Sunday, July 22, 2018
Today we are going to visit the floating market at Lok Baintan on the Martapura River. The city of Banjarmasin is laced with flood-prone waterways, and many houses are built on rafts or stilts over the water. The waterways are also used for travel, using relatively small rowboats.
The floating market is located on a delta island near the junction of the Barito and Martapura rivers. As a result, Banjarmasin is sometimes called the "River City."
Bob and I took a boat out to the floating market at 5:30 a.m. with Nazar and his daughter Audry as our guides.
Indonesia lies near the equator. The sun will come up a 6 a.m., during our ride to the floating market.
Houses like these line the river. The structures are built on stilts in order to prevent flooding during the rain season. The front of the houses are facing the river, as boats were the means by which people used to shop and get round the city. Some of these houses are store fronts. Our driver stopped at one to pick up a tank of gasoline on the way.
As we glided down the river, we saw people washing their clothes, bathing, even brushing their teeth in the river. People rely on this river for the daily lives.
The floating market. There are many tourists here on Sundays.
The floating market in a photograph taken in 1941.
The floating market as it stands today.
Bob is buying some bananas.
Me, Audry, Bob and Nazar.
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