Tanjung Harapan Village
Jackamy
Paul & Derry Harper
Sun 14 Nov 2010 14:01
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Sunday 14th November
Back on the water again to enjoy a spot of
lunch as we cruised to our next destination, Tanjung Harapan village. Yet again
we had an uninvited guest, but very welcome, a huge really really wild male
orangutan, right on the rivers edge.
 Absolutely incredible - still
breathtaking!
Tanjung Harapan Village is around
1 hour up the river from Kumai. The village used to be located on the opposite
side of the river but was relocated to this side when the National Park was
founded, the national park is only on the right side as you cruise up the river.
At first glimpse you'd think it was a very poor village but as you take a look
you begin to realise that these people do ok, not by our standards but for
Indonesia they do well. The reason being because it is government funded. The
cows grazing in the field were supplied by the government as well as many other
things. Every 4th or 5th house will have a generator and each family has 5
hectares of land for farming. Walking around the village I got the feeling that
these people didn't want us there. I think it has become a tourist attraction
and in the peak season they must have hordes of visitors making their way
through. It's a bit intrusive really if I think about it.
 The sign is the villages 7
commitments; 1 example is to keep the village beautiful..........Cleaning teeth
in the polluted river
 This boat was waiting for the
best part of an hour.....for this lady, doesn't she look beautiful, but how old
is she!?!
 Happy to see us
 Ladies sat outside the
shop............We were given a few reasons for the white face, one was that
it's sun cream, the other is that they are village leaders, who knows the
answer!
 Cheeky kids playing outside the
hospital where a nurse works 3 days a week. Lets hope no-one is ill on the other
4!
 Houses built either side of a
tributary.............The shape of the rafters is to symbolise the
hornbill
 Ladies fishing with the cleared
land behind
 Some houses were
beautiful..........Others in need of a little TLC!
 Walking the plank over the
swamp..............Or crossing a bridge
 A wild orchid lay amongst the
rickety chicken coop
 I think I'll hold it
in!
 Hand weaving a basket on his
doorstep
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