Indonesia's Floating Paradise: The River Markets of South Kalimantan
Thousands of Indonesians travel to Thailand each year to see the renowned Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. Little do they know, there is a floating market closer to home, located in Banjarmasin, the capital of South Kalimantan.
Early Morning ‘Fortune’
It was raining hard in the pre-dawn hours. The call for morning prayer had not been made yet. The city of Banjarmasin was still in deep slumber, but I was already up and ready by the side of the main road, waiting for any transport that could take me to the morning Kuin floating market.
Having my previously arranged tour suddenly cancelled due to an insufficient number of guests to fill the quota, I was forced to make last-minute travel arrangements to the floating market. I was sleepy, soaked and disoriented. Looking at the empty road, I began to think that going to Thailand’s floating market is a better idea. At least the logistics in tourist-friendly Thailand would have been easier to arrange.
Luckily for me, Indonesia is filled with friendly people who are always ready to lend a hand to others.
Banjarmasin was deserted at dawn with no sign of taxis, ojeks or any other vehicles passing by, but an old man took pity to me. He helped me wake up a taxi driver, who was sleeping in his taxi, and asked him to take me to the Kuin Market Dock, where I would be able to rent a klotok (small traditional boat) to cruise around the floating market.
The driver wasn’t thrilled to be woken up so early, but as Indonesians say, “You can’t and shouldn’t refuse rezeki [ fortune destined by God], especially that which comes in the morning.” So he drove me through the rain and darkness, all the way to the dock.
Once I was there, I faced another problem. Where were the klotoks that I could rent? The rain must have already halted business for the day.
Walking down the dock, I finally found a single boat. The captain, Utuh, suggested Rp 150,000 ($16.38) for the rental, which would include visits to some surrounding islands, but I haggled him down to Rp 100,000. It was fair enough for both of us.
I hopped on and he immediately sailed along the Barito River. After a short ride, he stopped the boat in the middle of the Kuin River and asked me to wait for the floating market to emerge. Emerge? From where? There I was, clutching my umbrella tightly, my mind filled with expectations but my eyes weary with exhaustion. I gave into a quick nap.
Emerging Market
Soon after the call to morning prayer sounded, Utuh woke me up from my little nap. He told me the market was coming. “Coming” was indeed the right word. As I pulled myself out from the canopy, I saw several canoes carrying fruits, vegetables, and fresh goods, making their way to the center of the watery area. The petite canoes, locally known as jukungs, were overflowing with the vibrant colors — bananas, cucumber and spinach were , stacked in the front of the boat. The vendors were mostly women energetically steering their jukungs with wooden paddles. Their heads were covered in distinctive traditional headware, round hat made from bamboo.
As the sun slowly rose, the activity at the Kuin floating market increased. Arriving from various small canals linked to the Kuin river, buyers started arriving, paddling to their desired vendors. Once they were close enough, the haggling take place.
The radio in my klotok played some traditional Banjarese music as I sat outside watching the market with growing fascination. It was hard to believe this well-preserved tradition still exists in the era of shopping malls and on-line commerce. As the sun rose in the sky, new boats began arriving with eager tourists snapping away with their cameras. As the second largest floating market in the world, the exotic Kuin attracts many amateur photographers.
With the morning hours passing by, the sellers eventually finished their business then steered back to the canals from where they came. Utuh said they were off to smaller floating markets in remote areas along the Barito or Kapuas rivers to do more business. Life is still centered along the rivers in Banjarmasin as most of the population lives along the river banks.
After I finished sightseeing, it was time to have some breakfast — a floating breakfast.
We glided slowly through the hordes of canoes as Utuh steered our boat to one particular klotok that was actually a floating cafe. As we got closer to his boat, the vendor tied our boat with a rope linked to his. I guess this “anchor” also functions as a security measure to prevent his clients from doing an eat-and-run.
Packed in his half-meter wide boat, the man displayed a selection of dishes, from a heavy breakfast combo of rice wrapped in banana leaves to different kinds of traditional donuts, fried bananas, paes singkong and paes pisang (traditional banjar cakes of cassava or banana mix wrapped in a banana leaf).
I decided to try a local delicacy so I went with rice with spicy egg. As soon as we ordered, the vendor used a wooden stick with a nail attached at its edge to harpoon our wrapped meal. He passed the food to us with the stick, too. This was a very clever technique as it would be hard to maneuver around the tiny boat to serve customers. For a three-course breakfast that included several cakes, we only paid Rp 25,000.
Monkeying Around
Our next stop was an island, Pulau Kembang, which is home to the lutung and l o ng-nose bekantan, both rare specie s of monkey. I didn’t have a good first impression of the island and it only went downhill as the visit continued. P lastic rubbish was scattered everywhere around the place and it seemed neglected and ghostly.
Although it is endorsed as an official Taman Wisata (Tourism Park), the Rp 5,000 admission only gets you a view of monkeys hanging out by a gazebo. Also, the monkeys were rather aggressive, which made the recommendation that I buy peanuts to hand around seem suicidal. I rushed back to the boat in fear of my life.
But the m orning got better after that and I enjoyed floating on the calm Barito River and se e ing the serenity of local life unfold. It was much nicer than fending off hostile monkeys.
Historic Mosque
Back on land, I followed Utuh’s suggestion of visiting the oldest mosque in South Kalimantan, which was located just a five-minute walk from the boat dock.
The mosque was built by the first Muslim king of the Banjar Kingdom, Sultan Suriansyah, as a way of promoting Islam across the region.
The design of the building was adapte d from the Demak Mosque in Central Java, with the roof styled in tiered layers following the principle of Meru, the sacred mountain that leads heaven and is often found in the architecture of religious buildings in Java and Bali.
As with Demak, the entire building is made from wood and painted green, the color o f Islam. Adorned with intricate carvin g s of Banjarese flowers and plants, the mosque brings a sense of serenity and comfort. Added to the feeling is the fact that the wood construction absorbs heat, making the inside cooler.
The laughter of local children playing football also found its way into the mosque. It made me calm; I felt safe in this house of God, which has survived for many centuries.
Another five-minute walk brought me to the tomb of Sultan Suriansyah. The complex serves as the final resting place for the sultan, his queen and several others prominent Banjar Kingdom figures. The place has become a favorite for local and regional pilgrims.
Though it was surely an interesting place to visit, a lack of signage and information made the mosque visit not as interesting or significant as it should have been. It would be nice if the government would invest in maintenance so that visitors could learn the history of this unique mosque. Remember that if you come, you must bring properly modest clothing as it is considered a sacred place by most Banjarese.
