Some Flights in Borneo Canceled.

Some flights in Borneo (Kalimantan) that in Central Borneo and East Borneo on September 8, 209 canceled caused by thick smog from area burned around airport in both provinces. Tjilik Riwut Airport in Palangkaraya, Central Borneo, come back can’t use for plane landing. View distance in runaway only 400 meters, far away from lowest minimum limit 1,600 meters. Impact of that smog, Garuda Indonesia and Sriwijaya Air companies canceled their flight. Customer applicants will be flied via Syamsudin Noor Airport in Banjarbaru, South Borneo. Tjilik Riwut closed because pioneer airports in Central Borneo also become paralyzed because no plane flight from Palangkaraya. In East Borneo, almost all flight from Sepinggan Airport with destination to Kalimarau Airpirt at Berau district and Juwata Airport at Tarakan, East Borneo, also canceled. Both airports is closely by thick smog. Tarakan Meteorology Station Head Sutadi Raharjo said that view distance less than 1,800 meters. This same condition also happened on Kalimarau Airport at Berau district. Based on Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical committee, this smog was send from West Borneo and Central Borneo.

Mandau Kelu or The Stone Mandau

photo : wb9.itrademarket.com

The mandau (or long knife) has been in use for a very long time, prior to its existence the Dayak people used stone tools. A thin stone was sharpened to a fine edge by rubbing it on another harder stone. After a sharp edge had been achieved the stone was placed into the middle of a piece of wood and tied with rattan. As time progressed the forest discovered iron mine in the mountains. One of the village chiefs had the idea to use the iron ore to make a sheet metal. Because of the dificulty to find iron ore in large quantities the king prdered his subjects to make a cave on the side of Mount Muler and to dig holes in the area of River Sunan because these were area ehere the most iron ore have been found previously. Caves where the water was seen to be a yellowish color were greatly sought after. The yellowish water would be collected and save in a 20 cm deep hole that is about the size of a socer ball. The resault udf continually pouring into the same for several decades wa nuggets of iron ore.

The Meaning of Tattos for The Dayak Kenyah People

The Dayak Kenyak people call tattoos betik. Betik means the activity where tattooist pricks the skin repeatly with wooden instrument with three metal prongs on the end. Before the tattoo is made the person’s skin is covered with soot from a cooking pot and desired design. The used tattoos is different from each social class, these being :

1. Tattoos for th nobility (paren). Tattoos made for the nobility usually consist of the a very fine design with a spesific symbolic meaning. These designs are very expensive and ma not be used by other social classes.
2. Tattoos for the middle class (panyen). Designs used by the middle class are usually larger and not so expensive,
3. Tattoos for the lower class are only done certain parts of the body and are very cheap. Occasionally they may make it themselves.

Mahakam River

It is located in the east of Kalimantan / Borneo most popular with major activities of the river tourism movement specially in exploring the Dayak tribe. The Mahakam River flows 980 km from the highlands of Borneo, district Long Apari to its mouth in Makassar Strait. The city of Samarinda, the provincial capital of Eas Kalimantan, lies along the river 48 km (30 mi) from the river mouth. The east Kalimantan or Borneo is nowadays know as the most industrially advanced province of Kalimantan. Its population is less than two million, and the density figure of seven people per kilometre is among the lowest of Indonesia, although relatively high for Kalimantan. More than 80 percent of the area, or over 17 million hectares is covered by forest. This is where the "Black Orchid" and many other orchid varieties grow within the sheltered confines of nature reserves. The Banjarese and Kutainese are mostly the coastal population, living in towns and cities. The Dayak peoples form the overwhelming majority of the population of the hinterland, who live in longhouses called umaq daru.

Samarinda

Samarinda is known for its fine sarong cloth. The city shows some signs of being the capital of a prosperous province. New government offices and public buildings are rising everywhere. Samarinda has a number of modest but comfortable hotels.

Balikpapan

Balikpapan, the centre of Kalimantan's oil industry is also the gateway to East Kalimantan with air and sea connections to Jakarta and other major points in Indonesia. Even the trip to Samarinda, begins in Balikpapan. Living up to its importance, Balikpapan has a number of good hotels, including one of international standard, as well as recreation facilities. It has the second busiest airport in the nation after Jakarta, due to its strategic position.

Tenggarong
Tenggarong, up the Mahakam river from Samarinda, is the capital of the Kutai regency and was once the seat of the Kutai sultanate. The Sultan's palace on the riverside is now a museum where the old royal paraphernalia are kept, as well as an excellent collection of antique Chinese ceramics. Dayak statues can be admired in the yard. A curious thing about the royal paraphernalia is that they display a strong resemblance with Java's court traditions. Each year on 24 September, the former palace becomes a stage of dance and music performances given to celebrate the town's anniversary.

Tanjung Isuy

This little settlement around Lake Jempang in the lake-studded East Kalimantan hinterland, has a traditional Dayak longhouse which has been turned into lodges for visitors. The grave of a Benuaq Dayak chief lies aside the hamlet's only road. Visitors are usually given a traditional Benuaq Dayak welcome. The trip to Tanjung Isuy over the Mahakam River is long, but interesting, passing floating villages and forests. With luck, you can watch a belian, or witch doctor, dressed in his skirt of leaves, cure his patients at night by performing the rites prescribed by ancestors, to the frenzied accompaniment of gongs and drums. Many Benuaq Dayaks still prefer the old cures to the modern ones at government public health centres which are nearby.

Melak - Kersik Luway
Melak is a little village further upstream on the Mahakam River in the heart of the land of Tanjung Dayak. Not far from the village is the Kersik Luway nature reserve, where the "Black Orchid" grows