Indonesian Borneo, or Kalimantan, makes up two thirds of the island. Much of the population lives in villages with little or no road access, so life is lived along the rivers. Cars are swapped for motorised canoes; houses float on stilts above the river bank, privies are wooden shacks on pontoons over the river and there is no flush... apart from the river current.
Shopping, laundry, bathing, fishing, playing - all are done on the river. Transport between villages is on boardwalks, motor cycles and bicycles cause a ratatatat clatter as they travel along.
Away from the villages the river is lined by seemingly impenetrable jungle - populated with an abundance of wild-life: the endangered proboscis monkey or long-nose as the locals call them; macaque monkeys with intense eyes, the rhinoceros hornbill and the beautifully hued kingfisher amongst the many. Not to mention the elusive and desperately endangered Orang-Utan. Finding a balance between enabling infrastructure for the locals while providing enough native territory for the endangered great apes is a major challenge; one we must not lose sight of.
My apologies for the quality of the photos from Central Kalimantan - the photographer's worst nightmare - inadvertently deleted photos, so these are the worst of those taken. Back up back up back up. The photos below are a result of my friends' generosity. My thanks go to Christine Bull and Lizzie Gregory, who sent me some of their photos to share here. Thanks guys!!
Shopping, laundry, bathing, fishing, playing - all are done on the river. Transport between villages is on boardwalks, motor cycles and bicycles cause a ratatatat clatter as they travel along.
Away from the villages the river is lined by seemingly impenetrable jungle - populated with an abundance of wild-life: the endangered proboscis monkey or long-nose as the locals call them; macaque monkeys with intense eyes, the rhinoceros hornbill and the beautifully hued kingfisher amongst the many. Not to mention the elusive and desperately endangered Orang-Utan. Finding a balance between enabling infrastructure for the locals while providing enough native territory for the endangered great apes is a major challenge; one we must not lose sight of.
My apologies for the quality of the photos from Central Kalimantan - the photographer's worst nightmare - inadvertently deleted photos, so these are the worst of those taken. Back up back up back up. The photos below are a result of my friends' generosity. My thanks go to Christine Bull and Lizzie Gregory, who sent me some of their photos to share here. Thanks guys!!
The following images are courtesy of Christine Bull©, Caught in Colour
