The main road in the direction of Balikpapan towards northeastern Kalimantan seems in really good condition. The surrounding appears to be clean, well organized and perhaps there is also less poverty here compared to the center. We stop for gaz on the way to lunch. There is no one around and we soon find out that there is no electricity. We have the choice of waiting for an hour or more or to move on to the next gaz station. Shady tells us that this happens frequently and people are used to it. At the next place there is a long line up and a generator! As we wait in the line for our turn Syahril passes me his phone. His16-year old daughter has just come home from school and wants to say hi. We chat for a few minutes in English. When I am done he is smiling from ear to ear. He seems very proud of his children and happy that they have learnt English to be able to communicate with foreigners.
After a delicious lunch of fried fish, vegetables and rice we head off for the final stretch to Loksado. We turn off from the main road and as we begin ascend tree covered mountains begin to reveal themselves. It is a welcome change of scenery, a different type of forest we hope with a bit of elevation, perhaps also some cooler weather. I am excited to go hiking and to do a bit of exercise again! Syahril drops us off at the edge of the forest next to a river: we have reached Loksado and it is 3 p.m. There is no one else around and we will probably be the only foreigners in this area as well.
We smear our on suncream, spray on with moskito repellent, prepare our backpacks and adjust our hats. We are ready. The hike begins on small trails in the forest following Shady. We spend a good part of the afternoon crossing rivers. It takes a while as each time you take off your sandals, carry them across, dry your feet and put them on again. As we pass through some of the villages on the way we notice everyone resting or chatting in front of their house lazily calling “salamat sore” (good afternoon) to us. It is hot and humid and now we almost have to run to keep up with Shady. I think he is a bit worried that we will not make it to the village before dark. We can’t help but often stop to admire the lushious scenery and the various shades of green vegetation surrounding us. We are even accompagnied by lovely colourful butterflies!
We arrive at a particularly large river that we need to cross to get to Wega village. We roll up our pants as far as we can and begin to cross one by one. With the help of our wooden sticks it is not as difficult as we first thought. The water is thigh deep and very cooling against our sweaty legs. There used to be brigde here before, but it is broken and lying discarded to the side. We have heard that in Dayak culture you use things as as long as they last and don’t spend time fixing them. I am just glad there is no swinging bridge to pass here. I don’t quite trust a bridge that has a life of its own…
Wega village has a traditional Dayak wooden longhouse on stilts. Usually up to 10 families or 120 people live in each house that is about 30 to 40 cm in width. This is the first longhouse I come across. I was very curious to see what these houses really looked like. I admit to be a bit disappointed though with this one, it is not what I had imagined… From the outside it looks just like any other Indonesian house with made of wood with a tin roof, it is just a lot bigger.
Further on we come across wild rubber trees each fit with a small cup of coconut where the liquid latex can drop into. Farmers are busy cutting the trees. We have to ask our way a few times as there seem to be trails going in all directions. Shady seems to be nervous. Perhaps it is because he has not been here in a while and wants to make sure that we don’t get lost. When we stop to drink some water, he tells us stories of when he accompangied a group of Germans for a months trek on the Trans Borneo across Kalimantan…
We hike up and down in thick forest, following the rivers until it gets dark… We reach Hartatai village at 6.30 p.m. Shady switches on his head light as we walk up to the kepala desa’s house. The village looks like any other with a main street and houses scattered right and left, a school and church. You can see the kepala desa’s house from far away with its pink tiled porch. The kepala desa’s wife advises Shady where we can stay for the night. She points to the longhouses at the end of the village and goes back inside. When we see the longhouses she is talking about we are not sure if we will be welcome. The houses look big and dark and there is not electricity. A few women standing around scold us for being outside after dark. We feel bad having left so late this morning and continue walking, wondering in which longhouse we will be able to spend the night.
