Krossing Kalimantan

Let's see where was that checklist..... ah yes.

I did get the visa. The visa is 60 days. I had no trouble getting cabin space on the Tidar.

Unfortunately, once I arrived in Balikpapan and went to book a space on the Kambuna, I discovered a problem: The Kambuna wasn't going where it was supposed to go. I had received similar info in Tarakan but figured that the office there was just confused. They were not. The online schedule just didn't match reality. Next boat wasn't due to leave until the 2nd and it is about 50% for expensive. I decided there was no urgency in booking for a boat that doesn't leave for 5 days. One person mentioned that there might be a direct flight to Manado.

I checked that out this morning. I was surprised to learn that the flight actually did exist and it doesn't cost any more than the boat. So tonight, I fly to Manado. I won't have the opportunity for any good "farewell Borneo" shots but, aside from a small island near the port in Balikpapan, nothing I have seen in Kalimantan has been terribly picturesque.

Travel has been mostly uneventful. One person said "America Bad" in such a light hearted manner it wasn't even clear he was serious. A few people on a loudspeaker equipped truck passed by this morning. They were proclaiming "Iraqi Solidarity". They saw me but just smiled.

Otherwise people were just excited to see a westerner. It's a bit surprising to hear people assume I am American just from sight. I'm not sure if this is a result of current events or it is a result of Americans ex-pats who work for the oil and mining companies here. There is certainly no way for them to know. It has been my experience that non-native English speakers can not determine my nationality when I am talking to them. No one can do that on sight.

Tarakan was not much. A little more tattered than what I normally saw in Malaysia. Not many proper restaurants. I didn't spend the night there. I just walked into town, pack and all, found a place to eat a leisurely meal, and then walked back to the peer to catch the Tidar.

Balikpapan is a sprawling mess. A bit like Kuching or Melaka. Vast numbers of motorbikes scurrying around. The bikes seem to be a big larger, on average, than the ones common in Malaysia. Some start to resemble the large street bikes we see in the States. Everyone wears a helmet but the helmets are minimal, ancient looking things. Most don't even cover the ears.

Getting a place to stay in the sprawling mess was quite a chore. Not having a good idea of the scale of the town, I tried walking from the port first. Many, many, taxi motorbikes offered a ride. I eventually accepted a ride from a private citizen on this bike. He didn't really know where the hotel was, it turned out, but his friends did, and we did finally get there. I waved goodbye and walked in.

They were full. Well, at least I was in the main part of town. I ended up carrying my overweight pack all over town. One recommended mid-range hotel was priced double with Lonely Planet said. And all the economy rooms were full anyway. With some help from a local I finally my way to the recommended cheap place. It was nearly 9:00pm, more than 3 hours after I left the ship. The price was nearly triple what the book said and, as far as I could tell, there wasn't a sink in the whole place. But, at least, I had a place to sleep. I vowed that, if I were staying another night in this town, I would find a better hotel.

Today would be a good day to ship home some of that extra weight in the pack. Unfortunately, the post office is nowhere close. I probably won't bother.

One interesting difference between Malaysia and Indonesia is language. Oh, the language itself isn't much different. Some different spelling but that's about it. But far fewer people speak English and then not as well. Karaoke videos shown on busses and boats in Malaysia are usually western music. In Indonesia, there are in Indonesian. Malaysians will generally speak to foreigners in English. Indonesians will try to teach you a bit of Indonesian.

I seem to have crossed the equator again somewhere between Tarakan and Balikpapan. I will be back in the North tonight. 'Looks like I need buy another umbrella.