Kalbar - the name meant nothing when I first saw it. But the more I came across it - on banks, football guernseys, government signs; the more I pondered on its significance. Then in a moment of clarity, I took an educated guess and realised it was the usual Indon abbreviation - this time for Kalimantan Barat. With this knowledge in mind, I began to imagine a new country, pretty much isolated from the rest of the world. Just one road connection winding through highland country to Kuching, Sarawak. No roads as yet to the rest of Kalimantan and only a slow boat to Jakarta. Other than than, Kalbar depends on air transportation to connect to Asia. Capital of the province is the sprawling city of Pontianak, situated on the equator and a delta mouth of
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