The ebb and flow of life along Pontianak's rivers

The ebb and flow of life along Pontianak's rivers

Text and photos by P.J. Leo

PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan (JP): The buzzing sound coming from
the engines of motorboats breaks the silence of mornings along
the River Kapuas, a river that divides into two the municipality
of Pontianak, the only municipality in the West Kalimantan
province and also a provincial capital.

The River Kapuas -- between 300 to 400 meters wide and 12 to
16 meters deep -- is busy with activities, especially from
morning to late afternoon, offering unique sights when one is
Pontianak.

One can see various kinds of water transportation moving along
the River Kapuas: small rowing boats, motorboats, medium-sized
cargo vessels that look like floating houses -- called Kapal
Bandung -- sailing into the hinterland of West Kalimantan and
express vessels that look like small extended U-boats with a
capacity of some 200 passengers. These express vessels carry
people out of town.

As the River Kapuas is wide enough, many Pontianak residents
use water transportation services to go to the other side of the
river. If they take the overland route, the journey is much
longer and involves crossing a bridge that stretches over the
river. That's why water transportation plays an important role in
this equatorial city.

Apart from being used as a means of ferry transportation for
the local community, small boats are also used for fishing, for
the transportation of small goods or just for playing around
their homes, in the case of the community dwelling along the
riverbank.

"I often take my children along the river in this boat," said
Rohana, pointing to a boat tied under his house. "If I want to
visit a neighbor, I rarely walk along the planks that form a
makeshift bridge. I simply row this boat instead," she added.

Some people in Pontianak are still reluctant to use the Kapuas
bridge, which stretches hundreds of meters, to get from one side
of the river to the other. They prefer to take boats.

"I take a boat to get to the other side of the river and pay
Rp 500 every time, much more often than walking along the bridge
to get there," said Agustina, a senior high school student. "I
cross the bridge only once in a while when I go home with some
friends of mine," she added.

People who use rowing boats to cross the river usually feel
somewhat nervous and worry because the small boats are tossed
from side to side when sailing along the wide and deep Kapuas
river.

"These boats are rocked by the movement of the water caused by
speeding motorboats. However, they sail calmly enough if there is
nothing else passing," said Suwarno, a boat rower from Central
Java who has been in West Kalimantan for over a decade.

There are fewer activities on the river at sunset. Only a
small number of medium-sized vessels can be seen sailing into the
hinterland of West Kalimantan.

If the vessels are equipped with electronic equipment and a
disk antenna, like what you have on board Kapal Bandung,
passengers can savor the dark and quiet atmosphere prevailing on
the River Kapuas.