HRH Prince Henrik of Denmark relaxes on the Rahai'i Pangun

His Royal Highness Prince Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark, joined us on the Rahai'i Pangun for a morning cruise from Tangkiling to see orangutans on the river island, Pulau Kaja, and to continue further up stream to visit the village of Kanarakan.

The first orangutan release island on the Rungan River established by the Borneo Orangutan Foundation (BOS), Pulau Kaja is temporary home now to about 50 young, rehabilitated orangutans. Carefully watched over and fed daily by the BOS foundation, headed in Central Kalimantan by Dane Lone Droscher-Nielsen, these orangutans are sighted in the lush vegetation of the island. Lone gave His Royal Highness and an accompanying party of project donors from Denmark, detailed information about the rehabilitation program on the island.

Continuing on up river to Kanarakan, HRH Prince Henrik and the party were given a warm welcome in the village by a troup of traditional musicians and a 'karangut' singer, as children of the school danced. Warmly welcomed, the party took a short walk into the village to see more displays and exhibitions. Friendships made and the fun of the farewell 'manasay' dance are seen clearly in the photo records!

Rains

The rivers are overflowing and changing colour from the muddy brown of the lower levels to the black, clear brackish water flooding from the peaty soils in the forests. Floating houses, or rumah trapung, along the rivers rise with the tide and strain on the ropes anchoring them to the riverbanks. The stilt houses along the rivers are like islands with their canoes bobbing at the front door, and rickety bridges zigzagging to the nearest dry land. Forests flood and we can float through them to surprise birds and proboscis monkeys. As the rains culminate, and the dry season begins, the clouds scatter and the sun shines on this watery world, reflecting perfectly in the black water. Rains upriver still keep the levels high, as high as 15 feet or more above the dry season lows. With an easing of the rains, the river levels go down quickly and the floods rush away to the Java Sea or are absorbed into the sandy base of Kalimantan, once said to be the bottom of the ocean.