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 The Barito
River cascade down from the Meratus Mountain highlands, and is a
crucial infrastructure channel between the coast and the deep interior
of South Kalimantan. The river highways attract tourists who wants to
travel into the jungle regions, and visit the traditional living
Banjarese tribes.Wide swamps and lowlands are characteristic of this
Indonesian southern Kalimantan province. Some of those rivers, such as
the Barito, Martapura and Negara mark the boundary between South
Kalimantan and the neighboring province of Central Kalimantan.
During
high tide, the sea water floods the surrounding marshes, and the Barito
river water becomes salty. In the dry season, when the river water
decrease, the wells and ponds are filled with sea water, and also
become salty. The Barito river environment, however, gives this old
town an appeal that is all its own. Rivers surround it and bring life
to the town. The busiest trading centers are found in the center of the
town, such as at Pasar Baru, Kuripan Market and some modern markets
such as the Antasari Shopping Center. The Floating Market of
Banjarmasin is a traditional market at the estuary of the Kuin river, a
tributary of the Barito.
As the day proceeds, the atmosphere becomes
more cheerful. The number of buyers increase, and more boats gather. At
a little past noon, the market quietens down. The now empty boats
leave. The number of buyers dwindles, and finally everything is quiet
again on the river. The best time to see market in action is in the
early morning, between 6 a.m and 7 a.m.
The Barito is the longest
river in South Kalimantan. Its length is 600 kilometers. at several
places near the estuary, the river is three kilometers wide and 10 to
30 meters deep, The water of Barito River is muddy because it carries
silt and rubbish from the hinterland. Flotsam is everywhere along the
lower reaches of the river. Beyond Marabahan village, the Barito river
splits into two branches one is a tributary coming from Negara village,
Amuntai and Tanjung. The other branch comes from the west, and has its
head waters near the Central Kalimantan border.
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