Around Meliau

Thinking back to danau sentarum and port blair
Hello Ralf,we met a few years ago in the andamans (port Blair..) i am following your blog since then and its always interresting, this entry is especially interesting cause I ve beento danau sentarum almost 20 years ago while crossing Kalimantan from Pontianak(up the Kapuas) to Samarinda(down the mahakam) whith a week of walking thru the jungle fRom one punan village to another very nice but exausting trip. In danau sentarum i still have the sound of the zikadas in my head a little like a rotating saw but verry nice. Right now I am in madagascar which is fantastic place to travel, but a little bit lonesome if your frensh isnt to good. I have got one more week left than I have to start my trial(working) back in Germany. So travel hati-hati and pelan-pelan like anytime. Maybe its possible to meet you next winter in Indonesia be sure to visit Banda its a very nice place. All the best. Jens

Cross borneo
We had the same problems 20 years ago, the boats are very expensive.But I was lucky. On the pelniboat to Pontianak I met an Australian girl maureen , I told her about the trek and she joint me.in potussibau we were about to head back to pontianak,when around the next corner there has been three austrians who wanted to do it too.for all five of us it was possible. I still know at this time I have been the firsttime a millionaire in my life, I exchanged a million rupiahs in one thousand rupiah bills,a big pile.at this time one thousand was still worth something.The Kapuas boats are more expensive than the mahakam boats.On the mahakam its a short boatride to the next village,than there are local boats that are by far less time expensive. The boatride down the mahakam is very nice.The walk is nice, but seven days of rice and fish 3times a day takes its toll.When we came to the first village there was a small bakery, we ate everything. So good luck, and see you possibly next year in Sulawesi Jens