Pontianak

PONTIANAK - 517,000 people as at 2004

This city which I visited some 15 years ago is as congested as ever. Crossing the bridge at Sungei Sikakup will give you a bird's eye view on the clusters of fishing kampongs congesting all along the river banks on both sides. The economy of this vibrant province can be judged by the activities along the water . Very active - ships , trawlers, logging barges, fishermen boats can be seen almost at the same time. Pollution however is something that has not changed since my last visit, perhaps worst.

We spend the morning getting our international driving license endorsed by IMI ( Ikatan Motor Indonesia ). It was easy to locate and the motor club people were friendly and helpful

West Kalimantan Museum - Wrong Timing

We tried visiting the Kalimantan Barat museum, but it was closed. Took a couple of pics on the exterior of the Dayak museum is all we could do.

Dining By The Riverside - Sungai Pinang

This is the scene where we dined for dinner. Located in a fishing village setting on a floating platform, the ambience was rustic but peaceful. The view along the riverbank allows us to view boats and trawlers moving up and down the river. The 600m bridge at the far end is across this Sungai

Palace of Sultans of Pontianak

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This very impressive entrance stands out along a very busy street leading into the Sultans of Pontianak palace. The way in, about 1km or so was through very run down villagers and our taxi guide told us that mosquitoes are aplenty in this area. The side lane is however also very busy and people are doing their biz as usual

Sultans of Pontianak has been dwelling in this little village since 1771. Till date the 9th Sultan and his descendants are still staying there, but at newer dwellings. The old palace is now a heritage piece . Pic on the row of houses , below, shows the Sultan's grandchildren staying just outside the palace compound.

Pic below - The center of equator. To reach this center , it is on the way down from Singkawang after passing Sg Pinyan. This is also a good reference point when you want to go to Banjamasin, from West to East along extremely challenging tracks and un -chartered routes which will take 3days and 2 nights and driving for a solid 30hrs .