The Land Before Time

So as not to wait idly on our one-day layover in Benjarmasin, we took a canal ride through its ancient waterways that transformed into an unexpected experience of intimate cultural immersion. It was late afternoon and the floating houses on the river were open and flooding out their residents, all engaging in an age-old tradition of bathing in their main source of survival. People of all ages simultaneously participated in this cleansing ritual-mothers were washing their infants, old women were doing the laundry, men could be seen lathering the soap on their skin, little girls brushed their teeth and little boys flung themselves in the murky waters-splashing and screaming in joy of their chance to swim! It was a time shared and celebrated by everyone as the conclusion of the day. The winding down of the sun’s last rays mixed with the aroma of fish wrapped in banana leaf charbroiled for dinner ushered in the beginning of the night. To our own amazement, we were not made to feel like intruders but rather received enthusiastic waves from the children, some even swimming to the canoe to give us high fives. Elders extended warm invitations for us to eat of their little food and we felt welcomed in these people’s prized moments. This offered us a precious glimpse into the lifestyle of the average Indonesian and showcased the rich relationship of appreciation with the waters of the river.

From weaving through the canals in the canoe, to winding down the arteries of the Sungai Kumai in a kloklit (house boat), we bled into our destination at the heart of Borneo’s rainforest in Tan Jang Putting National Park. The air smelled of the dewy greenery, clean and fresh, and the sounds of birds at dawn and bugs in the evening were a narrative song to the cycle of the day. We encountered many animals such as the Probiscous and Gibbon monkeys, Hornbill and Kingfisher birds, wild boar and many more, however the most enchanting interactions were those with the rare and unique Orangutans. Camp Leeky, an Orangutan rehabilitation center that has been in the park since 1971, has been the largest and longest lasting observation of the species. Its existence has enabled the survival and preservation of these endangered primates, and with this in mind we gained a great appreciation for the opportunity to engage with them. We met many Orangutans, ranging from Siswe the sweet grandmother with a lazy demeanor and playful spirit, to Princess the mother and enthusiastic learner of human skills such as sign language and rowing and her sweet children Percy and Putry. The most intimidating and exciting of all however was meeting Tom-the King, with his gigantic body and commanding presence. It was a true blessing to have even spotted Tom, as he is known to never make an appearance and to deeply dislike humans. In spite of this, it is said by the park rangers that Javid was the human being to get closest to Tom-with a mere three meters between them! Face to face while filming this majestic ruler of the forest, an affirming exchange took place, a mutual recognition of the similarities that transcend the boundaries of human or animal.

Being engulfed by the intensely vivid rainforest, one can’t help but feel overwhelmed by its beauty and vibrant life. The harmony by which it survives, with each form of being interconnected with all the others is quite captivating, In moments of awe at its magical energy, it is possible to feel the whole forest breathe with you. It is the land before time, immanating the spirits of the past and calling out to those in the future. To contribute to that future with our own bare hands, we planted two trees at a forest rehabilitation area- one Mahogany and one Sandalwood. This was the least we could do to pay homage to a place that truly brought our wildest fairytale imagining to life.

On our way, as we were heading out of the rainforest, we stumbled across a deserted Dayak village. Here we were able to observe the remaining symbols of a traditional tribal culture, such as gravestones carved in the image of the deceased and housing with the sign of the hornbill adorning its roof. These images spoke of an eery past life which has slipped away as the forest shrinks in size.

Separation from Borneo was no easy task, as the love we felt for the forest and its inhabitants was deeply rooted. However, we have our sights set onto the next adventure-the meeting and relationship building with the Mentawai tribe. By arranging an insider to translate, we have received confirmation that we will be exposed to the very raw lifestyle and traditions of these people. Our approach is to extend a formal invitation to the 2010 International Indigenous Gathering to be held in Lillooet, British Colombia. By living in a family abode of the clan, we hope to truly immerse ourselves in their worldview and facilitate a genuine understanding. For this we are preparing to embark on a long boat journey followed by a trek into the deep untouched bush of Siberut Island, off the west coast of Sumatra. We hope this challenging road will lead us to a unique and fantastic experience-Insha’allah.

Terima Kasih for your ongoing support for us here in Indonesia!

Onward and Upward,

Apo Calypso Productions