

All the instruments were hand made and he was proud to show us each and every one. (Actually they sounded hand made).
Everyone took several group pictures. The young woman on the right was our English speaking guide. Her name is Amie. She met us at the airport and ate with us. She can speak four languages and her English was excellent.

The Trip to Borneo

One of life’s more anxiety filled moments for the more fortunate, is to be waitlisted in Business Class for an international flight up to the very last moment of boarding the aircraft, hoping beyond hope that the upgrade comes through. The agent must wait until the very last moment to see if some shmuck shows up that has paid the full price for a Business Class ticket thereby eliminating one of the available seats for upgrading. United even has the list of names wanting upgrades on one of their computer screens so you can find where you stand on the priority. But when you are listed as #9 you have another anxiety moment because you don’t have any idea how many seats are potentially available and it sure would be better if you were in the top five.

My upgrade status fell from 1K (100,000 miles in one year) to Premier Executive (between 50,000 and 100,000 miles) on March 1st and it is March 2nd., explaining why I am #9 on the list instead of in the top five. Which again points out there is only so much you can control in your life.

There is a group of us huddled around the podium really to bolt to the man in power as all those who already have a secured First or Business Class seat board the aircraft. If you don’t get an upgrade, you know that you will have to go to the end of the economy class line which means by the time you arrive at your assigned seat, the best luggage storage spots will already be taken. And I will be muttering, “why me”?

But there I stand watching the agent’s every move. At that moment, if a halo appeared over the agent, I would fall to my knees and confess that I have been unswerving loyal to United Airlines since 1987 and beg that he has heard my prayers to be one of his chosen few. I realize I have no shame but could not care less.

My name is announced, I hand him my coach seat boarding pass which is somewhat by now anything but pristine, I the agent hands me the golden calf Business Class seat and his halo disappears. I sincerely thank him and an relieved that won’t have to think ill of him for the rest of the trip. My religious conversion is put on hold once again. Back to hedonism.

If you have never flown Business Class for a 10-12 hour flight, you have no idea how much better it is than coach. I could write many words about the benefits, but mere words are totally inadequate. But if recall, rat studies indicate when there is not enough personal space, they go berserk.

The first leg of the flight is to Narita airport in Tokyo and after less than an hour I am on my way to Singapore (Business Class) arriving Changi Airport (the city that never sleeps) shortly after midnight. From the time I get off the airplane to the time I get in a taxi is about 10 minutes. The efficiency, cleanliness, and orderliness in Singapore are models for the rest of the world to follow. As I have mentioned in previous posts, the Singapore government takes an extremely dim view of sex, drugs, and rock and roll but if you can avoid these things (and chewing gum) life there could be pleasant. The city/country sits on the Equator so it is warm/hot year round. It is a tightly controlled democracy with less freedom for error or rebelliousness.

Hotel Re was selected due its price and customer comments as researched from the Internet. In the morning I find the clientele consists of Aussie and UK men in their 30’s who arrive at breakfast promptly at 7 AM, as I do, and are out the door to work with backpacks in hand within 15 minutes. As I wait for my taxi about for the airport between 10:15 and 10:30 several other guests coming into the lobby and they are tourists Western retirees. I imaged they chose the hotel the same way I did. The Internet is changing the world is so many ways. I suppose you have to be my age to be continually being awed this technology which could not have been imaged 30 years ago.

The flight to Jakarta is about 90 minutes and after I long line through customs, I gather my luggage and taxi to the Grand Hyatt to meet Judith who has been having a very successful business trip there while I was off skiing in Vail, the week before. At the Grand Hyatt, we had messages and mine was one of the best I ever had. I felt so alive and energized it took me a while to fall asleep that night.

But off we went at 6:30 in the morning to catch a 8 o’clock flight to Borneo, or more specifically the city of Pelangkaraya, Kalimantan, Indonesia. Kalimantan is north of the island of Java, so once again we are on the Equator.

Judith has booked us on a 4 day boat trip on the Kapuas River and its tributaries just outside Pelangkaraya. After four straight days of boarding airplanes, I look forward to some really, really nice relaxation.

Greed and Investment

I posted this on my daughter's blog first but she thought it was good so maybe its worth repeating. I wrote this during some down time while in Vail for a week of skiing.

Readers, have any of you ever heard a member of Congress or a President say that we need to raise taxes to pay off the national debt? I am guessing you haven't because I have never heard it nor read about it happening and I am old. And you probably never will. Surpluses start to happen when the economy is doing well because the increased flow of money and therefore taxes is what creates surpluses. Which is what happened just before Bush the Younger and his "Greed is Good" boys arrived on the scene.

The GOP always digs up the old saw that deficit spending (not that it is necessarily a good thing) puts a mortgage on future generations and our children that will cripple them with a burden that will cause the most unimaginable (yet undefined) grief.

It is a mantra of conservative thought except when they are in control and doling out tax cuts for the rich.

It is also a big, smelly, pile of shit.

What we are doing now is investing in the future. Investing. I believe this is a core of the capitalistic system to promote growth.

Thanks to the "Greed Is Good" boys ruining the investment system, the federal government must come to the rescue. I shudder to think what out future would be if the GOP was still in control.

The only thing they know to do is to repeat the ideas that got us to where we are now.

Huh?

In this photo made available by Bridges TV, Muzzammil Hassan, and his wife Aasiya Hassan of Orchard Park, near Buffalo, pose in an undated photo. Police say Hassan beheaded his wife after she filed for divorce. Hassan, chief executive of Bridges TV in Orchard Park, launched the network in 2004, to improve the image of Muslims in the media following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. (AP Photo)

Muzzammil "Mo" Hassan is accused of beheading his wife last week, days after she filed for divorce. Authorities have not discussed the role religion or culture might have played, but the slaying gave rise to speculation that it was the sort of "honor killing" more common in countries half a world away, including the couple's native Pakistan.

"If a woman breaks the law which the husband or father has placed for the wife or daughter, honor killing has been justified," said Shahram, who was a regular panelist on a law show produced by Bridges TV. "It happens all the time. It's been practiced in countries such as Pakistan and in India."

Religion poisons everything!

Darwin-Evolution is no longer a theory, its a fact.

The map above shows the journey of my ancient ancestors beginning about 50,000 years ago from the Northern Rift Valley (Ethiopia, Kenya, or Tanzania) of Africa, the origin of all present day Eurasian humans (anyone not born in Africa).

Skeletal remains suggest modern man evolved in Africa about 200,000 years ago and began moving out of Africa about 60,000 years ago.

I participated in the National Geographic project to help plot the migration by sending in samples of my DNA. The "Y" chromosome is passed directly from father to son from generation to generation. From time to time, the "Y" chromosome can mutate naturally (which is usually harmless) producing a marker that then is passed down to sons and their sons, etc.

In most cases there are more than one mutation event which means that any of these markers can be used to determine your particular branch of the tree. They are called haplogroups, since every individual who has one of these markers also has the others.

When geneticist identify a marker, they try to figure out when it first occurred, and in which geographic region of the world. By tracking the lineages, a picture of how small tribes of modern humans in Africa diversified and spread to populate the world.

i belong to the R1b haplogroup. Today about 70% of men in southern England belong to the R1b haplogroup and over 90% in parts of Spain and Ireland.

Marker M168

There were approximately 10,000 humans when the ice age temporarily retreated. The African Ice Age was characterized by drought rather than cold and when the ice began to melt a period of warmer temperatures and a moister climate turned part of the Sahara into a savanna. Also about this time there was a significant leap forward in modern humans' intellectual capacity. Language emerged, weapons and tools improved, and group planning and cooperation gained.

The first migrants from Africa took a coastal route that ended in Australia. Others later went from Siberia across what was then a land bridge to Alaska, to what is now Canada and the US. My lot, part of the second migration from Africa, followed grasslands and animals to the Middle East.

M-89: Moving Through the Middle East

The next marker, found in 90-95% of all non-Africans, comes from a man from the Middle East, 45,000 years ago. About 40,000 years ago the climate shifted again and became colder and more arid. Drought returned to Africa and for the next 20,000 years, the Saharan Gateway was effectively closed giving my ancestors two options: remain in the Middle East or move on. Retreat back to Africa was not an option.

Some migrated from Iran to the steppes of Central Asia. These semiarid grass-covered plains formed an ancient "superhighway" stretching form eastern France to Korea.

M-9: The Eurasian Clan Spread Wide and Far

My next ancestor, born about 40,000 years ago was part of the Eurasian Clan which dispersed gradually over thousands of years. Seasoned hunters followed the hears eastward along the Eurasian steppe. Eventually their path was blocked by the mountain ranges of south Central Asia located in present day Tajikistan. Here the tribes split into two groups. Some moved north into Central Asia and others moved south into what is now Pakistan and Indian subcontinent. Most people native to the Northern Hemisphere trace their roots to the Eurasian Clan. Nearly all North Americans and East Asians are descent ants.

M-45: The Journey Through Central Asia

My next marker comes from a man from the Eurasian Clan, 35,000 years ago, that moved north onto the game rich steppes of present day Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and southern Siberia.

Eventually, the glaciers began to expand again forcing my ancestors to follow the herds of game north. In order to exist, they learned to build portable animal-skin shelters and create weaponry and hunting techniques that would prove successful against the larger animals they encountered.

M-207: Leaving Central Asia.

Next, 30,000 years ago, a group head west towards the European subcontinent. Then they split into two groups, one continuing to Europe, the other making it as far as India.

M173:The First Modern Europeans

Humans continue to evolve used bone, ivory, antler, and shell as part of their tool kit. Jewelry was produced. My ancestors were able to better compete for scare resources against the Neanderthals, About 20,000 years ago the climate changes again with expanding ice sheets forcing a move to the south, including Spain, Italy, and the Balkans. And about 12,000 years ago they moved back north as the ice receded.

M-343: Direct Descendants of Cro-Magnon

I am a direct descendant of the people who dominated the human expansion into Europe, the Cro-Magnon. The cave paintings of the Cro-Magnon are far more intricate, detailed, and colorful than anything prior.

If my ancestors came from Africa, why do I have white skin? With less sun, skin became whiter so more melatonin could be absorbed in order to stay healthy. Evolution at work.

Sadly, the genetic traces of my ancestors' group ends between 5,000 and 10,000 years ago, though more details may be known as a result of extra information participants are invited to contribute about themselves. So there is still a gap between knowledge gained from genealogy and that from genetic searches. But that doesn't detract from the vital contribution the inter net has made to resolving the most fascinating of problems - who we really are.

If you are interested, go to www.genographic.nationalgeographic.com.

For a little over $100 you can learn your ancient history and add to the knowledge base of the continuing human migration.

Harbin, China Miscellaneous Photos

All along the highways and main streets, street workers are seen clearing snow from the berm. As always, drivers are expected to avoid them.
Snow sculpture contest taking place.

Ice sculptures can be seen thoughout the city. This is next to the Russian Church, St Sophia.
This is looking down the Zhongyang Street.

St. Sophia Church
Lots of lighted displays in the city.

At the ice festival.


Outside the Shangria La Hotel.
The ice palace bar.

Harbin-Ice and Skiing--Part IV

The following night we go to the Ice Festival which is the highlight of the trip. This is the entrance.

There are slides to the left which I choose to try. But it was so cold; I had to pull myself down the chute.

An occasional snow sculpture was on display. Here the Russian influence can be seen.


Here is a short video that better captures the experience.

The final day we journey to a ski area about 30 miles away. On the way were go through a small town where these small 3 wheel cars are rampant.

Charlie Wood and I rent some equipment and our host buys us a lift ticket for 2 hours. Yes, just two hours, but this was the perfect amount of time. The temperature was -10F so after 2 hours, a warm up was going to be necessary anyway. Most of the equipment was old. The most of the skis were the straight sided and long. Charlie and I were getting outfitted separately or I would have advised him to rent the good stuff which they had in limited numbers.

The lift for the two slopes to the right is visible. In the center are poma lifts.

Here the trail map for the area. The two slopes to the right were serviced by a slow, two person lift. The area to the left was serviced by another lift, but it was not running probably because there was not enough business. There was only about 10 people total that skied on the slopes to the right as most of the skiers were novices.

The facility was new with a hotel attached, but the Chinese have a lot to learn about running a successful ski operation.

We left Harbin for Beijing where we spent two nights getting rested and massaged before the long trip home. Professor Zhang kindly treated us to dinner one night. The last night we had hamburgers at the Outback Steak House.